I have decided to respond to Andrew's presentation on Bangladesh because of my interest in that area of the world and that nation in particular. Initially, I planned to learn Bengali because I had plans to complete a Fulbright Research Grant in Bangladesh. My plans fell through but not before I learned a great deal about life in Bangladesh. It is interesting to draw comparisons to the traditional dress that Andrew was wearing during his presentation (Sarong, light shirt) and the outfits of people other countries in Asia I have traveled. There are some similarities to Thai dress but I have noticed that the closer the country is to Central Asia, the more alike it is to Bangladesh and India customs. For example, the tendency to wear long sarongs and drink tea is very similar to what I witnessed while traveling in Myanmar (Burma). It was also interesting to witness the similarities in script. The Bengali script is very similar to Burmese and to the script presented during the presentation on India.
I can also connect to the slow-paced lifestyle which Andrew described. He explained how men sit around their tea shops all day, working more than willing to have a long conversation. This is one of the more appealing aspects of the Asian life style that i experienced. Although, the long work days sounded extremely draining and stressful as many of the shop vendors make just enough to feed themselves for the next day.
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