George Harrison’s Bangladesh??

Sharna Bremner
Outreach Blogger
20 May 2010

In my first pre-departure TOTO blog, I want to thank the magic that is the World Wide Web. With just three weeks to go before Joel and I jet off to Bangladesh, my life has become a flurry of vaccinations, preparations, nerves, excitement and a never-ending stream of university work that must be completed before I leave.

As any university student can tell you the internet is not just a wealth of academic knowledge, where you can find anything from anthropology to zoology and everything in between, it also procrastinations best friend. From facebook and twitter to eBay and iTunes, everything you need to avoid actually doing homework is all just a click away.

I figured I’d put my mandatory procrastination time to do some pre-departure research on our Project TOTO destination, as I must admit, my knowledge on Bangladesh was limited to the outcome of last week’s Twenty20 cricket match.

Thanks to the genius of the internet, I’ve learnt that Bangladesh is one of the most populated places on earth and that during the time that Joel and I will be in Bangladesh, it’s going to be hot. Really hot.

I’ve learnt that George Harrison of the Beatles recorded a single called Bangladesh which reached the top 20 in the UK music charts in 1971 and that the population is predominantly Muslim, a fact that sent me scurrying to the shops to buy appropriate clothing. Sure, this might seem a like a frivolous excuse to go shopping, but for me it was particularly important.

I firmly believe that regardless of my own personal beliefs, I should always obey and respect the customs and traditions of any country that I am lucky enough to visit and I’m now left to ponder how I’ll cope in the hot, humid conditions in long-sleeved tops and long pants.

Now that the clothes have been bought, the flights have been booked, visa’s applied for and multiple vaccinations that have left both Joel and I nursing dead arms, I’m looking for another way to avoid the mountain of uni reading piled next to me. If there’s anything you want to know, about me, about Bangladesh, or even the Twenty20 cricket scores, feel free to ask. Any and all distractions will be more than welcome.