Star daily summary in Bangladesh such as "We are asked to photograph 20 pairs everyday"

Although it is common for rare as a foreigner if you go to a minor country, the friendliness of the Bangladeshi people was an amazing level. We compiled about 600 pairs and 29 days of raging that took pictures.

Hello!World newspaperA special reporterTomohiro Uetake (Tomohiro Utame)is. I am currently in the 11th country India around the world. (Red line is an air route, blue line moves over the land)


I traveled to Bangladesh for about a month from July 30 to August 27.


There was only one reason to visit. I did not know what it was. It was an unexpectedly friendly Bangladeshi who had been waiting for such an ignorant me.


◆ What is Bangladesh?
Article on Wikipedia's Bangladesh"It is a Muslim-based country in South Asia, the capital is Dhaka. Located on the east side of India, facing the Indian Ocean, other than touching a small part of the southeastern part with Myanmar, bordering India It belongs to the Bengali-speaking region with the neighboring West Bengal state in India. As a result of the Third India P war ended with Indian victory, independence of Bangladesh was confirmed in 1971 " About 40 years have gone by for a while.


◆ Bangladeshi is very friendly
It was night that we arrived in Bangladesh, but this dayRamadan (fasting)In the middle of the dawn of the dawn, even at night, a small Ferris wheel traveled around the city and crowded with people.


And, just walking a bit, I was called from one to the next and asked for photography and handshake ... ...


At this time I thought that people are so friendly so far due to the festival.


◆ Foreigners are treated as stars
It was when I was walking around the city the next day after my arrival that I noticed the inconvenience. Even if I walk a little, regardless of children or adults, they will be stopped, waved ... ...


I was asked for a handshake as a greeting ... ... It seems that somehow it became a star! Is it? After that, the days of angry as if it really became a star began.


The holidays in Bangladesh are Friday and Saturday. It is common for all countries to attract tourist spots on holidays. If you go to such a place ...


You will be called from one to the next and will be chased by handshaking, photo shoot, response to interviews such as "where did you come from?"


I can speak to another group that I was watching from next to next. In my trip I have a chance to take pictures with local people who occasionally only occasionally here, and the number is over 20 pairs on many days. Including someone who talks without taking pictures, the opportunity to contact a Bangladeshi person exceeds 30 times a day.


When you go through a shopping street with a rickshaw, you shake hands from both shops like a marriage parade of aristocracy or call out to me. I also look back at the mood like a star or a country where I am a crown prince.


◆ Adults are also friendly
The thing that was impressive in this country is that adults will also speak frankly.


In the country that I have traveled so far, adults have a strong caution and I felt like smiling at last with this smile. Even photography was a terrifying act of asking for fear, but in this country everyone touched me with a smile and even if I do not ask you to ask me for a photo shoot you will come over. This is hope or fulfillment.


◆ travelers produce CM effect
Well, it is not a star just being touted. They are stars as they produce some sort of commercial effect. I was thinking that one of the servants is just a single traveler, so I could not produce a commercial effect, but ... sometimes I sit on a stand and I have charChaiIf it is drinking ...), it is known in the name of, but in Bangladesh it is called char) ......


People gathered at the stall where the birds were singing until then. After all they also take pictures and ask questions. Char also sells steadily as soon as we said .... A similar phenomenon often occurred in the cafeteria of the city. Apparently there seems to be a CM effect for travelers in this country.


◆ People in Bangladesh love pictures anyway
Although there were a lot of things asked for photography as above, interestingly, not only taking pictures together, even if saying that they take pictures, there are cases in which only me is taken, and conversely, Sometimes I was asked.


Especially there were many things told to those who opened the shop saying "Please take a picture of working."


When I was walking in the market, I was asked by young people and I was given a picture of the shop people who sold rice nearby .... The relationship between the youngster and the rice shop is unknown, but the rice ball 's uncle also decides to pose unlikely.


◆ Night photo shoot at a tourist spot
When I visited the eastern Moheshkari Island where there are many Buddhist temples near Myanmar.


I went around the island with an electric three-wheeled taxi.


The driver who met at that time also loves photography.


It is not unusual for the driver to serve as a tourist guide or photographer, but it is the first time that I was instructed to face direction or pose severely so far.


It feels like I am making photo collections as well, but I do not know why this pose was taken at a Buddhist temple.


◆ Why is it treated as a star
So why are they so friendly? Is it because I am Japanese? Certainly, Japan has undergone independent recognition prior to other developed countries at the time of independence in Bangladesh, and has also undergone economic cooperation until now, especially the image for Japan seems to be good. Some people actually met someone who said "Japan is my favorite" based on such a bilateral episode.

However, apparently in this country anyone from other countries, especially South Asian, seems to be a star. At one time, when I went cycling with two Spaniards they were looking for caution and cheering. For me it was a moment of emergence of rivals and a rest for a while.


◆ Foreigners are unusual
Also, the number of foreigners I saw during the past 29 days when I actually stayed was 5 Japanese and 6 Westerners, which is far fewer than other countries. It is said to be a World Heritage Site in Bangladesh (It is said that the picture also affected the architectural style of Angkor WatPakhalpur Buddhist temple ruins) Or ...


Streets that remain from old days ... ...


There is 125 km of the world's longest sandy beachCox bazaarAlthough there are tourist attractions, such as foreigners themselves are unusual in Bangladesh which does not have international tourist spots.


Even among the employees of the hotel, there was a thing I saw at me saying "Is it French?" (As far as I know, all my ancestors are Japanese.) It is likely that few people see foreigners.

◆ their interests
The main items to be asked and questioned by them are as follows.

1: Country of origin
It is how you first heard what you first came from before the name. At first it is often thought that it is Chinese, and it was often heard as "German?" Even if he said Japan. When I told you that you are from Japan, "Why did you come from Sydney?" (Sydney is a city in Australia).

2: Name
It is quite common to be asked why "My name?" It took some time before I noticed "Oh, my name is being asked ...".

3: Profession and income
It was often asked "Service (work) or Visit (travel)?" And when asked about income and answered, I was told that I long for it to go to Japan (because the wage is high).

4: Married or unmarried
5: (When answering as unmarried) Do you have a lover
6: Why are you traveling alone?
As I am unmarried, I was asked this series of questions like every time, and I was often pityed ....

7: Family composition and name
Although I was asked the names of all the family members, I was often asked the father's name in particular. Knowing what to do ... ....

◆ Troubled star treatment
They are friendly and curious from children to adults, but there was one side that was a little troubled. It is to talk to me regardless of where I am and what I am doing. Below are some episodes I've been in trouble.

1: Knocking the door early in the morning
When I was sleeping in the inn, I was knocked at the door with a tremendous momentum early in the morning and when I tried out, the hotel employee took a handshake and left with a smile with an "I caught on yesterday at OO!" I guess I just wanted to tell you soon ....

2: At that time I tried to eat a meal
In the dining room, Biriyani to be widely eaten in the Islamic area ......


Even at the moment they tried to get into their mouths right now, they are asking questions without mercy (by the way they are all employees in the cafeteria).


I want you to eat as much as a meal ... but when you see this smile you can not say anything.


Even being taken pictures when I was out of hand ... ....


Still if you see this smile I will not hate you.


3: Mostly at the station
There are many people at the train station such as people waiting for the train and merchants.


If you go to such a place, surrounded by the Bangladeshi people who looked rare in all sides, if someone cuts off the fire, I will end up digging the root digging and asking questions. It is almost the same thing to ask, so I wanted to hold a meeting in advance, such as the nationality and name of the station broadcasting, married or unmarried, I want you to be alone.


A security guard took out and drove the crowd out of the crowd with a wooden stick, I escaped once on the railway track, but turning around ... people watching here along the home.


At the beginning the security guards who tried to solve the crowd also became one of the audience ....


Railroad officials who saw the situation are put in the control room where no officials are allowed to enter ... ...


There were also things that let us rest until the train came (although he had encountered questions as well, of course ...).


4: Even in the train
Rural scenery seen from train. Eagerly putting in photos and movies ......


I noticed my eyes. I get the sign that I want you to take a picture.


At one point, I felt stressed to be spoken to, I listened to music, tried sleeping, but I was struck by my knees before I was talked to, and just increased the stress that I had to remove my earphones one by one was…….


5: What is the ease of taking Japanese work visas?
Sometimes I was at a loss for being asked was the ease of taking a Japanese work visa and asking if I would help if I go to Japan. I am a Japanese citizen need not have a working visa in Japan and I do not know. On the contrary they asked, "Can I get a working visa in Bangladesh easily?", But no one could answer ... .... It is such a thing.

6: You will be promptly contacted
I also met many impatient people asking "フ ェ イ ス ブ ッ ク? フ ォ ン ン ナ ー バ ー?" In the second word without asking name. When I took a picture together, I taught the contact as a sharing method, but after that it became troublesome that as soon as every morning "enormously" and "good morning" received a huge amount of messages. Some people made friends and exchanged phone numbers, but some of them did not understand English, some people talking in Bengali alone, no conversation was established, even if they tried to hang up, they did not even know that they were in trouble It was. Still it is a hat to their momentum that will try to take contact again boldly.

7: Differences in words etc
At one time, walking in a countryside path, I was surrounded by children and adults, I was touched by things I was wearing and asked something from Bengali to next one. Even if you say "Bangla Basha Bougainai (Bengali is not known)" the momentum will not wane. Even though there are cultural differences, it is not a pleasant thing to be touched when you do not know what you are saying. At this time I went off with a bad face, but I knew that no one of them had malice, so I reconsidered myself and went back to them. After all I was touched again, I did not understand exactly what I was saying, but eventually I could meet lots of smiles even if I could not communicate with the words.


◆ Star is hard work
To say honest impressions, I was a popular person no matter where I went, and I did not feel bad for about the first two weeks, but I got tired very much just after I spent one month ... .... Regardless of where I go, the same question is repeated from different people every few minutes, and the time we can be alone is about the hotel room or the toilet.


As long as the popularity continues it is that such life will last forever ...! I found out that the difficulties of the star stained. However, on the other hand, it is a fact that people of a wide age ranging from children to adults laughed every day throughout their stay.


This may well lead to the appreciation of Star's job.


It is a minor country to sightsee, but at this moment too, a nice smile is waiting for new encounters with foreigners. You are a star tomorrow that connects Bangladesh and Japan?


Sentence / coverage: Tomohiro Uetakehttps://twitter.com/hiro_uetaken

Supervision: World newspaperSekaishinbun.net