update from kolkata...

snippets from the past few days:

hallelujah - my ATM card finally worked this afternoon...and i've had quite a few pleasant conversations with Amber. she works at my bank. we've never met. i may call her tonight just to say thanks. i mean, we've spoken multiple times this week anyway...we're practically best friends forever!

finally bought a power strip and computer speakers. i know...you don't think its a big deal, but it did take me 4 shopping trips to get that done...so i was pretty excited yesterday when it finally happened.

i have a sinus infection again. can't figure out why my sinuses suddenly decided they hate me. everything was fine til this year...i thought it was my "welcome to kolkata" pollution cold (i get one everytime i come to the city...the way i see it, my lungs just need a thick coat of the black pollution grime and then we're fine)

its hot.
i'm not messing around.
hot.
dhaka did NOTHING to prepare me for this heat.
yesterday it was 111 but it felt like 140. once i knew that i felt much better about thinking it was hot.

i did go for a run yesterday morning, but didn't bother washing my hair after the run (i did shower). i figured i was going to sweat just as much the rest of the day as i did while running.

a few days ago when i was getting my sim card for my phone i was sweating so much i left sweaty-butt prints on the chair.

the good news is that necessity is the mother of invention and i've found cleaver ways to pin all my hair back...well, most of it - still a few "whispys" getting away. i have twirls of hair all over. its also un-inspiring to wash your hair when you know you're just going to pull it all back...plus the dirt helps the bobby-pins work better.

in the morning when i finish getting ready for the day i look in the mirror and think to myself, "why do you even bother trying?"

also, i would really like to install a ceiling fan in the bathroom. i know, i know, its a really bad idea for multiple reasons (electrocution ringing in at the top of my list)...but i seriously think it would make the bathroom much much nicer. that and fixing the toilet...but if i got to choose, i just might choose the ceiling fan.

if you walk into a room turn on the light and 15ish cockroaches just look at you - don't even scurry away...just chill like they own the place...does that mean they won? trying to decide if i want to declare war on the ants and cockroaches in this joint....not sure its worth the emotional energy.

had my first language class yesterday (my first one since language school). i really enjoyed it. i think the different pace, the fact that i use the language more...and the brief break did wonders for my desire to learn bangla!