New Zealand?
on From Banglatown to Bangladesh (Bangladesh), 13/Nov/2010 04:12, 34 days ago
Sheep, Anchor butter, Lord of the Rings, stunning landscapes, low population density, high quality-of-life. These are things I associate with New Zealand, although not necessarily in that order. My limited knowledge is clearly not something to be proud of, but it’s a place that I’ve never been, and somewhere that feels very far away from where I am now.The 'New Zealand' in the HillsThere is, however, another‘New Zealand’. One I can clearly picture, one that I have beautiful memories of, and one that is very close to where I currently sit.This New Zealand is Khagrachari’s own: an area of rice paddies, ringed by hills. An area so green in the midst of rainy season that the colours look like they must be chemically-enhanced. Home to a path cutting through its middle - popular for evening walks , motorbike drives and teenage lounging - and more recently to the 'New Zealand Cafe', an almost beach bar-esque oasis in its middle (minus the beach and bar of course). This New Zealand is a real Khagrachari hotspot.I have recently moved to a house close to this New Zealand, and I now get glimpses of it as I walk to and from work. It is spaces like this that have made me come to love the rural life, something I took some adjusting to at the beginning. But with its masses of fireflies flashing above the paddy in the evenings, its technicolour green in the monsoon, shifting now to a shiny gold as winter sets in, this New Zealand is hard to resist.And the Return to London?I recently have been told by a few friends, after they saw photos of these hills I live in, that I shouldn't return to London as it's just 'too beautiful' here. As I prepare to leave Bangladesh, with a return to London planned in a few months time, I am more and more excited about the opportunities and amenities it offers. I'm looking forward to its restaurants, parks, museums, libraries, cinemas, music, art, pubs, clubs, functioning transportation system, markets with fresh bread and olives. I can't wait to see all the friends and family it houses.London doesn't have a New Zealand though. And although I may not agree with my friends completely (it is most definitely 'too beautiful' here, but my English home is calling nonetheless), their sentiments do make me wonder. I once loved London's concrete and buildings and urban skyline. After two years of rural living, will I really become a devotee to big city life once again?Glimpses of 'New Zealand' on my walk to work: now, as winter approaches, and the post-rainy season green of a few weeks ago.