Bangladesh - July 2006
At last, the contract arrived on July 14, and we just have a week to pack up and go - or ‘mobilise’, to use the expat jargon. We had to get visas from the Bangladeshi High Commission, flights with Emirates, sort out cases, clothes, medication and a whole load of other things, not to mention all the business affairs to be dealt with.On July 18 we got the flight details, and the next day we got the passports back with visas in. The packing was still to be finalised - what about books? - too heavy to take in suitcases, they would have to go by UAF - unaccompanied air freight. I rang Uniscope International to sort that out.
July 20, and still waiting for the packers to come. Now they want a copy of my passport. Talk about last minute!
Next day the chauffeur came and picked us up, and before long we were in the T2 executive lounge at Manchester International, then by Emirates to Dubai, duty free, executive lounge again, and the Dhaka flight.
On the following morning, the driver from the Marriott picked us up and in the evening we had dinner with June Rollinson, Director of British Council Bangladesh, and John Wallace, the MATT-2 Team Leader.
Then to work!
Meanwhile Marjorie scoured Gulshan for a suitable apartment (found!) and cook/housekeeper (Taheera), and everything was sorted by August 8.