I'm not creative and can't think of one

So I realized I haven't really done a good job of describing my surroundings very well. And my description of the hospitals I'm in really hasn't been giving the places justice. The government hospital I was at in Lalimonirhat (and I will be going to another one in Kurigram over the next couple days) is the main hospital for the district. This is a bustling, big, busy hospital, that also happens to be pretty disgusting. Every surface is dirty with god knows what and there are red spit marks everywhere - everyone spits constantly in this country. It is red from paan - and nut/leaf/spice type thing that is like chewing tobacco here. Everyone uses it and it turns the mouth red. There are people everywhere (which is not unlike the entire country) and the facilities leave a lot to be desired. The beds that are there have lumpy old mattresses and rusted metal frames that look like they are from army barracks from WWI. The operating theatre was a bit of a relief from the smell and grime, but even there, equipment was very outdated and everything from gauze to gloves is boiled up and reused. They can't afford to throw things away. This and the patient's blood being wiped off the floor with a rag and a bucket of water before the next patient came in. However, there were attempts at sanitation, and the whole thing was not just a free for all of scalpels, it just clearly was nowhere near Canadian standards. The private hospital, like I mentioned in a previous post, was a lot cleaner and better organized, and did have more up to date equipment, but there is still the same beds with people everywhere. I saw several patients with surgical drains leading to a glove that had been taped to the end of the tube.

The streets of Rangpur are a congestion of rickshaws, autorickshaws, bikers, pedestrians, motorcycles, and some vehicles. There are actually sidewalks on some streets here, but they are shared with small businesses and vendors, goats, dogs, cows, and the occasional motorcycle that is too good for the road. Everything is loud - from the colors to the endless horns and bells from every vehicle as people squeeze by each other. Some cars and motorcyles have been outfitted with the most obnoxious horns playing songs or just high-pitched whistling. Yet streets are somewhat organized in Rangpur - with boulevards and roundabouts, but that doesn't mean people obey the traffic courtesies (I don't know if I would call them laws here). However, it is fun to go down to the supermarket (more or less a 3 story mall) that is filled with tailors, fabric shops, shoe shops, and cell phone stores. Women here love fashion and shoes as much as in Canada, so long as they can afford them.

Tomorrow I am off to Kurigram for a few days at the government hospital, then back to Dhaka, Kuala Lumpur, and off to Thailand. It has been very different being back in Bangladesh for a second time, alone, but it was definitely an experience that has pleased me, frustrated me, and tested my patience. I am looking forward to the next part of my journey that I am more in control of and to hit the beaches in Thailand!