"What a cultural difference!": Reflections on a month in Monday

I made it! I am safely and happily back in the USA, sitting in a hotel room in Seattle with Katie. We are already on day two of our trip, and are heading to a cabin on Lopez Island thanks to a friend of ours. I haven't had too much trouble with jetlag, though I don't think all of Tajik Tummy has processed out of me juuuuuust yet. Let's go with 60% on that.

Something I've noticed about how I've been speaking since I've returned is how often I make observations in reference to Tajikistan. Partially because I now feel like I have stories to tell, and partially because I am still processing all of the trip, it seems that every other sentence begins with: "In Dushanbe/Tajikistan, they would/seemed to think/acted like..." or "Another interesting thing about Dushanbe/Hissor/Varzob/Tajikistan..." or some other such phrasing. I feel bad for poor Katie, who planned out this belated anniversary/birthday trip as a vacation for us (okay, I don't feel that bad; we're still having a great time) and has to listen to me babble on about Tajikistan and the many things I noticed there. Still, I think it is important for me to feel comfortable mentally working through all of what the trip meant and means to me. I find myself thinking about how crazy, or interesting, or just plain cool some of the experiences and cultural standards are, and I think a post-trip reflection is in order.

• No one wears seatbelts in Tajikistan. Besides everyone being a racecar driver, they also seem to genuinely lack a fear of danger in the car. Pedestrians cross the street with oncoming cars flying toward them, and cars just beep at people in the road without slowing down. I don't think I want to be that fearless.
• The standards for feeling shame about staring and asking personal questions are vastly different in Dushanbe. One of the main things I noticed in Dushanbe was how often people openly stared, giggled, pointed, laughed, waved, and followed me and us. Also, probably the most asked question outside of, "How are you?" was "Are you married?" followed by "Do you have a girlfriend?" followed by "Do you plan to get a Tajik wife?" Easily within the first 10 sentences of almost every conversation.
• Nikruz, Bobo and I were walking down the street one day; I don't remember where or why. I think it was to the university for an excursion. Anyway, we passed a kid on the street (couldn't have been more than 12) who said as we walked by, "Che farqe farhangi," in a curious voice. After a few steps, I realized he'd just said, "What a cultural difference," referring to us.
• You can negotiate the price on nearly everything in Tajikistan. I once paid 20C for a set of postcards which were listed at 25C. AT THE POST OFFICE.
• I find myself sitting anxiously in cars here, wondering why the driver isn't cutting off the person ahead of us or taking a dangerous turn that we really shouldn't take.
• I love the American speed of service. Last night Katie and I went to dinner, and not once did we have to ask for more water, or request another drink, or replace anything. The server asked us if we wanted anything.
• Water doesn't cost 2.50C, and I don't have to drink it out of a bottle.
• One of the things we noticed in Tajikistan is how little people rely on the internet. My host family didn't even have a computer (that we could see; to be fair, they did have a room that I never entered. Nikruz, confirmation on the back room?) or internet access in the house. One of the most annoying things about the trip was going into the computer room and not having internet, with no discernible reason other than someone hadn't turned on the connection. However, plenty of cafes and restaurants had WiFi. I think that must cater to the expat/Russian communities in the city. Probably my biggest mistake of the trip was not taking my laptop. Also, one of the greatest parts of being back is having internet at all times, in all places, already paid for.
• Everything is national in Dushanbe. ACT was in the national library; we studied at the national university; we visited the national museum. It seems that Tajikistan is a nation searching for its identity, and in its search has decided everything important must be named the "national" such-and-so. 
• There was plenty of what Bobo called "Construction of Stupidity" in the city. From the largest flagpole with the largest flag, to the soon-to-be World's Largest Teahouse, plenty of funding seems to have been spent on things that contribute little to the country's services and people, but lots to its bragging rights.
• Everyone seems older in Tajikistan. Partially because everyone gets married and has children younger (this is especially hard on the women - our host mother was younger than me and has three), and partially because life is generally harder and people die younger, everyone seemed to be older than they really were. Sharif's father was the same age as my father, but I thought the man was at least 65.
• Tajiks don't drink water. I did not once see anyone in our house besides Nick and me drink water, ever. Not even out of the tap. They actually strongly believe that drinking water at all while you are sick will make it worse, and that you should only drink tea or compote as a general rule. It is actually really disturbing.
• People assume all foreigners know Russian, and most of what is spoken on the street is either Russian outright, or Tajik with a healthy helping of Russian words. If you are speaking Tajiki to someone, they will probably start by answering in Russian. If you say you don't speak Russian, they will respond with a sentence that is about half Russian, or a full Tajiki sentence which is mumbled. If you didn't hear correctly and ask them to repeat it, they will assume you don't know Tajiki and go back to full Russian.
• Apparently, after taxes and all other costs, it is about $120K standard to buy a car in Tajikistan. Somehow, every extended family has at least one car.

As things come to me, I will update this list over the next week. Suffice to say that I really enjoyed the trip, will fondly post pictures soon, and am looking forward to getting back to my regularly scheduled life.

Have you ever started listing things you miss about home?

The last few days we have been fantasizing about things we miss about home. I think it was both a coping mechanism to deal with the fact that we are leaving as well as truly missing the US. Whatever the reasons, there are things that I truly miss about being stateside, especially - ESPECIALLY - food. To that end, I will now list for you the most important food items I need to experience upon my return.

* Pizza
* PIZZA
* Burritos (Qdoba or Chipotle preferred, but damn it I will eat Taco Bell)
* Sushi
* Olive Garden breadsticks
* Anything from Red Lobster
* Macaroni and cheese
* Oatmeal raisin cookies!!!
* Bacon cheeseburger w/ an over-mid egg
* Orange juice
* Arby's curly fries
* SCOTCH EGGS
* Wendy's Baconator
* Pulled pork sandwich
* Anything with olive oil in it
* Movie nachos
* Mu Shu Pork
* Steak. STEAK.

And finally,

* A ham and cheese sandwich.

All dressed up and nowhere to go...

Nikruz va Delbar raftand. I am happy I have gotten to know them over the last few months, and I look forward to seeing them in the future, but I was sad to see them off. I know they look forward to getting home, as do I, but it is hard now that the program is ending to watch small groups break off and leave. I think Nikruz leaving is especially difficult for me since he and I have been rolling buddies throughout the trip, and now it is just me and the fam. No one to ask translation questions, no one to laugh at my bad American jokes, and no one's iPad to steal to play video games. (I do still have Pokemon, so that's something.) Still, I think about what a great time we've all had here together, and how much I've learned, and I think it was worth it.

Last night Jill and I went to the Hotel Tajikistan and hung out for a while. Jill leaves tomorrow, but she's coming back to Dushanbe in a week, so I'm interested to see how that works out for her. The rest of us are leaving in a bigger group for Istanbul on Monday morning, which means I have today and tomorrow to figure out something to do with myself. Sharif wants to take the family to his father's house overnight and come back tomorrow. When we talked about it last night, he said we'd go after he finished work, meaning 5 or 6. Today, he showed up at 11:30 and said we should head out soon. I'd been planning to go to the bazaar for a gift for our professor, and then hitting up a hotel for WiFi, but now I'm rushing around Dushanbe to get everything done that I wanted before heading to the mountains with them. Not that I don't think a night in the mountains will be fun, but I do wonder what there will be for me to do there besides walk around and take pictures. His father is very religious, and I doubt there's any place to hang out anyway (coffee shop or whatnot), so my day of errands and leisurely blogging has become a hunt for filling time half an hour away from the city. I also know I really shouldn't complain, because they're allowing me to stay with them over the weekend (the program was designed to end this morning with Nikruz and Delbar's flight), but I can't help feeling like there are so many other things I want to do that I just won't get done. I guess that's part of being in a place you like for one month - it's never enough time.

But! I am excited about my travels with Katie this coming week. One, it will be great to be back with her. Two, I haven't been to Seattle, Vancouver, or Portland, so all of those sound amazing. Also (if she lets me) I will upload all of my pictures using her computer, and you can finally see all of the places I've been and things I've done! That is probably my biggest project over the next few weeks (outside of, you know, getting ready for my last year of the Masters program at WU).

Anyway, I should probably call Sharif and let him know I'm ready for the mountains. I wish I had known we're going earlier; I would have taken an immodium when I got up instead of after lunch like I planned. I just hope there's a Western toilet somewhere.

Exams Are Over: The Interview for Tajikistan Television

Wednesday night Nikruz and I gave our present to our family. We got some pictures of the five "kids," bought a frame, had them printed, and gave them the set with the best picture framed. Shahnoza was extremely happy with it, and Sharif said we'd done a good job.

Afterward we went to the final party, which we all thought was funny since we hadn't had exams yet. The food was pretty good, and we got our certificates and flowers (which we gave to Shahnoza when we got back), but the really great part was the dancing. Sharif ended up coming even though he'd said he was tired, and he forced Nikruz and me to dance. We all had a great time singing, dancing, and eating. Nikruz and I also recited some poetry, which went over incredibly well.

Thursday, we had our written exam. Before it actually started, Surayyo told us that there would be a news crew at the school on Friday to interview any students that wanted. The program is designed to give people here an idea of what foreign students are doing and what they think about Tajikistan and Dushanbe. Azim came in and said the same thing, and asked who wanted to be interviewed. Since we were taking an exam, I said I was not sure and would tell them later, and went back to work.

After the exam, Surayyo came up to me in the computer room and asked if I would be willing to share the poem with the news crew. She said that everyone was talking about the poem after the party, and how much they liked it. I don't think she was trying to butter me up, but at any rate, it worked, and I agreed.

Last night we hung out in Sadbarg park for a few hours. We ended up talking with a few random kids who were roaming around, and got some looks, but for the most part people left us alone. It was the first time in public in the city where I felt like people weren't concerned at all about us. I really enjoyed not being stared at.

This morning, we came in for our unofficial OPI exams. However, the TV crew showed up early, so we did interviews first. Jamie, being in the 3rd year Tajik class, went first; I went second. I talked about the trips that we've taken, and my general experience with my family and the people here. He asked me what my favorite part of Tajikistan was, but I misheard the question, so I recited Nader Naderpour. Afterward, he asked the same question, which I answered correctly, and then we finished my part. I asked if I should do it again, but they said it was great and they could edit it if necessary. After everyone finished, the interviewer asked for my email and gave me his, and said we should keep in contact before I leave because they may be doing another interview this weekend. I told him I'd be happy to do so.

Finally, I had my OPI with Azim. He said that since I am third year we were going to skip all the easy questions, so he asked me what got me started in Persian. I talked about my buddy Majeed starting Persian freshman year, and how we had this elaborate plan to be in the second year Persian class together junior year. (That didn't happen.) Afterward, we talked about my professors, and where I go to school. We chatted for a while about whether I think heritage speakers of a language should be in a class with non-heritage speakers (it depends). We finished with him inviting me to his house for Eid, and offering recommendations and references for any programs I may do in the future. It was a very nice end to the program, and I am glad I got the chance to spend time just speaking with the program director in the target language. I felt very comfortable during the interview, which I think is a good sign.

Tonight, Nikruz and I are making dinner for our family as his last hurrah. Tomorrow, I am solo in the house. I am looking forward to Eid, but I am also looking forward to sleeping a lot.

Nikruz, doqoluyeman, I will miss you.

Bazaare Korvon (Or: When I Finally Started Paying Local Prices For My Merchandise With Minimal Effort)

Since we didn't have official class on Wednesday, the professors gave us choices as to what we could do. We were offered a trip back to Korvon, a movie, or time to study for the exams. I opted for a trip back to Korvon to pick up a few more souvenirs. We went in a mashuka (a car that runs along bus lines to specific places for 3C; a taxi ride would cost about 15-20C) and planned on only being there for about an hour. We ended up staying for over three and I bought so much stuff I had to buy another bag!

Before we actually got in, I bought a pair of sunglasses (I broke my spare set at Varzob; very sad). I chatted with the seller for a while about why we'd come, and what the US was like. After a bit, I asked him how much for the glasses. The seller told me they were 20, but I told him I could do twelve. He was shocked that I spoke Tajiki and not Russian, and that I asked for a discount in Tajiki, and told me that because I was an honored guest he could do 15. Because the group was waiting for me, I went ahead and bought them. We shook hands and he thanked me for telling him about the US.

The group started at a jewelry and bag shop. I saw a few small mirrors that I liked, and I asked how much they would be. The first woman worked exclusively in jewelry, so she sent me another older woman to help. I found out they were 20 each, but she said she could do 15 for me because I was a visitor. I looked at about ten, trying to find one without any blemished. In the end I got two, and asked Surayyo whether it was a good purchase. She looked at them, and asked me twice how much I paid. She was surprised that I got such a good discount without having to ask for it! At this point, I felt pretty good.

Next we visited a carpetseller, who was a teenaged boy. Surayyo told us that we were required to do all of the talking and haggling as our "final class." I liked a few of them and decided to ask about them. He quoted me 40C for each; they were all beautifully crafted prayer rugs. I told him that I could do 30, which got no response. We chatted for a while, and I had him pull out various colors. Eventually, I decided on three of them, and asked how much for all three. He said 120. I started laughing and said, "There's no discount! I'm buying three." He quoted me 110. I looked at Surayyo, who just grinned at me and said, "It's your choice." I told him I could do 90, to which he replied 100 for all three. I hemmed and hawed, and said I really needed to do 90. He told me 95 was as low as he could go. I thought about it for a minute, and agreed, after which Surayyo used the price I was quoted and bought two for herself at the same rate. After we left, she told me I had found a very good price and that the rugs were great quality for that price. I was ecstatic.

Afterward, I bought a few other things, including a bag for all my stuff. I gave the bagseller a hard time because each bag had something wrong with it, but in the end I found a very good one and got him to drop the price 20%. After that, we went across the street to look at floor rugs. I found a style I wanted, and asked for the owner. The owner came out, we greeted, and then I asked about a specific style and color of rug, which I didn't see and I wasn't sure if they had. He asked Mark and me to come with him, and he took us upstairs to the actual warehouse shop. There were rows upon rows of carpets, and in various rooms there were women weaving and finishing carpets. I found one which was exactly what I wanted, and I had them hold it out while I inspected. We talked about the price, agreed upon it, I paid, and we left. Mark and I met up with the ladies and we caught two cabs back to the university. Once we got back to the school, I unrolled it and both Surayyo and Layli admired it and asked how much. They were really happy about how much I paid, and Surayyo told me I'd had a great day at the bazaar. When I got home and showed my host family, they said the same thing. It was the first time Sharif didn't ask why I didn't get something cheaper! All in all, I was very happy with my purchases, and I finally got all of the souvenirs I wanted.

Tamaam mi shavim: The End Is Near

Monday and Tuesday were our final two days of class. Surayyo Khanum (apparently I have been spelling that incorrectly; my bad) went over a couple new lessons with us, the final of which she said would not appear on the exam. We didn't have any excursions on either afternoon since we were preparing for exams and since our final dinner was scheduled for Wednesday night. We all expressed mixed feelings about the end of the program; we have really enjoyed classes here, and Surayyo has gone well above and beyond what we expected out of our professors here. I don't know how she finds the time to take care of her own family AND be with us everywhere we go, but she does, and I, for one, am incredibly grateful for it. I certainly have learned a great deal while being here, and a large chunk of it has been directly because of her.

Monday was my final Poetry Club for ACT. We set up for the large groups we've been getting, but ended up only having 10 people, including Jill and me. We moved to a table for a smaller setting, and had what I think was the best session yet. We'd chosen a group of translated poems by modern Tajik and Iranian poets,  which we were able to listen to in Persian before reading them in English. The group really responded well to hearing the poems in their native language first, then hearing us read them. We also chose a couple American poems, and everyone was really excited about them. I'm impressed at the level of English some of the kids have there; the fact that we can talk in-depth about poetry really made me happy. (Example: Gwendolyn Brooks. Fairly simple language, but complicated concepts, and they were all over it.) Hopefully, ACT will continue the Poetry Club after we leave, and the group will continue to explore other poets and poetry in English; I can only hope.

Tuesday we got a tour of various rooms in the Hotel Tajikistan. This place is NICE. There are balconies with every room, and some of the suites are almost as big as my apartment! They also have a killer swimming pool, sauna, massage services, and a huge gym. They have a lower occupancy right now because so many visitors to Dushanbe would prefer to stay in the Hyatt and other places, which means if we get a room we'll also get a discount. On top of that, I've gotten to know some of the staff from using the WiFi in their lobby, so the discount will be even nicer. I think for the last night we will stay there because we have a 5:30am flight and don't want to bother the families at 3am to let us out, since Ramadan will be over and they'll (finally!) be sleeping at night again. I keep getting invitations from various people I've met to come visit them during Eid, and I don't think it's possible to make it to all of them. However, I am looking forward to visiting the family that day. Apparently, the party is sick.

In today's next edition, I'll be talking about going to Korvon again, gifting our family, and finding a REAL Italian restaurant in town. Oh yeah, and exams. Woo!

S-Tay-Ruh-Hat: The last full weekend of the whole group

Friday night we went out for Joe's 32nd birthday. We'd seen a bowling place near one of the larger and more tucked away hotels in the area, and he decided he wanted to spend the evening there. We walked over around 9 and met up with other people from the program. Mina had invited a grounded Belgian military unit - their plane broke down on the way to Afghanistan; I don't know where she met them - as well as a few other people, so we had a lively international group going after a while. It was nice to have a large part of the group together again, especially since we all realized it was our last weekend with everyone in town.

The next day, we headed to our second day of rest (esteraahat) at Varzob. Varzob is about an hour away from the center of the city, a bit higher up in the mountains. We took a chartered bus, which made it over the thinnest bridge I have ever seen on a roadway. (Someone has a picture; I will try to get one. It was nerve-wracking, but we survived.) The house where we stayed for the day has two very large cots which are built over a section of a river. We also had access to a swimming pool, an unstocked bar, the most disgusting outhouses I have ever heard of (I refused to actually go and see for myself), and the surrounding area. Some of the people went hiking; others went swimming; I play GameBoy Color and chess. I thought about going to explore, but honestly, we'd been going strong for 10 weeks at that point without any breaks or rest and I was TIRED. Thankfully, Jill didn't have a camera that day and so she took pictures with mine. After lunch, I took a swim in the freezing cold pool, and then we headed back to town.

Sunday we all slept in, and then met at the school at 4-ish. (Actually, every time I list in here is an "ish" time, so just keep that in mind.) We went to the newest amusement park in the city, which everyone calls AquaPark but I'm pretty sure has a different name. At any rate, most of the park was shut down - restaurants because it's Ramadan, roller coasters and the ferris wheel because it's Dushanbe and they can - so we were basically stuck in the kids section. I thought that meant we were going to have a bad time and wasted our program fee. Oh, but wait:

BUMPER. CARS.

So each attraction cost a number of Som to get on. They ranged from 2 Som to 10 Som. The bumper cars were 10 Som per go. Nodir Aqa had given us each 20 Som (thanks to me having 200 in 20's to change out for his 2 100's) and that went STRAIGHT to the bumper cars. We gathered a crowd because we're a bunch of Americans, and much of the group was speaking English (the part I don't like), but we had a great time and just rode twice since there was no wait for the ride while we were on it (the part I do like).

After bumper cars, we went to a haunted house, which turned out to be scarier because of the guy who worked there and led us through than the actual attractions. He stood really close and kept touching us trying to guide us in the right direction. If he would have just spoken Tajiki I could have translated. Oh well.

Afterward, we went back to bumper cars.

After bumper cars part 3, we decided to paddleboat before heading out. Bobo (Zac) and I got on one boat with one of the local program employees and her baby sister. (Bobo, where are the pictures of that adorable child?) We paddled around while singing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" which was one of the 10 songs that played in the park all day. I forgot how much hard work paddleboating is.

For dinner, we went to a Mexican restaurant which also had Italian food. We were all really excited that we finally found a place with real tacos and burritos...and we were all sorely disappointed. The burritos were not what you can get at home at all. To be fair, the chicken alfredo was actually pretty good, and the chicken empanadas were excellent, but everything else fell short. To be honest, the real issue was the spicing of the meat and the beans. I'd rename that style of food from Mexican to Mexijiki.

Nick and I returned to AquaPark to be with our host family, who had taken the kids there. We bummed around with them for a while and got some pretty good pictures before the park closed. I was happy that the kids got a chance to hang out in the park with us; they and we all had a good time. All in all, it was a fairly restful weekend.

Practical Classes 2.0: At some point, everyone catches The Death

We have been to so many museums and parks and restaurants and bazaars here that they are starting to run together. Wednesday we went to Korvon, a HUGE bazaar somewhere close to the outskirts of the city. We spent 3 hours walking around and buying various things, and I'm pretty sure we only went to a small section of the bazaar. I wouldn't be surprised if we spent a whole day and only saw half of it. At any rate, I picked up a host of various pieces to bring back. And they're ALL MINE. (Just kidding, Mom and Dad; I got you something.) Our teacher again dedicated a practical class to our shopping whims, helped us find what we wanted, and encouraged us to do all of the questioning, haggling, and purchasing from the store owners. I am actually really impressed at just how much time she has spent with us and has done for our class. Example: we talked last week about getting t-shirts made with our class level, our names, and chosen numbers on them. Since then, she has: taken us to a place that prints on shirts to get a price, taken us to buy the shirts, designed the logo and our names for us, used her own computer and her own time to come up with sample prints, and is taking us to get them done and make sure we get a good price next week. Also, she's been on every excursion with us except the very first one, when we hadn't met her yet. Awesome.

Anyway, it seems this week that everyone has picked up some sort of The Death. Whether it's a stomach issue, or the flu, or just a regular cold, this week has been rough on us. Yesterday, I was the only one of the three of us in Farsi 3 who made it to class, and I had a cold! Xoshruz and Nikruz were both out with tum tum problems; thankfully they made it back today.

Speaking of being sick, yesterday was my first experience going to the pharmacy in a different country. One would assume that since I'm in Tajikistan, all of the medicine would be in Tajiki, right? Haha-hahahaha-HAHAHAHAHA...no. First of all, everything was in Russian. Secondly - and perhaps more importantly - I don't know why I thought they would have the same names for medicines here, because they don't. I could not find anything remotely close to Nyquil, so I asked for help. Now, I don't know if you've tried to explain to someone in a different language that you have a cold without knowing any of the appropriate words, but it was pretty funny to me. I told him I had a cough and that I had "eaten cold" (meaning to have a cold). He asked if I wanted cold and flu medicine, and I said yes. He asked if my stomach hurt (no), if I had a headache (no), and if I had the shivers. I didn't recognize the word for shivers, so he started convulsing and I had a hard time stopping my laughter long enough to respond (no). Then he came up with a syrup and told me: "Three times a day, after food, until it stops." He made sure I understood the AFTER food part, which I appreciated. When I got home, I found spare Dayquil pills in my suitcase. Oh well; at least it was only 36C.

We went to the Buddha museum today, which was both really informative and fun. Our tour was in Tajiki, but before we went I spoke with one of the workers, who showed me a book full of pictures of various parts of Tajikistan. We chatted for a while and I learned a bunch of new words from her, which was very nice of her. Also, today was my first interaction with the Tajiki 3 professor, who is probably a genius. I am glad we came to this school for the Dushanbe portion of the program.

Yesterday we were supposed to go to the Buddha museum, but I had my first Chess Club at ACT. Chess Club was actually a hit, even though I wasn't 100%, and I am a bit disappointed I wasn't able to hold more of them. Next week will be the last Poetry Club and the last Chess Club there. ACT is really doing some pretty neat things, including plays, concerts, and other social events. I look forward to going every time.

Tomorrow we're heading to Varzob, which is another very nice respite. Everyone who talks to us asks if we've been there, so I'm looking forward to seeing if it lives up to the hype. This time is going by so quickly! I have to get pictures up as soon as I get home.

Taa pargaa!

A City Under Construction

Dushanbe is a beautiful city. There are beautiful office buildings, museums, hotels, and cultural centers scattered throughout. It is surrounded by mountains (almost everything is here, to be fair) and sits in the only major valley in the country. There are parks everywhere, which are pretty well kept, and there are statues and monuments to be found constantly. It seems that every time I walk somewhere new, I discover another park, or statue, or both.

Also, the people here are open and extremely friendly and hospitable. Every time I meet someone new, they are excited about the fact that I am learning their language and that we are in Dushanbe. I find that people are especially curious as to how long we have studied, and how long we've been here. At any rate, people have been quick to invite us over to visit and meet their families, or to meet up to talk. Unlike back home, these invitations are not creepy, but genuine, and good opportunities to practice speaking.

However, Dushanbe can also be a bit grimey. All of the roads which we use to get around have potholes. Many of the open street drains are full of trash, and crossing the street can be like playing Frogger...with your body. Still, one of the things I've noticed is just how much of Dushanbe is under construction.

Construction is everywhere. When we visited the soon-to-be largest teahouse in the world, not one section was quite finished. Also, there seems to be constant roadwork, as well as new buildings and parks and statues cropping up everywhere. One can tell while walking around that many structures have been finished recently. Our program director, Kathleen, pointed out before we left that the monument in front of the National Library was just finished in 2009. Hopefully I can get there and get some pictures for you. (Still not sure I have a computer or internet fast enough anywhere to upload yet; I should have brought my laptop!)

I find it intriguing that there are two specific projects here in the city. One is the teahouse (which I mentioned already); the other is the world's largest flag flown from the world's largest flagpole. It is interesting to see such grand projects happening in one of the world's poorer countries, and how such projects give a sense of pride to many of the residents here. The night when we went to see the flag with our host family, we arrived late (we got there around 9:40; that section of Rudaki Park closes around 10 on Thursday nights). However, we couldn't tell we were late because it was so busy! People were taking pictures and hanging out on benches, just looking at and talking about the flag. It was a really cool experience. I look forward to seeing what other projects Dushanbe has in store for itself and for the Tajik people, and am glad I have the chance to be here now.

<ramble>

In other news, we visited a museum today, and got a tour in Tajiki of the various works therein. I find that every day I am picking up more and more Tajiki, and am spending less time translating in my head. Most of the group scooted when we got to the second floor tour (we switched guides and our new guide talked about nearly every painting), but I stayed for the language practice. I found it fascinating how much I understood. (Self-high-five!) Hopefully this carries over when I get back to school!

Speaking of stateside, I am really excited for my Pacific Northwest trip with Katie when I get back. I think I'll need a vacation from this summer's studies before getting back to StL.

Tamaam shodam.

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If you don't like talking about bowel movements, don't read this post.

Warning! Alert!

Warning! Alert!

There is no tp remaining!

Bring your own supplies!

-Nikruz

One of the more rewarding parts of this experience is the comraderie felt in the group. We have all found comfort in hanging out and doing activities together, and being in a group has partially shielded us from the homesickness and lonliness that I imagine many are feeling. I try to leave any such feelings out of my blog posts, because that's not what I want this to be about, but to be honest, it is hard to leave home for 3 months and study a different language, especially when one month is overseas. It's also exhilirating and fascinating and eye-opening, but it's definitely not easy.

Anyway, because we're all here and experiencing similar things, we tend to talk about everything that's going on with us. We talk about our host families, our interactions in the street, our workload, and good places to eat and work. Of course, one of the things we discuss most regularly is - you guessed it - poop.

Here's the thing: back home, there's no reason to talk about poop, because there aren't weird changes going on all the time. However, we're all just about now getting used to the food here, and getting back on relatively regular poop schedules. (I'll explain more in a minute.) Not only did most of us have to get used to the hole-in-the-ground system, but nearly everyone has had some sort of poop change or story since we arrived. It will probably be easiest if I write a guide-like list regarding the bowel movement situation here.

• Within the first couple days, you will probably have a solid poop. It will feel GREAT. This is because you haven't pooped in two days out of fear. This may never happen again while you are here.
• Along those lines, once you get over the fear of the squat method, you will find it is very easy to poop and handle the wipe business. Theories abound as to why this is.
• Someone in the group will discover is it easier to aim with the flat-foot method than the ball-of-the-foot method, and will gleefully share with everyone. Be that person.
• At least once, you will think there is toilet paper, when there is not. Just hope you have a waterhose in the stall when you do.
• At least once, you will think you brought toilet paper, when you did not. See above.
• Somewhere around the end of the first week, everyone has the runs. Anyone who says otherwise has eaten an entire package of immodium and should be taken to the hospital immediately.
• Around the middle/end of week two, if you're lucky, you will get back to 90% solid. Take this as a sign that the angels have blessed you and be merry.

And finally,

• No matter how many times you have pooped in a day, you can always do one more. Always.

The Family Part Two: Immediate and Extended

Today will probably be a shorter post since I haven't done much since yesterday. However I thought this would be a good time to expand on the rest of the family. Hopefully this paints a fairly accurate picture of life at home.

Shahnoza: Our host mother works incredibly hard all day, every day. She is up all night making food since it is Ramadan, and then she takes care of the three kids as well as cleans whole house everyday. She also makes time to do our laundry, to which we have resigned. I am impressed at how hard she works and how much she does in a day.

BoboJun: He is the oldest boy and relatively well-behaved. He is called "grandfather" because he is named after Sharif's dad. He helps out his mom around the house sometimes, but will also pretend not to hear his parents when he wants to put on a show. He talks a bit and plays with Nikruz a lot.

Zamirah: The middle child and a girl, Zamirah seems to be the instigator of many disputes, and likes to push boundaries to see what she can get away with. She pretends to be shy but is always listening and paying attention. She enjoys helping her mom more than BoboJun.

Mahamad: The baby of the family in every sense of the word. He rarely speaks and normally doesn't want something unless his brother or, more often, sister already has it. Most of the kids' disputes are because someone took something he was using. Cute kid though.

Bobo Bozorg: The grandfather lives outside of town but visits fairly often. He and Sharif are very religious and go to pray every night. While also funny, he has now taken to trying to convert us. I like his stories though. It is interesting to hear his take on Islam, but I am done trying to actually discuss it.

Until next time, here's to a hopefully restful and adventurous weekend!

Practical Classes in Dushanbe

Yesterday we went to the Hovlono masjid (mosque) before morning classes via chartered public bus. I thought it would be a quieter day at the masjid, but it turns out that Wednesdays are the day women are allowed in, so it was very busy. There was a courtyard, a garden, a pool with fish and a fountain, a sepulchre, and many other things. Also, there were very old trees scattered about; one of the trees was over 800 years old! It was a very interesting and serene place, and I spent a good amount of time wandering by myself. I also got a chance to talk with a couple locals and ask questions, and learned a few new words, which was fun. Afterward, we had regular class, then did work in the computer room, and went home. Our host mother told us we were late because our neighboring CLI students had returned earlier. We didn't bother to tell her the reason they went home right after class was because they were hungover. However, I am trying to think of the best way to tell them that we don't plan on returning to the house right after class. That's for children. Suggestions?

Last night I slept a lot; I think between being up late on Tuesday night and the heat yesterday I was pretty beat. This morning Nick wasn't feeling well, so I left him at home and came early to the school to use the internet, only to find it hadn't been turned on yet. I think they have a pay-as-you-go plan, but I don't know why they don't have it set up from before we arrive until well after we leave, because this touch-and-go is messing with my schedule. I wouldn't be as bothered by it if I didn't find out that they bought new computers with the money we paid to come here. Soooooo...there's that.

Today my amazingly wonderful professor Sorayo took us to the bazaar for another practical class. We went shopping for material so I can get some pants made. First, I found some material I wanted; then, we went to a seamstress, who measured me and told me how much to buy; then, we went back to the material store and bought it (80C; about $16); finally, we returned to the seamstress. I told her how I want my pockets and where, and how I wanted my cuffs, and how tight I want the pants, and everything. It was really interesting to talk about getting clothing made in Tajiki, and Sorayo was very helpful in haggling. She got the price down for me on a couple things, which was really fun to hear, and now I know exactly how to ask for a takfif!

Afterward, we went to a really expensive exercise clothing store, where we bought nothing, and we continued on to a small side street. I bought an RC (it's all over the place; if you want Coke or Pepsi you have to look hard, but RC with REAL SUGAR is everywhere!) and then we found a bookstore. I bought the first book in Farsi I could find, because it was the only book in Farsi they had. I've found here that they don't sell many books in Farsi at all. However, I will continue my search.

After the exercise store (we found a few others later in the day) we went to a carpet store where we encountered some expensive but very beautiful carpets. They were so expensive because, according to Sorayo, they were very old, and hand-made. I wish I could have taken some pictures; when I return, I will be sure to take my camera.

After lunch, we went to the Sadriddin Ayni Museum, which seemed to be located in a former house. It was really interesting and we were allowed to take a bunch of pictures of the house and the works inside. Most of it was in Tajiki, which I am able to read better now, and some of it was in Farsi. The groundskeeper asked me if I have time to come back tomorrow to read some of his work in Farsi; I think she was surprised that someone in our group wasn't speaking English and had heard of Ayni before we arrived in the country. At any rate, I would like to see some of his original works, so I got the number of the museum and said I would call before I head over. I mean, think about that. ORIGINAL WORKS. Yes, please.

That's it for now! Hopefully, I will convince my host family I'm a big boy so they stop asking me why I get home late. Example:

"Why are you so late?"
"We had work to do!"
"The other students went home earlier!"
"The other students are lame."
<group laughter>

At least we can laugh about it!

P.S. The pants will be 100C to make, which makes the total 180C. Anybody know a tailor stateside that will make pants fitted to you for $36?

Persians and Poetry

"If you want to be a poet, first you must learn 10,000 bayts."

Monday I held my first Poetry Club at the American Corner in Tajikistan in the Tajikistan National Library. (Here I offer a correction: we were in the National Library when we first learned about the American Corner, not the embassy; sorry to mislead in a previous post!) I was worried at first since I didn't know how many people would come or be interested in the group, and because there were a handful of students in the room and all seemed to be engrossed in something else. However, when the music club ended and I started setting up, a really large group gathered, which was both exciting and even more nerve-wracking. Thankfully, I had some of the other CLI students with me for support! I had everyone introduce themselves, we briefly talked about poetry in general, and then I dove into reading from various American authors. I spent a lot of the time talking myself, though my counterparts definitely chimed in, and even read some of their favorite poems. The kids for the most part seemed really interested and asked lots of questions, which made me feel it was worth starting the club.

At one point, the students asked if we knew any poetry by heart. One of the most important academic and cultural activities in Persian culture is to memorize and recite classic poetry. The history of Persian literature and the Persian language is long and interesting (it's the reason I'm in school) and you can read a bit about it here (it's not perfect but it gets the point across). One of the main reasons Persian poetry is so important to Persian cultures is that it is a cultural connection for people here to their history and their language, and the great poets are to be emulated and celebrated. Ferdowsi is said to have captured Persian at the time he wrote the Shahnameh, and Persian as a language survived the Arab conquest - albeit with many, many Arabic loanwords - through his poetry and that of his successors. Thus, people memorize and can recite hundreds upon hundreds of lines of classical poetry in Persian cultures, and feel very strongly about the importance of knowing these verses, whereas we may be required to memorize a total of ten poems in America, and not feel any great connection to it as an American poem. It's a very different way of looking at literature, and took me a while to understand. So, when the students asked us if we knew any poetry, Nikruz explained to them that we don't have the same cultural connection to our poetry as Persians do, and we don't memorize the poetry of our "great poets" as a standard cultural exercise. It was interesting to see their faces, because it is such an incredibly foreign concept to them, just as memorizing 700-1000 year old English poetry is unheard of for us. (To be fair, Modern English isn't even old enough to have 1000 year old poetry. Middle English barely passes the bar.)

The students then asked us if we knew any Persian poetry by heart. I recited a few lines of Nader Naderpour, which received great applause. I didn't even finish the poem and they were incredibly excited. Nikruz also recited some lines which again received thunderous applause. I was happy that the kids were finally noticeably enthusiastic about poetry, but it also saddened me just a bit. Part of the point of the American Corner is to share things about the US that are culturally significant, and I felt that sharing some of their own culture with the students was missing the boat. Still, we rallied, and finished the hour strongly with a couple final poems. We (the kids and CLI transfers) decided that next week we will do half Persian poetry and half American poetry, but all in English. Jill made a couple good points about that: 1) it will keep them interested and 2) at the very least it will give them a different perspective on the poetry and they'll be hearing and speaking about it in English. What no one seemed to remember to mention is that it will probably be me translating the poems we choose! Oh well; at least I get the practice. Plus, anything we do for the American Corner gets written up and sent to D.C., and we're copied on it, so I can say I held a Poetry Club in English at ACT. CV building FTW.

Tuesday was Nikruz' birthday, so after morning class the teachers surprised him with tea and cake. Then, we grabbed sharma (shwarma) from our favorite street vendor - meat only, or faqat goosht - and we surprised him with a viewing of his favorite movie, Gladiator. A few days ago he bought it for 4 Somoni (about 83 cents; the exchange rate hovers around 4.82C to $1). Turns out, he bought 12 Russell Crowe movies! After the movie, we went and found our host father's shop. It turns out he sells general store items from a storefront tucked in behind a strip bazaar, but he also has a storehouse behind it and supplies items to other stores in the area. It was cool to see him at work; he kept talking us up to people and complimenting everyone we met in his smooth-talking way. I wish you all could meet Sharif; he is way cool. (Throwback, anyone?) Anyway, after last night's dinner party - during which our teacher gave Nikruz a short sword for his birthday (it's not sharp...yet) - we headed out to a Irish pub. Nikruz was worried about the family's concern for us going to a pub, so he told them we went to a discotechque instead. At any rate, the Irish pub was interesting, but it wasn't very Irish. They had American and Scotch whisky, and only two Irish beers. Also, the waiter was Russian. Still, we enjoyed it, and we figured out how to walk home since we didn't want to take another cab.

Speaking of cabs, my group had the worst cabbie of the night! There were ten of us that took cabs to the pub, so we broke into three groups. We flagged down a guy, and asked him how much to the Iranian embassy (that's the closest landmark to the pub). He said 30 Somoni. Instead of haggling, which I should have done, I agreed and we got in. Immediately, we started having problems. First, the car died, so he pulled out a screwdriver to fix it. Then he opened his door and almost hit a passing cop car, so he dealt with them for a minute. THEN the person behind me (I was front passenger) had to get out so he could fix whatever was wrong with the car. At this point, I ask him (in Tajiki of course) if he can lower the price since by this time we probably would have been there. He agreed. We finally take off, and then he pulls over to ask a guy in Russian how to get to the embassy! At this point we're starting to get miffed. I ask him a couple questions in Tajiki, but magically he doesn't know Tajiki anymore and answers in Russian. After asking someone else, he pulls over someplace and says, "This is the Iranian embassy," in Russian. The only reason I know any of this is because Mark was in the car with us, and he speaks Russian. However, we didn't see our people so we asked him to take us to a specific street and cross-street. He pulls around and asks a third group of people where to go, by which point I'm ready to get out and not pay. He pulls to the other side of the first street where we stopped and says, "This is the embassy." I ask him multiple times, "Is this Rudaki and *insert street name here that I can't remember* or not?" He just keeps saying "This is the embassy" and switching back and forth between Russian and Tajiki. We're like, "Let's just go," so I hand him 40 Somoni. He asks if we have a 10 since he doesn't have change. We hand him a 10, but he doesn't give 20 back! I was PISSED. He claimed that because we made him drive around the block we owed him more money. I told him in VERY angry Tajiki that he shouldn't have been stopping to ask people where to go, and he shouldn't need to get out and fix his cab while we're in it! Eventually, we gave up, because he wasn't giving us the money back. However, I learned that I know how to argue in Tajiki, so something good came out of it! In the end, it was 2.50 each USD. We'll live. Plus, we got a story, and we ended up finding the pub anyway.

Next post, I'll tell you about the mosque we visited this morning, and hopefully have a couple more stories to share with you! Until next time, here's to people who don't screw you out of 20 Somoni.

Excursions: Getting around the city called Monday

Yesterday we went to the Ismaili Center in the city, which is a Center for education and prayer for Ismaili Muslims. Currently there are five in use worldwide, with a sixth being built in Canada. Of course this was one of the days where I forgot my camera, which turned out to be okay since we were not allowed pictures inside anyway. We chartered a public bus, which seems to be the preferred method of group transport here for the program, and on the way passed some really interesting buildings. More on that later!

The Ismaili Center was absolutely beautiful. It had four sides: administrative, social, religious, and educational. Before the official tour I walked around a bit. There were various miniature patterns on the walls, each one different and clearly hand-painted. We had a choice of tour in English, Russian or Tajiki; I chose Tajiki and am glad I did. Not only did I get a crash course in quick speaking - our tour guide was a teenaged girl who was dressed for a dinner date - but there was an Iranian family on vacation that asked questions about everything there. I don't think they understood the Tajiki accent very well, but they brought up a lot of interesting points, and we got an impromptu lesson in the Shia imams from them in the prayer room. Speaking of, it was absolutely gorgeous. There were very high ceilings and writing around the tops of the walls and on the wall behind a podium. I was surprised that I could read a lot of the names and words written in block script. It was a really interesting and fairly educational experience.

Afterward, we went to the soon-to-be largest teahouse in the world. The foreman took us through parts of this huge structure (again no pictures allowed) and we saw some really beautiful art inside. We went to the Paradise Palace which had lots of stone art pieces and a view of the flag from last week. It is really something already and will be even better when it is done.

After the teahouse we went to a minifair and I rode the ferris wheel. Never doing that again.

After the minifair, we went to the Hyatt to get lunch. I had a sandwich with bacon and fries and it was delicious (and not as expensive as I thought it would be)! We used the WiFi for a while and enjoyed the availability of Western toilets. Then we went to the bus stop to head home.

Here's the thing about getting around in Dushanbe:
If you are waiting for the bus, prepare to wait for a while. There are vans that run the city bus routes more often, but are more expensive and have a bunch of people piled in. Also, city buses and bus route vans will wait until they think they have enough people worth traveling for before they leave, so even if it comes - there is no schedule, mind you - you can sit at a stop for as long as the driver wants.
If you are in a car, don't bother with a seatbelt, and be prepared to pass people at any time, including while turning on red. Also, do not stop for people, but slow to a crawl for potholes.
Cross the street anytime, anywhere while walking. Don't worry, you'll make it.

Anyway, that is all for today. I will talk about the American Corner tomorrow!

(For a more descriptive post about driving in Tajikistan refer to my roommate's blog: Dushanbe Days)

Khanevaadeye man: Why Sharif is the funniest man in Tajikistan

The last couple days have been really busy, between excursions, visiting the bazaar, and family time. Thursday night the family took Nick and me to see the official flag in the world, which was actually pretty busy. Since our host family's extended family down the street has CLI students as well, 14 of us piled into 2 cars and had a great time. Afterward they took us out for Turkish ice cream and baklava, which was really sweet - literally - and lots of food after the huge dinner they'd already fed us. My favorite part was when a little boy, no more than 4, asked to shake my hand. It is really interesting to me that people are fascinated by me being black; it's very different and much more inviting than back home. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, it's awesome.

Outside of class and a bit of shopping, Friday is kind of a blur. Saturday, however, was a great day of rest. We went out to a place called Romit, which is essentially a mountain respite with hiking, volleyball, basketball, and swimming. We had an area near a stream, and after carrying melons and drinks up and down a steep and dangerous path, I sat at the same table and played chess for 5 hours, skipping all the other activities. It was really relaxing to have a day off from school and work, and a day off from speaking Farsi and Tajiki. While I am really enjoying the speaking experience, it does wear me down a bit to switch back and forth between those and English, and it can be stressful to feel unable to express myself in Farsi/Tajiki. When I woke up today, though, I felt refreshed, so I think the break was worth it. So far, I've avoided the headache that normally comes along, so that's good.

Now: Sharif.

Our family is seemingly semi-traditional. Every morning they get up before sunrise to eat (remember, it's Ramadan) and Sharif is normally just leaving when I wake up. Nick gets up a bit later, so I have time to do homework, shower, and eat. Shahnoza, our host mother, makes us breakfast every morning, which is 1) delicious and 2) slightly varied daily. The three kids are normally up and about when we leave - BoboJan is 7, Zamirah is 6 and Mohamet is 3. They're most definitely cute, and most definitely full of way too much energy for me when we get home from class. They ignored us the first few days; now it seems they can't get enough of us!

In the evenings, Sharif is normally waiting for us to get in while Shahnoza is making dinner. We sit and chat before and during dinner. Sharif always eats with us; sometimes Shahnoza will as well if the kids have already eaten. Sharif is always cracking jokes and is great with wordplay; often, Nick and I won't realize he cracked a joke for a couple seconds, and he's already smirking with glee. He is really good about expalining the roots of words and which words to use in Farsi or Tajiki, and he delivers them all with a joke when he can. He's very patient with us, but isn't afraid to make jokes about us, and we're starting to learn how to dish back, which makes for loads of fun. I thought I would want to be out exploring most of the time here, but I find myself looking forward to getting home at the end of the day! Yesterday, I had a long talk with his father, who is just as funny and told me jokes and stories in Tajiki. I can finally see where Sharif gets it!

It's also really cool being in such a loving family. I could tell from the first day that the family is very close, and Sharif and Shahnoza always make time to hang out with their kids in the evening, even if it's just for a little bit. They joke around and play all the time, which is fun to see. Also, every once in a while Sharif will yell out a phrase in English or Tajiki, which in context are hilarious. Example: I was dancing in the car on the way to the flag, and Sharif shouted: "Rrrrrrraqs!" which is the Persian word for dance. Everyone in the car was cracking up. Then the driver started to speed up and Sharif yelled, "Let's go!" Good times, indeed.

*****

This post has been sitting for a couple days now, and lots has happened since I started it. Hopefully, I can get a toofer later on in the afternoon for you! For now, I am heading to the American Corner at the National Library to hold a Poetry Club in English for the local kids. I'll let you know how it goes!

Ruze...um...what day is it again?

Yesterday was a very, very busy day in Dushanbe for us! In class we spent some time singing Persian songs and then read a couple passages on the fly from a book our professor brought. It was pretty amazing. We had just a few minutes to prepare a section, and then went right through, and I was surprised at how much I understood on the first go around. Nick and Mark seem to be having a good time in class as well, which is great because it makes for a pleasant learning experience. Also, I've said it before and I'll say it again: our professor is a rockstar.

After the morning class, we went and found a great restaurant right around the corner from the university. We had chicken kabobs with onions and 'kompot' (a fruit juice-type drink that is very popular here) and had a conversation in Farsi about learning Farsi and Tajik. The server came up to us before we left and asked to have a picture with us, probably because we were the strangest group of people sitting at a table at that restaurant. Besides me - and you should know that they do not see many black people here, so that is a treat in itself - we had Nick, Jill, Dietta and Mina, meaning a normal height white man, a tall white woman, a short white woman, and an Iranian woman. I think they were especially surprised that we were speaking their language. It was all very entertaining, and the great food made it even better.

After preparing a 10-minute presentation on Afghanistan, I went with the group to the American Corner in Tajikistan which runs through the embassy. We spoke with Nicole Bayer, who explained to us how the center works, and gave a run-through of all the programming they do. There are various clubs on different days, such as the Movie Club (which was yesterday), Writing Club, Music Club, etc. I am hoping to start a Poetry Club and possibly a Chess Club which will run until we leave; hopefully I'll be able to get at least some kids interested. At any rate, the kids there spoke fantastic English, and were interested in everything American they could find. It is very interesting since much of the information shown here about the US is a bit skewed by the Russian media, and so the American Corner gives a different perspective on how things are back home.

After the embassy we returned home for a great dinner with our family. Our host father's father was in town as a guest last night, and Nick and I had a long conversation with him about Persian poetry and other things. Both he and Sharif are hilarious, and listening to the two of them together is lots of fun and really interesting. I feel like I am learning just as much at home as I do in class, if not more. Every night he is really good about teaching us new words and getting us to speak on different topics. We also spend time with the extended family nightly, so there's lots to speak of and learn. Just be prepared to answer the question "Are you married?" multiple times a day if you're here, and if not, to explain why not.

I am really, really enjoying my time here. It's only day 4 and I already know my Farsi (and inadvertently my Tajiki) is getting better. The most interesting thing I've noticed about the people is being stared at; people just openly look at us as we walk down the street, especially at me (I know, so beautiful, I can't stop either). I've found people smile and get excited once I start speaking with them, and they immediately start teaching me new things about the language, so I've found it a good thing that I stand out. My language skills are getting the benefit, so it's worth it!

I think tomorrow I will start blogging subject by subject, because each day is so full and there's just no way I can realistically write about everything. I am sure I am missing so much but I hope to make up for it. Also, I promise AS SOON AS I can get to a computer fast enough, I will start with the akaas (pictures) so you can see all the wonderful things we do. Until next time!

Ruze dovom - Day Two!

We've found a teahouse! It's a great place to study and it's within walking distance of campus and of the house. I am finding my way around the city very easily and have found I am able to both get around and negotiate with sellers. All of the time spent in class practicing is kicking in, and the people here are both very surprised and very happy to speak Persian with me. I do have to explain sometimes that I don't speak Tajiki but everyone has been incredibly accomodating.

Since I don't have as much time on here as I thought I might today, I will give a couple quick stories and then leave the rest for (hopefully!) tomorrow.

The cabbie we found yesterday goes by the name of "Jackie Number 1."  Not Jackie, not Jack - Jackie Number 1. He is the most ridiculous cab driver I have ever met. We were looking for a hookah house and went to a hotel, but it wasn't there. Jackie Number One, however, was, and he kept trying to get us in his cab. Finally, we agreed, and it was the best decision we've made here thus far. Not only are his rates great, he is very entertaining and full of knowledge of the city. He showed us pictures of all his other customers from around the world. He also kept having arguments in multiple languages with other drivers. We will definitely be using him again.

Last night we couldn't find the number for Jill's home family, and she couldn't remember how to get back home, so she had dinner with us at our host family's place. Our host father explained why we use the right hand and not the left, and that we need to exercise in order to be in good health. It was a really great experience and Sharif is a great host, as is Shahnova, who made RIDICULOUSLY good food. I look forward to lots more meals and other experiences. Now, I must have dinner, so I bid you adieu!

Ruzi aval - Day One

DUDES. This city is amazing. We arrived early this morning and got through customs without any problem whatsoever. After going to the house, I had time to shower and change, and then Nick and I hit the streets a couple hours before our first meeting. We found a bazaar and a mall, as well as a cool cafe close to our house. We met a Canadian man who speaks Dari and talked with him at the cafe for a bit which was really interesting. There are so many other things I want to tell! However, I am on an iPhone and don't have time right now. We are headed back to the house, and hopefully will ride back with our new favorite cabbie, Jackie Number One. Tomorrow, the saga continues! Be prepared for pictures.

Ready to leave!

At my Aunt's house in New York, getting ready to leave for JFK. I can't believe it's happening, but in just under 24 hours I will be in Dushanbe, Tajikistan! The drive yesterday from Tempe to Longmont really drained me, but I had a good sleep at Joe and Ellen's place and the flight to NYC today was easy enough. I have a short layover in Istanbul tomorrow. If I'm lucky, I'll have enough time to actually visit Istanbul! If not, kicking it in the Turkish lounge for free food with Bobo and the crew. Until later!

Visas came in. It's happening.

Exams are over and it's time to head out to Colorado in just a few hours! Took a long nap today, woke up for Batman, and now I'm heading back to bed for a shorter nap before the long drive. I have everything I need (I hope!) and I am really excited to get going! Dushanbe 2012!

CLI is over already...how did that happen?

So CLI is coming to a close, and I am very excited to head out on Saturday! After the exam tomorrow morning, I will be packing up my room, heading to afternoon classes, and then sleeping before the midnight showing of  The Dark Knight Rises (as if I'd miss THAT). Friday is the long drive to Colorado to leave my car, and a quick stop at Joe's for the night before flying to JFK. Visit the fam, say what up, and bam - overseas for a month.

I just hope we get our visas tomorrow as promised.