Sunday, April 26, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Bushi-Ato
So last weekend we loaded up a van with 17 youths and a car with a university student celebrating her 22nd birthday, the director of the A.C. and me riding up front. We went about 45 min. outside of Khujand to a place in the foothills called Bushi-Ato. It would have only taken us 20 min. to get there but the road was just awful. When we arrived there were a lot of people already there camped out under the trees with generators going, stereos playing, and TVs going. There was also a lot of garbage and horses all around so I knew that wouldn't do so we took our group up to a nearby meadow overlooking the whole fray.
Students paid for, shopped for, and prepared all the food for the day. One 11th grade girl cooked 10 kilos of chicken the night before. We had 36 loaves of bread, liter after liter of lemonade and cola, tomatoes, cucumbers etc. All I did was pay for the transportation and organize the day's activities. I planned twice as many activities as we actually did. The kids also brought an old turkish carpet to picnic on.
So the first thing we did of course was eat. After that we hunted for easter eggs in the bushes dotting the meadow. I bought, boiled, colored and hid 45 eggs. The kids loved it. Then we did the raw egg toss it was amazing how some eggs just never seemed to break while others broke easily. I saw raw eggs bumping along the ground. Then we did paper airplanes. Everyone had to design their own paper airplane or I showed them how to make one if they didn't know. Then we went to the top of a nearby ridge and let them fly. It was a lot of fun to see all those colorful airplanes floating freely through the blue sky above the bright green meadow below. Then we had a scavenger hunt with all sorts of fun things like a yellow leaf, a flat rock etc. Then we went and played football. I joined in the action too and the boys and girls played well together for about an hour. It is really rare for girls to play with boys here especially in a game like football. But the girls and boys played very well together the girls got right in there and mixed it up, falling down getting dirty it was a lot of fun. We were all like brothers and sisters. I think you can see that from my picture. Then after all that people were tired. So we just rested plus the sun was hot and we had no shade so that was also hard on people. But we rallied in the afternoon performed some skits, played volleyball just in a circle and had multiple three legged races. Others also went for a hike to the top of the mtns. Before we left we had a big lunch with all that food students brought. Also someone brought by a horse and most kids had never sat on a horse so they had the opportunity to get in the saddle.
They didn't want to leave. I felt like a father i had 10-12 kids all pleading with me asking me if they could stay longer but I said no and we left just before 5 pm. It's cool with the A.C. because we are all young people, I'm the oldest, but we do great things independently and energetically.
All the kids had a great time and all the extra food was brought to the local mosque in the name of the American Corner (A.C.) . So the beat goes on. Tomorrow off to an orphanage all day. Friday we did a communtiy clean-up. Finally got all the dirt in the garden today and we started recycling and selling glass and plastic bottles. More about all those things later and of course I'll have pictures of all those things too.
Until next week...
Students paid for, shopped for, and prepared all the food for the day. One 11th grade girl cooked 10 kilos of chicken the night before. We had 36 loaves of bread, liter after liter of lemonade and cola, tomatoes, cucumbers etc. All I did was pay for the transportation and organize the day's activities. I planned twice as many activities as we actually did. The kids also brought an old turkish carpet to picnic on.
So the first thing we did of course was eat. After that we hunted for easter eggs in the bushes dotting the meadow. I bought, boiled, colored and hid 45 eggs. The kids loved it. Then we did the raw egg toss it was amazing how some eggs just never seemed to break while others broke easily. I saw raw eggs bumping along the ground. Then we did paper airplanes. Everyone had to design their own paper airplane or I showed them how to make one if they didn't know. Then we went to the top of a nearby ridge and let them fly. It was a lot of fun to see all those colorful airplanes floating freely through the blue sky above the bright green meadow below. Then we had a scavenger hunt with all sorts of fun things like a yellow leaf, a flat rock etc. Then we went and played football. I joined in the action too and the boys and girls played well together for about an hour. It is really rare for girls to play with boys here especially in a game like football. But the girls and boys played very well together the girls got right in there and mixed it up, falling down getting dirty it was a lot of fun. We were all like brothers and sisters. I think you can see that from my picture. Then after all that people were tired. So we just rested plus the sun was hot and we had no shade so that was also hard on people. But we rallied in the afternoon performed some skits, played volleyball just in a circle and had multiple three legged races. Others also went for a hike to the top of the mtns. Before we left we had a big lunch with all that food students brought. Also someone brought by a horse and most kids had never sat on a horse so they had the opportunity to get in the saddle.
They didn't want to leave. I felt like a father i had 10-12 kids all pleading with me asking me if they could stay longer but I said no and we left just before 5 pm. It's cool with the A.C. because we are all young people, I'm the oldest, but we do great things independently and energetically.
All the kids had a great time and all the extra food was brought to the local mosque in the name of the American Corner (A.C.) . So the beat goes on. Tomorrow off to an orphanage all day. Friday we did a communtiy clean-up. Finally got all the dirt in the garden today and we started recycling and selling glass and plastic bottles. More about all those things later and of course I'll have pictures of all those things too.
Until next week...
Easter Egg Hunt
The final result was 44 out of 45 eggs were found and one was broken. One boy even got the "golden" egg which was actually blue.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Ok I hope you enjoy all those pictures I just uploaded. Now let me tell you a little bit of the story behind them. Last Saturday the 11th of April I went with my colleague and friend Farhod to his village and a nearby city named Istarafshan. We traveled by van there and it took us only about an hour because the Chinese repaired this road last year and it is beautiful. They repaired it and in exchange the Tajik government let some Chinese settle in this vacinity.
Anyway Saturday was a very wet day it was raining most of the day. But I have good REI boots and a waterproof jacket so I made the best of it. We first went to Istarafshan and went to an ancient castle overlooking the city. All that remains of the castle today is a grassy field and a brick gateway that was constructed in 2001 for the aniversery. This was a Zoroastrian castle they needed it to protect themselves from the Muslims. Then we went to the market and looked around it was big and slightly interesting. I had some great sheep shish-kabob. It was a lot like the market in Khujand but still it was worth it. The museum in town was closed. We also went to the local mosque in town and a park with a lot of monuments dedicated to famous Tajik writers and artists.
Then we went to Farhod's village named Nijoni. It lies about 8 bumpy km. from Istarafshan. Tucked behind some hills. This is where Farhod grew up. The majority of the population is Uzbek speaking and their race is Uzbek too. Farhod is too. The vilage is even older than Istarafshan it is 3,000 years old and Istarafshan is only 2,000. It was really like stepping back in time when I was in this village. I was the first American ever to visit this village. Life was just very simple, traditional, undisturbed, protected. It seemed like nothing had changed in 200 years. People's houses were built from mud and straw. Every family had a donkey. There was the ruins of an ancient castle. Each neighborhood had its own teahouse where men hung out and drank tea or vodka. They also played boardgames here and discussed issues. Farhod told me that if he wanted to talk to a girl from a different neighborhood he had to talk to these men at the teahouse first or there would be big trouble. These teahouse men are like protecting their neighborhood and they standout and just watch and talk. Most women are illiterate. They only go to the fourth grade just enough so they can read a bit and write their name. 100% become housewives and carry on the traditions that have been occuring for generations. We toured the town Farhod and me. We went to the cemetary, watched a football game, went up on the castle, talked to teahouse men. Everyman we met on the street we had to stop and shake his hand and ask how he was. It was like running for an elected office. Men from the village can't marry "city" girls and visa-versa. It is all very strict. In the evening we had a beautifully prepared meal of pilau, and sherbo with the local men. The school director came over and a Russian and English teacher. I had visited their school earlier in the day. I was the first native speaker this English teacher had ever met. He was so happy he called his sister and daughter who were also English teachers and had me talk to them on the phone just so they could speak with a native speaker. Neighbors and friends and relatives also came over. We sat at the low table and had a 4 course traditional Tajik meal prepared on an earthen oven by Farhod's two sisters and this mom. The men all loved looking at pictures from the U.S. They especially loved the picture of Katy in front of a huge Douglas Fir tree that was along the trail to Malikhite Lk. I made a very good impression don't worry.
The next day the skies cleared but it was still chilly I figured that Nijoni must be at a higher elevation than Khujand.
I had to get back to Khujand on Sun. becasue I had a lot of work to do. But Farhod's family was just thrilled to have hosted an American and invited me back. Farhod's sister is an Eng. teacher so she was happy to meet me too. She lives next to her parents house.
One thing I forgot to add is that on Sat. we went out to a reservoiur created for irrigation by the Soviets. It was not too far from Istarafshan. It was beautiful out there and we also walked around an old Soviet sanitorium adjacent to the reserviour. It wasn't raining too hard at this time but I do remember the water dripping off the bill of my baseball cap at one point in the day. Just like home sweet home. Anyway it was good trip it was very interesting like I said it was like stepping back in time and going to a completely different country. Ok I'm exhausted tonight. I'm off on a big all day field trip tomorrow the 19th. take care I'm too tired.
Anyway Saturday was a very wet day it was raining most of the day. But I have good REI boots and a waterproof jacket so I made the best of it. We first went to Istarafshan and went to an ancient castle overlooking the city. All that remains of the castle today is a grassy field and a brick gateway that was constructed in 2001 for the aniversery. This was a Zoroastrian castle they needed it to protect themselves from the Muslims. Then we went to the market and looked around it was big and slightly interesting. I had some great sheep shish-kabob. It was a lot like the market in Khujand but still it was worth it. The museum in town was closed. We also went to the local mosque in town and a park with a lot of monuments dedicated to famous Tajik writers and artists.
Then we went to Farhod's village named Nijoni. It lies about 8 bumpy km. from Istarafshan. Tucked behind some hills. This is where Farhod grew up. The majority of the population is Uzbek speaking and their race is Uzbek too. Farhod is too. The vilage is even older than Istarafshan it is 3,000 years old and Istarafshan is only 2,000. It was really like stepping back in time when I was in this village. I was the first American ever to visit this village. Life was just very simple, traditional, undisturbed, protected. It seemed like nothing had changed in 200 years. People's houses were built from mud and straw. Every family had a donkey. There was the ruins of an ancient castle. Each neighborhood had its own teahouse where men hung out and drank tea or vodka. They also played boardgames here and discussed issues. Farhod told me that if he wanted to talk to a girl from a different neighborhood he had to talk to these men at the teahouse first or there would be big trouble. These teahouse men are like protecting their neighborhood and they standout and just watch and talk. Most women are illiterate. They only go to the fourth grade just enough so they can read a bit and write their name. 100% become housewives and carry on the traditions that have been occuring for generations. We toured the town Farhod and me. We went to the cemetary, watched a football game, went up on the castle, talked to teahouse men. Everyman we met on the street we had to stop and shake his hand and ask how he was. It was like running for an elected office. Men from the village can't marry "city" girls and visa-versa. It is all very strict. In the evening we had a beautifully prepared meal of pilau, and sherbo with the local men. The school director came over and a Russian and English teacher. I had visited their school earlier in the day. I was the first native speaker this English teacher had ever met. He was so happy he called his sister and daughter who were also English teachers and had me talk to them on the phone just so they could speak with a native speaker. Neighbors and friends and relatives also came over. We sat at the low table and had a 4 course traditional Tajik meal prepared on an earthen oven by Farhod's two sisters and this mom. The men all loved looking at pictures from the U.S. They especially loved the picture of Katy in front of a huge Douglas Fir tree that was along the trail to Malikhite Lk. I made a very good impression don't worry.
The next day the skies cleared but it was still chilly I figured that Nijoni must be at a higher elevation than Khujand.
I had to get back to Khujand on Sun. becasue I had a lot of work to do. But Farhod's family was just thrilled to have hosted an American and invited me back. Farhod's sister is an Eng. teacher so she was happy to meet me too. She lives next to her parents house.
One thing I forgot to add is that on Sat. we went out to a reservoiur created for irrigation by the Soviets. It was not too far from Istarafshan. It was beautiful out there and we also walked around an old Soviet sanitorium adjacent to the reserviour. It wasn't raining too hard at this time but I do remember the water dripping off the bill of my baseball cap at one point in the day. Just like home sweet home. Anyway it was good trip it was very interesting like I said it was like stepping back in time and going to a completely different country. Ok I'm exhausted tonight. I'm off on a big all day field trip tomorrow the 19th. take care I'm too tired.
Village Men
Many important village men came to dinner to meet me. The man closest on the left is a Russian teacher, the man next to him is a school director, the man wearing a cap second from the right is an English teacher. Too bad I had to meet them all wearing pajamas because my friend's mom was washing my Levi's because they got so muddy during the course of the day. No one seemed to mind my wardrobe.
Istarafshan Blacksmith
This blacksmith is opperating a billows by pulling down on a handle. You can see his work to the right of the kiln- that is a hoe blade he made. There is another one on top of the kiln. They also make harrow and plow blades to be used behind horses or bulls. No tractors here.
My Friend's Family
From left is his sister, his wrestler uncle, his father and his mother. The children are his nieces and nephews. His family has lived in this exact location for 4 generations.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Easter
I just like to have fun. I'm not conciously trying to win hearts and minds or make everyone like the U.S. I'm just being me and doing what comes naturally to me. I like helping people and having fun that is all. Some days I get really tired but I'm usually successful if I try.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Apropriate Picture
Now don't think I'm arrogant but I keep remembering this picture that Charles Peterson took of Kurt Cobain after an in-store performance for the release of the Nevermind album. The record store is out of business now but the picture shows Kurt sitting down, sweaty after the little show he did and he looks overwhlemed by all the attention and people that were crammed into the little store. This picture was a portent of things to come. That picture was just the beginning before things began to really blow up and Nirvana got super famous.
Well anyway I remember this picture everyday because I feel like how I think Kurt felt. A lot of people come out everyday. Like today for easter egg coloring we must have had about 30 people at the A.C. it was just for discussion club and easter egg coloring but in my opinion there was a crush of people you could hardly walk around. I try to keep smiling but I also remember this picture of Kurt and that sums up how I feel a lot of the time.
Well anyway I remember this picture everyday because I feel like how I think Kurt felt. A lot of people come out everyday. Like today for easter egg coloring we must have had about 30 people at the A.C. it was just for discussion club and easter egg coloring but in my opinion there was a crush of people you could hardly walk around. I try to keep smiling but I also remember this picture of Kurt and that sums up how I feel a lot of the time.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
hiking 7
Hiking April 5th was ok. We had 4 people come out three of which were new and had never been hiking before. One of these three one was a young woman. So we decided to go up what we call mtn. number one the "easiest" one. Two of the other men and myself made the summit without too much difficulty but the young woman and her boyfriend didn't get past the final loose rock field that led to the summit. We caught up with them on our way down. The young woman was very cautious and going up a 500 ft. very steep rock slope wasn't in the cards for her. But she was pleased about how high she did get. The flowers were once again beautiful and the weather was great. The view of Khujand was worth the effort. This is the 4th time I've climbed this particular mtn. No hiking next week because I'm going to Istrafshan which is a town south of here about 2 hrs. at least that is what I've been told. I'm going with a colleague of mine at the unversity. Have a good week and I'll do the same.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
teacher training/toilets
The last three photos are from a teacher training I did March 28th. It was a one day training from 9-3:30 for secondary school teachers from small towns and villages in this Northern part of Tajikistan. It was a successful event. I went over grammar instruction, reading instruction and vocabulary instruction. At the end two local teachers talked about their experience in Hyderabad, India. The U.S. government sent them to an English language univ. in Hyderabad for 6 weeks this winter. So they talked about their experiences there. The two teachers who went to Hyderabad had a great experience and were super excited to get back to their classrooms and try out some of the new techniques they learned it really breathed some new life into these two women. I think everyone left the one day workshop feeling satisfied and pleased.
Then on Wed. we had April Fools Day. Surprsingly enough people here celebrate this day in much the same way that Americans do. Students were fooling me by saying that the back of my coat was dirty or that someone wanted to talk to me when they really didn't. Just stuff like that. I didn't play too many tricks on kids I'm not very good at that sort of thing.
We also had a highly successful painting party at the A.C. today on one of the outside walls so I'll put some pictures up of that activity ASAP. I also saw an old friend today who I worked with and initially met in Georgia so it was great to see her again. She still works for the government but now she is in Ankara.
Now most Fellows probably are appalled about their host institution's toilet situation. But I'm not so apalled as amused it is too easy to be critical and besides I lived through two years of Georgian toilets. So my toilet situation is interesting it is an outside building with the women going to one side of the bld. and the men to the other. It costs 10 diram a diram is like a cent. There are 100 diram in 1 somoni and 3.8 somoni in $1.00. You can do the math. For months I had to pay this amount because the guy, Giorgi, who collects the money thought I was a student but now he knows I'm a teacher so I can pee for free. Anyway this guy Giorgi is interesting sometime I'll have to put his picture up here. First of all Giorgi is a Georgian name and I don't know anyone else here with this name. Secondly, it almost like he lives in the toilet. He has an electric burner next to the semi-operational sink inside. He cooks and prepares tea and what not I guess. This winter when it was too cold he sat in this little entrance way near the sink and burner and tried to stay warm. Now he sits out in front of the toilets demanding his sums be paid up front. Third, recently he has started to plant a little garden next to the toilets he gets out there with is hoe and makes his little rows and has planted vegetables or something I don't know. I can see that he has planted little saplings. Fourth, he always speaks to me in German or English or something never Tajik. When I come to pee he always gives me a big thumbs up and says "kargula" "Ok?" I say, "ok." Ok enough about Giorgi when you see his picture you will know. Now about the facilities. The standard pocelin squat pits no flush option. T.P. is in the form of book pages which are available for you to take for the 10 diram. The pages are placed on top of an outside low (2ft.) retaining wall that runs along the entrance to the latrine. The pages are crudely torn out of some forgotten misbegotton and long ago boughten book. They are held down by small stones to keep them from blowing off the low wall. You take the page on the way in if you know you have more serious business to do. There are doors on the toilets which makes it nice because the pits are facing eachother 6 down one wall and 6 down the other wall. At least with the toilets having doors you have some privacy. There is a sink but it only rarely has water come out of it. There is also an old towel/rag of somesort that hangs on a nail near the sink. But usually the hands are "washed" by taking a 1 liter plastic bottle filled with water off that same low wall and squeezing water out of it and onto your hand(s). The bottle has its cap on it and good old Giorgi puts a small nail hole or something in the top of the cap so bascially the old 1 liter cola bottle becomes a squirt bottle. So I squirt a little water on my hands and dry them on my trousers and go. That's it no soap and it is probably best not to use the towel. I've never been to the women's side of things but I imagine it is is similar. It's better now because it is warmer it was really tough this winter squeezing cold water on to your cold hands thus making them wet and cold. But I've never gotten sick from this situation I go to this toilet and then eat some crazy hotdog in a bun concocktion sometimes. I don't even want to think about what the Russians put in their hotdogs I don't look I just eat. Same with the toilets I don't look I just go and then keep right on working. I've gotten used to it.
Then on Wed. we had April Fools Day. Surprsingly enough people here celebrate this day in much the same way that Americans do. Students were fooling me by saying that the back of my coat was dirty or that someone wanted to talk to me when they really didn't. Just stuff like that. I didn't play too many tricks on kids I'm not very good at that sort of thing.
We also had a highly successful painting party at the A.C. today on one of the outside walls so I'll put some pictures up of that activity ASAP. I also saw an old friend today who I worked with and initially met in Georgia so it was great to see her again. She still works for the government but now she is in Ankara.
Now most Fellows probably are appalled about their host institution's toilet situation. But I'm not so apalled as amused it is too easy to be critical and besides I lived through two years of Georgian toilets. So my toilet situation is interesting it is an outside building with the women going to one side of the bld. and the men to the other. It costs 10 diram a diram is like a cent. There are 100 diram in 1 somoni and 3.8 somoni in $1.00. You can do the math. For months I had to pay this amount because the guy, Giorgi, who collects the money thought I was a student but now he knows I'm a teacher so I can pee for free. Anyway this guy Giorgi is interesting sometime I'll have to put his picture up here. First of all Giorgi is a Georgian name and I don't know anyone else here with this name. Secondly, it almost like he lives in the toilet. He has an electric burner next to the semi-operational sink inside. He cooks and prepares tea and what not I guess. This winter when it was too cold he sat in this little entrance way near the sink and burner and tried to stay warm. Now he sits out in front of the toilets demanding his sums be paid up front. Third, recently he has started to plant a little garden next to the toilets he gets out there with is hoe and makes his little rows and has planted vegetables or something I don't know. I can see that he has planted little saplings. Fourth, he always speaks to me in German or English or something never Tajik. When I come to pee he always gives me a big thumbs up and says "kargula" "Ok?" I say, "ok." Ok enough about Giorgi when you see his picture you will know. Now about the facilities. The standard pocelin squat pits no flush option. T.P. is in the form of book pages which are available for you to take for the 10 diram. The pages are placed on top of an outside low (2ft.) retaining wall that runs along the entrance to the latrine. The pages are crudely torn out of some forgotten misbegotton and long ago boughten book. They are held down by small stones to keep them from blowing off the low wall. You take the page on the way in if you know you have more serious business to do. There are doors on the toilets which makes it nice because the pits are facing eachother 6 down one wall and 6 down the other wall. At least with the toilets having doors you have some privacy. There is a sink but it only rarely has water come out of it. There is also an old towel/rag of somesort that hangs on a nail near the sink. But usually the hands are "washed" by taking a 1 liter plastic bottle filled with water off that same low wall and squeezing water out of it and onto your hand(s). The bottle has its cap on it and good old Giorgi puts a small nail hole or something in the top of the cap so bascially the old 1 liter cola bottle becomes a squirt bottle. So I squirt a little water on my hands and dry them on my trousers and go. That's it no soap and it is probably best not to use the towel. I've never been to the women's side of things but I imagine it is is similar. It's better now because it is warmer it was really tough this winter squeezing cold water on to your cold hands thus making them wet and cold. But I've never gotten sick from this situation I go to this toilet and then eat some crazy hotdog in a bun concocktion sometimes. I don't even want to think about what the Russians put in their hotdogs I don't look I just eat. Same with the toilets I don't look I just go and then keep right on working. I've gotten used to it.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Try this!
Read the following sentence from our textbook and tell me the prepositional objects which are derived from nouns and adjectives.
"The Third Congress of the International Journalists' Organization obliged all progressive journalists to wage a vigorous struggle against the armaments drive in all its forms. for reduction of armaments, against any preparations for a new war, without slackening the struggle for banning the atomic weapon."
This is my job I have to teach/explain this!
"The Third Congress of the International Journalists' Organization obliged all progressive journalists to wage a vigorous struggle against the armaments drive in all its forms. for reduction of armaments, against any preparations for a new war, without slackening the struggle for banning the atomic weapon."
This is my job I have to teach/explain this!
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