Comments for The Tuphan in the Char

Comment on Archer K. Blood by Shabbir Bashar

Shabbir Bashar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:13:40 +0000

Tuphan/Tiffany,

I came across your blog quite accidentally while searching the net for the misdeeds of foreign diplomats stationed in Bangladesh. I have found your blog to be so incredible that I have been raving about it with my friends who live in the USA and are interested in Bangladesh. This is truly remarkable .. thank you so much for sharing. It is people like you who build bridges between cultures and peoples separated by oceans and mountains .. You have painted an accurate picture of the country where I was born .. truly remarkable!

Comment on The Exhaustion of Being Involved with an Orphanage by Anne

Anne — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:14:26 +0000

I wonder a lot of these same questions as I work in campus ministry. Granted, we are in the US, and thus more comfortable, but we still have a budget we can’t meet (and trust me, it’s very, very lean) and almost nothing in reserves. Denominations don’t seem to care about us much since their budgets are getting tighter. I’m worried that might start to happen with the local congregations that support us, too. But, I like that we still keep on going even as bad as things seem.

Comment on Buses and Street Justice by Anne

Anne — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:55:43 +0000

Now I know why you were feeling tired for the ride. . .

You seem to have handled yourself well, however!

Comment on Archer K. Blood by mikeyleung

mikeyleung — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:26:00 +0000

that is a shocking report from the days just after the break out of the genocide….

Comment on The most important part of my day: Food by thetuphaninthechar

thetuphaninthechar — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:30:44 +0000

Hi Bill, I hope you’re still enjoying the blog! I’ve had a short break in the US, but I’m headed back to Bangladesh this weekend! Stay tuned!

Comment on Mumbai’s 9/11 by thetuphaninthechar

thetuphaninthechar — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 17:06:42 +0000

I agree with you that people in Mumbai were upset and sad about the events; and it’s certainly true that Mumbai has witnessed an unprecedented amount of violence in the past 15 years. But my comments were more about other cities in India, especially, of course, Kolkata, where I was when all this happened.

But I was also responding to the media blitz that coined the phrase, “India’s 9/11.” Of course, for the media it was the perfect chance to utilize their new, up-to-the-minute technology and procedures, as exhibited by CNN-IBN, one of the English-language channels. I’ve never seen anything like that before in India, and Indians themselves have begun to discuss the role of the media in both politics and the unfolding of tragedies.

Comment on Mumbai’s 9/11 by anna

anna — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:49:54 +0000

tiffany – it is not that india was not saddened and shocked. just because all life did not stop it does not mean that people are not sad. most of bombay is very poor and most people who earn daily wages simply do not have the luxury of stopping to mourn. besides the fact that most indians, simply in order to live sanely, have become inured to the kind of violence that took the US by surprise during 9/11.
anna kurien

Comment on The most important part of my day: Food by Bill Gilmore

Bill Gilmore — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:30:01 +0000

I am a lifelong friend of your grandfather Don and he gave me your blog address. You are to be admired and I look forward to reading your material on a regular basis. Hope you return to Indiana some day! Respectfully, Bill

Comment on Of Rats and Bugs and All my Favorite Things by Allana Hodg

Allana Hodg — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:10:18 +0000

Tiffy,
I know you are strong, but I will have to say it is really hard for your mother to read this. I feel for the others that live in this condition, but it digs at my heart when I hear what you are enduring to accomplish your goal. I have to admit my concern.
Love, Mom

Comment on Language, ‘Voice,’ and Identity by Rob

Rob — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:43:55 +0000

A German professor of mine in college always told us to stop trying to be our American selves when we spoke German — “That’s not who’s speaking,” he would say. I kinda got what he was saying, but it took your post here to really have it make sense to me.

I often think of the voice and identity issue while reflecting on the performance of teaching AND my interactions with my students outside of the classroom. I am a version of my goofy self in these situations, but I’m always the “Dr. von Thaden” version of myself. One might argue that this is just professionalism, but I don’t think that’s it in its entirety. At this stage of my career, it may be more about assuming a self that exudes more authority than I really think I’ve earned — or perhaps the self that I think the students are paying to interact with.

I don’t know, I’m just rambling here. But thanks for writing something that got me thinking!

–Rob

P.S. — Any chance we can find those episode on a Bangla-language YouTube!?!