I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Hi everyone! Just wanted to touch base with all of you, I'm still in Bangladesh and doing well! :) it's been a really busy year so far, so I apologize for not writing a post in so long!

So, my current update is that I am scheduled to be in my company's fall posting, yay, so it's finally the end of my assignment! You can tell I miss America, after close to 2.5 years, ahh! I did apply for Houston jobs, so I am planning to move back there, and taking back my town house!! Exactly when I will be moving back, TBD, depending on the new job and my current project completion date, I am estimating the end of fall / early winter- probably December. Will keep you all in the loop!

Also, I have a work trip next month back to the states, so I will be seeing some of you soon!


Ok, what should I talk about? How about some random experiences I have from out here? Sure.

* One time, driving towards the field on the highway, we see an elephant up ahead. that's right, an elephant! Just blocking the lane and the cars are slowly lining up. A 10 year bangladeshi boy was sitting on top, demanding cash from each driver before he allows his elephant to let us pass through. what a punk! haha. this boy, ladies and gentlemen, will probably grow up to be a businessman ;)

* Our gas plant & wellpads are surrounded by rice paddies. So, one day i see this man with like 50 ducks. All you see is this guy walking around a rice paddy and the entire flock of ducks follow him, maybe from listening from his whistling. Well, our construction team decided that if this guy can make a pack of wild ducks to follow him, we should hire this guy ;) because our contractors don't listen to us!

* In the first few months here, my Bangladeshi coworker asked me-"When will you be doubled?" I was so confused. That's when I realize he was talking about arranged marriages, which is the culture here, so he wanted to know when I decide to get arranged as well! not a bad idea, i should start collecting resumes! hah!

* When I went to Malaysia with my buddy Candace, we went to a temple that was surrounded by wild monkeys. Well, I was hungry and took out a granola bar, opening the wrapper. Looking over, a monkey swings by, watching me. Hmm, i put it back into my bag, kept walking. The monkey grabbed my bag and would not let go! So, imagine this asian girl pulling on the bag against a monkey! Hah, pretty funny actually. He reached in and grabbed that granola bar alright. Sigh, I decided I didn't like monkeys anymore :)

* One time I traveled outside Dhaka called Mymensingh. I guess there wasn't a lot of foreigners that go there because I got a lot of stares. Anyway, I was dressed down for sure, in my sweats and t-shirt, walking through a park when this university student girl came up to me with a dozen roses! :) she kept thanking me for visiting her country! super sweet and over the top! The rest of the students came out and they took a ton of pictures! I felt like a super star, hah, in sweats!

Ok, story time is over. I'll post again when I hear more about my move!

Bye! lil.

What's 'normal' to me now.

Hello everyone!

Guess what! Next month (May 1st!) will be my 2 year mark living in Bangladesh! How time flies. I still remember the day I arrived, jet lagged, waiting for just the first week to pass. Then, waiting for my sea shipment to arrive after 3 months of living in a hotel, and then waiting for my first year to pass just so I can say, "I'm halfway there!". Ideally, I should be done with my assignment next month and taking a one-way plane ticket out of here, BUT, that's not how the project life works, blahness! Yes, the project is delayed. Just to update everyone, I agreed to extend my assignment to the fall. Ok fine, 2.5 years! ;)

Story Time.

So, after 2 years living in a 3rd world country, let me tell you what's 'normal' to me now...

• Power Outages. With poor power generating and electricity distribution across the country, I experience power outages about every few hours every day! Only the major companies and high end homes have diesel generators that kick on when the power is out, usually about an hour long each time. During meetings, the power will go out all the time, but we're all so use to it that presenters usually keep talking.. in the dark! ;)

• Last May, I was doing last minute packing the night of my flight back to the US. Hah, with my luck, there was a power outage and our generator was out of service, so I was packing in the dark, with a flashlight! I remember saying out loud, 'Ugh! Only in Bangladesh!'. When I got to Houston, the first thing I bought were a few camping lanterns to bring back with me! =)

• Hartals. These are countrywide strikes held by different political parties. There's a lot to it, but I will just get to the point. What's 'normal' to me is that they happen all the time now, almost daily, due to the upcoming election. These strikes occur right outside of the city limits, so the expats are safe and go to work like any other day. However, the nationals all live outside the city limits and they can't get to work due to the violence. So, imagine 85% of your office empty due to hartals. Since this January, we've had 27 hartal days. To the Nationals, those are 27 'free days of vacation'! Most Nationals don't have laptops or internet at home, so that means... No work! It gets frustrating when no work gets done... all the time now!

• 'Dhaka Belly'.  Haha, within the expat community, this is what we call food poisoning. Dhaka is capital of Bangladesh and where the Chevron office is. Some of my coworkers get the 'Dhaka Belly' about bi-monthly, its pretty often here, especially for the new folks. The full deal guys, coming out... both ends! Gross, I know! Remember, proper hygiene is not really important in this country. Me? I usually get a mild-medium case about every quarter. It sucks. 

• Bleach + Veggies. So this is how we don't fall sick here, we clean all our raw vegetables and fruits with water/bleach mix. Yes, Clorox Bleach people! It so sad, but so true. Just a tablespoon of bleach with every liter of water, so it's not too bad. And no, my salad doesn't taste like bleach either! Just a little getting use to the idea when you take a bite of your apple. ;) 

Ok, story time is over boys and girls. Scare you enough? ;) Till next time.. work tomorrow, good night!

Miss everyone back at home. Hope all is well!  

love, lil. 

Happy New Year!

Hi everyone!

Things got super busy and I didn't make this post before Christmas or New Years, so just wanted to tell everyone that I'm alive & well ! =) Happy 2013 & hope everyone is doing well! I failed to post in the last 4-5 months, so my 2013 new years resolution is to try to post every other month! hehe..

Still living in wonderful Bangladesh... ;) Pix below of fishermen in a local village in Bhaupur. 

If you want to see my 2012 travels, pix albums are all on my facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/lillian.moy.3y

Till the next post, this is my maid's 3 1/2 yr old daughter Sreya! Isn't she adorable?!

To 2013! love, lil!