Tangail -AJIYER(5)-

I have already introduced some of activities, but let me add some new experience I had this time.
 
Among many activities, most of students said Indigo Dyeing was the best one.
We had brief guidance about indigo dyeing, and then tried.
White scarfs were distributed.
 
However, I had no idea what to do with it.
Some students had experience in Japan and they knew what to do.
To make design on scarf, we needed to roll the scarf to bamboo stick or tie with rubber.
White parts remain white when they are not exposed to Indigo and it becomes design.
Difficult to explain!
Just go there and try it.
 
Students trying.

Then, soak into Indigo.

If you want light color, don't soak for a long time.
After drying, open it.

 How is it?

I couldn't imagine how it would be like before opening the scarf, but there are different beautiful designs.

So, take group picture of a professor and students.
I couldn't help uploading bigger side of picture.
They are so....funny and cheerful.

We have also visited a local school.
However.....it rained in the morning.

So?

Needed to walk into field!!
Woow.....water........

Environment of schoold is quite different from Japan.

Children are so friendly and curious about foreign country and foreigner.
They asked questions.
"What is your name?"
"What is Japanese national animal?"
"What do you eat in Japan?"

They also showed us paper works and sang a song.
If you like kids, school visit will be fun for sure.

There is a lot of activities in Tangail.
Contact them if you are interested.

AJIYER
E-mail:contact@ajiyer.com
Webpage: http://www.ajiyer.com/

Tangail -AJIYER(4)-

In September, a professor who studies about tourism and his students visited Bangladesh.
To know about community based tourism, they visited AJIYER in Tangail.
I have been there, but visited again with them.

I have introduced activities in AJIYER.
If you are interested in village of Tangail, please check previous articles.
Tangail -AJIYER(1)-
Tangail -AJIYER(2)-
Tangail -AJIYER(3)-

This time, I will introduce some more activities in AJIYER and their vision to promote community based tourism.

Beside activities, we had presentation session from Mr.Shamim, CEO of AJIYER.
Community Based Tourism(CBT) is to develop tourism by community people in a way which gives them benefit.
He thinks the idea should come from community people.
Not Top-Down, but Bottom Up.
Community people are expected to think by themselves how to develop tourism in their village and how they could be involved in.
Mr. Shamim shared this idea with village people and had workshop.
This understanding is very important for receiving tourists.
When I visited villages by AJIYER tour, I felt comfortable with village people.
Environment is getting ready.

One of activities in AJIYER is homestay with Bengali family.
Tourists cook together, help some house work, and have meal together with them.
It could be a very interesting experience.

I think home stay is one of the things foreigner(or let me say Japanese) enjoy because life in Japan and Bangladesh is totally different.
Especially thinking of Bangladeshi village life.
The traditional village life will not be found anywhere in Japan.
 
"Home stay" is one of the best way to experience Bangladeshi life.
I didn't get chance this time, but visited village where tourists stay.

Yes, village seems nothing special.
That is one of the villages which you would find all over the country.

However, village people share the idea of community based tourism and join workshop which AJIYER holds.
AJIYER supports some basic facility for tourists.

One of the rooms tourists may stay.

Restroom.

Do you know what this room is?

Traditional kitchen!
Tourists may help house work together, cook together....and will eat.

I would love to cook together at this kitchen.....I often think I want to help cooking, but usually Bangladeshi don't let me work.
(Once my landlord told me "you are entitled just for eating"!)

It is difficult to explain, but I felt comfortable in the village.
I personally think experiencing village is the best way to enjoy Bangladesh.
However, it is difficult to visit village for tourists.
There, you can experience village, but with basic facility and understanding of village people.
I believe this homestay has possibility.....what do you think?

Mr. Shamim showed us around and explained his vision.
I was impressed by his time-management, caring....he understands how foreigner may think and what is expected.
I expect community based tourism AJIYER leads helps tourism development in Bangladesh!

Tangail -AJIYER(3)-

Good morning!
The second day's program started in the early morning.
Before we left, we had Bhapa pita as morning snack.
Then, started.

We passed weaving village we visited yesterday, hearing sound of weaving.
They work from this early morning.

I doubted if morning market could be interesting for me who used to do shopping at market.

However, the first thing I saw was milk in bukets.

Farmers bring milk from each house's cow and bring it to the market.

I buy most of things at market, but mlik I buy in Dhaka is always packed.

Vegetable was chaper than Dhaka, so I bought califlower and garic.

I believe no tourists have bought vegetables at that market.
I have to admit that bringing vegetables from Tangail to Dhaka wasn't the best idea......but anyway it was good and cheap.

After breakfast(of course, we had breakfast in addition to morning snack),
We left for reseach center again.

We saw a woman making "Muri".
I have eaten it several times, but never seen how it was cooked.

It was made like "popcorn".
As she roasted, it popped.

After that, we helped(or disturbed) grainig crops, and left for village.

The first village we visited was pottery village.
Do you have any idea how to use these rings made of clay?

For exapmle, well.
I have rarely seen well, so it was interesting and a little scary to see into deep hall.



 

Next, we visited silvermith village.

and movedvisited an old mosque.

The tourguide was willing to BE TAKEN picture, but not to TAKE picture of us......unfortunately.

Each village we have visited has one business(weaving village, silvermith village...e.t.c).
Village people used to tourists not very much but slightly, so people don't stop their hands and show us their work when we visited.

However, you can also experience being "foreigner".

As we looked kitchen house (Kitchen is outside, stands as one house), people gathered.

And took my arm and brought us to their house, gave food.
It is one of interesting and beautiful thing in Bangladesh.
Even they used to tourists somehow, this warm atmosphere was there.

We finished our tour in the morning, and left Tangail after lunch.
It became busy but fun weekend holiday.

I missed "Bhapa pitha making" because I changed the date.
Since some programs change by the day, please check in advance.
It is very good place to experience Bangladesh village without traveling for long distance.
Tangail is only 3 hours bus ride from Dhaka.

AJIYER
Webpage : http://www.ajiyer.com/

*about UBINIG
http://www.ubinig.org/index.php/home/index/english

Tangail -AJIYER(2)-

Today's tour hadn't finished.
We took rest with tea until evening "Cultural program" started.

It was music and dance.
People played Lalon song and some farmer's song.

I didn't really understand what they sang about, but one was about rice.
A man sang up names of 127 kinds rice paddy.
Another man sang 55 kinds of fishes....
They led us play instrument like small tambourine, but we weren't sure how to use.

At last, we also sang Japanese song.
It was fun....just the better, if there were more tourists to sing together.

After singing, dinner was waiting.
There are all types of curries.....vegetable, fish, beef and bean soup(of course).
In addition, we had chicken barbecue.

I say, the taste is a little different from local curry.
I can't explain well, but the taste is more.....sophisticated.
It was very good, but just different!
Maybe they make it for tourists.
So far, my sister liked it. (She said it was less spicy)

After eating a lot.....we needed some exercise.
As driver and cook asked for joining badminton, we did.
Of course, we didn't mean to play hard since we had taken shower before dinner.
However, somehow we played seriously.
We were about to leave, but then doubles game started!

・・・・・

It wasn't no longer cold when we finished 3 games.
We got back to room tired, and slept well.
As all of you can imagine, we had to move like robot because of muscle pain the day after.

Continues to next day.....

Tangail -AJIYER(1)-

I have visited Tangail where 3 hours distance by bus from Dhaka.
For what?
To take my sister who visited me to somewhere outside of Dhaka.
Tangail is good location for one day trip.
There is research center named "UBINIG".
Accommodation of a travel agent "AJIYER" stands besides the center.
AJIYER works for developing community tourism, and I booked through them.
*Community tourism
It aims to include and benefit local communities.

The tour starts from 11 a.m, so we started Mohakhali bus terminal in Dhaka in the early morning.
Bus brought us to Tangail in 3 hours. (Bus was around 170tk....maybe)
We took CNG(not reserved, so it costs only15tk) to Pathrail.
It took 15 minutes or so.
Arriving Pathrail, I just kept saying "UBINIG" and people showed the way.

I passed by Mustard field......

Kept walking.......

If you didn't know, you may not notice the building.
However, there is pretty accommodation behind a door.
As we arrived, a staff offered tea and morning snack.
(Popular snak is Samosa or Shingara.....but somehow it was fried potato)

 

Then, we left our bags in room and started for tour.
But before leaving, some pictures of the room......

Pretty room.
So, let's start. 

At first, we visited Seed Wealth Centre.

In each jug, there is different kind of paddy.
There are around 3,000 kinds!

Then next, headed to weavers village.
Tangail is famous for saree.
There are 2 ways of weaving, one is "Jacquard system" and another is "Nokhshi Buti".

This is Jacquard system.
Pattern is in the weaving machine.
It takes 3 days for weaving for a saree.

After weaving, extra strings are cut.



It takes 5 hours to cut, and people get 800tk for one saree.

Nokhshi Buti is done all by hand.

I heard it took about a week for a saree, and workers get 1,400tk.
I asked how long they worked a day.
Usually 8 a.m-8 p.m, was the answer. (though they can come later and leave earlier if they don't feel like to work though...)
But it was impressive how much work is done only for a saree!

 

Strings are also produced in the village.
A man in the picture walks with reeling a long string.

 Dyed strings were hanged.

Walk in the village a little more, loooong saree was reeled.

Besides them, children played badminton.

Our tour guide joined badminton, too.

Hello?

Don't we go back?

It is getting colder unless we play badminton!

 

In the evening, we came back to the accommodation.

The day continues......but I will take break here.