of Joseph and Indian visas

Allow me to introduce you to Joseph. Joseph started out in my grade one class last year and now is doing SO well in grade two. He's so smart. He even had the lead in the Christmas play this year with Marissa--he played.. Can you guess? Yup. Joseph. lol I know, I was really creative with that one. But I gave him the part because he does really well with English already but moreso, because he likes to work hard for something. Not that he doesn't goof off too, but when you give instruction he is VERY obedient. Such a great kid.

[Back in Hili now...] According to Joseph's file, he turned six this last February... Born in 2004... carry the one... yeah that makes him "six." But there is no way that's right. He's in grade two and is definitely one of the older boys. It says he's been here since he was "18months" but I think that is also off... Anyways, his mother divorced his father when his father started beating her. The father had been pressured by the villagers because they didn't like the mother according to the file. After the divorce though, she couldn't take care of her children and had to give Joseph to our orphanage.

Joseph is one of the kids that will run up to me every night saying, "Jehanna Teacher, sing a song!" Okay, Joseph, I'll sing a song. If something catches his eye, he is relentless until he gets your attention to show you. It's incredible--I'll be getting everyone quiet and he'll be hollering at the top of his lungs to show me a flower he drew or something. Then he gives me a big smile when I praise his work and quietly goes to bed. He's also the one with the best kid quote "Jehanna Teacher, banana eat me" as he shows me the banana he's eating. Ah, so cute!

So this morning I woke up at 6:45, had a COLD shower and ate some breakfast. We left the clinic at 8:15 but with the crazy traffic it took over an hour to get to the Indian embassy. Last time, I was able to walk in, pay the money (some of which I gathered in the waiting room from the other foreigners), and walk out with a slip telling me to pick up my passport in a week. This time however, though the Bengali man was nicer, he made me fill out an application for my application. If that makes sense... Anyways, he told me he'd call me later tonight or early tomorrow as to if my application for an application was approved. So I got left in Dhaka lol.

I'm kidding. I told Mr.Waid to go on without me and that I'd be fine taking a bus tomorrow back. It was kinda nice to just relax--as long as I put out of my mind all the projects awaiting me at the orphanage. Hopefully though, I'll get the visa taken care of early tomorrow morning and then be on a bus heading for Hili by 10 or 11am. Hopefully... But as I've learned, even the simplest things in Bangladesh take forever to do!

anyways, pray that I get back safely and that my visa goes through okay! I'm heading to bed, another long day of travel tomorrow!
ami tomake bhalobashi