warp speed and eating local

Why is it that technically, I've been in Dhaka for 3 weeks. But to me, it feels like it's been at least 2 months already? Does time move faster when you are surrounded by more people? This is a very good segue to one of my favorite books. Alan Lightman didn't think of this story, but I think there is good potential that the weight of the 150 million people of Bangladesh, in a area the size of (have to go check the CIA factbook...) IOWA !! creates a gravitational pull that makes time move much faster. And then, consider that 1/3 of the country is water. I will ignore the fact that the 'boats' here carry 3000 people at a time when they make the journey from Dhaka south to Chittagong, Barisal or other ports in creating my theory. So really, we are talking about 150 million people in, Pennsylvania? 2600 people per square mile. Gravitational pull, baby.

There is an alternative theory I'd like to test out as well. Perhaps the overwhelming quantity of rice that I've been consuming has slowed me down, so that it feels as though there is always activity going on around me. Oh - Wait. There IS always activity. As I sit in the living room , there is some kind of ridiculous pounding occurring upstairs, car horns, cycle bells, a man selling tea, and the really strong smell of spicy cooking.

But I digress. A few days ago, I very vehemently wrote a post that was gobbled by google. The feelings still exist, but the vehemence is not coming right now. Never mind. What is that pounding?

Some people have tried to convince me that we need to eat local. Visit the market, count your food miles, things of this nature. I have decided that the only places where one can eat local and be happy with the results are California, the Mediterranean, and cruise ships. This is because my diet has involved a great deal of Dal (but there are only 4 types here, and they add the same spices to all of them), very little meat, and a polite dance with fish. Since the diet is quite repetitive, people are very protective of the 'variety' inherent in the 4 major foods. So, there are hundreds of fish (some look like anchovies, or those things that we used to get really excited to catch in the local pond with our fake bait and kiddie poles), several names of rice, and too many green leafy things for me to keep track of. One would think that I'm doing my degree in nutrition with the attention that has been devoted to food in my research.

The fish frighten me, however. I shop at a grocery store. It is hygienic looking, and there are many people to help you, and you don't have to bargain over the price of a KG of bananas. But nevertheless, seeing eels and big toothy fish and small spiky fish and 'bait' fish on ice is enough to convince me to only eat when not doing so would insult the cook. And even then, I cannot do so to the satisfaction of the many critical eyes watching my 'technique'. Since it is hygienic looking, they have stopped selling eggs for 2 weeks now. Apparently, they are under the misconception that bird flu lives inside the eggs. So, no eggs, unless I want to bargain for the ones that are all dirty and sold on the roadside, and probably did expose some 4 year old child to bird flu while he was out collecting them. Cheese has also not made its way to this country. Nor have any of the neighboring international cuisines. There is a sushi restaurant here though. Can you imagine...eating raw fish in Dhaka?

A food historian would have a field day here. If there is such a thing. Maybe I'll invite Elton Brown to come and do an expose. Obviously there is a great deal of poverty here. But even among those who are not poor, they insist on eating watery Dal over copious quantities of rice. They can afford to add more bulk to their food. They can certainly afford to grind the rice and make some rice flour. And I'm sure that they can get fish that aren't so darn bony. Alas, tradition prevails.

Send me an email. And have an alcoholic beverage with your pepperoni pizza and your eggs Benedict. On my behalf. Please?