I now live in the middle of a rice field. Or, as we've affectionately come to call it: "The Shire". We don't yet have the rustic wooden sign outside the front of our big, white 3 story house to announce your arrival into Hobbiton... but it's coming. Instead, we just have exposed electrical wires, unreliable power, cold water, and squatty potties. Life "in the field" is getting real.
It seemed like just a fleeting thought when it was announced by management that we should leave Cox's Bazar and move closer to camp. I don't think anyone really thought it was going to happen, especially this soon. But just a couple of months after it was announced, we were packing up offices, bedrooms, and kitchens, loading up the back of a single lorry, and sitting down for our last meal together in CXB.
When the idea was first put forth that we would be moving, I (and many others) were dead set against it. It was comfortable in CXB - we had the beach, loads of resturants, nearby markets, the new friends we've met, and our trusty Thursday night watering hole. Now we were going to be like those MSF'ers that never showed their faces at Thursday night parties in CXB, but would be the first ones running to get the good couches at Mermaid (the Beach resort frequented by expats on Friday mornings for a bit of relaxation, swimming, and a chilled out atmosphere on the beach - without all the locals trying to take a selfie with you). There was a lot of grumbling and complaining at first, but once it hit that we were leaving, and there was to be no arguing about it, the idea started growing on me (and all of us).
First of all, it SIGNIFICANTLY cuts down on our daily comute to camp by at least an hour.... and spending a shorter amount of time on these death roads is definitely a huge plus. CXB is a busy city with constant honking, people yelling, and dance parties (with music loud enough to wake the dead) running through the night - not discriminating against weekends or weeknights. It was really freakin' loud, and none of us were really sleeping all that well. Here though, you actually fall asleep to the sound of crickets, frogs, and just the faint echo of a nearby mosque's recorded prayer. In CXB we lived in a "hotel" shared by multiple organizations, so there were always other people around... you never really felt like you were at home (except in your room). In the Shire, we are the only ones in the entire building - so outside of office hours it's just us... or at least it will be once all the construction is complete.
It's still a little rough around the edges here. There are big holes where they've broken into the concrete walls to get to the electrical wiring, and the wires are spraying out, looking at you like threatening little snakes ready to electrocute you... or at least they would if there was any power running through them. We're at the mercy of "city power" out here (not yet having a generator), so it seems like the rare occasion when the power's actually on. instead, we've just taken to wearing headlamps around our necks at night and using little plastic lanterns to light up the rooms. Thankfully there are loads of windows and balconies, so the natural light during the day makes you forget about the absence of power... except when we can't charge our phones and laptops, and there's a mad dash to the outlets when the power comes back on. Also, we don't have WiFi yet, so we've been tethering off our data. Thankfully the network has been good (well, 1/3 networks is good) so staying connected during working hours hasn't been that bad... But it's actually been nice to not have power or WiFi in the evenings. We're all a bit more disconnected from our phones and laptops in the evenings and we've actually started to hang out together more (it also helps that we now have a team room that everyone uses). There's been growing interest in card games, and "President" (or as others call it - "Asshole") has become an almost nightly occurence.
Unfortunately, as with everything in this world, things seem to be taking longer than they should... and things that should be no problem, often become a problem because of one reason or another. For example, our beds and mattresses both showed up the day we moved in... but the mattress was too big for the bed. So, after a few days of most people sleeping on their mattress on the floor, the guys came around to cut our mattresses to fit the beds, and sew them back up... literally cutting them with a massive serrated bread knife. We also don't have our wardrobes yet, so we're still living out of suitcases. The curtains weren't delivered until a few days in, but then had to be sent back because they were cut to the wrong size. Then the guys that were supposed to drill the holes for our curtain rods, mosquito nets, and clothes-lines had to be sent home on 2 consecutive days because there was no power for their drills (I guess cordless drills don't exist here). So... still waiting on those curtain rods to be put up (... and the curtains to be sent back to us). And because we live in a rice field, the mosquitos are at a whole other level. So... until we can get our mossy-nets hung, I've broken out the bug hut and have been camping out in my room. But you know what... the cold water and squatty potties really aren't that bad. Plus, I've come to learn that if you time your shower to for around mid-day, the water in the rooftop tanks and pipes have heated up just enough to give you a 1-3 minute hot shower.
Plus, at the end of the day, I've got Jake. Our early morning, post-work, and rooftop dates in the sun have been getting me through some pretty rough days here.
Day by day.
Hour by hour.
Just living life, out here in the Shire.
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