Things I'd almost forgotten
Apr. 27th, 2004 03:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
peteryoung
1. Bangladesh is a desperate country
...and is as chaotic as it ever was. Despite the fact that all flights between Bangladesh and London are currently always overbooked in both directions, the flights to Dhaka are regularly less than half full. This is supposedly accounted for by Bangladeshis buying return tickets to London because they will otherwise not be granted a visa, and then not using the return part because they have no intention of returning. I'm not sure how much stock I'd put in this story, but the high number of small offices offering visas and education abroad is alarming.
2. Life is cheap
Thankfully I've not seen any dead babies left in the road as I did last time I was here, but on the journey to the restaurant last night we saw two nasty accidents both involving taxis and overturned rickshaws, which are pulled by very thin men who probably won't live past forty. Also in the 36 hours I've been here I have been offered three shoe-shines (one while wearing trainers), a Bangladeshi woman, and a goat. This hotel, another Sheraton, has two DVD stores selling pirated TV and films, and though the range is huge I'm really not that desperate to buy Voyager Season 1 for $10, nor The West Wing or The Matrix Remaindered for $2. No ta.
3. A hot curry here is twice as hot as it is in England
So remind me put the toilet roll in the fridge next time.
...and is as chaotic as it ever was. Despite the fact that all flights between Bangladesh and London are currently always overbooked in both directions, the flights to Dhaka are regularly less than half full. This is supposedly accounted for by Bangladeshis buying return tickets to London because they will otherwise not be granted a visa, and then not using the return part because they have no intention of returning. I'm not sure how much stock I'd put in this story, but the high number of small offices offering visas and education abroad is alarming.
2. Life is cheap
Thankfully I've not seen any dead babies left in the road as I did last time I was here, but on the journey to the restaurant last night we saw two nasty accidents both involving taxis and overturned rickshaws, which are pulled by very thin men who probably won't live past forty. Also in the 36 hours I've been here I have been offered three shoe-shines (one while wearing trainers), a Bangladeshi woman, and a goat. This hotel, another Sheraton, has two DVD stores selling pirated TV and films, and though the range is huge I'm really not that desperate to buy Voyager Season 1 for $10, nor The West Wing or The Matrix Remaindered for $2. No ta.
3. A hot curry here is twice as hot as it is in England
So remind me put the toilet roll in the fridge next time.
no subject
Date: 2004-04-27 03:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-27 05:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-27 03:49 am (UTC)Did you meet Sabine's sister Gabi while she was in London? Her previous postings had included Bangladesh, where she says she was kept sane by the regular videos of Highlander Sabine sent her.
3. A hot curry here is twice as hot as it is in England
So the story, that curries on the subcontinent are at a sane level of hotness, it's just those stupid English who large it up, is a myth?
no subject
Date: 2004-04-27 04:53 am (UTC)Curry: If last night's was anything to go by it's as mythical as George and the Dragon.
no subject
Date: 2004-04-27 05:09 am (UTC)St Petersurg, now.
If last night's was anything to go by it's as mythical as George and the Dragon.
So we're back to "those wimpy English can't take a proper curry." I've noticed that whichever story is current, the English are always doing something wrong.
Pirated DVDs
Date: 2004-04-27 04:02 am (UTC)Re: Pirated DVDs
Date: 2004-04-27 04:57 am (UTC)Pirates!
Date: 2004-04-27 10:44 am (UTC)FPK3
no subject
Date: 2004-04-27 04:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-27 09:41 pm (UTC)