A "friend" in Bangladesh
I hate to report it, but there will be no blond hair, blue-eyed Bangladeshi backup singer anytime soon. I’ve ended all dealings with the “friend” who had lined up this connection.
Why?
This text message:
This is Tuton. I am in great danger. I need to pay a party by this evening. I failed to go to bank. Still I need taka 15,000 or more. It is my request to you to give me the above by evening as loan. I must repay the amount by this week. I am in great danger. Help me pls. Pls let me know the result soon. Waiting for your reply. Tuton.
15,000 taka is about $200. Obviously, I want nothing to do with loaning money and especially being involved with anything labeled as GREAT DANGER.
I politely denied the request in an email to Tuton. You can read our correspondences below the cut.
Tuton,
It sounds like now is not a good time for us to work together. I appreciate your time and your company and I will ask no more of you the remainder of my stay in Bangladesh.
I hope you understand that I am not able, nor willing, to assist you with whatever trouble you are in. I barely know you and I don’t want to get wrapped up in any drama.
Best of luck,
Kelsey
Dear Kelsey,
It was very good to meet you. Though you are a foreigner I forgotten ti hide myself. I placed me infront of you like an open book. That is why I expressed my problem to you. Also that is our culture to ask for help. That was my mistake . I considered you as my friend who is not with in a bad financial condition. Really I had to pass my last week with a heavy financial crisis for starting new business. It is overcoming. And hope will be overcomed shortly.
That was not story. That was real life in front of you. Also I should tell you my living standard is estimated a good standard.I am not a guiy to chit anybody anywhere with some stories.
You misunderstood my mental attachment towards you.
You are American. I am Bangladeshi. No problem. But pls .don;t try to end this part/story with such ending.
Hope before leaving Bangladesh you will make a call to me to say good bye.
Hope you can arrange everything you need here in my homeland.
I feel proud to be a Bangladeshi. I help people when anybody in Danger. I don’t try to find out any more story with this.
It is very sad for me. Having a honest mentality I had be sad in an unusual way.
Anyway.
Good Luck. Have a nice visit to Bangladesh.
Thanks
Tuton
Tuton,
I hope everything works out for you. You are wrong to assume that my financial condition is one in which I can loan hundreds of dollars here and there. Wealth is relative. Yes, I’m from the United States where I earn more than the average Bangladeshi, but the cost of living is also much, much higher.
I just bought a house and have a wedding to pay for. While I’m away I have a house payment to make in addition to all of my travel and accommodation expenses. I will have to work very hard to make this trip pay for itself through my writing.
So no, I can’t afford to help.
Everywhere I go in countries like Bangladesh people see my light hair and pale skin as a sign of wealth. I have to be careful who I befriend because many want more from me than friendship and I’m not in a position to help anyone financially.
I hope you understand.
Best of luck,
Kelsey
Hmmm…yup, staying away from “great danger” sounds smart…
Yep, me and great danger don’t mix, Kung Fu or no Kung Fu, Spiederman boxers or no Spiderman boxers.
EEK! Sounds like it could’ve wound up quite bad had you not gotten out of that situation as soon as you did. I actually read a travel essay once that dealt with a gal who got stuck in that kind of a situation in Honduras, it wasn’t pretty. Hopefully that’ll be the last of those kind of problems for you.
Even some of the best of people here see me as a way to something better. They ask me if I can help them come to the US or they just flat out ask for money. I guess I can’t blame them for trying. To them since I spend $15-$20/night on a hotel room I’m a rich man.