Life of Bangladesh Part 1
Posted by Taufulou | Labels: Bangladesh, Dhaka, Digital Innovation Fair 2010, Hotel Sarina, Shah Jalal International Airport, Travel | Posted On Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 8:15 AM
Most of us have encounter last minute process, order or anything. For me this would be my very first time I got notified that I have to fly to another country within 2 days and I have to prepare all the devices and test run everything to ensure that it is working perfectly fine as the exhibition that I am assisting is regard as high priority during for the first day as the Prime Minister is going to officiate the event and will be coming to our booth to see what is their whole new Passport system and quite a number of minister will be visiting too. This had put on the stress level on me even higher that my Director is suppose to go with me ended up EL on family matters. This had added on the stress level.
I would only say that, the whole trip was a great virgin experience, in Bangladesh which most of my friend keep thinking that I am joking. :)
I would only say that, the whole trip was a great virgin experience, in Bangladesh which most of my friend keep thinking that I am joking. :)
I just love this shot. Just don know why and we are flying off with MAS Airline and also just realise that the trip only take around 4 hours to reach as I thought it would be some where far like 6-8 hours.
This is the second team of people that got send over by the company for the project and even some of them got to know that they have to fly off on the night before. I am the only one from Marketing as the rest are more on development and engineers.
Since its on the way there, the menu for the supper was Mutton Curry or Chicken Curry Bangladesh style.
This is also my first time that I saw the airline is filled with colorful seats, which is pretty good for Indian movie shooting and dancing around the plane and MAS Airline was good that, they had arrange all of us seated on the front and this is the first time I get to sit in such a big space which is the very front row. Leg room is wide feels like half of Business Class already. The only difference was the seat but no complain as I am very comfortable with the leg room I have.
After 4 hours of flight, we reach here around 1.30am (which is slower than us 2 hours), we had reached their Shah Jalal International Airport. Next the only thing keep me anticipated is the hotel I am going to stay.
When we are in the airport there are alot of mosquito, and is like when we walk around, the mosquito also will trail with you together, looks like one of the Dota Hero with a swam of mosquito following around.
Before I fly off, I was told that we were going to stay at Westin and I got all excited and Google up to check on the room. After checking, sure I do not mind to stay there longer too but when I reach there only realize that its different hotel as it was fully book on Westin. Looking at the hotel like that, I was like ahhhhhh…* a bit disappointed (as bringing the concept of Westin over too).
Hotel Sarina was the selected one.
With the street look is like ahhhh…errrr …..
After I open the door and try to peek in how does it looks like and when I reach bed area, I was like, wow! No complain at all with such a big bed, greeted with a bed of small cute pillows (this shot was taken the next day as the rest of the pillow was taken away by the housekeeping *down!) Soft feather quilt, and I thought the bed would be very soft too as I drop my whole body onto the bed and only realize its quite hard. Wish that it would be soft too, then I head into dream land instantly.
Next is to check onto the toilet. Spacious toilet and full toiletries were displaying (shoe polish, bath gel and shampoo, cotton bud and so on…)
The next day when I woke up, I open up the curtain and this is my view of Dhaka City as I am sitting on the 7th Floor only, the hotel would be consider one of the tallest building in the area with 19th Floors high.
Head down to the restaurant for our very first meal of the day, Breakfast at Summerfields Restaurant.
I like how their interior looks like with the classic leather European setting on the side, feels like as you are on the classic European train to interstates.
Normal Americian breakfast.
Then head to the exhibiton hall to set up everything which is known as Digital Innovation Fair '2010 as this exhibition is fully goverment bodies with the vission of turning everything to digital by the year 2022. Therefore this would also be the very first time doing such event is to let the citizens of Bangladesh know where is the goverment heading too, what actually do they do and educate them.
After knowing this, I was really hoping that our government would do the same too, at least we can know what is it all about and knowing what to do..
After knowing this, I was really hoping that our government would do the same too, at least we can know what is it all about and knowing what to do..
On this fair, get to know some of the local partners and chat with them and I was shock to the fact that Bangladesh actually rank 7th most populated country in the world with total of 120millions of people. I always thought that they were like one time more than us as round 50 million, learned new fact.
With their currency, RM1 = 20 Dhaka
With their currency, RM1 = 20 Dhaka
My first Dhaka meal, ‘Kebab Roll’ which looks more like a roti canai wrap with murtabak ingredient. Looks small but taste very good, its like crispy roti canai with lamb murtabak filling. I ended up eating 3 rolls of it.
During the first day of event, headed out to get some fresh air and also to take shots on the surrounding.
In this trip, some of them know that I like to eat and also food hunter but I was been highly advice to avoid street food, as its really really dirty. Our antibody system can’t hold it as one of my colleague drank something from the street and was hospitalize for 1 week. So I rather take the piece of advice from them, even the people I work with also advice me on that.
Local street snacks.
For smokers, you will love to smoke there as their big pack of Cigarettes is only around RM5 per pack.
Local drinks.
Most of the people there do not earn high income or consider below average, and some of them could not even afford a bottle of mineral water and in the streets you can see a lot of stalls like using our office water dispenser machine to sell water, with only RM0.10 for a small cup. What does most of them had for lunch is only a small piece of cake or bread with water.
The locals here also carry their food or item ontop of their head. This guy selling papadum.
This I have no idea what is it called as I do not know their local language.
Carrot mixing with some of the weird ingrediants.
The exhibition park walk.
Even their police bike is also damage on cushion, front wind screen, will regard as not as nice what we have seen and used by our country local police.
Their local police traffic officer.
If you are looking for nuts to eat, please take a peek on the method how they charge on it.
They are using the traditional weighing machine with a heavy weight on the side to calculate as 20 gram each.
Ice Cream seller, and we wanted to buy it also keep us on doubt. Only one thing I realise till now is, most of them the love to take picture. Whenver you go, with a camera and pointed at them, they will instantly pose for you.
Its just funny to see so many of ice cream stalls selling the same thing on the same area. Wonder how they earn their customer.
This road was jam pack with cars on the day of my setting up and today, it was like a clear road only this very minute. It took me quite long to wait for this moment to take this shot.
This is Nayeem one of a great guy that we help each other on the fair. I handle all the people that able to speak english and he handle all the people that speak Bangla but when they local people there get to know that you are a Malaysian, they will like very very happy and ask you alot of question regarding about Malaysia, as only I realise too was Malaysia is consider one of the top destination that they will go that we are know as friendly and shopping industry and food which is quite similiar to their culture, the only difference is the environment. In their newspaper too recorded 27.1 million people had travel to Malaysia which is the amount of our population.
Through him only I get to know that what the employment rate there is, I would say, its damm damm low. For a fresh grad without technical background to work in an office, estimated pay around USD100 per month which is like RM375 and they work around the clock as most of them leave the office late night and for people with technical background like Engineers or IT people their pay is double, USD 200 per month that is the difference. In Bangladesh there are a lot of technical people and they are smarter than some of our technical people in Malaysia. Imagine the kind of business we can do with that amount of travelers.
That is why you can see there are around 7 million Bangladesh people working oversea rather than their home country and those some of the cleaner we see in our country or restaurant worker, some of them are highly educated but rather come here to try they luck as with these kind of job the pay is much higher compare if they work there.
Through him only I get to know that what the employment rate there is, I would say, its damm damm low. For a fresh grad without technical background to work in an office, estimated pay around USD100 per month which is like RM375 and they work around the clock as most of them leave the office late night and for people with technical background like Engineers or IT people their pay is double, USD 200 per month that is the difference. In Bangladesh there are a lot of technical people and they are smarter than some of our technical people in Malaysia. Imagine the kind of business we can do with that amount of travelers.
That is why you can see there are around 7 million Bangladesh people working oversea rather than their home country and those some of the cleaner we see in our country or restaurant worker, some of them are highly educated but rather come here to try they luck as with these kind of job the pay is much higher compare if they work there.
What a big surprise to see Bangladesh looks like a modern place!!! :D
Wei, good wor...can travel while work! Nice hotel room le ^^
looks like a modern city to me. The hotel is not bad at all but probably the streets still look very run down. Wah you even took pictures with a traffic police officer? Salute!
Er....The taxi.... =.="
hey, u seems to lepak around the streets more than working in the exhibition hall...hahaha...
wah, you were in Bangladesh ar? Not enough Bangla in our countries that you need to go meet them in their own countries? :D
waa...memang very kesian the local worker there norhx...earn so little oni T_T~
Wow! Surprise to see Bangladesh are a modern country. Curious y they still coming to Malaysia.
Nice trip oh!
thanks for the insight to Dhaka! i think most of us would be curious to see what it looks like!
the hotel rooms looks nice leh even though its not westin.
i like their ice cream trucks!! so cute and traditional... do they play the paddle pop song ah? :P
selba: indeed it is, but the streets are still something like medan. if out from the area of my exhibition
uli: heee,,yeah loh,
eiling: not bad la, the streets definately its like run down place with lots of dust!
mimid: hehe, good for girls to pracise for first time driving.
my colleague: go early ma to set up everyting then the exhibition not yet open to public so free ma go out lepak la~
ah ong ah!:hahah..go there hire ppl ma..:D
coco: ya lu...know the charmness d leiii..
lingzie: lol, don think they have they money to put the speaker ler~
ok jugak tmpat dia ...
First time I see a post on Bangladesh. Very enlightening! And I wasn't aware that they're so highly populated!