I'll be honest. I haven't seen a whole lot of Dhaka yet. My days so far have basically consisted of our office's driver picking me up at my hotel, driving me to the office, and then back again at the end of the day. I haven't been holed up inside the whole time - I've been out on the street and properly stared at. Oh, the staring. At first I felt like a less-beestung-lipped-sans-adopted-children-and-Brad-Pitt-for-that-matter Angelina Jolie. That, however, is quickly morphing into feeling awkward- I tower over everyone else and the staring makes me feel like I have something huge on my face that no one has the heart to tell me about.
So, from the little I've seen, the thing that's stood out to me the most is that walls are everywhere. The buildings along the streets of Gulshan, the section of the city I'm staying and working in, are all tucked away from the road behind enormous metal gates, cement walls, etc. Driving down the street you feel like a little car marble in a pinball machine. Gulshan is the fancy neighborhood, so there are office buildings, and what I presume are nice apartment buildings - but you don't really see much past the gates. Even in Gulshan, though, the streets are lined with tiny vending stands, women begging with their babies in their arms, and kids who should be in school but can't afford the fees.
More tomorrow after lunch at the American Club and hopefully some sightseeing with colleagues from our office here.
**Photo isn't mine (www2.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/rfisman/dhaka.htm). I hope to take some tomorrow.
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