Chittagong(1) -City-

After 1,5 years........I finally made trip to Chittagong and Cox's bazaar.
I haven't updated this blog much these days, but will tell about my trip.
 
I flu from Dhaka to Chittagong.
The airport has international/domestic flights.

However, the problem is distance from the city.
It costs around 300tk by CNG, but there is no direct bus.
If you want to take local transportation, it will be a little difficult.
It happens all over the country......Bangladeshi people are so kind and try to help me.....though they don't have right information.
"After you arrive at the city, take #11 bus"
So I got on and.....
"Are you going to go to railway station? It doesn't go. Change to #10 bus"
So I got off and.....
"Railway station? Then, take #6"
OK, I understand their kindness......but please give me right information!

However when I changed buses, I found a dried fish market by accident.
Chittagong is the city beside sea!

So anyway.....I reached where I wanted to go.(though it took time)
I will introduce some places in Cittagong city.

Ar first, DC hill.
My co-worker recommended to visit there.
It is a park on the hill.

Boys were playing soccer, and beside them cows were eating grasses.
There were people selling tea or fried beans.
Could it be a tourist spot?

.....Actually the park is just a park where local people spare time.

However.
You can still find something interesting like people taking a nap.

Stay there for 20 minutes, you bet find something interesting.
If you like to observe people, it is one of the places to go.

Second, mosque in the city.
I didn't realize it was mosque at first sight.
It was beautiful with blue sky.
Located in Wasa mor, walking distance from GEC mor.

At last, Sadarghat.
There is a port in Southern part of the city.

 

I took a boat to opposite shore to visit dockyard.

Narrow pass continues along high wall.
I looked into a door opened.....then found a dockyard.
Huge!

Is the ship under construction or destruction?

Answer was under repair.

I could also see place where parts of ships were processed.
This is handle of ship!

Rail to carry ship to ocean.
(There must be name for this rail, but I don't know neither in Japanese nor English)

You will not get much chance to see dockyard, so it will be interesting.
However, women may not be allowed to go inside for some reasons.
(They said women were not allowed, and then said would be allowed if man accompanied, and then finally led me in because I was a foreigner!)
I was lucky.

I will introduce restaurant and hotel in Chittagong next.
Continues.

Nehari & Labbra

Almost 1.5 years have passed since I came to Bangladesh.
(Scary to know how fast time passes!)
However, there are still so many things I don't know and have never tried.

I introduce the new dishes I had recently.
One is "Nehari".

This is stew with slow cooked beef or goat, usually served with bone marrow/brain.
The one I had was curry taste, but there is mild taste soup without spices as I heard.
It is full of collagen.
(I thought I don't like collagen types of stuff, but it was good. I liked it.)

Nehari is usually for breakfast and served with naan/parata.
I had it as breakfast(but somehow it was almost noon) at a typical Bengali restaurant along Bishwa road.
Nehari is not available for every store, but they had it.
It is more popular in Old Dhaka.
Umm.....many many kinds of food come from Old Dhaka!

One more thing I had these days is "labbra".

This is one kind of curry using vegetables which is not ripen.
There is no rule which vegetable has to be used...e.t.c.
You will not find Labbra at restaurant because it is cooked at home.
I think people use vegetables whatever they have.
Then cut everything, mix, fry, and make curry.

Meat and fish are considered as rich food in Bangladesh though I like vegetables.
When Bangladeshi people invite me, they often prepare meat and meat....or fish.
I don't usually get chance to have much vegetables at Bangladeshi's house.
However I had Labbra at kitchen of Hotel Abakash(Parjatan restaurant) when a chef invited me for lunch.
Curry was oily as usual, but many kinds of vegetables tasted very good.
(When it is fried, heads of Hilsa fish were cooked together to give scent)
For the chef, this Labbra didn't seem rich dish, but I liked it very much.

It seems still long way to explore Bangladesh.
I will write if I find anything new again.

Source (by Prokritee)

This time I introduce a gift shop which a fair trade Bangladesh handicrafts organization, Prokritee operates.
The name of gift shop is "Source".

Prokritee means "nature" in Bengali.
They manages 8 Handicraft Enterprises and help mainly village women to sell their products.
Especially famous for papers.

A paper costs 35-50tk.
These papers are so beautiful.

Besides papers, there are notebooks which were made of colorful papers.
Gift cards are also plenty.

The one I got for 50tk.
The baby chick was telling me to bring her with me.

Body is made of Bangla newspaper.
Bangladeshi people seem to think using newpaper isn't beautiful, but it is very good design and interesting for foreigner. 

Fabrics are also famous at Prokritee.

Batik costs around 250tk/gose(=36in/3ft).
Simple fabric costs 140-150tk./gose.

I didn't know much about fabrics, but this is Batik.



 

There are 3 pieces and sarees.
Sarree is 1500-3000tk.
Not so cheap, but I like design.

Except paper and fabrics, there are candles, "nokushi", soap, and many kinds of handicrafts.

 

When I visited there, I was supposed to get gift for a friend.
Scarf, bag, and a card.  

Then, wrapped with a paper.
Doesn't it look lovely?

I often have problem where to find gift and suvenior.
Source is one of the places you can visit.

<Source>
Address : #1/1, Asad Gate Road, Block-A, Mohammadpur, Dhaka
Tel : 9119135,9116461
Mail : source@prokritee.com
Webpage : http://www.prokritee.com/

International Day of the World Indigenous People

August 9th is International Day of the World Indigenous People.
Every year on the day, event is organized by indigenous people to seek human right, cultural preservation.
It was in Shahid Minar near Dhaka University this year.

My neighbor told about this event on the day.
I was a bit late(the program started from 10am), but I could see.

When I arrived, some people were giving speech.
In hot weather, I couldn't make myself listen to it.
While waiting for dance, we went around to take pictures.

Too lovely kid!

  

Dancers with their traditional dress.

They are Chakma, but a girl in the right side of above picture wears Marma's dress.
Their face is somewhat similar to us, Japanese.....

When I walk on the street, sometimes Bangladeshi(usually boys) looks at me, says "Chin-Chan Pon!(they are mimicking Chinese language)".
One of them told me that it happened to them, too.
How does it feel like to be treated as foreigner in their own country?

So after a while...dance started.
Chakma presented their dance and music at first.

Then, Garo tribes.

Stilts?

I heard it was also Chakma culture.

(Japan has the same kind of thing!)

However, now it is only found in village.

(Not sure where to be found in Japan these days....?)

After dance and music, drama started.

The story is about independence of Bangladesh, but by the view of indigenous people.

When Bangladesh fought for independence, people tried to establish country for Bangladeshi, who speaks Bengali.

However from that time, there are many indigenous people.....the story told about it.

Program finished around 2pm.
Then, people started rallying to Bangla academy where stalls were prepared.

Bags, cloth, folkcrafts.....

And some food.....unique in area where indigenous people live.

 

Can you find bamboo shoot?
Thinner than Japanese one, but I used to eat a lot every year when season comes in Japan.

Event is organized every year on August 9th, but time/venue/contents of program aren't the same. (Organizer is also not the same.)
You have to wait for 1 year, but if you are in Bangladesh next year on August 8th, please check information.

Jamuna Future Park (2)

(belated) Eid Mubarak!

It has been almost a month since I updated blog last time.

In July, I was a bit busy breaking my foot's finger, getting sick....e.t.c.

When I realized, July has gone!

 

By Eid holidays in the end of July, I was almost alright.

I will tell some about Jamuna Future Park during Eid holiday.

I wrote about food court and bowling before, but about amusement park this time.

 

*previous article on Jamuna Future Park is below

Jamuna Future Park (1)
 
On the Eid day, it was colorful with people wearing nice new dresses.

Except food court everything was closed, but people went inside......sat here and there, took picture here and there.......seemed enjoying. 



Entrance fee for this small amusemsnt park is 50tk.

Each ride costs 150tk~400tk.

 

I thought it would never be operated, but it was.

Operated.

This also.



What I found interesting is people around there.
When staff was preparing to operate rides, people stopped and waited for it to start. 

 Then, watching......

Watching......

 

Watching.......... 

 

And, taking pictures.

 

I didn't have enough energy to get on rides......
But if you have wondered whether these are operated or not.....these are.
Let's try.