Train Station

 Train Station

Henan Province, China

Spring 2012

China is crowded.  I know that.  There are over a billion people in this country.  They are everywhere. But it wasn't until I went to the train station that I realized exactly how crowded the country is.  This place was packed and space is so limited that there is an undercurrent of panic and aggression.  Far more tickets are sold than seats available.  So there is no room for hesitation when the train pulls up. People became ruthless as they attempted to get on their trains.  There was no thought of apologies as everyone pushed and shoved forward. It was scary.

Warm Hearts Project

Warm Hearts Projects

World Academy for the Future of Women

SIAS University

Henan Province, China

Spring 2013

From time to time, I teach a global leadership program in China to young, college women. As part fo the program  they must develop and complete a project which addresses one of the United Nations Millennial Goals. Here is one of the latest service projects being implemented through the World Academy for the Future of Women:

 

 

Dear all :

So glad to share the new plan of the Warm Hearts project.

As you all know, we collected lots of second-hand cloths last semester and hope to help more people,so , this semester ,we pay more attention on giving those cloths out . 

At start, our plan is to invite Sias students bring those second-hand cloths to their hometown and give it to the poor villagers around them during the National holiday. but tonight, we discusses all of the details again and we found that there are several serious problems that we must pay attention.

 

firstly, once we start this activity , there must be lots of cloths need to wash in a short time ,

and the laundry which promised to wash all of the cloths can not afford the huge work during 

this time  .

 

Secondly, the fresh are busying on the military training ,and there are not too much

free time for them to find the poor people or write the application or wash the cloth together 

with us . 

SO,WE DECIDED TO ADJUST OUR PLAN . 

Here, the attachment is the detail plan of the Warm Hearts projects this semester, share with you ~~ 

I am really excited about this plan and a little nervous about this ~NEED YOUR SUPPORT !!!!

Hope to hear from you and your wonderful suggestions ~~

 

Love you all 

Monday

A Note From Kelly

A Note From Kelly

SIAS University

Henan Province, China

Spring 2012

This is an email I just got from my former student, Kelly.  She is a very quiet young woman who always wanted to join us as we went for tea after class.  But she rarely added to the conversation.  She comes from a poor family but has big dreams for someone who has been exposed to so little.

 

 

Yiping(Kelly) Zhu has sent you a message.

Date: 5/24/12

Subject: Miss you

Dear Bridget,

How's things going?

The busy days finally gone, and my ordinary life came back. The semster is saying goodbye to me. I have a lot to say.
Your life is so attractive to me, and I may say you're my idol.

Guess what? I always dreaming, one day, I could be able to go abroad for my further study and broad my eyesight. But I must be extremely excellent that I can realize it, because of money. My parents are teachers, and I have a sibing sister 2 years younger than me. My parents may not afford the expensive cost, and I don't wanna them to pay for me, too.

In the past, I just regard it as a dream. I knew I may not make it come true, but I still persist dreaming about it. Nowadays, I don't wanna just let it be a dream. I eagerly wanna be something.

I am just a freshman, and not so much excellent as I expected to me. I even don't know how to realize my dream. Or just work hard is enough. Who knows?

A new semester will come soon, I believe I can do better than this year and I'm waiting for the day I've longing dreamt about come.

I'm writing to you because you're a respectful lady and teacher to me, and I miss you a lot.
Best wishes!

Sincerely,
Kelly

 

Merry Christmas From Carina

Merry Christmas From Carina

SIAS University

Henan Province, China

December 2013

I taught in China in 2012 and just loved, loved, loved my students.  I taught leadership skills to college women and they were wonderful.  And once I left, they went out of their way to remember me, my holidays, our friendship.  I was so lucky to have this experience.

 Hi, Bredget

How are you? 

Merry Christmas!!!

This is my last Christmas in SIAS, sitting in front of my computer, I start recalling all the things I have done and all the people I have met, full of gratitude.  Miss you~ What have you been busy with all the time?

we haven's met for a long long time, to make sure you remeber me, I attach three recent photoes. Haha, I have my hair cut. 
Carina

Beer Stats

 

The Stats- UPDATED

Beer Stats That IS

I'm a Beer Kook

As of 1-27-21

I keep lots of lists but I think my beer lists are the lists I keep the most.  There are some of the lists I keep:


Breweries to date: 212

Beer Lists:  I was in the several hundreds when I kept a list and that was before we had smart phones and APPS.  I had to stop keeping this list as I was becoming too narcotic.  I used to save beer labels from the bottles and I had to stop that obsession as well.

Brewery Blog: BKBK.blogspot.com- NOW defunct because I was just becoming too obsessed with this beer nonsense.

Greatest Beer Accomplishment:  In the early 1980's, I was part of a competition to compiles Around the World in 80 Beers at Zeno's bar in State College, PA.  At the time, this was quite an accomplishment because breweries were not around and people only drank quantity of beer.  Quality was not a concern. And these beers were very expensive.  budget. And I was on a graduate student budget.  So it took me three years to complete this task.  But I did it. 

Countries where I have been to breweries: USA, Canada, Wales, German, UK,

Countries where I have attempted to visit a brewery and failed miserably: Nepal, Australia

Countries where I couldn't find a beer: Bangladesh.  I didn't have a beer for five weeks. that's the longest I've gone without a beer since 1970.

A flight party

Oktoberfest:  2017 in Munich

Beer Year- 2018- I visited 61 different breweries from January 1 to December 31, 2018.

Brewery Day- May, 2017- I visited 5 breweries in one day in Philadelphia.  I think this record will not be surpassed by me ever again.

Top 10 Go To beers:
  
1- Sierra Nevade Pale Ale
2- Sierra Nevade Torpedo
3- Heavy Seas Winter Storm
4- Heavy Seas Loose Cannon
5- Sam Adams Lager
6- Victory Hop Devil
7- Lauginita's IPA
8- Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
9- Stone IPA
10- Gooseneck IPA

Canada's Little Brown Jug 

Biggest flight- DeClaw's Brewery in MD.  I was with my niece and we drank a complete  flight of 18 beers.


Longest single brewery visit- Sam Adams brewery- I spent the entire weekend at that brewery or engaged in Sam Adams Brewery pubs in Boston in 2012.  It was great fun.

States where I visited a craft brewery- AZ, CO, CA, CT, DE, FL, IO, LA, MD, MI, MN, MS, MT,  NM, ND, NJ, NY, NC, NM, OR, PA , SD, TN, WI,  WA, VT, WV,  WY, KY.  I have a new goal of drink one craft beer in every state.

Most complete state - DE- at the moment, I have been to all of the DE breweries but one (which just opened up in the last few weeks). I will get there next year.

Wales Pipes brewery

Most Breweries in One State- PA- I've been to 80 breweries in this state.  I now have to drive 2 hours from my home to find a new brewery.  Or, more breweries are going to have to open up in the Philadelphia area.

Wales Brewery

Breweries of the Year- I award a brewery as the Brewery of the Year.  I publish this honor on my blog (and nobody really cares but so what).
2016- Left Hand Brewery- CO     
2017- Avery Brewery- CO
2018- Karst Brewery- IO

2019- Big Spruce Brewery- Canada
 2019- 

                                            2020- Barrel & Bean Brewery- MI

WINTER BEERS

 

Winter Time/ Porter Time

My favorite WINTER BEERS:

• Vanilla Porter
• Coffee Porter
• Imperial Russian Stouts

An Environment Project

An Environment Project

World Academy for the Future of Women

SIAS University

Henan Province, China

Spring 2013 

In the spring of 2012, I taught global leadership skills to college women in China. The curriculum centered around addressing the United Nationals Millennial Goals. Ultimately, each student designs and implements a project.

Peter is a member of the Men's Academy for the Future of Women.  He is involved in a project to make the Sias University campus cleaner.  The university, similar to all areas in China, has little to no trash removal. Consequently, there is an awful littering problem all over China.  Litter is everywhere.

One night, while the students were writing, I took 30 photos of used tissues which just thrown on the floor in my classroom.  My students could not understand why this concerned me.  

Asked one student, "Isnt the rest of the world just like us?"

After our discussion, more students became concerned about the trash problem on campus. And within the year, Peter decided to implement a project to address the issue.

 

 

LinkedIn

Peter Peng has sent you a message.

Date: 3/07/2013

Subject: Our Environmental Project

Hi ,Bridget .This is Peter . I am doing my environmental project .At the end of last semester ,we team finished one thousand pieces of paper questionary and about three handred piece online .Through our discussion ,we made plan of this semester .Right now , we are preparing an knowledge competition about how to protect SIAS .Look forward your reply .I will appreciate it any help from you .

Outline
Name：Love My SIAS
Outline：Through in SIAS carried out series of on " Energy saving and environmental protection" activities to protection SIAS environment．For example,environmental knowledge race, energy-saving Star, recycling waste books, publicity duplex print　and Campus Green line to protection SIAS environment　etc; to improve SIAS students of ring nurse consciousness, Increase　SIAS students environmental knowledge; let students　love SIAS ; let SIAS became more beautiful, let people has a new awareness　of SIAS ; to achieve　the environmental objectives　of the eight Millennium goals of the United Nations.


Questionnaire About Sias students' Understanding on Campus Environmental Problems 

1,What environmental problems do you think are more serious ?
A . Littering every where B.spitting casually
C.abuse of once-only table ware and plastic bags D.waste of food,water and electricity
E.treading on the grass or snapping off the flowers F,all above
Else_________________________________________

2,Which place do you think has more serious environmental problems ?
A,teaching buildings B,dormitories 
C,dinner halls D,outdoors(road ways,playground,roma theater and so on)

3,What do you think is due to classrooms' environmental conditions ?
A,some students' awareness of keeping the room clean
B,lack of trash bins C,cleaner's untimely cleaning

4,What will you do if you want to drop trash but there is no trash bin ?I will _______
A,just litter or drop when nobody notice
B,look for a nearest trash bin and drop in
C,kep it in the pocket and drop it till see a trash bin

5,Do you think it 's necessary to set sorted trash bins ?If there are ,will you drop trash according to it's sort ?
A,Yes .I will B,Yes. That depends. C,No .I won't D,I have no idea

6,How long will you usually take to take a shower ?
A,5-15 minutes B,15-30 minutes C,30-50 minutes or more D,It depends 
E,I have no idea

7,Have you thought of recyclable use of water in daily life ?
A,Yes,I will do that B,Yes,but I do not know hoe to do that C,No,I won't

8,If the project "Love my Sias "starts formally, will you offer your support ?Will you take part in related activities?

A,Yes ,I will B,I will support silently and I will not involve activities
C,It depends D,I do not know

9,What steps do you think we can take to protect the environment in Sias?
1,_____________________________________________________________________________
2,_____________________________________________________________________________
3,____________________________________________________

Queen of the Seven Kingdoms

 Queen of the Seven Kingdoms

Game of Thrones Royal Reserve Collection

Sour Blonde Ale Blend

I don't know how to describe this beer.  It really wasn't a sour and it wasn't hearty enough to be an ale. And it seemed more gimmick than beer.  I tried it.  It was OK and I wouldn't bother with it again.

DEW POINT BREWERY

Dew Point Brewery

Yorklyn, DE

2018

This place is way out there on some winding country road.  But it is worth the effort to get there.  Housed in an old paper mill, the tasting room sits upstairs and offers a panoramic view of the area.  There is a large seating area outside.  And the day I went (in late February), the weather was cooperating and we sat outside.  So did so many people as this place was packed in the mid-afternoon on a Thursday.  There are 8 beers on draft.  I had 4 of them: the Spring Hill Porter, the Black Powder (a black IPA), Hopworts Express (another IPA), the Nit Wit.  All of them were full of flavor.  The prices are reasonable.  The crowd is friendly.  The staff was friendly.  This is an enjoyable place.

Bellefonte Brewery

 Bellefonte Brewery

Wilmington, DE

July 2018

It's very hard to find this place but it was worth the effort.  There are 14 beers on tap and I had a flight of six IPAs.  They were all delicious. The pours were generous (6ozs) and responsible.  The staff was friendly and happy to engage people in conversations about beers and other breweries that they liked.  I liked the vibe of this place.

Dear Ladies

 

Dear Ladies

A Letter From My Dad

Philadelphia, OA

April 1976

A letter from my Dad to my sister, Sharon, and me. We were attending Penn State University.

 

 

April 5, 1976

 

 

Dear Ladies,

 

This is a joint letter ala Ida style. (Our grandmother always sent group letters.)

 

First enclosed is further evidence of our encouragement to you to continue to keep up the good work.   (As always, he sent us a check from time to time which keep us in beer.)

 

Everyone at home was pleased that Shannon received so many votes. Now you know how the Republicans feel when they offer the Best candidates and phone in Second Best. (Sharon ran for president of the Student Government organization as a write-in candidate)

 

The big three (Brian mom and I) have been hitting the shore on a regular basis. Last weekend we had to Carlins, next week in the Cameaus. The weather has been very pleasant. Unfortunately, I always gain several pounds after eating goodies all day. (My parents had a beach house on Long Beach Island, NJ in addition to their home in Philly.  Brian was my 6 year old brother.)

 

In less than a month Jimmy will graduate from college. I can’t believe that there will be a Kelly kid not attending school. I think he’s going to stay with the restaurant for the time being. (Jimmy has a year older than me.  Sharon was a year younger than me and we also had another brother In college this year.)

 

We are all looking forward to seeing our upstate students.

 

Lots of love,

Dad

Stoup Brewery

 Stoup Brewing Company

Seattle, Washington

Fall 2017


The beers were good here but I didn't like the vibes of the place.  The beers are listed on a huge board but there is no description of the beers.  You have to go to the website to get that info.  You have to stand in line and give a waiter your list and then retrieve your beers at the end of the bar.  The waiters are hurried so there is very little interaction with them.  I left unsatisfied.

I tried the following and I liked them all but I can't remember what type of beers they were.  You will have to go to their website to get this info.

Mosaic Pale
Citra IPA
Bine
Straya
Psycho- Tropic
North West IPA

Pull Tab Tops

 Pull Tab Tops

Tuborg makes a pull tab top. Maybe other beers do the same but I have never seen this before.  And when you pull the tab off, it pops like a bottle of champagne.  And I am sure many people like this option but I don't.  I didn't have enough strength to pull the tab off by myself so I had to ask someone to help me And I hate to be helpless with my beers.  I'll take the regular bottle cap please.

It Is A Pity For All Of US

It Is A Pity For All Of Us

SIAS University

Henan Province, China

Winter 2015

From time to time, I teach leadership skills you young, college women in China.  Our curriculum focuses on the United Nations Goals.  Students work on projects to help bring these goals to fruition.  I asked my students which goals resonated with them.  Eileen addressed the goal of reducing child morbidity.

 "My goal is reducing the death of children. from my perspective, child is weaker than adult and they need to be taken care of.  However, in many poor countries, the children lack of food, clothes and education. we all know that child is  the future of the country and they are full of energy and creative. if they died because of lacking food and medical equipment, its a pity for all of us. in short, we must be devoted to reducing the death of children."

Eileen

Elana Wants To Empower Women

Elana Wants To Empower Women

SIAS University

Henan Province, China

Winter 2015

From time to time, I teach leadership skills to college women in Asia. Here is one woman's views on the state of the world in China.

"In Chinese history, there were unequal between men and woman. A man could have lots of wife who should be stayed at home just to educate children and have no status in the family and society. In modern society, although the women's status has improved a lot than before. There are also unequal things happened. just like some companies do not admit women, some people think women should stay at home to take care of their family and it is unnecessary to have thier own business. so i think maybe we should change some people's mind and empower women sufficiently."

Elena

Email From Carina

Email From Carina

SIAS University

Henan Province, China

Spring 2012

 Hi, Dragon Lady.  I am Carina. You must be in your home now . I miss you already. Olivia may will send you a vedio. It's a little surprise for you. And I also download some classic music for you and hope you would like it. Cuse these music take to much memory, I have to send you two emails to send them to yu. And let me know if you can listen them. May you happy everyday!

December 2019

December

World Academy for the Future of Women

ULAB- University of libeler Arts, Bangladesh

1- SU- Bangladesh- My first day of teaching.  And it was a home run.  I was nervous and feeling a bit insecure.  This group of students are much more worldly than my other students in China and Nepal. Would my presentations be sophisticated enough for them.  I had them write to me and tell me about themselves.  When they finished, we watched a motivational video about getting your light shine through, even if other people are telling you to shut up, sit back, melt in the background.  Then, as they presented their statements, I had them wear sunglasses because their future is so bring they have to wear shades.  They loved it.  One woman stood up and trembled as she talked about her social anxiety and depression.  She could barely be heard but she got through her message and we all cheered.  I dismissed them at this point because that was enough intensity for one day.  And it was just I'm time because Mrs Islam hunted me down again and came to my classroom to introduce me to her friend from out of town.  This woman used to be very influential with NGOs in Dhaka.  But she retired years ago and was not really interested in help.  Anyway, we stopped by the apartment, picked up Alanna and went to the Islams for dinner and had a fun time.

2- M- Bangladesh- I had another home run in class.  This was with a new group of students and they loved the assignment even more.  I felt great.  After class, Alanna and I went to the Memorial of Independence and the War Museum.  I do not remember anything about the freedom of Bangladesh in 1971 or the bloody massacre of the Prime Minister's family in 1975.  I know nothing about Bangladesh. In the evening, we went to dinner at one of the professors' house.  As I am now seeing, many people have drivers, cooks and other helpers.

3- TU- Bangladesh- I had a good class.

4- W- Bangladesh- I had a 9 AM class and then I didn't have another class until 4:30 PM.  I have to find a way to fill this long day.  I did go to my local Uni-Mart store and get another great cup of coffee.  And now I am FB friends with Sunny, the coffee man.  I found dumplings that I loved.  Then I wandered over to the Sari store and watched woman pick out fabric for saris.  The colors were gorgeous.  My classes were great.  The attendance has slipped but the interactions and commitment are commendable.  I like the vibe here.  Alanna left and so now I have the apartment to myself. I like the solitude.

5- TH- Bangladesh- I had a full day of classes and I really enjoyed myself. We talked about our values.  I had them make a list of 30 values which they struggled to do but they all got there.  Then I had them throw out half of the values.  OMG, it was too damn funny to watch their reactions as they threw out "integrity" "trust" "justice" and other great values.  One stunt moaned, "I throw out family."  my laughing at them didn't make the assignment any easier.  And then when I told them that had to decrease the list again by 50 %, I thought they were going to cry.

I gave out the menstrual cups and they were a big, big hit.  In the fall, I put a notice on Facebook and my friends sent me about 200 cups to bring with me to Bangladesh.  So today, in Open Forum, I introduced the cups and the women turned in to militant feminists on the spot.  They have had ti about with being shamed for having their periods.  I have released monsters today.

6- F- Bangladesh- I have the day off, the only day of the week that I have off and I did nothing, absolutely nothing and it felt great. I wandered the street this afternoon and didn't find much that interested me.  I did find a good coffee shop so I am sure I will be frequenting this place. I listened to podcasts and an audiobook.  I posted on social media and napped.  This is my kind of day.

7- SA- Bangladesh- A day of offering make-up classes.  Getting to class is really an issue for these students.  But when they can get them here, they really work. And they seem tone enjoying themselves.  One student made a video of me as I was teaching.

8- SU- Bangladesh- I went food shopping today.  A man, from the university, came to my apartment, picked me up and walked me to a nearby food store.  He followed me with a cart and explained, as best he could, what everything was.  When we went to the checkout line, he pulled out a credit card and paid for everything.  Then he carried my groceries back to my apartment.  I could get used to this lifestyle. I'm looking forward to trying out my seafood tofu, something wrapped in a breaded casing and a pear the size of a grapefruit.  My class was fun today.  I had them engaged in quick, rotating conversations with all of their classmates.  At the end of class, I asked for feedback and one student told me, "I liked it.  It wasn't boring."  I will take that as a compliment.

9- M- Bangladesh- I had another good class.  I like hanging with these young women. They are full of conviction and passion.  They approach our discussions with a seriousness that is admirable.  We have a co-curricular sign up program going on right now so I spent some of the morning on Campus A with my students. We are giving out the rest of the menstrual cups and they are approaching the task with a determination to change the world, one DIVA cup at a time.  And their hand made poster stated, "Be a DIVA."  In the evening, I went to the movies with my students.  We watched, No Fear, a Bengali movie about a woman who was beaten all her life by her brother and then her husband, but after 2 1/2 hours of movie time, she prevailed and married the man she has always loved.

10- TU- BANGLADESH- I got up at 8 and got ready to be picked up at 8:30 for my (AM class and then realized that it was Tuesday and I didn't have class until 4:30.  I came back up to the apartment, got back in to bed and listened to two hours of podcasts.  And then I leisurely got up, walked to my new, favorite coffee shop.  I meandered over to Campus A to see how registration was going and we were out in full force.  All of the diva cups were distributed.  My 4:30 class started out as a bit of a disappointment.  Only 4 students showed up but eventually, the number got up to 10 and we had great discussion on defining possibilities.  They talked so much, we didn't get through the assignment.  Now I am  a little behind in my lessons.  But who cares, we had a good session.

11- W- Bangladesh- today was a pissy day and i just couldn't shake it off.  When I got to my classroom this morning, no one was there. And I was mad. Then someone showed up after 9.  and then two more and I was thrown off by my annoyance.  Then my student leader resigned.  Then Nadia was barking orders to everyone because she is under a lot of pressure.  Then I found out that Sijad was assigned to take me on my trip to the Pink Palace.

12- TH- Bangladesh- I had a full day of classes and we were making progress until one student discovered that some jerk found our DIVA photos on FB and wrote a scathing post about the horrors of DIVA cups and the prostitutes who use them.  The women here were crushed and cried and their humiliation saddened me.  One student told me that she was not able to tell her mother about this situation and she feared that word of this post would get back to her.  One student cried beaus the language was so awful.  The students refused to translate the post because, "it had too many very bad words."

13- F- Bangladesh- It was my day off so, of course, I slept in late.  And then I wandered the streets until I found a place to have a facial.  And as luck would have it, I found a place that had facials starting at $6.  The price was so low, I thought the price had to be $60.  I'm going back there again and again before I leave.

14- SA- Bangladesh-  I caught a sore throat from one of the students and I feel like shit.  And I took a sleep aid which made me so groggy this morning.  I got to class and only one student showed up.  I was pissed.  By 9:30, there were four students and I was still mad but one of the students asked if I could open my big heart and forgive them.  That bitch melted me right there on the spot.  The day picked up as we wrote a proposal for a new project, Women to Women, a support group for the lowest status of women at the university, the female security guards.  I am anxious to see how this turns out.

15- SU- Bangladesh- it's a beautiful day.  too bad it is so dusting and congested with litter, people and stray dogs.  I met with Nadia and we continue with trying to find a way to meet Jerrie's needs and the University's need.  Attendance is the biggest problem. But I had 24 students in class tonight.  We finished our list of 100 possibilities for their life.

16- M- Bangladesh- It's Victory Day, a national holiday.  I had plans to roam the streets today but I felt so damn awful that I just laid in bed all day.  I have a cold and my whole body ached.  But, on a positive note, I heard from another student whose family is also from Bangladesh and will be here for the holidays so I may get together with them as well. I never knew anyone from Bangladesh and now I have the families of two former students here, visiting while I am.  What are the odds of this happening?  And this is why I down play the lottery.  My high odds are wasted on this shit.

17- TU- Bangladesh- I was walking from one campus to anther and stopped to say hello to one of the administrators.  He told me that I had a family emergency.  Someone from my family tried to call the university, in search of me.  I panicked.  And it was 3:30 AM so I couldn't get them on their cell phones.  But I called Jerrie and she hadn't heard from them.  So there must be some one else in search of me.  Maybe it is the poet from the Embassy in DC.

AN EMAIL:     Dear Bridget,

   I was privy to a WhatsApp group message this morning in which one of your family friends asked our Vice President (      BOT member ) about your contact details. VC was following it up with Prof Imran and Nadia.. Sorry to break the news so dramatically. How all’s well. 

    Best

   Shamsad 

18- W- Bangladesh- I tracked down the mystery call.  It was Nohreen Ahmed's uncle.  He knows someone on the ULAB board and got in contact with me.  I got to talk to Sharon last night.  And I sent texts to Tricia as well.  So the matter is all cleared up.

19- TH- Bangladesh- I woke up to no voice.  I had strained my vocal cords last night but I thought I would be fine after a little rest.  But I was wrong.  I couldn't speak at all this morning.  Trying to teach class was a challenge and the strain made my students nervous.  They kept asking me to stop as the sound was too painful to hear.  And of course, this was my day of 5 classes.  

And we had a guest speaker who was fabulous.  He had the students mesmerized.  I sat and listened to him and listened to their questions and just thought about how lucky I was to be here.  In the midst of the presenter's talk, he mentioned Trump and, again, I felt ashamed.  The whole world is baffled by our poor judgment.

20- F- Bangladesh- Nadia came and got me and we went exploring Old Dhaka today.  It was fun and cold.  I had to wear a coat for the first time since I've been here and I really needed it. Mostly we hopped on and off rickshaws and meandered down narrow alleyways and religious temples.  We spent the day just the way I like it.

21- SA- Bangladesh- It's another dreary day here.  I went to class this morning and every one was sick, coughing, sneezing and miserable.  So I held the 2 hour class and then dismissed everyone and called it a day.

22- SU- Bangladesh- It's the start of my last week of classes.  My time here has flown by.

23- M- Bangladesh-I am sitting in a meeting with a ULAB Board Member and Nadia and a phone call comes in for me.  Nahreen Ahmed's uncle was looking for me.  He had Nohreen's parents who had just flown in from Philly the night before.

24- TU- Bangladesh- we had to dismiss a student from WAFW.  I hated to do it but he was so disturbive and abusive to the female director and Nadia.

25- W- Bangladesh- It's Christmas today and I went to a catholic church for mass.

26- TH- Bangladesh- It's my last teaching day and it was a great day.  After my first session, six of us went to Uni-Mart to have coffee and meet Sunny.  He came over to us and refused to speak in English.  He went on for five minutes about how we had become such good friends. I'm going to miss him. 

We went back to class and the students just hung with me all day.  There was no real start or stop to any class. We just all caught up on work we had to do.  They moved in and out all day and our moments together were just light and pleasant.

We had our last Open Forum: Speaking UP.   Three professional women joined us and they were fantastic.  One of the WAFW students served as the moderator and she was excellent.  The presenters were excited and it was a home run.  

Afterwards, the leadership team went to dinner with me at the Chef's Table.  Again, we saw Sunny and he took lots of photos with us.

 27- F- Bangladesh- my day off.  It rained today, a first.  I had breakfast nearby and then went to a local, high end store but bought nothing.  And then, I went off and had yet another facial. I could get used to these $5 facials.

28- SA- Bangladesh-  I taught make-up classes all day today and students stopped in all day to say goodbye.  I ran over and said goodbye to Sunny. Then I had a farewell party with the group.  They had lots of photos and gifts and speeches and songs, a dance and a cake. Afterwords, two of the young women walked me home and we stopped in at a wedding in the mall.  I took my picture with the bride.

29- SU- Bangladesh- I had no classes today but I had meetings and students stopped by to say good bye again and again.  I had to participate in a video interview and answer silly questions which will then be incorporated in to a more comprehensive video, highlighting all of the facilitators.

30- M- Bangladesh- I leave for home today after a 5 week stay here. I am flat in my affect as I can't wait to return to the comfort of my home and world.  But it's at a cost as I leave these young women who have become so precious to me.

My facebook post: At the airport, heading home; torn between holding on and letting go.

31- TU- Bangladesh, Istanbul, Boston, Philly- home after 35+ hours of travel. I get home just in time to start a new year, 2020.  May it be a good one.