Faith, Colors and Cheap Bus Rides in Sonargaon

The mirthful gift of chance plays a part in discovering and capturing moments that arrest an exigent sequence of a split-second itinerary. We were scurrying along compressed alleyways when - oops, wait - I found myself peeping through a grilled window and found this sobering sight of someone in deep communion with his God (see above). It's moments like this that makes me pause and cogitate on how fast I've been riding through life. We sometimes need to slow down and meditate on our journey so far. This renders every fleeting moment special. Suddenly, the anonymous corridors and forgettable alleyways I step on acquire meaning. Isn't that a better existence... to be made aware that I am not exactly wasting my waking hours navigating some remote place in the world?

On a separate note, we found this sari merchant (above) displaying his colorful products at the Sadarbari shop on the grounds of the Folk Arts and Crafts Museum. If they were candies, I'd have gone into a state of hyperglycemia. I had to feign disinterest simply because doing otherwise would encourage them to shove these luminescent products down my throat. Exquisite as they are, saris are almost never used in my country (except by Indian expats) the way they're not exigent properties in middle class America. Moreover, buying one would gravely place a dent on a tight budget. Isn't that a more valid concern than disinterest?

Potato economy. We passed by a "market" - well, it was a short line of makeshift stalls selling market produce, a great number of them were potatoes. There were aubergines (eggplants) and peppers too.

At around 1:45 PM, while navigating Sonargaon, we dropped by another small shop selling tea and these bread-based muffin. I didn't think it would qualify as lunch, but I didn't wanna complain.

Our ride back, from Mograpara to Dhaka (Gulistan Bus Station), was on this craggy non-AC bus. The locals were very accommodating, giving us their seats. For a measly 15 taka ($0.20 or PhP8.90), this is an interesting way to experience a slice of Bangladesh and its endearing populace. It takes 45 minutes to 1 hour to travel from Dhaka to Sonargaon (Mograpara).

Journeys in far off places aren't always easy, and it is when you're back home with your baggage half unpacked that you realize the big strides you've taken to become a part of these distant little worlds. I am forever grateful to the wisdom of other adventure seekers for encapsulating "journeys". Jean Luc Picard (the fictitious Starfleet commander) once said, "Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived."

Every one has to take his first step to venture into the world. This is never easy. Navigating outside your comfort zone. Dan Rather (former CBS news anchor) once noted that "If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all." But I am a living witness. These difficulties carry their Mastercard moments.

Priceless.

This is the Eye in the Sky.