Khulna Part Trois- Stephanie

The morning of our last full day in Khulna was filled with Rotary and professional visits. Our first destination was the University Hospital and the University itself, which I didn't even think to take pictures of, and then we got to visit a small farm owned by one of our hosts. Gave us a good idea of what goes into growing and processing rice.... The young man in these pictures is my host-brother, Sakib...

From there we moved on to a Brac school for underprivileged children. The kids only had a chalkboard tablet and a few books to work with, but their handwriting was very neat, and they sang and danced for us! We had picked up a camera crew by this point, they were filming a few of our visits for a short segment on one of the news channels!

Then we moved on to another Brac project, where they give land to local families and teach them how to grow crops (generally rice) and then how to manage it. This was where the camera crew interviewed us individually, but they saved Dr. Tonya for an on-set interview once we got back to Dhaka.

As we were leaving, a local farmer gave us some green coconuts to drink from, and although I personally am not a fan (It's too sweet for me, which is really saying something) the other girls enjoyed it and the "slime" which is what the meat tastes and feels like before it fully ripens...

To top off our day we had our last Rotary meeting in Khulna, but I think the best part was that one of our host-fathers took a picture of us that morning visiting the hospital, and by that night they had a sign made welcoming us to their club with that same picture! Kinda impressive!

                               They were also celebrating the 29th anniversary of their club charter...

This is Khurshida, she is from Seattle- she sat at our table and was telling us about her NGO that works against human trafficking... We all fell in love with her, very sweet and very driven young lady!

The next morning we ate breakfast with Meredith's host family and lunch with Holly's, but then we had to get on the bus to Jessore to catch our flight back to Dhaka!

Holly - 28 Jan - Khulna to Dhaka & WEDDING!!!!

1/28 - Khulna to Dhaka

We have been so pampered and overwhelmed with food. Meredith's host family was so nice to have us over for breakfast and we had the huge shrimp which Tonya calls shrimpster. (Meredith has photos)

We met an amazing beautiful woman, Khurshida, at the Rotary Meeting who is from Seattle, but recently got married here in Bangladesh. She joined us for breakfast, then we all went shopping. :)

                                                             I will miss her so much!!!

Farewell lunch at my host families house...then had to say goodbye :( (it's so hard everytime)

Had a 2hr bus ride to the Jessore airport then a 25 min flight back to Dhaka. That was an interesting flight...nobody sits in their assigned seats so there was some yelling in Bengla (had an idea of what was said) Aeye yai yai...

When we arrived in Dhaka, Stephanie's and my host families (they're related) took us to the most beautiful wedding ever to take place in Bangladesh! Pictures don't do justice...but I love the weddings here! My family was so sweet and dressed me up in a Sari...there were four people helping me get dressed and they were teasing me that it was my wedding...haha riiiiiiiiiiight lol

Oh how I've missed my Dhaka family...

The gorgeous bride!!!

                                             Fairy tale wedding....

                                                         Absolutely stunning....

Holly - 27 Jan - Khulna (University, projects)

1/27 - Khulna (University, BRAC projects)

Education is such an important part of the Bangladeshi culture and this morning we toured Khulna University (School of Business Administration). We then visited a BRAC (large successful NGO) project of a school for underprivileged children. They sang and danced for us. It was so sweet!


                                                   The beautiful children of Bangladesh...

The future teacher's of Bangladesh...

Rice fields are everywhere in Khulna and we were fortunate to visit one that BRAC set-up to help employ the community.

                                                        I'm bringing this goat home...:)

Stephanie's host family was so gracious to have us over for lunch.

Our last meeting was the Rotary Club of Khulna Midtown which is my host father's club. He took a photo of us that day and had it made into a huge banner. It was a very fun and lively club! Picture's don't do justice to the chaos of photo time...everytime! ;)

Khulna Part Duex - Stephanie

So after all of the excitement of the Sundarbans and the cricket game, the next day was reserved for more professional programs, including visiting a jute mill and a seafood processing plant. The running joke was that my hair looked like jute, but it was an impressive operation...

The seafood processing plant was really cool too, but the SIZE of prawns here is RIDICULOUS!

                                               Holly looks like a brain surgeon.... "Scalpel!"

                                   Oh yes, sexy and we know it in our gumboots and face masks...

                                                                              Nom

                                                   And these are prawns, not lobsters!!!
Next we went to the annual picnic for my host father's Rotary club...

                                       Flowers seem just a little more interesting in Bangladesh....

         Holly and I touring the grounds of the picnic site with my host brother and sister and their friends...

                                       Pillow-Passing... the Bangladeshi version of Hot Potato!

                               Dr. Tonya was the first to go, then me, then Holly... Meredith held on though!

                                              Meredith was good... she won the whole thing!

                          This little girl was so cute but so serious, her big brother was pretty funny though!
Then we had another Rotary Club meeting, and we are still so impressed at how quickly they have these signs made to welcome us to their clubs!

On to Khulna part trois!