Victory Day

This month marks the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. In the former Soviet Union, the day is celebrated on May 9th as Victory Day. Although sadly there are fewer and fewer members of the WWII generation with us, the collective memory lingers, particularly in countries where the war was fought on their own soil. I doubt there is a town of any size in the former USSR that does not have its own memorial. The city of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) was under siege by the Nazi army for 900 days--nearly 3 years. Young men were recruited from all over the Soviet Union, including a large number of young men from Tajikistan, many of whom had never been beyond the mountains they could see from their home village. In a couple of museums here I've seen a display of pictures of elderly WWII veterans (see photo of the display in Khujand).

Yesterday one TV station showed an event in Kalingrad, Russia where thousands of young cadets stood at attention as a general in an open Jeep rode 20 meters, stopped, and proclaimed through a loudspeaker something to the effect of "We celebrate the 65th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War." The cadets responded in chorus with a short chant, the Jeep drove another 20 meters, and the same thing was repeated. On another station, another parade was shown where hordes of white-haired men and women with dozens of medals on their chests walked through the streets.

My upstairs neighbor is a medalist, as they call them. "Babushka" (Russian for "grandmother) was a telegraph operator here in Dushanbe during the war, and has several medals to commemorate her service. A couple weeks ago I saw her older medals, and now she has a new 65 year medal that she has been wearing proudly. I tried to communicate to them that my Grandpa also worked in radio communications for the US Army, and that he was in Germany during the war. Babushka's husband, now deceased, went into the Red Army at age 17 and drove a tank in the war. Yesterday Babushka's daughter Lena showed me pictures of her father in his uniform and of the tank with branches strapped to it as camo. We all have stories, but I especially love spending time with older people who have seen so much history. I wish I could ask Babushka more questions, but she doesn't speak Tajik, the language I opted to take classes in.

After the picture of the Khujand heroes is: the Norak memorial, the Khujand memorial, me and Babushka, the commemorative signs around town in Tajik saying "no one and nothing will be forgotten," and the Dushanbe memorial with a Soviet tank.

Buzkashi

I had the amazing opportunity to see the famous Central Asia game of buzkashi on March 21st, the Nav Ruz "New Day" holiday. It's the New Year of the Persian world. I don't understand all the rules of this game, but the name means "goat grab" and the object is to grab a headless, dead goat that's been soaked in water and ride with it into a certain goal area. There are no fouls and no "out of bounds"; this game is hockey on a double dose of steroids, to put it mildly. This particular game was played in a field set in a low bowl and the spectators mostly stood on the slope around the field, but as you can see in the video, some of them chose to stand on the field. The riders can come in any direction at any time, so the crowd frequently runs from the action. The game came way too close for comfort to some of my expat friends; they were about a yard from a horse. I didn't get that close but had to run with the crowd several times. It's scary, but there's definitely a thrill. It was a very unique experience. The foreigners, especially women, were almost as entertaining to the spectators standing around us as the game itself. The crowd is 99.9% Tajik men wearing the standard black jackets and bowl haircuts, and a group of 15 foreigners, most of them women, stuck out even more than usual. People were basically quite polite, but people definitely got a kick out of how quickly we were prepared to run when the horses even looked like they were coming our way. The video speaks for itself--enjoy!

Women's Day

Photos: sign saying "Holiday congratulations, dear mothers and sisters"--(yes, I can read that now!); a couple walking--note the woman's large stuffed bear in plastic

Today, March 8th, is International Women’s Day. It’s a big deal in Tajikistan, something that became part of the culture during the Soviet days. In honor of Women’s Day, schools, universities and many businesses are closed. Technically, the name of celebration here was changed to “Mother’s Day” by the president, but most people still call it “Eidi Zanho” or “Women’s Holiday.” What follows is a collection of my musings about the holiday and the place of women in the society in general.

To commemorate the day, most people give gifts to mothers, grandmothers, sisters, wives, teachers, female coworkers, any women in their lives. Women give each other gifts as well. It’s like a combo of American Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and a birthday. People are walking up and down the streets carrying flowers and stuffed animals, and vendors in the bazaars are selling gift basket type things wrapped in red and pink plastic. Sometimes men and boys even prepare meals for the women in the household, which is definitely not the norm here!

As someone who isn’t a mother, I really appreciate a day when all women are celebrated. For days, I’ve received congratulations from sellers in the bazaar, coworkers and students. On Friday, one of my students brought a homemade cake to class and the students gave me a gift! I was very touched, but unfortunately didn’t have my camera to capture the moment. The men in our section of the English department brought food to the office and had a party for the women, complete with cake and a speech by our supervisor. It was great!

For those of you wondering if there’s a men’s equivalent, there is Men’s Day (or Army Day) on February 23rd. At work the women planned a little celebration for the men in our office. People usually give gifts to the men in their lives, but it’s not nearly as big a celebration as Women’s Day. It wasn’t a day off, and I didn’t notice nearly the amount of gifts being carried down the streets. I don’t intend to sound anti-men, (see post “Surprised by Honesty” for examples of men’s kindness) but I have to admit I’m glad that Women’s Day is a bigger celebration, because every day in Tajikistan (except maybe Women’s Day) is Men’s Day.

At any point in their lives, the vast majority of men here have several women who cook, clean and do laundry for them. (And believe me, these tasks take a lot longer than they do in the States!) In most families, when sons marry, the wife comes to live with her husband’s family. That’s right, men live with their parents all their lives. In one household, there may be more than one married son, so a couple could have multiple kayleenho, or daughters-in-law. So a man almost always has a mother, grandmother, sisters, wife, and maybe aunts to do housework for him. Kayleenho often do the brunt of the work, and in many cases the mother in the household actually stops doing much housework when there is a new bride, and expects the new kayleen to do almost everything. One of my male students even wrote about this as a health problem in the country, because mothers-in-law often become obese when their daughters-in-law are there to do all the work! Women who have sons old enough to marry will sometimes tell their son “I need a kayleen, so we’re going to find a wife for you.” Then the son gets married whether he wants to or not, to someone selected by the family. Imagine being the poor wife who hopes her husband won’t beat or cheat, and that his family will be kind to her. An expat friend told me that a recent study reported that 50% of women are victims of some kind of abuse, and the real percentage is likely higher.

So, I’m not going to complain too much about not having a day for women in the US that includes me. I’ll take the opportunity to make choices about education, marriage, a profession, where I live, etc, over a holiday. But these choices did not always exist, even for women in the West. I’m so thankful for those like Susan B. Anthony who fought for women’s rights. Would that each day, not just the 8th of March, we lived in a world where the treatment of women increasingly reflects the truth that all people bear the Creator’s image.

Alexandria

After spending 3 days in Cairo, my friend and I went up to Alexandria, Egypt for 2 days. Here are some pictures from there:
1. The view from the restaurant in our hotel, overlooking the Mediterranian
2. Kassie and I
3. Me with some Roman artifacts outside the catacombs in Alexandria
4. The inside of the new Alexandria library, opened in 2002 near the site of the ancient library, which was destroyed many centuries ago.
5. Me in the park near a presidential residence, overlooking the Sea
6. Entrance to the Catacombs visitor area. No photos were allowed inside, but we went down into the place where people were buried in Roman times.
7. The Qaitbay Citadel, built by a Sultan in 1477
8. The countryside view from the train ride between Cairo and Alexandria

Pyramids and Sphinx

I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Egypt during the last part of January and beginning of February. The Fellows program opts to send Fellows in several neighboring regions to an annual English teacher's conference in Cairo, and adds on a couple days of ELF specific training. The requirement was that we submit a presentation proposal for the conference. They sure didn't have to twist my arm before I emailed in my proposal! I'll post some pictures of my presentation later.

I took a week of vacation before the conference and was able to travel with a friend from MN, Kassie, who met me in Cairo. It was great to see her and together experience things we've read about and seen in movies. We visited the pyramids at Giza--there are more than 100 pyramids in Egypt, but these are the most famous. We even went inside the Great Pyramid and also rode in a horse-drawn cart.

The pyramids are 4,500 years old! I can't conceptualize how old that really is. The Great Pyramid (or Khufu's pyramid) has 2.3 million blocks of stone that weigh an average of 2.5 tons each. That's a number I have an even harder time conceptualizing!

For me, the "Solar Boat" museum was almost as awe-inspiring as the pyramids. The 43 meter long boat was found buried near the Great Pyramid, dismantled. Restorers put the boat back together and now it's in a museum where visitors can view all sides of the boat as it's suspended in the middle of the museum. Historians are not sure if the boat was used by the pharaoh during his lifetime, to carry his body for the funeral, or if it was a religious item meant to carry him to the afterlife. Being from northern Minnesota, I've seen many boats in various states of disrepair, and they were much, much younger than this boat. Enjoy the photos!

Surprised by Honesty

Photo: an electric bus is pushed down the street by the money collector guy. They usually start up again pretty quickly.

This is something I've been meaning to write about for a while, and am finally getting around to. Although corruption runs rampant in most areas of education, government, and most other areas of life here, I'm often surprised at how honest business people are in their dealings with me. (Don't worry, I'm still very careful).

There are lots of examples, but here are a few recent ones:

Today I was at a computer store to get an ink cartridge refilled. I bought my printer at this place and they recognize me because I come in every few weeks for refills. I told the guy I wanted to buy a new cartridge also, and though he was out of them, he referred me to the shop two doors down where they had them.

Last week I was taking a shared taxi (it runs a set route and people get in and out like on a bus). The cost of a ride is 2 somoni, less an 50 cents. I happened to be the only one in the taxi at the time, and we stopped at a light, but the poor guy's car refused to get going again! Car and bus troubles aren't anything new, so I just chilled in the car for a minute. Then I realized we weren't going any farther, and I started getting out of the car. The man handed me my money back! I gave him half back, and hoped the best for his poor car.

A couple weeks ago I got into a mini bus going the wrong way. I double checked our destination with the other passengers, and they pointed me to the opposite side of the road. The driver immediately stopped so I could get out...and handed me my money back.

Wardrobe Experiences

I read C. S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" books many times during my childhood and teen years. I watched the original BBC movies over and over and listened as my Dad read the books to me and my brothers. The other day it occurred to me that I feel like I'm having a "wardrobe" experience. If you're not familiar with the stories, the basic premise is that four siblings and other children go to the magical world of Narnia and have all kinds of adventures. They get to Narnia in different ways, but in the first book they travel to Narnia through a mysterious wardrobe in an old manor house. This particular wardrobe has no back panel; it leads into a forest in Narnia. In Narnia, the children witness the end of a perpetual winter; the sacrifice of the lion, Aslan; become kings and queens of the land; and grow to adulthood. Narnia years later, they stumble upon the wardrobe again, long after they have forgotten where they came from. When they go back through the wardrobe door, only 10 minutes have passed since they left Our World, and they are children again.

I've now been in Tajikistan for 4 months, but so much has happened in that time. I feel like I will have a similar experience as the Narnia children had when I return to the US this summer. I think it's helpful to look back at the end of the year, and I want to share some of my reflections about things I couldn't have imagined 4 months ago.

I've become more direct and to-the-point, at least in some situations. In the past couple of weeks, I've been dealing with students faced with failing my class. One guy, a 3rd year student, indicated that he would be in big trouble with his father. "You should have thought of that 5 semesters ago," I said. To another student, I pointed out: "My Tajik is better than your English," and "it's not my problem." Now, I'm not saying that these are great models of teacher-student interaction, but they are examples of how I've become firmer as a teacher.

Considering the amount of time I've been here, I've learned quite a bit of Tajik. I can have a very basic conversation with sellers at the market and now can understand if people are asking where I'm from or if I'm married! This evening at our English Faculty New Year's party, I was asked to give a toast/speech and to try to say it first in Tajik. [I think] I was able to express that I'm happy to be working with the teachers there and wish them health and happiness in the New Year. After that, my "Tajik was finished," to use the phrase of my co-worker, who sometimes says "My English is finished." I finished my New Year's wishes in English. Back to the Tajik, I can sit in staff meetings where the Dean talks on and on in Tajik and sometimes understand the basic idea.

There are also certain aspects of culture that you come to expect, to your own surprise. A while back I was talking to a married woman about her desire to improve her English by traveling. I asked her in surprise: "Would your husband allow you to go?" I now take it as a given that if a female student gets married, her husband may or may not allow her to continue to study. Now, even in the US, of course, family and spouses are always a consideration when making study decisions, but the fact that I asked about a person's husband allowing something surprised even me.

I've also flagged down busses on the main road (yes, you can do that here!), used the same spoon and cup as someone else, and starting stirring the tea by pouring a cup and dumping it back twice before pouring one to drink. Instant coffee doesn't even taste so bad anymore!

Those are some of the more light-hearted examples of how I'm changing and adapting, but there are deeper things too. I've come to appreciate so many things more, from the government and educational systems in the US to the amount of personal choice many people in the States have. Where at the beginning, I more frequently judged the way people do things, while I don't always agree, I'm at least understanding where people come from more. I understand some of the seemingly arbitrary laws and why teachers are very strict with their students.

I'd love to hear your reflections on this past year--send me an email or comment if you have something you'd like to share. This picture is a pretty typical street scene, and a picture of me hiking in the mountains Christmas Day. The views of the mountains with the snow have been incredible lately.

Soli Nav Mubarak! Happy New Year!