Our New Driver

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Even though our old driver Rafiq was an extremely careful driver (people riding in our car would laugh at the way he went over speed bumps), when we needed to get somewhere fast he would go, cut people, cars, and rickshaws off, and do the crazy. Our new driver Das (pronounced Dash) is similar except he did not go when he needed to last night and I ended a bit miffed at him. With Elizabeth screaming bloody murder, he let rickshaw after rickshaw pass on a critical left turn (remember our left turn is your right turn ... very simple). In Dhaka it's push in or never get in ... after we got home, I told him that was unacceptable and Rafiq would not have let ithappen. I really don't think he understood what I was saying but I apologized the next day and gave him a free Emirates Airlines bathroom bag (we had five of them). I think he is very confused but seemed very pleased with the gift.

Here's a Little One

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Even though they are completely harmless they still scare the willies out of me! Carrie filmed and then killed this one.

Bearers and Stairs

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We have a great bearer/cook (bearer=maid). His name is Alum and he is a hard worker. Last week he fixed our freezer door with some wire so we could start storing food in that part again. His most recent task was cleaning the stairs outside our apartment. When we came home there was the smell of bleach hanging about and our stairs were the cleanest they've been. Yesterday the bearer for the family on the first floor was scrubbing their stairs. Alum said that all the bearers in the building were talking about him and grumbling because they now had to clean like he did. Apparently he uses sand paper to get the tiles so clean! Make them work Alum!

CPR (on the weekend)

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So it was decided (and I think it's a great idea) to have all the staff at AISD have first aid and CPR training. This was two sessions that were three hours each. One was done during on in-service time and the other on the weekend before school started .... and no breakfast! Well besides being confident in preforming CPR, getting intimate with Shirely (picture here), and learning how to clear the scene ... the most memorable item was our instructor Ed Jones story about a javelin that impaled a official which someone prematurely pulled out and caused his intestines to shoot out the wound. So remember ..

Sushi in Dhaka

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The best sushi in Dhaka is at Sumdados is prepared by Filipino chefs. They wait staff while slow and easily confused are always happy to see us (we tip well). And apparently they use "real" wasabi ... I've been told that other restaurants use a chili based "fake" wasabi.