Saturday the 11th

We had been waiting for a long time for the 11th. Now it is here. Finally.

We didn't want it to come. In fact, we perhaps tried to wish it away by not thinking about it. But think, we did, silently, bitterly. After all, these are my commitments. And I take pride in keeping my word.

Saw off wife and kid at Dhaka airport for their first visit to homeland after landing in this country 10 months back. Kid was too emotional while parting and naturally so. Wife....well, that’s personal, I suppose!

Now I have to spend the rest of the month alone at site - a 'forced' bachelor (a popular coinage for a situation very common in the construction industry)! Usually for these periods which tend to appear at least once a year, my gadgets (I say 'my' because my wife disowns them and calls me gadget crazy) like the washing machine, the vacuum cleaner, the sandwich toaster, the OTG etc all come in very handy. My wife prefers the services of the domestic help - whose timings never tally with mine. Yet last year, at Bangalore, she retained the help during her absence - to reduce my suffering, to "really" clean the house, to keep things back where they belong and also, perhaps, to watch my drinking and the company I bring home. And I have to admit the help was excellent in all of the above, especially the last! This year, I intend to shift over to the company Guest House and dedicate my energy completely to the job.

Talking of drinking, Bangalore, my last posting, is called the city of pubs (among other names). You will find more pubs there than rats in pre-piper Hamelin! And here I am in Bangladesh - not a single liquor shop in the entire country!!

OK, friends, I know you think I sound a bit depressed today and searching for excuses to curse. I know. And I really am sorry for that. But you know what? You are quite mistaken.

I am heavily depressed and don't need any excuses to curse!

:-)