Roots South Asia

On a recent trip to Bangladesh, I did my best to explain to someone I met why it was that he saw me walking in ordinary streets instead of at the park or along the riverfront.

I explained that I didn’t really like to walk in the same place every day and simply see those exercising. I liked to see normal people doing normal things. I liked to smell the smells of the true city. I explained that it helped to humanize the city where I was to see the lives and foods and places of normal people, not just the presentable parts.

Seemingly enlightened as to my purpose in his humble neighborhood, he uttered a phrase that has captured our goal for the past few months. He said, “OH! So you are like a kind of Urban Explorer!”

WOW! Yes. That is it. I am an urban explorer. I want the real city, not the polished up one for the postcards. I want real and genuine smiles from real people, not just the clever smiles of people who want to sell me something.

That is indeed who we are. We are urban explorers. We want to know the REAL city and know what makes it tick.