We’ve been here for almost three weeks, which, in the span of a two year tour, isn’t very long. But in this short time I’ve come to realize something that I hadn’t anticipated: our life here is pretty fancy.
I wasn’t going to write about this stuff because it seems so pretentious and ostentatious. I mean, I am a normal person. When I’m back in the States, I’m just another asshole (as another officer so aptly put it).
But, my husband is a diplomat and we live in Dhaka. One of the reasons I’m writing this blog is to keep our friends and family updated on our life here, and, well, this is our life now.
A few weeks ago we were invited to dinner at a famous Bangladeshi singer’s house. He and his family were extraordinarily welcoming and friendly, and we were really lucky to have the opportunity to get to know them. We visited his in-home studio where we got to hear a track he’d laid down earlier that day. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
Last weekend we went to a roof-top cocktail party, hosted by the owners of our future permanent residence. I don’t usually use the term “swanky” to describe anything I do or go to, but this was a very swanky event. A Swedish-trained bartender was flown in from Sylhet (that’s right, they served alcohol!!!) and the canapes included ingredients like truffles and bacon. We met the French ambassador and the Turkish ambassador, and we left as the American ambassador arrived. Nate made friends with a Bangladeshi soap opera star.
Then there’s also the whole housekeeper/nanny/driver thing, which is the norm here. Labor is so cheap by American standards, and, even then, Americans pay twice what Bangladeshis pay for household staff. We’ve interviewed a housekeeper and a driver (talk about feeling like a fish out of water), and hopefully they will be starting within the next few weeks. Some people also hire bearers, who basically work as butlers, or cooks, who handle everything in the kitchen. It’s all very Downton Abbey.
For now, I’ll enjoy this fancy lifestyle, and appreciate it for the blip that it is. I know most of our posts won’t be like this, so I’d better enjoy the celebrity company, drink those fancy cocktails and eat those bacon-wrapped dates while I can!
According to Athena 