Joel Katz
Outreach Blogger
5 June 2010
It’s been a long time coming, but Sharna and I have finally arrived in Dhaka, as part of Actionaid’s Project TOTO. Crazy tired – like the worn-out, washed-up boxer in Martin Scorsese’s classic Raging Bull, which, oddly, was on last night’s in-flight entertainment.
With a quick layover in Singapore’s heavenly airport, I duck into the men’s, and what’s this – has the turbulence-heavy, sleep-deprived trip over given me visions? The word ‘TOTO’ magically appears before me, in gold lettering across the top of the toilet.
This has got to be karma. After finishing up, I snap a photo, and excitedly tell Sharna about my apparition. But even though I’m sure the spectre was for her – given her dream of clean toilets for all – she digs in her heels as I drag her towards the restroom. Her loss.
Land in Dhaka, and through customs in record time. Please, please bags be on luggage carousel. There’s one… and two – Bingo! In a taste of what’s to come, our super-friendly pick-up guy is waiting for us, holding the sign ‘Welcome Ms Sharna; Mr Joel!’.
In our hotel lobby, and appears that entire staff are outfitted by the Canadian Winter Olympics ski team. All proudly don maple leaf adorned t-shirts, and I thank them kindly for the shout-out to the home of my forefathers, or one at least.
Been here a day, and one thing’s clear – the locals really are the friendliest folk imaginable. Lonely Planet got that right, but its review of local eateries, not even close.
Hitting the muddy streets and markets we snap some incredible photos and video. In my last blogs I talked about Bangladesh coming to life – and it hasn’t let us down!
Colours, sounds, smell and humanity whip us into the eye of its storm, and so begins our adventure in thrilling and energy-sucking Dhaka. Fruit stacks high in the teeming markets, as the rain buckets down outside. A knotted mess of overhead wires collapses on cars and rickshaws, but locals casually untangle them, without fear of the potentially electrifying results.
Quickly we look for refuge, but can’t find any eating spots or cafes.
Joel, a street kid we befriend – or who befriends us – leads us on a wild goose chase to find a place for lunch. Finally we end up in, gasp, KFC. Sure we feel like total dorks, but there’s aircon, and the few eateries we saw look a little dodgy. Colonel Sanders, Bangladeshi-style, turns out to be a facsimile of Australia – except a KFC staffer scorns us when we clear our trays ourselves.
But this day of rollicking adventures ends on a very sad note, that reminds us how cursed this delta nation is.
On the way to my room I notice horrible footage on the hotel TV. Turns out there’s another disaster that just happened a few suburbs away – a massive fire swept through Old Dhaka a few days ago, with hundreds of casualties. It brings things into perspective. It’s not all friendly locals, frying balls of tastiness or the explosion of colours that assaults the senses.
It’s about the devastating poverty. Poverty forcing people to live in unimaginable situations, piled up on each other in environments just asking for trouble. Hopefully with access to social media, locals living these dangerous realities can show us first-hand. Maybe then the first steps can be taken to avert crises like these through poverty alleviation initiatives and community action.
Let’s see where the next few weeks take us, and I’ll be bracing myself for more chicanery.
Learn more about ActionAid and Project TOTO:
- ActionAid Australia website
- ActionAid Australia on Twitter
- ActionAid Bangladesh Blog
- ActionAid Bangladesh on Twitter
- Joel Katz profile
- Sharna Bremner profile
Tags: Bangladesh, Dhaka, fire, Joel Katz, Proect TOTO, Sharna Bremner, Singapore, toilets
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Glad to hear you and Sharna both arrived safe in Dhaka – luggage and all!
I can’t wait to hear more of your stories and to meet some of the locals through this blog.
PS: How’s the jet lag?
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First blog post from TOTO bloggers in Dhaka! On visions, adventures, and getting perspective http://bit.ly/deNsPT
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
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Wow! It sounds incredible! I can almost feel the heat!!! I think this is going to be an amazing experience for all of us! Can’t wait to read the next blog! And it was really nice of those guys in Singapore to write TOTO on all their toilets just to welcome you!
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Hey Joel,
Great post and fantastic that you guys are on the ground in Dhaka! Really looking forward to following your journey.
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ActionAid’sProject TOTO “MsSharna+MrJoel” arrive in Dhaka http://bit.ly/9SihLH
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
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I heard about that fire last night.
I was heading home by taxi and my driver happened to be Bangladeshi. I mentioned my boyfriend being there – we chat about your amazing adventure and he sincerely talks about the customs and suggests delicious foods you should try. Then he mentions the fire and how it killed over 100 people. I saw the pain on his face…
And it’s like you say, everything comes into perspective.
Thanks for telling us this story Joel and getting the people to tell theirs.
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I am really surprised to know about this project. I have been blogging in Dhaka for last 4 years in bangla, and I felt that blooging could efficiently be utilized for this purpose.
Hats off for the initiative. Looking to know more about the progress./kowsheek
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sounds interesting project. Joel seems having natural talent of writing and engaging people to read what he writes.
yes yes this is a cursed nation in the delta that is cursed by natural disasters as well as inequity and injustice caused by some bad guys for couple of decades. Mass people are very nice, in fact, hard working, wishful, happy with less achievement and modest but they are not obviously moron. Acceptance of inequitable life by the mass is probably driven by spiritual influence of ‘Sufism’.
There is prospect of new social media here because new generation is little bored with the brainless mainstream media alike TV channels and Radios.
Education and/or at least minimum literacy needed to participate one way or other in the new media such as web blogs. This country has few people comparing with total population who access internet and web (check those UN data on access to telephone, internet, etc.). The challenge could be to popularize this among many here, otherwise, as an initiative or cause, this project is excellent. Keep it up!
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I completely agree with you Rubayat! We need to popularize this new medium – not just in the “cursed nations”, but also in the “western world” – to share ideas, experiences and news.
The beginning of this new social media is an exciting and intriguing time for all, especially since it allows people to participate and not just be mindlessly told information that will be pushed into the back of people’s subconscious.
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i suspect that your words over coming weeks may reach beyond both your hopes and the borders of Bangladesh. It’s a powerful project you’re undertaking and i believe your perspective and humour will extend that reach – Go well Joel…
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Hi Joel, wow what an experience, you are the ambassador for Bangladesh now!! I am looking forward to hear more insight from you!!
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