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!
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