Another reason I am thankful for Melissa

I mentioned earlier that at the Westin Hotel Melissa and I encountered some athletes who were competing in the South Asia Games.

Melissa used to play soccer at our university. Her dad used to coach track. She loves the summer Olympics. So, when we asked one of the teachers how much tickets cost to the South Asia Games, he told us it was free. Free? How is that possible? If Olympic-class athletes were anywhere competing in the States, there is no way it would be free.

Bangladesh is a different country.

I like to say I am an adventurer, but the ideas behind my adventures are often not my own. This was the case when yesterday Melissa and I ventured down to Old Dhaka to see if we could catch some of the events of the South Asia Games.

Old Dhaka is a much more congested area of the city, a place that is not as safe as where we are staying. Going there by ourselves made me nervous--definitely outside my comfort zone. We made it to the stadium without difficulties. When we entered the outlying area of the stadium, we immediately saw an entrance that appeared to be the main entrance. There were many men (no women) crowded around trying to get in. Just looking at that entrance was a little overwhelming. Melissa commented how it was relatively empty for such a huge event, but even if we went in there and found seats by ourselves, we would soon have a crowd around us. So it goes.

Before we entered there, we decided to see if there were any other entrances . . . and there were, but they were all VIP entrances. After walking to the other side of the stadium and approaching the third VIP entrance (realizing there was only one main entrance), we decided we needed to bolster our courage and just go in through the main entrance. Very smartly, Melissa decided to ask an official-looking man first if we were at the right stadium before we faced the crowds of men. Immediately he says yes yes and motions us toward the third VIP entrance. He walks with us there and ushers us through the security guards.

Melissa and I act like we belong there. Just go with it. Everyone around us had badges; we simply have white skin.

Compared to what one finds in stadiums in the VIP section in the States, this was a little shabby, but talent is talent, and we were watching amazing athletes run and no one was bothering us.

I loved watching the track events as Melissa explained rules and critiques to me. I loved watching people warm up running--they looked so free and fast. I loved sitting in the same section that other athletes sat to watch competitors. I loved watching the hurdlers. I loved when the women's soccer game started and Melissa explained the positions and tactics of the game.

Soccer is football. Track events are called athletics. The medal ceremony is called the prize-giving ceremony. Not many people pay much attention with the medals being given, and few people cheer. Still, we stood for the national anthems. It was the first time I heard the Pakistani and Sri Lankan national anthems.

There were so many thoughts flying through both Melissa's and my head as we watched the women's soccer game. Nepal crushed Pakistan (it was 4-0 when we left at half-time). The Pakistani players had on long-sleeve shirts and pants tucked into tall socks. The Nepali players wore shorts and short-sleeve shirts. There are so many questions about what it means to be a woman in cultures here in Asia. I have no understanding of it. And what about poverty? That affects everything, including how we play and the fact that we have the chance to play. And what about my white skin? If my skin were darker, I am pretty certain I would not have gotten into the VIP section so easily.

I am fairly certain this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. As Melissa said to me on the way back, "I am all about taking advantage of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities."

Thanks, Melissa. I would never have had the courage to think of this on my own.