Sinister: Snow Kingdoms

[Amy Skelton]

Dear Sinister,

Hope you’re all well. So, we’ve had NO REPORTING BACK from Japan. I know 
some of you guys went – please tell the rest of us about it.

Do any of you know anything about a Welsh band called Melys? They’re from a 
beautiful spot in Snowdonia, Bets-y-Coed (sp?) where I used to go kayaking 
and hiking. John Peel played one of their songs Eyeliner on his BBC world 
service show a couple of weeks ago. He didn’t have much info. but I reckon 
someone in the Sinister fold may be able to shed some light. I would really 
appreciate it.

So, onto my news… I didn’t manage to make time to write this before going 
off on my Eid holiday – ah well.

Well it’s my fourth month in Bangladesh and I'm still doing new things (this 
will probably continue for all of my time here) so I thought I would share 
some of them with you.

IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE WOODS TODAY….

For organisations based in cities it’s traditional in winter (yes it’s been 
cold here for the last month or so – requiring fleecy jackets shawls and 
hats etc.) to go to more rural areas on staff picnics!
DSK’s picnic took us to Sonargoan (the old Mughal capital of Bengal) for a 
day of fun and frolics. You’re never too old for games in Bangladesh, whilst 
also used in training sessions they are a major part of a picnic. Some 
similarities with things back at home that you might be interested in. Over 
the past four months I have played LOTS of pass the parcel style games with 
people of all ages – this appears to be Bangladeshis favourite group game. 
Pin the tail on the donkey translates to pin the bindi (red spot worn on 
forehead for those of you that don’t know) on the poster of a lady and so 
on. Depending on what type of group you get you can get mixed games for both 
sexes and for all ages. However, at the picnic the groups were separated – 
there wasn’t even any culturally unacceptable issues like different sexes 
touching or anything. It was one of those occasions when I felt I should be 
quiet about my surprise. I love games and was fully prepared to join in. 
However, when it seemed that everybody at the picnic (more than 50 people) 
were starting to get up and do a little turn I inwardly cringed as I had 
forgotten one of the many pieces of advice I was given by a fellow volunteer 
when I first arrived – Have a song you’re prepared to perform in Bangla – 
you never know when you might need it. Translating sing-a-long songs like 
green bottles seems to go down well but I'm going to try to memorise a 
traditional song ready if there’s ever another time. Winging it in a foreign 
language is not so easy. People seemed happy enough with my attempt though.

I've just realised that my first update was so jam packed that I let details 
of my first Sonargoan trip slip through the net. We viewed a lot of the 
ancient buildings and statues, which were truly magnificent! I still need to 
go back there when the folk arts museum and craft centre are open.

A CERTAIN LIBERATION

This is the title of a film I went to see at the Dhaka International film 
festival, which moved me in a major way. It was a documentary about an old 
lady with a very large personality. She would go through the bazaars in 
Khulna (not the ‘done thing’ for Bangladeshi women) smacking police chiefs’ 
arses (and everybody else’s for that matter) with a cane, raiding pockets 
for money as her livelihood. As the story progressed you got more of a feel 
for how the people in the area loved her dearly – calling her Bangla ma 
(mother of Bangladesh). Her story is very sad. During the Bangladeshi 
liberation war in 71’ her husband and children (including a baby only a few 
months old) were killed in front of her. It alludes that she was taken away 
by collaborators and repeatedly raped. Many younger women that are 
interviewed during the documentary were jealous of her freedom to roam as 
she pleased. The take-home point I got from the film was although she was 
liberated enough to wander around markets as a lone women, this was nothing 
in comparison to the mental torment of grief she faces, she will never be 
free of that for as long as she lives. The first museum I went to (again 
missed out of my Oct update) in Bangladesh was devoted to the Liberation 
War. Remembering this visit showed that the lady documented is one of many 
who suffered such atrocities during the fight for independence. It all 
evokes so many emotions in me and I'm a bideshi (foreigner).

Bye for now. I’ll give you the low-down of celebrating my first Eid-Ul-Azha 
in full-on Bangladeshi style (amongst other things) next time…

…Amy

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