Bangladeshi Fare...

I have had some queries about the food here, and it unlike me to have gone this long without commenting on the food. Luckily I like "indian" food, because it is all that we have for every meal. Breakfast is usually my favorite meal, mostly because of the ruti (no Sandy, we do not have cereal here :)). It is in the picture below. I would describe it as a hybrid of naan and tortillas (Paul would LOVE it). Their bananas are also very good, small, sweet, and delicious. Give me "milk tea" (it is the equivalent of the "crack coffee" that everyone drinks at Elmhurst Hospital), ruti, and bananas and I am happy!

It is usually served with an egg (on the left) and some curried, spicy potatoes.

Lunch and dinner ALWAYS involve a huge portion of white rice. I mean, this portion puts the Chinese takeout box to shame! There is usually some curried vegetable, some sort of protein. The protein will be egg, chicken (on the bone...poor, skinny, no steroids used chicken), beef (I can not figure out where on the cow this comes from because every piece involves bone, and if you see how skinny the poor cows are here you feel bad for eating it), fish (on the boat we had really good stewed fish, however here in Chilmari we have fried fish for every meal. It is a small fish and is entirely fried...head, tail, bones and all. Jasim loves them and eats the WHOLE thing, so I leave those to him).

They are big believers in tea here. This will be one thing that I plan to take home with me. I have thoroughly enjoyed my tea time. Back in the days where we were on the boat (and spoiled...Tom and Courtney have no idea!) we would have breakfast which involved tea, noontime tea, option of tea after lunch (lunch doesn't happen until 2pm), 5'ish tea, and tea after dinner (which happens around 8pm). I haven't had a single cup of coffee since being here, but have made up for it in tea!