Musings

Back home after an enjoyable holiday in Nepal and Bhutan. I'm still trying to digest my time in Dhaka. Has it changed or not? Change, of course, occurs all the time irrespective of human agency. Things are conceived, grow, decay and die without much help from us and if you think of Dhaka as a living organism, quite independent of its inhabitants (although living in a symbiotic relationship with them) then of course its changed. It seems to be in a state of terminal decay. The footpaths are crumbling even more; the holes in the roads are more numerous and larger it seems; the number of beggars, strategically placed at the bottlenecks in traffic flows, seem more numerous; and politicians seem to remain as venal as ever. On the other side of the coin, however, are a lot of pluses. The vitality and dynamism of the place; the confidence of my young students who have just entered the work force, and the generosity and charm of friends are fond memories. More about this theme later.

On Monday (10/05/2010) we attended the opening of the ECU Bangladesh Photographic Project. It was held in an unusual setting - the Northbridge Piazza, an outdoor setting. The photographs are projected on to a large screen to be seen by all. The work of 14 photographers will be screened at 1.00 pm and 6.00 pm daily until the 18 May. Well worth looking at.