Bangladesh Tidbits

Here are some random pieces of information about Bangladesh, some in response to questions we've received from some of you back home.
WEATHER-This is a tropical environment. Most of the year it is very hot and humid. Right now the temperature is in the high 80's during the day, but we still feel hot and sticky. Monsoon season is in the spring. In the "winter" people might wear light sweaters and not use fans or AC at night. The other day the servant took some yogurt out of the freezer for part of our lunch. Within 10 minutes of sitting on the table, it had defrosted and was ready to eat. Nadeem and Someira went to pick up ice cream the other night. It arrived home as a milkshake!
CLOTHING-The women here only wear the burkas if they are extremely devout Muslims. We have seen a handful of these, but most women do not wear them. Those who do wear them on top of their other clothing. Women dress very conservatively here. Some younger girls wear jeans with their Bangla tops, but usually the women wear the salwar kameezes (pajama style bottoms with long tops and a scarf). The saris are only worn for celebrations. Women do not have to cover their heads. Men and children dress like we do in the US usually.
BABIES-Most women have Caesarean sections to give birth. Only the poorer women give birth naturally here. As part of their religion, the people here shave the babies' heads and put a black mark on their foreheads to ward off evil. By shaving their heads, the parents also feel this will result in a thick head of hair. Kalina came to us with a black mark which I just washed off. She did not have her head shaved since we don't hold that belief. Mothers are not supposed to look their babies in the eyes much since that also could attract evil. The upper class have servants to take care of their babies and children. We have a teenage servant here to take care of Kalina, but I take care of her myself, much to the servant's sadness. She frequently tries to take her from me, but I shake my head. Adopting a baby is looked down upon here. It's a sign that God has not blessed you. Most women leave to adopt secretly and then return acting as if the baby is their biological child. The children are never told that they are adopted. On the streets we sometimes see mothers who are beggars holding their naked babies. This we've learned is a trick to make people feel sorry for them. The mothers are always fully dressed. Babies here drink bottles of water to give them nice skin. This is in addition to milk/formula. This evening we are going to a naming ceremony. When a baby is born, the selection of the name is very important. Unlike in the US where a whole family has the same last name, here for each child a first, middle, and last name is selected. Often the grandparents name the baby. The baby is also given a nickname that only close family members use. At the naming ceremony, guests eat goat meat from newly slaughtered goats. It's a time to eat and rejoice over the baby and hear the meaning of his/her name. Several people have asked us the meaning of Kalina's name.
When we return, we plan to have many celebrations over Kalina! However, don't expect goat meat! We hope to see you soon!