Ok so there is a free wireless signal in the apartment right now so I am taking advantage! I have taken a few photos of Bangladesh, so I will post a few, but will have to do more tomorrow. Just a quick update:

- Life here is very different. I woke up this morning to a small colony of cockroaches scurrying their way across my floor! I much prefer the lizards on the wall or the small black bugs that are everywhere...the roaches I will have to get used to.

- I picked up my timetable from the school yesterday and met some of the other teachers, it is going to be a challenge as I will be teaching upper level sciences and ICT.

- I visited the Bengali Christian church today and that was a different experience as well, although I managed to get myself on the schedule to play piano and help with the music so that made me feel more at home.

- We have had a chance to go to the markets and that has been a different experience as well, the beggars are hard to say no to when so many of them are children... I am hoping to spend some time in the Word of God tonight reading about how Jesus treated them and asking God for wisdom here (James 1:5).

- I was able to purchase some clothing from here and I think that will help me feel more integrated, pictures to come! I am hoping to catch a rickshaw down to a local bookshop tomorrow to see if I can get some literature written in Bengali, since I am frustrated that I have only learnt a few words. How can I witness without knowing the language? I too ask God for wisdom.

View on the street not far from where we are staying. You can see the local clothing.

I don't know how long this internet connection will last, but I hope that a few of you are reading and checking up on this. I hope that you are encouraged knowing that I am here following God and relying ENTIRELY on His strength in this (Phil 4:13), because many of you know that I am not able to do this on my own! Especially with cockroaches!

Please continue to pray for me, there have been several moments of tears knowing how far I am from home, yet God has found little ways to restore my strength (Psalm 62: 5-8), whether it be reading a card from one of you, or today, finding internet, and seeing that a few of you had written emails. THEY HELP!! Please do :).

Ok I better go, but I do miss each of you quite dearly. I am praying for many of you, and hope to hear from you soon! I will need your prayers, letters, and emails to stay encouraged when there are so VERY VERY few lights in this dark place.

In Christ,

Cori

Glushan ave in main Dhaka city. You can see the amount of rickshaws! They are a bit scary... but are a way of life here... and are far cheaper than the CNG's which are those little green cabs you see. Streets are packed usually, and the smell....well. That's something else.

Ok so I left last night on time from Edmonton just past midnight. The flight to Toronto was great as I was blessed to be sitting next to a Christian couple from Newfoundland who prayed with me for my journey. What a blessing! I was able to meet my parents in the Toronto airport for an hour before boarding the flight to London. The plane was mostly empty (AMEN!) and I was able to spread out and get some sleep which is helping me stay awake now since I am officially one day ahead now finally in Bahrain. I am pleased to say that I will hopefully only experience a flight like that from Heathrow to Bahrain once more in my life as it was not overly pleasant. I have to say that the culture started to hit as soon as I was in line to board the plane (if you can call it a line, it was more like mass chaos). I quickly realized how much of a minority I was, and how much personal space was no longer something that was regarded as necessary. Even as I sit here right now and I have my violin on the seat next to me, I have been getting several people staring at me with the "how dare you not have your head covered and take up an extra seat for your violin" - look. (if that is even a look you can depict). Generally speaking though people keep to themselves, and no one has approached me. Although I am constantly stared at, especially by the men, since 99% of the women here are completely and totally covered, head to toe, not even the eyes showing. They are draped in black, and it is hard to believe that the culture is so present here when this is an International airport. I think I have seen about 1 or 2 other women "like me" so that is a shocker. I have a few pictures but nothing grand. I feel awkward taking pictures since I already stand out so much as someone who doesn't "belong."

I received an email from my contact at the school and it looks like she will be there to meet me. Her exact words were a bit funny too "I will be the only other short white girl." It's not meant in a racist way at all, but more of a reality over here.

I am looking forward to getting some more cultural dresses, since I find the more colorful ones to be quite pretty. I have been told that in Dhaka the women do not wear the head dresses but are rather dressed mainly in sari's (not sure how to spell).

I will update again when I get there, Lord willing there will be some free internet signals around my apartment. I am looking forward to unpacking, and possibly boiling some water to drink.

I miss you all, it is very lonely traveling by yourself. Many times you want to lean over and say "hey did you see that?" to someone, only to realize that you are left quietly to your thoughts, hoping to jot them down at some point, and hoping even further that someone back in Canada will care to read them. I figure if I am noticing this now that it will only become more evident as time goes on. Perhaps the busy-ness of a new job will kick in.

Talk to you all soon, please feel free to email or comment, I can read them and hopefully respond when I have a chance. Of course, letters are welcome.

So it's officially my last night in Canada. All my bags are packed, and I am sending out my last emails for quite a while.

If you are interested in contacting me during my stay, please feel free to still email me, although I may not be able to email back, I can download them once a week and read your notes, or even better, please feel free to send me letters or notes via:

Corinne Olson

c/o Grace International School

House 78(B), Road 23,

Gulshan 1, Dhaka 12 12

Bangladesh

These are a few pictures of friends from my last 10 years in Edmonton....only a few, so if you don't see yourself here it's because I don't have a picture of you, and therefore you should send me some, since these pictures help!