Most of us tend to spend our days in Dhaka circulating among the "usual spots" in Gulshan, Baridhara and Banani, with occasional forays to the Sonargaon Hotel or Elephant Road. It can be interesting, but seldom do we come across sights, tastes and things which are new and different. Naaz Farhana Ahmed organized the first Newcomers’ Tour combining the new with the useful so that it was enjoyable for all of us, new and not-so-newcomers. Nine ladies, including Naaz our guide, first visited Naaz’s shop Kanak on the first floor of the Landmark Plaza. The shop has many lovely items in wood, glass and silver and naksi kantha bedspreads. You can also special-order print T-shirts with your logo or photo.

Next, we went to Veena Ahmed’s in Banani (House 46, Rd 15). She has an NGO for disadvantaged women, Banani Bonosree, operating out of her own home that also has a small shop selling the crafts the women have made. We saw lots of embroidered and woven bedspreads, cushion covers and both printed and embroidered shalwar kameez. Veena also showed us some very old, intricately embroidered blankets. Not for sale as they are now very rare! Veena’s drive and dedication to helping women comes despite, or because of some devastating personal tragedies; she is a gentle woman whom we hope will see again in the near future.

After a 40-50 minute drive past Uttara, waterlily ponds and fields, we arrived at Heritage Printing Ltd. in Savar. It’s a printing press owned by Naaz and has worked with UNWA many times in the past. There we observed a little of the printing process, from the making of negatives and positives of master copies to the final boxing and sending off of finished products. Some women were stacking and wrapping printed cigarette cartons. They are paid about Tk. 60 per day for this work, a higher salary than the average Tk. 45 that most garment-workers earn. Heritage can print Christmas cards and calendars for those who might be interested, but remember that bulk is cheaper. Small orders of 100 can be accepted, but the cost/price per piece might be less if it’s in larger quantities.

We were very hungry by this time, so the tasty pizzas/pastas of Little Italy was a real treat. The restaurant, open from 10 – 10 everyday is on the left side just after the long bridge in Savar; you won’t miss it if you are on the lookout for large advertisements for Coca-Cola on the wall of the restaurant. The owner worked for a long time in Italy and has a special oven for the pizzas, hence a pizza crust, which is very thin and crispy—close to the authentic. It’s well worth the 30-minute drive for a weekend lunch. Savar is a popular picnic spot for Dhaka-dwellers, and the drive through quasi-rural surroundings is quite relaxing after the bustle of Dhaka.

On the way back, we stopped by Shop n’ Save on the main road in Uttara, the closest to a "real" supermarket we have seen in Dhaka. They have a very extensive selection of all kinds of foodstuff and toiletries, and the second floor sells housewares. The prices are also quite competitive, with some items costing less there than in some stores in Gulshan. We all returned to our housewife-selves to wander among the lanes to compare and select groceries and household goods. Definitely a shop which will be included in our list of "usuals."