Community Support Agriculture

I signed up for T&D Willey Farms CSA program this month, which means I receive local, fresh, and organic fruits and vegetables once a week from the Willey farm. I got my first box this week and was pleasantly surprised by the assortment and quality of the produce. I couldn't wait to cook something with the fresh vegetables so I went straight to the recipes that are sent out with the boxes of produce. The "Roasted Radishes" recipe sounded simple and quick so I went for it. At first I wasn't sure about eating radishes whole, but the dish turned out to be delicious. If it wasn't for the featured recipes I would've probably just made salads with the vegetables... boring. Thank you TD Willey for providing recipes.

I also like how I don't have to go to the grocery store anymore and stare at the produce pondering how many miles it traveled, if it's in season, if it's organic, or how it will taste before I buy it. T&D Willey takes care of all of that.

Support your local farmers & economy, find a CSA program in your area. You won't be disappointed.

Seedling Box: cabage, onion, apples, radishes, grapes, arugula, potatoes, & lettuce. I'll probably be upgrading to the large box this will be gone in no time.

Roasted Radishes with grapes & apples.

Square 1

After playing bass for a few years I feel like I've plateaued. My basslines are often generic and predictable. I feel like I missed a lot of the basics and went straight to learning songs which was fun, but only allowed me to play the song I learned. So I'm starting over from the beginning and plan to study and practice everyday. I found this great site studybass.com that I plan on following.

Also if anyone knows of any other good online sites or a bass teacher in the Fresno area let me know. Not a guitar player that can teach bass... been there done that and it didn't do me much good.

What does everyone else do to keep their bass/guitar chops up to par and fresh?

Finally Home

After a week in Pennsylvania finishing up my SALT term with MCC and a week in Santa Monica visiting my brother I'm finally home in Fresno. My time in Santa Monica was a much needed vacation to relax and ease back into American life. Before I came home everyone asked what my first meal would be or the first thing I would do. I had no idea, but this is what happened as my brother and I drove away from the airport.

Bro: "What do you want to eat?"

Me: "I don't know..." eyeing an in-n-out on the other side of the intersection. "In-n-Out! I want In-n-out!" But we were already turning left as I said it.

Bro: "Well, we just missed it."

Me: "That's the great thing about America. If you pass one you know there's another just down the road."

Bro & Me: hahaha

And sure enough we came upon another in-n-out burger within 5 minutes.

Santa Monica is beautiful. I was finally able to go running without everyone staring. These last 2 weeks I've been eating and enjoying all the food I've missed... mexican, jamba juice, good ice cream, salad, and much much more.

Some differences I've noticed:

• Daily life in the States is much calmer than Bangladesh, even in Southern CA.
• Food is bland here. I've been adding hot sauce and spice to everything.
• There's a huge difference between dry and humid heat. I went out to visit friends in the evening and wore a sweatshirt when the temp was probably still in the low 90s.

It feels great to be back. Here's a few pics from my week in Santa Monica.

Park where I went running that over looks the beach

left: beach, right: park

malibu in the distance

working on their tan

crazy karate guy running on the fence

santa monica pier

current view as I catch up and look for a job

My First Thoughts Back in the States

I'm finally back in the States after a grueling day of traveling. I'm currently in the Pennsylvania countryside sharing stories and catching up with other SALTers who also just returned from a year over seas. It's great to see everyone again.

The flights were not as bad as I expected. I flew from Dhaka to Dubai and then the dreaded 14 hour flight from Dubai to New York. This flight wasn't miserable like I expected because Emirates has top notch in-flight entertainment. Movies, TV, and music are accessible on demand with the touch of a button. Nice job Emirates. I did have a slight scare on the plane before taking off when my entertainment system wasn't working right. It could've been very very bad. But thankfully it started working shortly after take off. Whew...

While on the on the plane I thought of how weird it is to fly internationally. Everyone is herded into the airplane, your immediately distracted with a screen inches from your face, the plane shakes a little bit and in no time your in a new land... a new country. It felt surreal traveling and too easy to go from two drastically different cultures. It was kind of like time travel... except I lost a day in there somewhere.

The first thing that stood out to me back in the States is how terribly Americans dress. I made this observation when I stopped at a rest stop on the high way. Granted people were traveling, but they looked sloppy, lazy, gross. (I probably looked the same to them after the sleepless hours I spent on an airplane.) Other than that nothing else has stood out to me. Even though driving here is much different than Bangladesh I wasn't shocked because I have lived in the States for nearly my whole life and still use to the driving style.

Last night it was nice to go for a relaxing walk with friends with no one staring at us, not having to dodge rickshaws, watching your step to avoid the open gutters and animal crap... among other obstacles. The walk was peaceful with the absence of noisy CNGs, vehicles constantly honking, rickshaw bells, and people trying to get my attention. On the walk I did see an Amish family playing baseball and heard them speaking Pennsylvania Dutch (at least that what I think it was). I had never seen or heard anything like it. I was very tempted to stay and stare. What has Bangladesh done to me? Now that I've left Bangladesh I understand a little more why they stared at me.

Host Dad Update: Nimai had surgery to remove the tumor in his esophagus the day I flew out of Bangladesh. An hour before I left for my flight I called this wife and it sounds like the operation went well and he was currently recuperating in the hospital. They will also begin chemotherapy and he will stay in the hospital for 2 more weeks.

the past few days

This last week has been exhausting and emotional for my host home. My host dad came home after being in Dhaka for a week, but only to leave 6 hours later for an over night bus/train trip to his home district and then back to Dhaka to get his passport and visa. I can't imagine how difficult traveling must be for him with the pain he's in and eating problems. When he left Monday night he was planning on not returning for one month once he finished the operation and treatment in Kolkata. Fortunately he got everything taken care of in Dhaka and will be coming home tonight to see his family and stay for a day or 2 before going to India.

Before he left many friends and family came over to say good-bye and pray for him. We all crammed into my room and their pastor prayed and anoint him with oil. It was an emotional time for everyone there. Everyone thought that was going to be last time they would see him and so did I. With him coming back tonight I wonder what it will be like when he leaves again.

At the beginning of this when the operation was going to be in Dhaka and had a set price I wasn't worried and thought I could help them pay for the operation. But as it's become more complicated I realize how useless I am and how it is out of my hands. When he came home to work out logistics and say bye to his family, during those 6 hours, all I could do was sit back and be an observer. As I sat and watched I realized this situation is in God's hands and there's no point to worry about things that are beyond me.

Please continue to pray for Nimai and his family and healing.

Host Dad

My host dad, Nimai, has been in Dhaka for the last week visiting doctors and waiting for test results. He has a tumor in his esophagus that may be cancerous. It's difficult to fully understand everything that's going on with the language barrier. The operation was going to be either Monday or Tuesday, but today I found out the growth is probably worse than expected and no hospital in Bangladesh has the equipment or resources to do it. He will have to go to Kolkata for the operation, which requires obtaining a passport and visa (that's difficult to get approved). Doctors were hoping to do the surgery this week before it got worse, but referring him to a Kolkata hospital will only take more and allow the growth to continue. This has been hard on the whole family, especially Nimai's wife. Please pray for the family as they go through this time of difficulty.

Sheema, Nixmi, Sopnil, & Nimai

I didn't think my last 3 weeks (2 now) in Bangladesh would end like this. Despite all of this I am trying to finish everything I want to do and get "closer" before I leave. This weekend I printed photos I took around town and plan to pass them out to the people in them. They're mostly store owners or vendors on the side of the road so they'll be easy to find again. When I'm shopping I enjoy talking to a couple of the owners (when I'm in the mood and have mentally prepared before hand). Also, it's difficult to buy something and get away before they ask my country or name (country always comes first). I wonder how people will react when I give them the pictures? Will they even care?

I went for a bike ride this weekend in the country which is one of my favorite things to do here. It's only takes 10 minutes gets away from the noise of Bogra and lost among the villages. First I rode to the workshop and demonstration farm mcc is building, waited out the rain, and continued on a 5 km loop. The scenery during monsoon season is beautiful with lush rice fields, farmers out with their cows, kids playing, and swimming in ponds. The villages and countryside are a couple of things I'm going to miss about Bangladesh.

Bogra to Dhaka

The 4+ hour bus ride from Bogra to Dhaka is nothing to look forward. In the states the trip would only take half as much time. Most of the road is a two lane undivided highway that's shared with all the other forms of transportation: more buses, trucks, cng's, rickshaws, bicycles, and people all hauling or carrying something. Riding the bus is like being in a video game or in one of those space flight simulators at amusement parks where the meteors and spaceships coming head on barely miss. Buses weave around rickshaws and narrowly avoid the on coming bus for the entire four hours. Even though the bus ride isn't much fun I do look forward to crossing the Jamuna Bridge. 

Now that it's the end of the dry seasons the water has receded and chars have formed in the middle of the 3 mile wide river. On these islands people have built their homes and live together in small images. It's amazing to see them as I pass by on the bridge. I feel like I'm in the middle of National Geographic and discovering the villages for the first time. However, the monsoon season has started and as the water level rise the villagers will be forced to abandon their homes before they are washed away. Where they move... I'm not sure. But I've heard sometimes the men will go into towns and be rickshawhallas.

One of my favorite memories of Bangladesh is crossing the bridge in a diesel truck. I hitched a ride in the back with 30 Bengalis. It felt like we were being smuggled across the boarder, but really all of us were just going home for the weekend. As we crossed the bridge I stood to get a better look. As I raised above the sides of the truck bed with the wind whipping and sun warming my face I couldn't help but smile. It was one of those moments where I didn't want to be anywhere else. I soaked everything in for those 3 miles before I had to sit back down. 

As my time in Bangladesh is beginning to come to an end I'm trying to appreciate all the little things this country offers that I often look over. With only one more month before I leave there's still a lot to experience.