Photo Scavenger Hunt

End of summer and time to wrap up Rinda’s summer photo scavenger hunt.  With this photo of me holding a cushion with the Scottish flag I have captured all items on the list, using a sub for the hanging swing.

And here is the double spread in my Project Life album showing all of the items

I really enjoyed hunting for the items and looking at the variety of images that were found for simple things like a washing line. And I love how these photos tell some stories about my summer as well as collecting the items.  Thanks Rinda, looking forward to the next one.

through the window

I love to watch city life while we drive to and from the office and often have my camera out.  About a third of my shots manage to capture what I intended without blur or obstruction.  Here are some from the past week.

many people walk to work.  Here you can see the traditional wrap worn by men. 

For those who don’t walk the common transport is very crowded buses or cycle rickshaws or diesel tuktuks.  Children are taken to school in these contraptions (normally 8 in each), pulled by a man on a cycle – I can’t help thinking of the childcatcher in ChittyChitty BangBang

Traffic is chaotic with the only road rule seeming to be ‘if I’m bigger or ahead of you then I have right of way’.  At some junctions the road police regulate the flow so that cars can turn across the oncoming flow.  They wear blue camouflage uniforms and are armed with rifles although I’ve never seem them being used or held anywhere other than down their back.

I’m always amazed and delighted at how green the city is with trees along most roads and plants all around houses. With all the rain plants thrive

The lake looks beautiful but is highly polluted.

I’m intrigued by this scene from my office window

A bored man on a bamboo bridge (the water is coverer in weed) with a large umbrella for shelter from rain and sun.  No-one in the office can tell me why a guard is needed on the bridge – it leads to a field and a shed.

summertime scavenger hunt takes wing

I finaly came across an angel – after the wedding stalking this was my least predictable item.  During the Fringe festival many different buildings are pressed into service as theatre space and one show that I went to was in the Art College where the corridors are filled with sculptures – including this angel.  No head or hands but the wings were intact so I was satisfied.

So I have found all the items – just the final item to reveal as summer comes to an end.  Thanks Rinda for another fun hunt.

around my Dhaka office

For the last week I’ve been in the office preparing for the workshop that starts on Tuesday.  I thought I’d share some photos of the office.  The photos I used last Monday were what I see out of my office window.  If I turn the other way looking into the room I see my desk.

Bangladeshi tend to eat tasty snacks mid morning and afternoon and we often have these tasty fried treats – like a very spicy samosa that is round rather than a triangle.  I pass on the fresh chilly that is served with them

For lunch we sometimes go the the canteen in a nearby building and sometimes have it delivered from that canteen.  Always a big helping of plain rice and then a curry – this is chicken and potato - which comes in a plastic bag stapled shut.  There is always a piece of lime, and green chillies for those who want.

On Thursday we had birthday cake for afternoon snack as two office colleagues had celebrated a birthday that week.  Heavily decorated cakes are popular and can be seen in many bakery windows.

There is a tradition that the birthday person is fed some of the cake – I think borrowed from seeing the sharing of cake on USA weddings on TV

I think it interesting that the women wear traditional Bangla clothes (long tunic and trousers and a scarf) but the men have all adopted the western norm of shirt and trousers – albeit often in bright colours.

So there you have some tasters on my office at the moment.  I plan to share some shots taken while driving around the city, later in the week.