Life update – 7th Feb 2011

So I’m leaving Bangladesh again in 2 days! It’s crazy how fast a few months can pass and I even forgot to tell people in the Bogra office that I was leaving in advance. So all of them where really surprised that I started to say good bye to everyone but I got to see most people one last time.

Are now trying to focus on the future and bought my self a third or forth computer depending on how you count.. But will only bring two to Israel the of the other two , one is a Desktop and one has a broken graphic card so is not working right now.. Feels strange to buy a Macbook though, not sure how I’m going to be able to hide that from people so I might just as well tell it here as well. But I’m only doing it because I want to learn to use them – I still think they are over prized and that monopoly is bad. Being an engineer though it interests me to learn to use their system as well though, and I have heard they have good software to make movies and stuff, so maybe I’ll be posting some stuff like that here in a few weeks…

Back to reality though - today is also hartal (general strike) here in Bangladesh so I’m not sure if the markets are open, but I’m thinking of taking a walk all the way too New Market after lunch to see if any stores are open then.. Need to buy all those last stuff that I was planning to bring back to Sweden. Are reaching the weight limit on my bag soon but one or two last things might be possible to fit in there =)

 

Then Sweden, I only have 9 days in Sweden once I get back and one is booked for a full day prep course on the 18th, then I have at least 2 full days in Gagnef, and a bunch of people I wish I have time to meet in Uppsala but looking at my schedule and all stuff I haven’t done yet I might not do much more then prepare for my next trip.. Are really looking forward to meeting everyone back in Gagnef though, and works out really nice that Anneli (my oldest younger sister) turn 25 while I’m in Sweden so I will get to meet most of my extended family at her celebration. Also think I have some Christmas presents waiting for me back at home… Will be really fun to see what might be in those. But for now I need to take a shower, start writing a lot of emails and then take that long walk down to New Market that I was talking about. Should take about one hour one way, but it’s really nice walk along a lake at one point so I don’t mind. At least it’s still not really hot here.. not quite yet.

I got to know my placement on the West Bank – Jersalem!

Just got to know that I will be placed in Jerusalem! (for the first three months) From mid May (I think) until I go home I will be in Yanoun, and I will also visit one or two other places for a week or so. The other placements are Bethlehem, Jayyous and Tulkarem (see map in the end).

I shouldn’t say that I am disappointed, I know that many of the placements are interesting and Jerusalem is a really fantastic city! But I was really hoping to live in Hebron this spring. Firstly because in Jerusalem I will be exposed to both Hebrew and Arabic and I know that I won’t learn both at the same time… Secondly Hebron seems to be a really interesting city with a long history, but are not as famous as Jerusalem. Thirdly because it sounded like they had very interesting things to do there, helping kids and living with nomads. Also the situation with the settlers taking over the city even if they are only a minority of a minority in numbers.. But they demanded that the army should protect them and so it does..!! But no one is protecting the rest of the city from the Settlers!!

It really make me so mad to think that some people are celebrating that one of the settlers went to the mosque a few years ago and shoot down people praying there! WTF!! How can that be a good thing?? I mean for anyone? Any sane person should NOT want to be associated with murderers and racists (which is the only explanation I can see for this guy to act as he did), but in Hebron people are proud over him!!?

So I will not live there but at least I will make sure to visit Hebron, and especially the old parts that nowadays are abandoned by all tourists to Israel. But they really miss out on a great experience I must say.

Bellow is a map over all the places I talk about above.