"Apni kemon achen?"

"Ami, bhalo achi."

"Hello, how are you?"

"I am fine."

These are the words I am using most these days, as they are of the few I know well in Bengali. I am settling in here in South Asia, slowly acclimating to the heat (wow, and I thought Georgia was humid...) and enjoying very much the new friends and the tasty mangoes.

Overall, things have continued to progress smoothly. I have been here twelve days now, and I am still enjoying the newness of it all. Everyone has been incredibly nice and supportive, always informing me and giving me tips on how to live and manage while I am here. Learning the language is still an absolute must, however, and I am very thankful for my language coach, Smitha. She is about my age and we have already formed a sweet friendship. Below, she shows an ABC book we found at the grocery store - with a UGA doll for the letter "D"! I thought it was a good sign.

I am sorry, I do not yet have a decent photo of me modeling my new outfits, but here are some of them hanging in my wardrobe. Managing all the bright fabric draped over me as I perspire in the humidity has been a bit of a challenge, but I am surely becoming more accustomed to the native dress and even excited to embrace this new style.

Since the city of Dhaka is so dense with people, commerce and rickshaws, I have noticed that children often deem their rooftops as their playgrounds. I love that a child will innately discover some place to make play. Here is a little girl I spotted from my bedroom window blending into her concrete park. Being building neighbors, perhaps I'll try to meet her with a wave next time, although, she seems so distant from me when I peer down. Being here less than two weeks, I have perceived already the tightness of the family unit and the sense of community, but not with those that are different from you - from what I can tell, not with those of a different ethnic or language group, and not with foreigners...
I am acclimating to the stares and trying to pick up quickly on the Bengali chatter at lunchtime.

Thank you for your emails and support as I transition here.
Every note and kind word is greatly appreciated.
More to come!