LP 72: Hapunan

Ang tema ngayon ay hapunan. Sa totoo lang, bihira akong kumain ng hapunan. Madalas, isang baso lang ng gatas o kaya ay isang pirasong tinapay lang pagkadating galing trabaho ang pinakahapunan ko. (The theme for this round is dinner or supper. Honestly, I don't usually eat dinner. Most of the time, I just drink a glass of milk or eat a piece of bread whenever I reach home, and that is my dinner.)

Dahil ngayon ay buwan ng ramadan, ako din ay nag-aayuno dahil naiilang akong magdala ng baunan at kumain sa opisina samantalang karamihan sa mga katrabaho ko ay nag-aayuno. Kaya pagsapit ng alas-singko ng hapon, bago umuwi ay dumadaan muna ako sa tindahan para bumili ng iftar box. Ito na ang hapunan ko :-)(But because ramadan has started, I'm also fasting because I feel awkward bringing my lunch box while the rest of my officemates are fasting. So, at 5 o'clock pm, before going home, I always drop by to any restaurant or cafes to buy an iftar box. And that is my dinner.)


First iftar of the first roja: haleem, home-made paratha; on the plate: chicken shashlik, two types of aloo chop, jilapi, chana and roast chicken, dates & cucumber.

LP 71: Merienda (Snack)

Sa tuwing dumadalaw ako sa mga iba't-ibang branch namin, lagi silang naghahanda ng merienda. Karaniwan ay mga prutas o ang mga pagkaing-kalye O streetfood gaya ng pakora, piaju, beguni, aluchop at kung anu-ano pa. (Everytime i visit our branches, they always prepare a snacks. Most of the time, the snacks are fruits or their usual streetfoods like pakora, piaju, beguni, aluchop, and among others.)

Top left to right: pakora, alu chop, piaju, beguni

fruit custard



Pag nasa opis naman ako ay karaniwang doi fuchka ang aking merienda. Karaniwan din na may "tea time" sila dito, kaya madalas ay tsaa lang sa hapon ay solve na! (But if I'm in the office, doi fuchka is my fave snack. They usually have "tea time" also in the afternoon, so just a cup of tea with milk is enough for a snack.) doi fuchka


Ngunit, kung ako ay nasa Vigan, ito naman ang hilig kong merienda. Ang pipian! (But, if I'm in Vigan, this are my favorite snacks. The Pipian!) pipian

LP 70: Tanghalian

Simula ng ako ay nagtrabaho dito sa ibang bansa na kung saan ang karaniwang ulam o Bengali cuisine ay hindi ko tipong kainin dahil ito ay sobrang maanghang sa aking panlasa o dahil sa hindi ko lang talaga tipo ang macurry na ulam, ako ay natutong magluto :-) At madalas na may baon akong tanghalian sa opisina.(Eversince I started working here in this country wherein the usual food or Bengali cuisine is not my type because its too spicy for me or because I just really don't like too much spices and curries,I learned how to cook. I always bring my lunch box with me in the office.)Ito ang baon ko noong linggo, chicken, ginisang munggo at balichaw o shutki.


Ito naman ang karaniwang tanghalian ng mga Bangladeshi.(This is the regular Bengali cuisine.)
(Mula sa kaliwa, itaas) patatas na may curry, manok na may chili, hipon na may curry, shag (spinach), kanin, at dal. ( From upper left, potato curry, chicken with chilis, shrimp curry, shag, rice and dal.)

Makisalo tayo sa iba pang pananghalian.

LP 69: Almusal (Breakfast)

Sabi nila, ang almusal ang pinakaimportanteng pagkain sa loob ng isang araw. Kailangan nga naman ng enerhiya ang ating katawan para handa sa buong araw na trabaho at kung anu-ano pang gawain.
(They say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Our body needs anyway the energy for a long day ahead.)

Ito ang paborito kong almusal dito sa Bangladesh. Ang paratha at dim (itlog)at hotdog o kaya ay karnenorte na may kasamang mainit na duhd(milk) tzaa(tea), ang tipikal/tradisyunal na almusal ng mga Bangladeshi. Isa ito sa mga naibigan kong pagkain dito sa bangladesh, at mas nasasarapan ako at natutuwa sa pagkain nito kung kasabay ko si H sa hapagkainan.
(This is my favorite breakfast here in Bangladesh. The Paratha and dim (egg) plus hotdog or cornbeef and freshly made hot duhd tza (milk tea), a typical/traditional Bangladeshi breakfast. This is just one of the few things that I learn to love here and I enjoy eating it more whenever I share it with H.)

Silipin natin ang ibang almusal. (Let's take a look of other breakfast.)

LP 68: Proteksyon

Ito ang proteksyon sa paa tuwing tag-lamig. (This are the feet protection during winter.)


Narito ang ibang lahok.

LP 67: Nakakakilabot

Nakakakilabot o nakakatakot o nakakapanindig balahibo o nakakasindak. (Nakakakilabot means something scary, something that gives goosebumps, causing great fear)

Madalas magbrownout dito sa Bangladesh. Tatlong beses na tig-iisang oras ang pinakamababang bilang ng brownout sa loob ng isang araw. Load shedding o load sharing ang tawag nila dito. Kaya naman, nang minsang magbrownout at wala akong magawang matino, ito ang napagdiskitahan kong gawin. (Blackout is so frequent here in Bangladesh. Three times a day, for an hour is the minimum number of blackout in a day. It is called load shedding or load sharing. So, one night when the current was off and I had nothing good to do, this is what I did to keep me from getting bored.)


Kakakilabot ba? (Scary?)






Regalo sa akin ni H ang sungay, munting demonyita daw kasi ako ng buhay niya :-) (The horn was a gift from H, because according to him I'm the Lil Devil of his life.)

Narito ang ibang nakakakilabot.

One Fine Day

the group that we are tailing

Yesterday, i joined the Scott Kelby's 2nd Annual Worldwide Photowalk here in Dhaka. Thanks to my friend who forwarded me the link to this event. It was a whole new experience for me because I was able to walked and roamed around Nowadpur at Old Dhaka. Something that I will not dare to do with just my staff of girls with me. It's a good thing that one of the group leader is accommodating. We are just literally tailing him for the whole duration of the photowalk because we found out that girls are less accommodating to fellow girls :-) There were at least 80 participants in the said photowalk. Here are some of my favorite shots.
an uncle mixing an aloe vera sort of a medicinal drink

a rickshaw van beside a postalbox/mailbox/letterbox

streetkids in awe with the LCD screen of the digicam

at long last, i was able to take a picture of paratha in the making, my fave bangladeshi breakfast with sunnyside up egg with sausage or cornedbeef



a stretch of money changer; exchange your old takas to new takas here on the sidestreets of Nowadpur




my girls, resting after the one and a half hour walk

After the walk, Zakia and I decided to go to Lalbagh Fort (at long last). They charge 100taka for foreigner and 10taka to a local, and the ticket are color coded which they collect at the entrance so there is no way for me to avoid the high price of being a foreigner :-) It's good that the area is well-maintained but in every nook and corner, you will see young couples dating. These are the deprived ones so they have to settle in this area as their dating place. Holding hands between guy & a girl is considered indecent here, so you can just imagine my companions shock in their faces to see this people hugging each other in public place. Tomb of Bibi Pari inside Lalbagh Fort



a scene from a bangla movie? nope, just lovers too in love to be bothered by the scorching heat of the sun

a not-so-secret dating place