Gaining weight and embarrassing…people. But not all at the same time. :)

Can you gain weight in Asia…Ummmm….easy.

So…what is available to eat in Asia? I think I already mentioned what you find at every single store. Sugar. Processed sugar. So…if we need to stop and get supplies for lunch in the field? ….guess what we are eating? Cookies, chips…cakes and coke. Good for five year old birthday party…bad for something-five year old Jennifer whose metabolism is…..slowing. :)

Carbs and mysterious Man…akin. (Crappy photo by: Jlewis)

Alcoholic calories are also dragging me down. Wine is unheard of. High calorie beer is king. Except in Bangladesh. It is actually illegal to drink alcohol in Bangladesh. I know!!! WTF? The only out is to get a prescription from your doctor. Yep. A WAYYYY wrong law! And highly problematic for me and my continued sanity. At least I save on some calories here.

Change of plans

At the end of day two I head straight to Khulna. Original plans were to follow the researchers who work with the couple I followed in Dhaka. Instead, I will interview the post doc there but spend my time in Khulna following Manish.

I am your retarded American friend

So I go to meet with the post doc around noon the next day.  He decides to help me out and takes me to get a phone and SIM card. We take his motorcycle to get to the phone store. He actually has a second helmet….This is something new to me…Helmets? How the heck does that work?

Ok…so we get to the store and he runs in ahead of me. I…have a slight problem…..I cannot figure out how to get the damn helmet off. So…what to do…Oh well. I’ll just follow him into the store. We get inside…he has yet to see me because he is walking ahead of me….and all the people start to stare at me. Doesn’t bother me at all….I am used to being the freak in the room. He finally detects that I am the source of some considerable attention and turns around to see…oh god….this American idiot walking around with her damned helmet on. Like I am his little retarded friend. His face drops a little and he slowly walks over to me and silently takes it off. I know….you can’t take Jennifer’s anywhere. Should have warned him. From this point forward he puts my helmet on and takes it off wherever we go. I do not ask for this….and I feel a bit like a child….but I figure….this is my penance for….I dunno…ruining his local reputation among his friends and peers. I will suck it up and be…..five.

Um….Could sunglasses count as a helmet? No? Ok. This was what I was used to for motorcycle rides till I got to Bangladesh. (Selfie via go pro: JLewis) PS…yes…I am also wondering why the extreme dagger eyes.
Must have been a mean cow approaching. You have to use intimidation with them.