Chittagong Trip

H’s family is originally from Paterghatta, Chittagong. Chittagong is another region or division of banglandesh. Majority of the Christians/Catholics in Bangladesh hails from Paterghatta, it's the seat of the Roman catholic diocese. The Christians/Catholics community is not that big.  Everybody knows everyone, not only about who you are but also of what you are. Familiarity is so common that most of the time, you hear them saying “the son of this who works as this and the brother/sister of who” in referring to someone or whenever introducing someone. There is always a linkage.

Auntie and I had to go to Paterghatta to get a fresh copy of H’s Baptismal Certificate. It was a short trip since we stayed there for one whole day only, but the 1^st and 3^rd day was for travelling. It’s quite memorable because it was my first time to travel via train, and my first time to travel alone with auntie.

Going to Chittagong, we bought a Cabin ticket but we shared the cabin with one family. It was not really a comfortable ride since we can’t really lie down on the couch as we shared it with the other passengers but it was a hassle free trip since there’s no jam, there were only pit-stops that last up to 10 minutes. The scenery is different from the sceneries you see when travelling by bus. And of course, the common problem when travelling is clean washrooms. I was able to use the train’s washroom, (it’s a squat toilet) before starting the trip and it was clean, but I didn’t use it anymore after that, so I’m not sure if it is still clean during the trip.

The Bungalow

We arrived around 4pm in Chittagong and we stayed with auntie’s cousin. It’s a bungalow house with a front and back yard. It’s inside a government property, a housing facility provided for government employees during their tenure of service. It’s a nice place to live, something similar to my dream house, but I will just change the lay-out of the house but still the area is huge. It is a good place for small kids to play and run around.

The following morning, we left early for the parish office because we only have the whole day to do everything, get the baptismal certificate and to roam around to visit some relatives and old places. When we were in the parish office, I find the clerk not friendly but it’s okay, at least we got the certificate. I just find him irritating and not suitable as a parish clerk.

We visited the graveyards of auntie’s parents and uncle’s parents. It’s just beside the church. Then we went to one of uncle’s aunt, his mom’s sister, and she’s the mother-in-law of auntie’s youngest sister. Yes, the community is really that small that one is related to one another by blood or by law. After that we went to see also auntie’s old family house. It’s a small two storey house. H spent his first few growing up years in that house. Auntie showed me also the tea shop where H’s used to hang out while waiting for the paratha. 

H's Grade school grounds, first room from left was his Pre-school & Kinder classroom

Then we also went to his old grade school. It was nice to see his childhood place and finally see the actual places that I usually hear only in their stories.

Going back to Dhaka, we took the 7am trip, this time it's not the cabin but the coach seat, it's like a bus. This train line is a straight trip, there's no pit-stops so it took us 5 hours to reached Dhaka. 

H promised me that we will go back there and he will tour me around himself.