Archive for August, 2011


Day 241

BENGALIS BEHIND CURTAIN NOT OBSERVING THE FAST. Typically rickshaw wallahs and other physical labor workers  eat so they can continue working.  I think today was actually one of the hottest days in August.  I decided to use this photo since today is the last day of Ramadan.  Today is a busy shopping day in the city.  Again this morning saw 30 some cows going down the street at the back side of the Parliament Building at 5:35 am!  At the one supermarket there were at least 10 people in each of 5 lines.  One fellow told me to go to the line clear at the far side.  I got there with my 8 items.  Soon I see it was a line for people with 5 items or less!  I only had 3 kinds of things, maybe that helps?  I didn’t argue since I had a rickshaw waiting.  I had told him 5-10 minutes, but with the masses of people doing their pre-Eid shopping the supermarket was packed.  The new moon was sighted before dark this evening so Ramadan is over and tomorrow is the Eid-ul-Fitr h0liday.  People really celebrate the evening before Eid.

HALIM PREPARING AN IFTAR MEAL FOR HIS FAMILY, ALICE, AND ME.

Day 239

BENGALI LADY OPERATING A LOOM in Mymensingh, Bangladesh.

STUDENTS ON THE ISLAND OF MOHESHKHALI returning home from school.

Day 237

MY NIECE, BAILEY BRINGS A LIVE CHICKEN FROM THE MARKET into our apartment.

Day 236

TASTY SWEET CHOCOLATE TREAT AVAILABLE AT THE FIVE STAR SEAGULL HOTEL AT COX’S BAZAAR.

Day 235

YOUNG BENGALI GIRL SWIMS AWAY AFTER HAVING had a gaze at the photographer!  (See yesterday’s post)

Day 234

BENGALI GIRL CHECKING OUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER!  So much for an unposed photo.  This photo was taken on the way to Inani Beach from Himchuri Falls.

Day 233

HERE I AM WITH SHAHEEN, OUR HOUSEHELPER AND HER TWO CHILDREN.  Alice and I had been invited to share Iftar with them.

Pinky, Shaheen, Sultan, and Me

Day 232

THE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION KEEPS GOING ON!  My friend giving me a gift which my friends bought for me.  They know I love Bangladesh and photo books!  A very appropriate gift.  A big thank-you to my friends!

Ellis and I

Proud of My Birthday Gift

I AM TRYING TO BLOW OUT MATCH WITHOUT BLOWING OUT THE BIRTHDAY CANDLES.  Seth also had a birthday this week.  The circle of sweet cinnamon rolls took the place of a cake!

Day 230

HAPPY 63rd BIRTHDAY TO MYSELF, Sil Byler, Ida Marie Miller, Darlene Stoner, Orville Wright, and President Bill Clinton!  It is also World Photography Day!  “World Photography Day is observed on August 19 each year. The day originates from the invention of the Daguerreotype, a photographic process developed by Louis Daguerre which was announced by the French Academy of Sciences on January 9, 1839. A few months later, on August 19, 1839, the French government announced the invention as a gift to the “Free World.”   This info came from mbp.com.ph

From http://wright.nasa.gov/orville.htm:   “January 30 1948: Orville Wright died in Dayton, Ohio, at the age of 76, thus ending his 28 years as a member of the NACA. NASA was created from NACA 10 years after Orville’s death. In his lifetime, the speed of the airplane had been increased from 0 mph to almost 1,000 mph.”   So I shared a birthday with Orville though he died in January the year I was born.  I also piloted a two-seater Luscombe in Canada for almost 400 hours from 1984- 1992, so we have something else in common.

I enjoyed a great Bengali breakfast of beef curry, vegetable curry, and nan ruti.  This was followed by a nice visit at Coffee World with my friend, Ellis.  The mocha and strawberry frappe were tasty.

A big thanks to all my friends who wished me “Happy Birthday” and one even hoping I live to be more than 100 years old!! Thanks for making my day special.  My wife is also fixing me a special meal this evening consisting of hamburgers and potato wedges!!

My wife also made me a special jello cake which is pictured below. She decorated it with chocolate chips and peanut M & M’s (one of my favorite candies).