Murder on the SS Titania

Posted by Matthew McEwen |1 comments
We were recently invited (by a fellow teacher) to a murder mystery dinner with three other couples. A 1920's cruise on the SS Titania bound for America in which the captain has been.. murdered ... during an exclusive dinner in his cabin. Hair and make-up were at 5:30 and done by one of the hosts Tanya, a Russian women married to an American whose house we were at. It was a huge house decorated mainly by large plasma TVs and other expensive electronics. They were in every room including the kitchen and bar. The make-up came out stunning and the story is played out.


We were to dress and act the part from the moment dinner started. I played Bjorn Riche, a silver spoon youth with a chip on his shoulder and Carrie played a writer of sordid mysteries who was escaping her past. Play was a set of rounds with questions to ask and answers to give or to keep secret. Everyone played their parts well but the accents (a French couple, Russian women, and a Scotsman) were a bit to muddle through. Regardless of the accents the story itself became a twisted and convuluted mess of details so that no one really knew who the murder was. When the murdered was finally named the motive (and we all had motive) and evidence was thin. There really was no hard evidence or a trail of clues. In the end everyone basically guessed. I got lucky and guessed correctly and won absolutely nothing. Apparently, as murder dinners go, this one was lame. They are planning the next already.



After the dinner the crowd thinned and we got to know the real host (the American), who changed into a Harley Davison leather vest and shorts and proceeded to rock the house with Y&T at an insane volume that Carrie would have never agree to. I now understand the greatness that is Y&T, at least I did at the time. Then we discussed (over the increasing ear splitting volume) artists like Iron Maiden, RUSH, and . We watched a recent Rio concert on his obscenely large tv, played some mean air guitar, and discussed Y&T some more. Then out comes the Russian vodka chilled and poured not once, not twice, but four times in as many minutes.

HELP ME!!!!
At the fifth shot, Carrie rescued me and we left or home with almost 8 ounces of vodka, consumed within about 15 minutes, settling in my stomach.

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Let There Be Mold!

Posted by Matthew McEwen |2 comments
So living in Dhaka has it's advantages and disadvantages. Case in point was when our tub started flooding (clogged drain maybe) and then leaked into the walls and caused a huge moldy area of the two walls opposite the tub. Perfectly identical moldy patches right where the tub was. The advantage is they agreed come fix it either immediately or wait 4 weeks till Spring Break. Carrie opted for immediately and we had a new tub and newly done walls (sans the color) with a few days. The disadvantage is that when they installed the new tub they forgot to level it correctly and the edges are like gutters that pool and spill water onto the floor despite repeated attempts to seal it. It completely encapsulates the idea of two steps forward and one step back. At least they fixed the mold .... for now.


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YouTube Woes

Posted by Matthew McEwen |3 comments
Ok .. fine ... I have now had two videos pulled off of youtube because of copyright infringement. One Godzilla movie they just pulled straight off after I received an email that "fire, water, burn" by the Bloodhound Gang was used without permission. The second time there was no actual email and they just muted the audio to another movie (Godzilla again). Is there a Godzilla conspiracy or is there actually someone watching videos (even badly homemade ones) and scanning the over 13 hours of video that is uploaded to youtube EVERY MINUTE for copyrighted material.

Fine .. you got me ..

What do I do? Re-upload and run the risk of severe penalties? Or play it safe and deprive the 2-3 people that watch the Godzilla trilogy each month? Any suggestions? Anyone ever had this happen?

Oh and now Bangladesh has banned the mentioned site for posting an audio tape of the shouting match between the BDR and ruling party. Just a quick reminder that we aren't in Kansas anymore. http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=79064

Questions We Ask or Comments in Traffic

Posted by Matthew McEwen |1 comments
  1. What's that ricksaw going to do?
  2. What's that microbus going to do?
  3. Roll up the windows and lock the doors, we are coming to DIT2 circle. (the large traffic circle)
  4. I wish I had some crackers.
  5. What's that babytaxi (tuk-tuk), bus, walker, motorcycle going to do?!?
  6. Push through the crowd! Push through them! Use that van to block the flow!
  7. Anyone need a map? Anyone? (there are a plethora of map sellers at every corner and they canswear you need one)
  8. Look out ... Pee'rs..
  9. We've moved 20 feet in the last 10 minutes!
  10. Oh oh oh oh ... he IS not coming over!?!?
  11. He won't hit you, his car is too nice!
  12. We need a vacation! We really need a vacation.
  13. I need to use my horn more.
  14. You can't pass more than three rickshaws at a time.
  15. This WAS a two way street this morning!?
  16. I wish I had a glove box full of rocks ....
  17. Justin use your whistle.
  18. Just nick him with your side view mirror.
  19. I love having a driver.
  20. We are getting passed by rickshaws!!!
  21. Remember Karma ...
  22. And the most often heard for iffy expat drivers "I only take lefts!"

Conversation with Das (our Driver)

Posted by Matthew McEwen |0 comments
Carrie: You hear on news fighting in Dahmundi? Shootings?
Das: Hm?
Carrie: Today shootings in city? Hear on news?
Das: mm Hm
Carrie: What happened? Is it safe now?
Das: mm Hm
Carrie: Any problems now?
Das: Yes. 9 died. Army men.
Carrie: Sargent died?
Das: Mm hm
Matt: very bad.
Das: yes.
Carrie: still fight? now?
Das: No. 9AM stop maybe 12:30. Maybe curfew tonight.
Carrie/Matt: Ahh. Hmm.

Now I Can Survive in Dhaka

Posted by Matthew McEwen |3 comments

A recent and surprising addition to the US Commissary .... it's a taste explosion! This is specifically dedicated to Kerstyn whom introduced me to all the goodness that is Nerd's Rope. I'm sure Willy Wonka did not actually think of it himself but more likely bought out a some really high dude in his basement that was messing around licking gummy bears and sticking them in nerds. I unveiled this product with awe in my 3rd grade class room to cries of "is it possible?" "say you'll share" and "ahhhhhh" ... then I ate it in front of them. They were being bad.

Dhaka Construction: Brickies in Bangladesh

Posted by Matthew McEwen |1 comments
More Dhaka man powered manual labor in Bangladesh. This guy gets the big taka.

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