Belgrade, Serbia

Politics and Coffee
April 1-7, 2009

Belgrade is a very cool/interesting city. These people have been and are still going through so much. But the people I met are very engaged in trying to change their lives for the better.


I have to say though that I just can't stand cafe culture. This is such a European thing... just sitting around sipping coffee/espresso... it's 3:00pm on a Wednesday! What are you doing? Why are there so many people in the main square drinking coffee!? Oh yes, that's right... they don't have jobs.

I don't really think I took good photos. It's too much of a "city" to be interesting aside from the old European fascination. I took some basics, but it's nothing special.

Outside Parliament

Walking down a side street on our way to the Office

Main Square

I had the great opportunity to visit with four women members of parliament. The parliament building was gorgeous.

Parliament

Where? 2009

In 2008, I was given the great great opportunity to visit five countries and I look forward to the amazing places I will visit in 2009. Photos and stories will be updated here as I travel to Belgrade, Serbia; Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Beijing, China.

Relaxing (term used loosely here) in the Hong Kong airport during the non-stop 31 hour trek to Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Seoul, Korea

Seoul, Korea
December 8-12, 2008

We flew straight from Bangladesh to Korea. We had a conference and workshop with women from all over Asia. Korea is just amazing and overwhelming. I didn't get to do barely anything touristy as I spent my last day there looking for a dagger for my husband. But we did get to briefly run around a Pagoda park. And of course while we were there a shoving fight broke out among a group of old Korean guys. It was weird and beyond entertaining.

I really loved Seoul even in the cold weather and grey skies. I would like to go back and actually walk around and see the HUGE city.

Shopping on the main drag in downtown Seoul


Sungshin University

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Driving Around Bangladesh
December 2 - 7, 2008

Getting to Bangladesh is not an easy thing to do... from airport to hotel room in Dhaka was 31 hours non-stop. Originally, we were supposed to have an overnight layover in Bangkok, Thailand (Dulles to Tokyo to Bangkok to Dhaka), but they had a bit of an airport takeover by protesters and a government meltdown soooo we were rerouted through Hong Kong (Reagan to Chicago to Hong Kong to Dhaka) and did not have any long layovers. I was lucky enough to score an exit row seat (no one in front of me) during the 14 hour flight to Hong Kong, but it was still fairly brutal.

Recent (2005-2007) estimates of Bangladesh's population range from 142 to 159 million, making it the 7th most populous nation in the world. A striking comparison is offered by the fact that Russia's population is slightly smaller even though Russia has a land area at least 120 times bigger than Bangladesh.

So on to the pictures. I did not take good pictures. I just couldn't get anything in focus and I couldn't roll down the car window due to the beggars. The situation in Dhaka is difficult when it comes to beggars- probably not unlike several other cities in developing regions like this- people (mainly women with their babies/children and deformed people/children with missing limbs etc.) crowd cars stuck in traffic (which you ALWAYS are) and tap on the windows... tap tap tap... On my first day in Dhaka as we left the hotel I immediately rolled down my car window to take photos and within seconds there was a woman just standing there at my window with her baby. The driver rolled up my window for me. I turned to take a photo out the opposite window and there was a person standing there tapping with his one arm.

Most of these pictures are obviously taken from my moving car. It was the best I could do. So just consider this set of photos to be your driving tour of Bangladesh.

These photos were taken on our way to Gazipur about an hour and a half outside Dhaka. Gazipur is a small dirt road village/district and I would have taken great photos if I didn't get severely car sick on the drive there. It was so bad that I told the car to pull over and we walked some of the way once we entered the village.

Kati, Mali

Program Launch Event
June 26 - July 1, 2008

The organization's program launch ceremony included two dance troupes. They were really great - I was overwhelmed with the opportunity to see them perform.

The mayor of Kati (in purple) gave a welcoming speech and endorsed the organization's programming. I was seated next to him at the ceremony. He did not speak English but he was very gracious that I was there in his community.

These two men requested that I take their photo.
They are two important and influential men in the Kati community. My understanding was that you can't do much in Kati without their blessing.