Bangladesh’s Train Riders

by Willy Volk on

In Bangladesh, it’s common to see people riding on the roofs of trains. No, it’s not some crazy stunt; due to the huge population in the country, an inadequate number of seats on the local trains, and punishing poverty, some people are forced to “borrow” a ride now and then. I’m sure they’ll pay it back.

GMB Akash is a Bangladeshi photographer whose work captures the culture and experiences of many different kinds of Bangladeshis. One of his photo essays shows these train riders clinging to the rickety, rocketing engines. Some of the riders appear perfectly content — and some are even able to sleep on the roofs of these moving trains!

Akash is a genius at capturing motion with the lens, and his camera provides a fascinating look at a completely different world. I was amazed by the photos, and I’m sure you will be, too.

Film Forum: Manufactured Landscapes

by Kelly Amabile on

Today in New York, the Film Forum premieres Manufactured Landscapes, which follows photographer Edward Burtynsky as he travels through places like China and Bangladesh, capturing images of globalized industry. Directed by Jennifer Baichwal, the film features large-scale images of vast industrial landscapes, and delivers a message about the human and environmental costs of the destructive changes that our planet is experiencing.

The acclaimed Canadian artist takes large-format photographs of factory worker armies, skeletons of rotting oil tankers and dismantled cities along the shores of the Yangtze River as the Three Gorges Dam nears completion. It’s a film that “allows us to contemplate industry’s impact on land, people, and culture” and seems like a valuable tool that offers perspective for all travelers as we all move through this world, whether for work or pleasure.

Two Men Spend 48 Days in Indian Airport

by Dave Luna on

Two men from Bangladesh were forced to live in New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi airport for 48 days. The duo left their homeland to seek employment in Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, they did not have the appropriate papers to enter the country. So, officials confiscated their passports and placed the men on a return flight to Bangladesh with an intermediate stop in India.

The weary travelers landed in the layover country, but upon arriving, they found themselves stranded since their passports were still in Saudi Arabia. The lost souls waited in the transit lounge of New Delhi’s airport for the 6+ weeks until Bangladesh could issue them new passports. During their stay, the gentlemen often asked the airport cafeteria to give them work — without payment — as a way to pass time. How’s that for boredom?

Forty-eight days may sound like an eternity, but Iranian refugee Mehran Karimi Nasseri spent an amazing 18 years living in France’s Charles de Gaulle Airport. His story was adapted into the film The Terminal. It’s interesting to note that Nasseri continued to live in Charles de Gaulle even after he was offered papers that would allow him to leave.

I can’t imagine spending that much time in an airport. I can’t even stand being in one for a three hour layover. I think I’d find myself coming up with games to play like “Switch Around the Luggage Tags at the Baggage Claim.”

Rickshaw Run Himalaya/Monsoon Edition

by Willy Volk on

Oh, how I wish the heavens would align so I could participate in this summer’s Rickshaw Run: the Himalaya/Monsoon Edition. Beginning on June 23, racers will traverse 2000 miles of road — described as “average, bad, terrible and non-existent depending on where you go” — through India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and China. And that’s just the first leg.

Organized by the brilliantly-named Institute of Adventure Research (a.k.a., Tom Morgan), the 2-week-long contest is a charity event disguised as an adventure race. On Day One, racers spend the day “playing cricket and acquainting ourselves with the rickshaws, each other and no doubt some gin and tonics.” Subsequently, teams launch from the start line (this year, Calcutta) and travel the length of the mighty Himalayan range — passing through mountains, forest, jungles, wild plains, and “just about everything India can through at you and your almost useless vehicle” — toward the finish line, using any route they like. There are optional checkpoints along the way, but who has time to stop when your 150cc vehicle travels at only 34 miles per hour?

Why a rickshaw? With only 3 wheels and half a horse power, Morgan argues that the rickshaw is more fun than any other vehicle on the planet. Amusingly, he claims the Rickshaw is “undoubtedly the ultimate long distance, off road machine, despite being designed for short distances on road.”

If you *think* you might want to enter, watch some of the clips from last year’s race, and then read up on the rules. If you’re looking for a teammate, please contact me.

Word for the Travel Wise (02/05/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

You must forgive me for being light on the writing these days. I have been doing some vacation planning – the type that makes you want to pull your hair out and scream. Luckily this planning hasn’t anything to do with Bangladesh or me heading over there for the time being; rather today’s word describes what I’ve been planning.

Today’s word is a Bangla (Bengali) word used in Bangladesh:

ch’uti – vacation

Web resources for Bangla are few, but you can pick up quite a few words reading (not skimming) through the Wiki and from this Bangalinet site which has a small tutorial on how to write in the script. Beyond those two I’m sure there are others, but as I mentioned before it is like pulling teeth to get these words at times. My personal resources to the Bengali lang are limited, so much like you out there reading it’s the web or some LP guide out there with the basics.

Past Bangla words: bhromon, shobbho, nir dohsh, ohnubad, naach