In just over two weeks, we will be embarking on what I know is going to be an amazing trip!
We still don't have any news on our visas, so hopefully that gets through fairly soon.
I am in the process of buying a netbook for our trip, so I can continue (hopefully!) to update our blog and my facebook while we are gone, as well as skype with my family if possible. One of those nice little bits of home that helped a TON when I was in Australia.
One little tidbit I found out while I was researching the different netbooks- Bangladesh recently got 3G service- as in October of this year, only a few months ago!
Christmas proved fruitful, as my parents are wonderful and bought me a nice new camera for the trip. My Sony Cybershot that cost me so much in Sydney is now officially retired, long overdue considering how I abused it. Let's hope Panasonic can hold up a little better!
As far as our packing list besides electronics- One of my friends recently took a trip to India, and she says she has a filtered water bottle with extra filters I can use, which is nice because otherwise those things can get expensive. I have not bought a one-piece swimsuit as recommended, because chances of me willingly going into any body of water are pretty small. Otherwise, I am trying to decide if I should bring a towel, and any other little things that are recommended but will take up a lot of space in our suitcases. I plan on buying a couple of saris while we are there, and probably a few loose-fitting tops and pants as well, so I will be bringing as few outfits as possible. It's kind of hard to know how much shampoo and conditioner I will need for a month, as chances are pretty good that I will be wearing my hair up in a braid or ponytail as much as possible!
Oh well, I still have awhile to think these things over, and I'm sure if anyone runs out of anything we will be able to help each other.
Our next group meeting isn't until January 6th, only 6 days before we leave. I really hope we have everything figured out by then :-/
More to come soon!
SB
Friday, December 28, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
17 Days...
Hello!
Day after Christmas- and my present was an awesome new camera for the trip! Not much has been going on as far as preparation otherwise, since everyone has been spending time with their families and shopping for gifts and traveling! Holly and I have been trying to look into our outfits, as she and I were able to get into a few stores a week ago, and have since been trying to see if we could get our choices embroidered with the Rotary symbol, but now it is the question of if we can find everything for our outfits in all of our sizes. Our skirts are the biggest issue, because every store seems to be sold out of multiple sizes for long black skirts!
We are still working on our presentations as well, as time permits, so hopefully when we have another meeting on the 6th we will feel prepared :)
Hopefully more to come soon, as I try to hit some day-after-Christmas sales!
SB
Day after Christmas- and my present was an awesome new camera for the trip! Not much has been going on as far as preparation otherwise, since everyone has been spending time with their families and shopping for gifts and traveling! Holly and I have been trying to look into our outfits, as she and I were able to get into a few stores a week ago, and have since been trying to see if we could get our choices embroidered with the Rotary symbol, but now it is the question of if we can find everything for our outfits in all of our sizes. Our skirts are the biggest issue, because every store seems to be sold out of multiple sizes for long black skirts!
We are still working on our presentations as well, as time permits, so hopefully when we have another meeting on the 6th we will feel prepared :)
Hopefully more to come soon, as I try to hit some day-after-Christmas sales!
SB
Friday, December 21, 2012
22 Days and counting...
Still counting down!
Last night Holly and I got together to go see "Life of Pi" and do a little bit of shopping! "Life of Pi" was absolutely stunning, and we managed to find a few shirts we may want to bring to Bangladesh, or even wear on the plane! We are stopping in Bahrain, and it is cold here in the U.S., so whatever we wear will need to keep us warm while we are still stateside and be modest enough to wear in the Middle East on our stopover... Still doing research on portable water purification systems, getting prescriptions filled, making up our packing lists, and waiting on our Visas!
Not much else to report at the moment, but I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!
SB
Last night Holly and I got together to go see "Life of Pi" and do a little bit of shopping! "Life of Pi" was absolutely stunning, and we managed to find a few shirts we may want to bring to Bangladesh, or even wear on the plane! We are stopping in Bahrain, and it is cold here in the U.S., so whatever we wear will need to keep us warm while we are still stateside and be modest enough to wear in the Middle East on our stopover... Still doing research on portable water purification systems, getting prescriptions filled, making up our packing lists, and waiting on our Visas!
Not much else to report at the moment, but I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!
SB
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
24 Days Out
In keeping with the countdown trend... Just got the new picture up!
I received the Typhoid shot yesterday and my arm is little sore, but Eileen Klecka R.N. (Phoenix East Rotary Club) is amazing! She was able to give me some really good pointers for the trip, and she even found a good anti-malarial that would work with me and where I was going... I'm not good with remembering to take pills on an empty stomach, so this one should be good, AND it might even be covered by insurance!
We don't have another group meeting until January, as a couple of team members are going out of state for the holidays, but hopefully Holly and I will be able to get together and go over what supplies we are bringing since we live just a few miles apart in Phoenix.
My Bangla phrasebook came in the mail yesterday, and I am worried about how much of a help it will really be- it's not the easiest to read! I will work on a few phrases and see how those go, but I may need to switch it out for something easier to understand...
I hope everyone has a lovely Wednesday!
SB
I received the Typhoid shot yesterday and my arm is little sore, but Eileen Klecka R.N. (Phoenix East Rotary Club) is amazing! She was able to give me some really good pointers for the trip, and she even found a good anti-malarial that would work with me and where I was going... I'm not good with remembering to take pills on an empty stomach, so this one should be good, AND it might even be covered by insurance!
We don't have another group meeting until January, as a couple of team members are going out of state for the holidays, but hopefully Holly and I will be able to get together and go over what supplies we are bringing since we live just a few miles apart in Phoenix.
My Bangla phrasebook came in the mail yesterday, and I am worried about how much of a help it will really be- it's not the easiest to read! I will work on a few phrases and see how those go, but I may need to switch it out for something easier to understand...
I hope everyone has a lovely Wednesday!
SB
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
25 Days Out
Well our preparation meeting on Sunday went well, Meredith was able to find and convince a Bangladeshi student at NAU to come speak to us about his country and what to expect, which was very good information! Thank you Arzeen!
We also took our group photo with the gorgeous snow in Flagstaff as a back drop, so hopefully soon I will be able to post that on the blog, and here's hoping we don't look as cold as we felt!
Today is my appointment for my Typhoid shot (yikes) and I plan on asking about anti-malarial meds that would work over there... I won't be getting the Japanese Encephalitis or Rabies shots as (gently) suggested by the CDC, because my insurance wouldn't cover them and they are quite expensive, but I know most of the rest of the team is... I'll just have to wrap myself in mosquito netting I guess!
Otherwise, we are still waiting on our visas to come through and finishing up our presentations for when we are over there! I am also working on training the ladies who will so generously be backing me up while I am out of the office, and organizing myself with my bills and banking accounts and items I need to pack, and the 2 million other things I need to worry about before leaving the country for a month!
SB
We also took our group photo with the gorgeous snow in Flagstaff as a back drop, so hopefully soon I will be able to post that on the blog, and here's hoping we don't look as cold as we felt!
Today is my appointment for my Typhoid shot (yikes) and I plan on asking about anti-malarial meds that would work over there... I won't be getting the Japanese Encephalitis or Rabies shots as (gently) suggested by the CDC, because my insurance wouldn't cover them and they are quite expensive, but I know most of the rest of the team is... I'll just have to wrap myself in mosquito netting I guess!
Otherwise, we are still waiting on our visas to come through and finishing up our presentations for when we are over there! I am also working on training the ladies who will so generously be backing me up while I am out of the office, and organizing myself with my bills and banking accounts and items I need to pack, and the 2 million other things I need to worry about before leaving the country for a month!
SB
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Well gee, that's fun...
I created a new Gmail account for our group to sign into, but Blogger does not allow me to change the email address assigned to the blog! So if I want the other girls to be able to post on this blog, I had to change that...
All previous posts are over at http://district5510gse2013-bangladesh.blogspot.com/
(Only 3 posts, but it makes me sad that this won't be as complete as I had intended it to be!)
This is the story of 4 women, sponsored by Rotary, touring the lovely country of Bangladesh! Of course we are all pale and blonde, so I think we are going to stick out pretty badly, but it's all part of the fun! :)
As of right now, we are 27 days out from leaving Arizona, 29 days out from arriving in Dhaka, due the EPIC flight itinerary... time to get excited!
SB
All previous posts are over at http://district5510gse2013-bangladesh.blogspot.com/
(Only 3 posts, but it makes me sad that this won't be as complete as I had intended it to be!)
This is the story of 4 women, sponsored by Rotary, touring the lovely country of Bangladesh! Of course we are all pale and blonde, so I think we are going to stick out pretty badly, but it's all part of the fun! :)
As of right now, we are 27 days out from leaving Arizona, 29 days out from arriving in Dhaka, due the EPIC flight itinerary... time to get excited!
SB
Saturday, December 15, 2012
28 Days Out
Good afternoon!
I just ordered my Bangla phrasebook, which I had hoped to do sooner but kept holding off for one reason or another- I already know I will never be able to understand the script but hopefully I can at least get the basic phrases down, enough to say "Hello", "How are you?", "Thank you" and "Do you speak English?" :)
I have already learned in past travels that people across the world are more likely to take pity on you if you at least give it your best effort, regardless of how badly you butcher it!
Tonight I head to the Christmas party for the Rotary group that is sponsoring me, and tomorrow we were SUPPOSED to have another preparation meeting, but our team leader who was going to host us for this session reports heavy snowfall up in Flagstaff, much worse than anticipated. The snow would make a beautiful backdrop for our group photo (and yeah, I am selfish enough to want to take an hour or two to play in the snow!) but if it isn't safe we will have to Skype instead.
It is a beautiful rainy day here in Phoenix though! We get them so seldom it is quite a treat when we do, even if our clothing and hair disagrees... Hopefully more to report tomorrow once we have had our meeting, in person or otherwise!
Signing off,
Stephanie Babb
P.S. I am going to try to let the other girls have a go at posting in this blog, so any future readers don't get too bored reading about the inanities of my life...
I just ordered my Bangla phrasebook, which I had hoped to do sooner but kept holding off for one reason or another- I already know I will never be able to understand the script but hopefully I can at least get the basic phrases down, enough to say "Hello", "How are you?", "Thank you" and "Do you speak English?" :)
I have already learned in past travels that people across the world are more likely to take pity on you if you at least give it your best effort, regardless of how badly you butcher it!
Tonight I head to the Christmas party for the Rotary group that is sponsoring me, and tomorrow we were SUPPOSED to have another preparation meeting, but our team leader who was going to host us for this session reports heavy snowfall up in Flagstaff, much worse than anticipated. The snow would make a beautiful backdrop for our group photo (and yeah, I am selfish enough to want to take an hour or two to play in the snow!) but if it isn't safe we will have to Skype instead.
It is a beautiful rainy day here in Phoenix though! We get them so seldom it is quite a treat when we do, even if our clothing and hair disagrees... Hopefully more to report tomorrow once we have had our meeting, in person or otherwise!
Signing off,
Stephanie Babb
P.S. I am going to try to let the other girls have a go at posting in this blog, so any future readers don't get too bored reading about the inanities of my life...
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Hello Again...
Good evening :)
I don't have much to write just yet, just still getting into good habits now!
Today I started training a few of the people who will be covering my responsibilities while I am off to Bangladesh... it's a little nerve-wracking! On one hand, I am worried my boss won't be getting the support and immediate response of someone dedicated solely to making his job easier, and I am very stressed out that I will be coming back to an office full of banking coordinators who resent me for taking so much time off in such a large chunk and making their lives more difficult, but on the other hand it is nice that most of my backup is cheerful about helping out while I am gone, and my boss is supportive of me going for this amazing opportunity. My bank (thankfully) is very big on helping out the community and helping employees grow, and I definitely appreciate it!
Other than work, still just lining up my ducks! I have an appointment next week to get the Typhoid vaccination, and I just had blood drawn yesterday to make sure I have enough antibodies left from my first round of Hep B vaccine I received when I was a kid. I am only at the stage of looking online as far as bringing gifts for our gracious hosts, and still working out my banking and legal situation while I am gone. Somehow leaving to go to Bangladesh for a month is taking more energy and preparation than moving to Australia for a year had...
Thinking of gifts, and not even of the Christmas variety (although Christmas is less than two weeks away... Yikes!), I think I need to bring back little somethings for the wonderful ladies who are making sure my boss and our department continue to run as smoothly as can be expected... guess I will have to wait and see what kind of goodies I can find in the markets over in Bangladesh!
Signing off,
Stephanie Babb
I don't have much to write just yet, just still getting into good habits now!
Today I started training a few of the people who will be covering my responsibilities while I am off to Bangladesh... it's a little nerve-wracking! On one hand, I am worried my boss won't be getting the support and immediate response of someone dedicated solely to making his job easier, and I am very stressed out that I will be coming back to an office full of banking coordinators who resent me for taking so much time off in such a large chunk and making their lives more difficult, but on the other hand it is nice that most of my backup is cheerful about helping out while I am gone, and my boss is supportive of me going for this amazing opportunity. My bank (thankfully) is very big on helping out the community and helping employees grow, and I definitely appreciate it!
Other than work, still just lining up my ducks! I have an appointment next week to get the Typhoid vaccination, and I just had blood drawn yesterday to make sure I have enough antibodies left from my first round of Hep B vaccine I received when I was a kid. I am only at the stage of looking online as far as bringing gifts for our gracious hosts, and still working out my banking and legal situation while I am gone. Somehow leaving to go to Bangladesh for a month is taking more energy and preparation than moving to Australia for a year had...
Thinking of gifts, and not even of the Christmas variety (although Christmas is less than two weeks away... Yikes!), I think I need to bring back little somethings for the wonderful ladies who are making sure my boss and our department continue to run as smoothly as can be expected... guess I will have to wait and see what kind of goodies I can find in the markets over in Bangladesh!
Signing off,
Stephanie Babb
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
One Month Out... :)
We have received our flight itineraries, and I think we will need to start loading up on the Vitamin C immediately! Stops on the East Coast, the Middle East, and we will land in Dhaka (Dacca) on January 14th, two days after we leave Phoenix. I'm sure we are all starting to get a bit antsy, excited to get there, worried about what we will forget to pack, and stressing over making sure all of our ducks are in a row!
We will be having our second-to-last group preparation meeting this weekend, in which we will need to be ready to show a final rough draft of our presentations that we will be giving to our hosts in Bangladesh and show off to our team what we have learned about this amazing culture we are about to immerse ourselves in... so fingers crossed, deep breaths, we can do this!
We will also be taking our group photo this weekend, now that our "uniforms" (Sorry Dr. Tonya, I know you hate that word!) are almost complete... still working out the skirt issue, but our shirts and scarves have come in, and I went ahead and bought the shoes I will be wearing the majority of the time (Clark's- which are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn, but I have never spent so much on such UGLY shoes). On the plus side, it is supposed to snow this weekend in Flagstaff - super exciting for the folks from Phoenix - so it should make for a lovely background, and I might just have to get there early so I can play in the snow a bit!
On a side note: My goal for this blog will be to illustrate the experience from start to finish, which will include everything leading up to the trip itself, from here on out until we get back and fully recover... So as mundane as my postings might seem, it is good practice for me, so even when we are over there hopefully I will remember to check in frequently and let everyone know how things are going!
Good night everyone, sweet dreams :)
Stephanie Babb
We will be having our second-to-last group preparation meeting this weekend, in which we will need to be ready to show a final rough draft of our presentations that we will be giving to our hosts in Bangladesh and show off to our team what we have learned about this amazing culture we are about to immerse ourselves in... so fingers crossed, deep breaths, we can do this!
We will also be taking our group photo this weekend, now that our "uniforms" (Sorry Dr. Tonya, I know you hate that word!) are almost complete... still working out the skirt issue, but our shirts and scarves have come in, and I went ahead and bought the shoes I will be wearing the majority of the time (Clark's- which are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn, but I have never spent so much on such UGLY shoes). On the plus side, it is supposed to snow this weekend in Flagstaff - super exciting for the folks from Phoenix - so it should make for a lovely background, and I might just have to get there early so I can play in the snow a bit!
On a side note: My goal for this blog will be to illustrate the experience from start to finish, which will include everything leading up to the trip itself, from here on out until we get back and fully recover... So as mundane as my postings might seem, it is good practice for me, so even when we are over there hopefully I will remember to check in frequently and let everyone know how things are going!
Good night everyone, sweet dreams :)
Stephanie Babb
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