In case you haven't figured this out yet, Bangladesh is not really what you would call a tourist destination. I'm sure this is appealing to a certain demographic of "alternative tourists" who take much satisfaction in traveling off the beaten path, with Bangladesh being so far off the beaten path that the closest path is like a 1 hour plane ride away (actually is Calcutta even on the beaten path?) While there are upsides to this (pretty much everywhere you go is "authentic" even the more "posh" areas) one downside is that it has made it rather difficult to buy typical souvenirs (or even postcards). To try to find something Eshanthi, Karen and I decided to go to Bhangra Bazaar a market that sells more western style clothing and is supposedly slightly easier for foreigners to navigate.
We arrived around 10:30, which for bargain shoppers in the States would have meant hours of shopping already completed, but in Bangladesh means that only about 10% of the stores were even open yet. Syed talked to some of the owners and found out the shops would probably be opening in 30 minutes or so. Fortunately we were right next to Dhaka University so we got to spend some time walking around the quite beautiful and huge campus. Although definitely different than any university I've seen in the states it still had that same kind of energy found in any college. Dhaka University has been the hotbed of political protests and political violence since even before the Liberation War. On the eve of Bangladesh's victory against Pakistan, the Pakistani army rounded up a large number of professors and students and massacred them hoping to deprive the soon to be nation of any intellectual leaders. It is still often the site of massive demonstrations and clashes. We saw nothign like that though, things were entirely peaceful.
We returned to Bhangra Bazaar and nearly all the shops were finally open. This was my first experience really shopping in an actual market where prices aren't fixed and haggling is the custom. Immediately we were surrounded by "helpers" meaning people working on commission from the store owners who promise to help you find what you are looking for and negotiate a "good price." They were definitely helpful at navigating the market but their "negotiation" consisted of handing me a calculator where I would put in the number I would pay, then handing that number to the owner, who would then put in his price and this would continue until a price was agreed on. I bought numerous scarfs and quite a few shirts. It was unlike any other shopping experience I have ever had, the aggressiveness of the sellers was very irritating (some even would poke me to get my attention), and my patience was definitely tested having to sort through what seemed like an endless mountain of truly terrible clothing to find the few decent ones. In the end I am pretty proud of my negotiation skills, as afterward I showed Ayub what I had purchased and told him how much I had paid, and I had only paid on average about Tk. 50 more than a local would have for most things. Next time (wait -- there won't be a next time, who am I kidding) I would definitely do better as I would actually have a more accurate conception of what I should pay, something I was totally lacking this time. The outing ended on a very sour note unfortunately. When it came time to tip our helpers, Karen and I each gave our person Tk. 200 while Eshanthi gave hers Tk. 500. This enraged Karen's and my helper and mine kind of got in my face, intimidating me, so I gave in and gave him the Tk. 500 instead. Karen held her ground, which angered all of them and they started banging on our car window demanding more money. By this point I was extremely cranky (mainly due to being so hot and hungry a deadly combination when it comes to my temper) and was so happy to get out of there. All in all a good learning experience, but definitely not something I will be nostalgic for the next time I go to the mall back home.
I spent pretty much the rest of the day at the American Club. A bunch of us got together and just sat on the patio (with overhead fans so sitting outside was tolerable), drank lemonade and had an incredibly relaxing time. At various points throughout the day I actually forgot I was in Bangladesh (much needed but unfortunate). Later in the evening Eshanthi, Charlie, JR and David (the Scottish artist from the Sundarban trip who was leaving Dhaka Monday) got together for actual real drinks at the American Club bar. I definitely made the right decision in joining, even if only for the last 2 weeks.
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