Newsletter 12......14th July 2004

My Friday walk outside the village
 

The battle has begun, it’s the good versus the evil ! We represent the good girls’ brigade. We are, the team of lovely Roxanna , Sahana, Shefali, Molly and Polly, supported by me. We lead our trade and marketing section, which comprises of batik, block printing, sewing, embroidery, and bamboo, all of them have technical assistants to organize the making of the products by 70 young trained girls and they provide the finished products in our sales room to be sold there. Further more we are also supported by the whole of top management team which is made of the Boss and her right hand man, Ali, who is not only a ‘prick’ but looks like one too!

 The bad girl’s brigade is led by tyrant Mrs Khan, supported by the old bag Lady Jane (who is getting older by the day) and they are both in charge of training the young girls and the supervisors in their chosen craft for one year before the girls become part of our property the following year. All the girls are selected from very poor families and if you want to read more about them and we now have own web site, thanks to Peter, the Boss’ golden boy, the address of our site is www.<<<<<<<<<<.org

 Now that the internal feud between my lovely Roxanna and Mrs Khan has been sorted for the time being and I am in the clear, our team is running very smoothly with a smile on their faces. This makes me very comfortable but I have bought some extra comfort for the next two months by using one of the old fashioned tools the NGO’s love best that is bribery! No I have not become a corrupt woman like the rest of the nation but my bribery money of £120 has been used for buying three sewing machines that were desperately needed for our sewing girls. Lady Jane raised £280 with the help of her family back home and bought 7 sewing machines last year for her training section, so the least I could do was to part with some of my hard earned wealth for a good cause. To part with the total of £120 I have decided to tighten up my belt and live on half of my salary that is £ 40 per month for the next three months’ payments. I have also decided to give up some of The Gulshan high society of Dhaka whenever I am visiting the city. So NO more exclusive French meals or five star hotel treatment, instead I shall book my self in YWCA which is only £2  per day and hopefully get fed by my friend Sister Barbara if and when I am desperately hard up ? By the way, Sister Barbara has been living here for over 30 years and still speaks English with a beautiful Irish accent and has been very supportive and is on my mailing list for the Newsletters and enjoys reading them.

 I hear through the grapevine that obnoxious Fiona was after my job and been plotting to over throw me with the help of Lady Jane no doubt. Fiona has made herself unpopular not only with me but also the whole of the village’s landlord who have turned against her. No body is willing to give her a roof over her head and she is still living with Lady Jane in her spare room and paying rent to the NGO,  I wonder for how long.

Lady Jane is busy with training her young girls for the end of year graduation day and she plans to invite the British high commissioner for the big end of year fashion day too. She is doing very little to help me with my vegetable dyed yarns, so I have decided to look for another supplier in order that I can fulfil my own ambition, that is get some work done for my exhibition in the West.

 Do I have any Western friends left in my lovely Net………, yes, of course, the young and sweet ( but not so innocent anymore since he is now 21) Peter and Tim ( when he not in the company of obnoxious Fiona). Two midwives from Norway with a little 4 years old girl have recently landed in Net………. and they will be living not very far from me, I can see them being my good neighbours I hope.

My boss has apologized to me for shooting me first and asking me questions afterwards. But that is how most of Bangladeshi people operate, so I have nothing to forgive? Anyway I am once again her blue-eyed girl and she has extended my stay but I am counting my days when I will leave by the end of August, hopefully with good heart and smile on my face?

Once again I am dreaming my life away about my journey to India, which will be in October (for a family wedding)and then to Sri Lanka, across to Vietnam and then hopefully to little Island off Australia called King Island, where I hope to meet up with member of my husband’s  family. I plan to return to England by April 2005. Those who have been asking about the state of my home in Cheltenham, I guess, since I keep receiving the rent, it must be in good health.

 My tablas days were over after three lessons. Why, well I couldn’t just invite any Ali, Rashid or Halim into my lonely flat so I was having the tabla lessons from a Hindu chap recommended by my NGO. Unfortunately the 3 lessons I had were without the presence of Peter or Fiona and my tutor was always accompanied by his friends who wanted to chat and have a drink of wine when and if it was available. There are 5 empty bottles on display in my house and my wine is only meant for my selected few guests who happen to be from the West or those know the western drinking habits. One of the local guests has been my Boss who loves a glass but she like millions of other Bangladeshis drink alcohol behind closed door!

My bicycle days with Peter were over a long time ago after I fell off ( almost into a mucky pond) on one cold foggy night, however I still take 2 minutes motor cycle ride offered by the NGO male staff, only because they will not take ‘ No’ for an answer. I hope one day I shall fall off and crack my skull and then they will stop asking me for a ride.

 My Friday mornings one hour walk in the rain, by the river through the villages which are sheltered by bamboo, banana and beetle nut trees is still magical time for me when I can think and plan my life in the presence of beautiful landscape at my feet. Life is sometimes so beautiful that it is worth living for another day……..with this note I shall sign off now and hope tomorrow will be good to you and me too.

Love,
Davinder x