My first job in geoscience
As I basically just graduated, I got really excited about my job in the geospatial field and with that motivation I arrived in Chattogram, Bangladesh. The project, that I am working in, has a very clear mission. Together with local stakeholders, we will identify a suitable location for a new dumpsite in the port city.
In our German office, we have already mapped out several possible spots using spatial analysis, environmental criteria, and risk assessment. Since the city has a big problem with waste management, this project is very important, especially for the local people. And so far, they seemed very excited to collaborate.
However, when I got to meet the locals, it seemed like they are not interested anymore. First of all, they all showed up at least five minutes too late without apologizing – which, in Germany is considered extremely rude. On top of that, they didn’t give any clear answers. I thought, maybe they don’t understand the importance of the problem, as they are not used to properly manage their trash. People tried to divert the conversation, only gave indirect answers and discussed much longer than expected, so that my perfectly planned time schedule was worthless.
But even when I offered some self-made German bread, everybody declined because of somebody called “Ramadan”. I expected the cultural differences in a professional setting to be less significant, since the focus should be on facts and numbers. Nevertheless, it was a very interesting experience, and I hope I can learn from it for future encounters.