Dust off your lungis...

Thanks to Rosie, my bff here in Dhaka, I know far more Australians in Bangladesh than Americans or Sri Lankans. The Aussies in B'desh take theme parties to a whole new level..

Welcome to Luke & Sophie's 30th Rickshaw Party!

If you're wondering what a Rickshaw Party is, or how someone has 30 of them, you're not the only one. The idea: dress like a rickshaw, a rickshaw wallah, or your favorite rickshaw art character and dance the night away. The party was on Friday and at it was a myriad of "lungis" (sarongs), colorful shirts, bird costumes, festive garments and more - all in all, an impressive display. The B'desh Aussies could rival mid-west American business schools on theme party enthusiasm.

How was it, you ask? The most fun I've had in... 4 weeks!
Highlight #1: arriving at the rickshaw party in a rickshaw... driven by Andrew, one of Rosie's roommates. Highlight #2: smoke machine and disco lights. Highlight #3: John Farnham (keep reading).

I didn't know Luke and Sophie before I got there, but now that I've met them, danced with them in my bare feet, broken glass on their floor (and cleaned it up!), I couldn't be prouder to say that I was there to witness their entrance into "the fourth dimension," as they termed it - their 30s.

Sarah (UMich Law School) and Charlie (Ross B-School) joined me as proud representatives of "low context Americans*." Sarah: "It's like Rick's!" Charlie: "Like Rick's but with more clothing removal... so like Peace Corps."

Conclusion: Aussies know how party! And they get quite sentimental over this song, by John Farnham (notice the photos of us dancing in a circle, arms around each other).

Cheers!



*"Low context" is a situation or person that does not require environmental or situational analysis when deciphering its/his/her meaning. In the cultural briefing the Aussies receive when participating in AusAID (similar to Peace Corps), they learn that Bangladeshis are "high context," and Americans are "low context." In other words, we're blunt. True dat.