The Beauty of Peace

Hi everyone. I apologize for the delayed response...lately so much has been going on. The most mundane daily activities fascinate me. I am learning the value of patience, and living simply. LA has such a fast paced life. Some days here, I wake up in the morning, have some tea, watch CNN/BBC, spend time with my Grandma, explore the outside world, eat lunch, read, and later in evening write. I understand that sometimes, in life it’s okay to move slowly. I think more. I write more. I feel more this way. Each day I step outside I understand the value of life. I almost died the other day on the Rickshaw. In the middle of a crowded intersection a bus was coming full speed 50 miles unaware of my Rickshaw. I missed the bus by a fragment of a second. At that point I realized how important life was. I could have been gone that instant. Here in the city there are no street signs, or organized form of transport. Consequently When I leave outside to do my groceries, or just people watch I make sure that all my senses are wide awake. I am at peace. Here is a quick rundown of my trip so far:

November 29^th, 2007: My mother doesn’t realize the dangers of going out in the city. Bangladesh is currently in the state of emergency. Currently, a military government is in charge. So everywhere I go, I happen to an army officer. Certain areas are prohibited for traveling, especially in the night. But my mother likes to be “adventurous”, we visited a place called “The Stadium.” In this area stereos and electronic devices are sold. I had no idea about this place. This environment is surrounded by MEN. And there is a very ghostly atmosphere outside the stores. When I walked inside, I felt scared. My gut feeling told me this was a very dangerous place to be visiting. The men kept looking at me weird. I wore all black that day. These men reminded me I was a foreigner. I was constantly being stare at. I heard strange mumbles like “she’s a bidesh “(foreigner) or is this girl an “Arab?” I was REALLY happy to hear ARAB. Why? Because I knew if they smelled American, I was going to be an American roast cooked alive! Anyhow, I alerted my mother that I felt a bad energy in the stadium. We left. When I came home, I asked my family members about this stadium place. They were in shock that we even stepped foot there in the evening. I learned from my uncle that, many of these men are from Madarasas. For those of you who don’t know Madarassas are Islamic schools where often time’s extremist versions of Islam are taught. Many of the boys are orphans or of poorer backgrounds. They are brainwashed to die for Islam and kill anyone that looks suspect aka American. In essence, that night, our lives were in danger.

November 28^th, 2007: I spent time with my cousin. During her childhood, she suffered from epilepsy. She fears anything. People, school, getting her eye brows done all scare her. For whatever reason though, she enjoys my company. I can see through her. She has immense potential. Partial reasons for her fear includes the way our family treats her. Most of them think she is really stupid because she hates going to school. This girl has infinite potential. If she puts her mind into something that she is passionate about she will excel immediately. Thus far I have learned a lot from her. She is teaching me about college life. It’s so different here from America. Students aren’t allowed to wear make up to school, and they are beaten if they are social. School is only for studying, nothing else. Sometimes teachers threaten their students with violence. The system is very stern.