10 (obvious and not so obvious) things I have observed since coming to Bangladesh

1- Motorcycles will drive on the sidewalks whenever they please

2- Eating with your hands is a great way to live in the moment

3- Poverty and environmental degradation are global problems

4- I wish I had my banjo

5- Bangladesh = resilience

6- Crossing the street is always an adventure

7 -It's important to laugh at yourself

8- The word green was invented here

9- Totally benign looking food can burn your mouth

10- Hang on tight or not at all; it doesn't matter

It should be noted that I am not a fan of these types of lists. This is because they tend to distill amazing moments down to trite paraphrases. I make an exception here because like all rules this one can be broken too.

I like to think of each item on the list above as an individual polariod image - something one can read and then instantly imagine what it might be like in their own eyes.