Small Town Vibes

So Dhaka is a huge city. There are 22 million people in the metropolitan area and about 10 million in the city center. So by no means is this a small town. But it definitely feels like a small town in the diplomatic enclave where I am staying.

Yesterday, after having breakfast, I spent the entire day doing machine, learning tutorials. Then I went for a walk around 3:45PM. I met up with my new friend, the one with the poodle from a couple weeks ago. We caught up and chatted. This time we had a different dog named Minnie that ran away twice, escaping from under his leash lol. It was really nice connecting with someone local. And also helping him with his English at the same time by simply having a conversation.

Then, I continued my walk, casually, greeting people in passing. Then I ran into a man crossing the street. I wasn’t sure if he was American, but we carried on conversation in English after saying hello, as soon learned he worked at the American International school. I told him I was a former teacher, and American International schools; I may be able to visit and check it out for myself. 

I love going for walks, running into people, and the rhythm of catching my stride and observing surroundings. As I mentioned before, even though Dhaka is heavily populated, it seems the community of the enclave is pretty small. People seem to know one another, and if they don’t, they still greet one another. That definitely reminds me of a smaller town. Also since I’ve been here, I can see that people invite others into their homes for dinner or to share leftovers. And coworkers also connect in each other’s homes to share a meal. I think that’s becoming more rare in the United States. Most people meet in public places like restaurants or some organized event somewhere. 

I have always appreciated community and I think it’s easy to forget that well-connected local communities actually exist living in the US. I’m sure it helps that many here are expatriates, away from their home countries and have had similar experiences because of that. But then again I don’t know. People in the US tend to be very busy, private, and friends are not necessarily in close proximity. I want analyze this too much more… I just know I’ll be walking and talking as much as I can, as long as I am able! 

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