My living conditions here consist of your basic dorm with ceiling fan, bed, desk, and even a sit down toilet. Never mind that it has permanent streaky stains on it! There is no regular schedule for the water, which comes about three times a day, so I leave all the taps on and as soon as I hear water trickling in the bathroom, it’s a mad rush to shower, flush the toilet, wash clothes and do the dishes. The situation with power outages a couple times a day, I was already used to from the last time I was here, and with a laptop, I can just go on typing away in the dark while everything shuts down around me. Pretty soon, I won’t even flinch, and I might not even notice until I realize that without the fan, I am typing away in a pool of sweat. A little word of advice for anyone doing work where internet access is not always readily available, get yourself a wireless modem. This is brand new technology for me, so I am not entirely sure how it works, but in my case at least, I have an EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution) modem, that sticks into my laptop, takes up no room at all, and requires the SIM card (that little card in your phone) of a local phone provider. It is bizarre, even at times when I have no power (like right now) and no water, I can still spy on my Facebook friends!

But looking on the bright side, I have my own private room and bathroom which is more than most people here have. I have also secured myself a gas stove, cylinder of gas, and the typical Bangladeshi aluminum conical cooking pot, so I can cook for myself. Without a fridge, my food has to be prepared fresh, and well of course there is nothing more refreshing than a warm beer to wash it all down! Other than the constant heat and strange smells (sometimes sewage, sometimes fish) drifting through once in a while, I am getting used to it and I might even say it is starting to feel like home.