Eid. Henna. Laughs. Pictures.

Sick. Today I spiked a fever have a stuffy nose and woke up with a splitting headache. SO I will be spending the morning in bed: sleeping, watching movies and catching you all up on my last few days here. It seems that everyday I should write a long inspiring blog because when I really think about it almost everyday here is one I hope to remember, and God teaches me something so new. But I am not that dedicated or gifted enough to translate ALL that I am learning into blogs. So I will just continue to do what I am.

Yesterday we went to eat at a Muslim families house in honor of the Eid Festival. It was So fun.This family was so hospitable. We arrived after a 30min. drive. My bum was sore, from the ride in the back of the pick-up. My freshly washed clothes were slightly dusted, from the dirt swirled up by the truck tires.

Stepping out of the truck we were once again in Ponchbibi, the streets are starting to become familiar and I recognize the best stores to buy things from and which to avoid. We are greeted by a nice looking man who leads us away from the main street and into a maze of narrow dirty streets. The sewer runs openly below my cautious feet, the dirt streets are swept clean in front of the nicest houses and garbage piles high in all other places.

We finally made it to our destination. A small complex of houses. We were greeted by the man of the house who was still in him Lungi (kinda like a male sarong!!) We were shown to a bedroom and told to sit! We removed our shoes and promptly sat. The room was quite lovely, clean, many hand made decorations and lots of color. It soon became packed with people wanting to meet us and see us. There were 3 boys about our age who also came to meet us, I think they must have used up all the memory on their phone camera taking pics and videos of us!

(here is one of the boys! YES! HE had a major unibrow!)

We were brought some snack. In bangladesh everyone feeds you, and it is expected that you eat. Man did I have to eat. First we were give a sort of trail mix snack, then some oranges and apples, then some sweets (sugar balls basically...not a big fan) then came the fried things: Chicken, potatoes, and deep fried breaded cauliflower. Then another sweet thing a pudding cake...which I was too full to even try. I just ate everything as slow as possible so that when they came around for us to take more...I could just claim I was still eating the previous thing! We thought this was our meal...So we are as much as we could. BUT come to find out these were just appetizers!! I seriously thought i was going to be sick if I had to eat more...

While we were visiting with the people a girl about my age, by the name of Polly, asked if she could Henna our hands, we of course wanted this...but didn't know if it was acceptable to have at the our Christian orphanage with children around. SO we didn't know quite what to do, but we were told it was okay for just this once and to go ahead and do it. It was priceless to see Polly's face light up as she ran to get her Henna and carefully illustrated our hands.

(all us girls with the Artist Polly)

We were soon told to "ASho Asho Asho," come, come, come. We were lead into the dining room where there were big plates of piled high food for us to try to eat. I knew I would NOT finish...but I attempted. I did not finish and they kept trying to get me to, but I said in the best Bangla that I could.."I am sorry, I cannot eat more!" They were so hospitable and we had such a fun time. It was a wonderful after noon, and I could not have eaten another bite.

(here was my next meal...)

(here is Polly trying to "help/make" me finish!)

After we returned to the orphanage Jehanna, Popri D, and I all decided we needed a walk! So we took about a 45 minute walk to a Indian Fair we saw on the way back to Bangla Hope. It was really fun just to walk around. I bought some hair clips, a toy, and an Amazingly cool ring= ;) but right after that it broke...!

(Jehanna and I at the fair)

(The fair!)

Observations:

We were invited to this families house for dinner, yet they did not eat with us. They only brought us the food and then watched us eat it.

Shoes are always taken off, and you walk barefoot on the floors...no matter how dirty!

Laughter, love and Hospitality are the universal language.