There was a story about the local sweets before, but here is another one. In Comilla there is supposed to be the best rasmalai in Bangladesh, but in the place where we tried it one of us found an ant o_O But! In Tangail we were brought to a place with very and very tasty rasmalai. Here
Good rasmalai is made and sold in the clay bowls (on the picture the is only sweet yoghurt left, the last bowl of rasmalai is being packed)
You get everything in a box and a bowl
And at home can enjoy this very very sweet mixture of sugar-milk-flour in cream. Very sweet.
This week we have local elections and therefore got a day off on Tuesday, woo-hoo! People of Dhaka get to choose two mayors (one for south Dhaka and one for north) and somebody else. All foreigners were advised not to leave their houses because of possible danger.
Remember the crazy posters? Well, it got worse on the day before election. Btw, see the teapot candidate? Apparently, women participating in elections only get routine-connected symbols.
The streets were empty on Tuesday, because all the vehicles were banned from the streets except for rickshaws. Unfortunately I don’t have my own pictures, because, like I said, it was strongly recommended not to leave the house.
Our maid though showed me something interesting the day after election. Look at her finger. This is the mark one gets after voting so it would be impossible to vote multiple times.
Nevertheless everybody is compaling that the election was not fair. Attendence was very low and representatives of the current political party won.
Newspapers are full of terrible stories about violence againds some reporters and even foreign observers.
Those who know me, know that I love fruit. And that I eat a lot of fruit. Therefore I was so much looking forward to discovering all the local fruits that one can find here!
But! Once here I was told to express cautious and buy fruits and vegetables only at the “big” stores and not at the markets or street stalls, because of formalin, which is a strong solution of formaldehyde.
For example, I bought some funny berries (in a “big” store) that everybody is referring to as “local gooseberries”. They are called star gooseberries or leboir in Bengali. When I brought them home though, our cook (yes, we have a cook) told me that I should first put them in a bowl of water, add bit of vinegar and let them soak for about an hour before eating.
When I asked him why, he said that all the fruits and vegetables, even before cooking, should be soaked in water and vinegar to clean them off the chemicals.
That is a sad story.
Here is a sour story, because these star gooseberries are very sour and look like this
There are two main political parties in Bangladesh — Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Awami League is the country’s current governing party and its leader is Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of the first president of Bangladesh during the Bangladesh Liberation war (1971) and a prime-minister later in the independent Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, has another lady as a leader, Khaleda Zia to be precise. She is the widow of one of a Bangladeshi military commander and a president as well.
Both parties have been governing interchangeably since 1971 and there has always been pressure over the opposition party when another party was in power. Since 2013 though it became a bit too aggressive. Swami League is putting restrictions in the government for the opposition and BNP in response announces so called hartals, kind of a strike. So instead of working, supporters of the opposition party (or those who are paid to be them?) crush busses, kill people and do general harm to those not participating in hartals.
Next week there is a local election in Dhaka (and we will have a day off because of it, woo-hoo!) and there are different campaigns on the streets. For example, rickshaws are riding around with loudspeakers or they hang garlands of flyers. This is one of the streets, for example
It happened as well that the opposition leader lives on my street, basically almost across the street.
This is Khaleda’s house:
Usually there are many photographers and cameramen in front of it.
The other day I was checking out the local shops with a friend of mine and we witnessed a procession of big cars with many people running around it. And guess who was it campaigning around the city for the candidate of its party (I guess)? Khaleda Zia.
After this video we followed the car and waved at her. And guess what? She waved back!
Shimul: We were waiting for you. Madam has been waiting since 6.
PM ADC: No. You people were supposed to call.
Shimul: No, I don’t remember telling you anything to that effect. You’ll call us at 6. I have made her [Khaleda] waiting for the last eight hours.
PM ADC: I didn’t tell you that I would call you. Because we were expecting that you would call us.
Shimul: No, you are saying the opposite. We never talked about that. I’m telling madam.
PM ADC: I never said the PM would call, either. I said…
Shimul: You will arrange the conversation over phone. This your duty.
PM ADC: It is also your duty to arrange the conversation over phone.
Shimul: Madam is still waiting.
PM ADC: We are waiting for your call.
Shimul: Madam is waiting. Give the phone to the PM now. I am handing it over to madam.
PM ADC: Are you people there?
Shimul: Yes, madam is here.
PM ADC: Okay, please wait. – See more at: http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2013/oct/29/partial-transcript-hasina-khaleda-conversation#sthash.DtKe2OXa.dpuf
Good rasmalai is made and sold in the clay bowls (on the picture the is only sweet yoghurt left, the last bowl of rasmalai is being packed)
You get everything in a box and a bowl
And at home can enjoy this very very sweet mixture of sugar-milk-flour in cream. Very sweet.
