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Blogging from Bangladesh: Alumnus chronicles life in Asia
He plays badminton. He rides buses. He blogs. And he helps people on the other side of the planet.
Donald Katz, a 2007 NC State civil engineering graduate, is living and working in Bangladesh as a part of the Fulbright Scholar Program. He’s conducting research on the overcrowded transportation system in Dhaka, the country’s capital.
While there, he’s kept a blog - EngineerRower
in Bangladesh - to help keep friends and family members up to date on his trip. His detailed posts provide an intimate look at the poor, flood-prone country in south Asia.
Among the excerpts:
"Last night was a crazy, crazy cyclone!"
"Another day without water."
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Donald Katz pedals a borrowed
rickshaw in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He’s been working
there as part of the Fulbright Scholar Program.
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"Overall, I guess the lesson learned tonight is always
make sure you have enough gas, and hide the sticks if you don’t.
This is fight number 18."
Katz’s research is focused on public transportation, a constant concern in Dhaka.
The city has 11 million people and is growing fast.
"The buses here in Dhaka are jam packed with people, many times with passengers
having to hang out the door - which I have to do on occasion as well," Katz
said. "I am exploring how this level of (crowding) affects the buses' operations
and levels of ridership."
In order to get the information that he needs, Katz spends up to twelve hours
a day riding buses around Dhaka. He rides the routes from start to finish, using
a voice recorder to keep track of the people getting on and off the bus, and
the time it takes to complete the routes.
His daily challenges provide plenty of fodder for his blog. One
post describes
a bus ride that got out of hand and ended with a fight. Another describes
a cyclone blew that in from the Bay of Bengal one November night, littering the
streets with debris.
The title of Katz’s blog reflects his varied interests. He’s an engineer who
enjoys rowing, and he’s also a diehard sports fan who plays bass guitar in a
band, according to his Web site.
He said rowing at NC State helped prepare him for the everyday difficulties in
Dhaka.
"Each day I find myself in uncomfortable situations, mentally and physically," Katz
said. "I could be in an awkward situation trying to explain a situation
to someone in Bengali, or simply jammed standing in a bus shoulder to shoulder
with fifty other people in the hot Bangladeshi heat. But I don't seem to mind
this degree of discomfort anymore, and I attribute it to the time I spent rowing."
Katz said having the opportunity to spend time abroad in a place like Bangladesh
has made him look differently at his own country.
"By removing myself from the environment where I intend to spend the remainder
of my life, it is much easier to think about the future," he said. "I
can stand back a bit and see the directions life can go, without material distractions."
Photo courtesy of Donald Katz.
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