Sinister: Wrapped up in Development Books

[Amy Skelton]

Dear Sinisterites,

HOLIDAY SEASON AND SARIS!

Well, I shall start by wishing you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope 
you’ve all had great holidays – I certainly have here in Bangladesh. Plus, I 
get the added bonus of another New Year in a couple of months - the actual 
Bangladeshi one. It sure sounds like it's going to be one mother of a mela.

I made a fair old effort with Christmas type activities, most of my spare 
time in December was spent, putting up decorations, singing carols, making 
mulled wine + mince pies and feeding the cake with brandy.

For the day itself my friends and I actually had a big roast dinner and 
shared out stockings etc., it was great fun and surprisingly I didn’t feel 
all that homesick. It totally outdid any expectations I had of my first 
overseas Christmas. On a B & S note I did indeed get the new album for a 
present - months after the rest of you guys but better late than never. I 
really like it but as so many of you have already discussed the songs I 
won't bother now.

After three months of Shalwar Kameez wearing I finally went the whole hog 
with six metres of material wrapped around me – yes my first sari! I was a 
bit naughty and threw caution to my volunteer allowance and used my credit 
card. It’s a beautiful design made of Tangail silk – I couldn’t resist I am 
a girl after all. This type of material is unique to Bangladesh so it had to 
be done really. It took two people to dress me – I haven’t quite mastered 
the art of putting it on myself yet.

WHAT IF I WAS LEFT BLIND?

Out of everything I’ve done this month the most enlightening thing was 
getting a taster of what it might be like to be a blind woman in Dhaka. 
Blindfolds weren’t required as I was taken into a pitch-black space – there 
wasn’t really any scope for your eyes adjusting. Then the noise hits you. I 
know that I said before that Dhaka is at least ten times noisier than cities 
like London but when one of your senses is cut off it’s even more intense. 
Walking just using the aid of a stick and your ears giving you a sense of 
direction definitely takes practice. I was exposed to issues such as groping 
by unidentifiable people along with being ripped off with goods and cash. If 
I had an accident that left me blind today it would take so much adjustment. 
Whilst I used to appreciate this before the exhibition my feelings are much 
stronger now.

Disability is an issue that is not addressed a great deal in Bangladesh at 
the moment. Things are improving gradually, although it’s at an aste aste 
(Bangla for very slow) pace. I’m showing management at the NGO I work for 
the latest research on water and sanitation provision for physically 
disabled people. My aim is to show how simple it is to integrate better 
designs at the initial stage. With little or no extra cost you can benefit 
so much more of the slum community (where we work). Poor health from an 
unbalanced diet and not having money to treat an injury are some of the 
reasons why there are a higher proportion of disabled people in slum areas. 
This master plan of mine should hopefully be backed up when the peeps from 
Loughborough that did the work come over here this month.

GETTING WET

For international hashing I am no longer known as Amy but have been 
re-christened ‘Soggy Drawers’. This new name resulted from an embarrassing 
end to a run. A little wobbly bamboo plank with disgusting water below was 
involved. Thankfully my mouth didn’t go under though. I blame my lack of 
balance on the Christmas puds and listening too much to my hecklers. A 
soaking wet t-shirt in Bangladesh is not advisable. So if any of you happen 
to go to international Hash meets look out for me.

GETTING MESSY

Us VSO volunteers are now so adept at eating with our right hands that we 
managed to eat ice-cream cake without the use of utensils. It’s pretty easy 
really just use the thin but solid chocolate layering to scoop and anything 
that’s melted can be soaked up with a mince pie or two.

THE CIRCLE GAME

It’s definitely a case of out with the old and in with the new here. Several 
volunteers have come to the end of their placements – just as I was getting 
to know them. A new group should be arriving in a few weeks and so the wheel 
turns.

Take care,

Amy

_________________________________________________________________
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