December 31, 2011

I almost tripped when getting out of bed as I still felt lightheaded from the motion sickness the previous’ day car ride had caused. Could I be suffering from vertigo just like my mom? My stomach was also still unsettled and on top of that my throat felt like it was being attacked by thousands of germs.

Caroline wrote to say she had agreed to go to the New Year’s Eve bash at the Hyatt after all as Yoomie had convinced her to attend. She told me later on that Marydean was hosting a dinner party at her house prior to going to the Hyatt and would I agree to go with her. I turned down both invites. I felt dizzy and queasy and knew I’d not make for good company.

Yoomie called later on concerned about my having skipped both the Christmas Eve and now New Year’s Eve party and I reassured her that I in no way felt left out as these celebrations are basically meaningless for me these days. She also wanted to come by and use my washing machine now that Ryan is out of town, but I still only have a trickle of water. I sent Pariso a text message asking her to please contact my landlady and let her know I needed running water to do the laundry. She didn’t acknowledge receipt. Oh, well, rent is due tomorrow and I’m not paying until water is restored to my apartment.

I ate the leftover pasta for lunch and made a pot of mung bean soup for dinner, watched the news and put the finishing touches on my PowerPoint presentation on grant writing for Wednesday. The power went out at 7:00pm and I took my laptop to bed to read one of my electronic books. I now regret having purchase the cheap replacement battery I did as it only lasts about 1.5 hours, not enough to wait until power comes back up even though this time it came in less than one hour.

I heard fireworks in the distance. Corrie said she’d try to make it to the Ismoili Plaza where the celebration was scheduled to begin at 7:00pm. I asked her to take photos for me.

December 30, 2011

I had set my alarm for 6:00am to make sure I could make it to the American Corner by 8:00 so as to meet Corrie, Shafoat and the embassy driver there for our trip to Khulob. Corrie showed up fifteen minutes late and the embassy people showed up at 8:25am. Cooling my heels out on the sidewalk was not very pleasant in the 32 degree weather. Observing the Tajik women come and go around me I noticed that their boots are not made just for protection against the cold weather. Instead they feature such details as pleats, snaps, beadwork, tassels, pompons and glitter so they can make a fashion statement along the way.

When the embassy car arrived, we drove to the School of Journalism to pick up a young woman who was going to give a presentation at one of the universities in Khulob. She had spent two years in the United States, but her English was halting at best. I asked Shafoat if we were going to stop along the way, we had a three hour car ride, at least for tea so I could use a bathroom and she said no, that we were expected to make a non-stop ride and wouldn’t even be having lunch there. That didn’t make any sense to me for I couldn’t go seven hours without any sustenance. The driver was one of those macho aggressive type tailgating cars in front, trying to pass even when it was unsafe and breaking suddenly when not allowed to. He wasn’t wearing his seatbelt, which I’m sure goes against the embassy’s rules. He was gruff guy and seemed to speak little English so I gave up attempts to make small talk with him. Shafoat wasn’t any better as she had no information about the landmarks we passed. The driver did make a stop when he spotted a toilet next to a gas station thus allowing me to relieve myself.

I began to feel nauseous and lightheaded after riding for a few kilometers and the feeling never went way as I hate riding in the back seat and motion sickness  comes easily, but especially so when the driver is as erratic in its maneuvers as this one was. I contemplated whether I could file a complaint against the driver next time I visited the embassy compound.

The day was overcast and remained so all day. We could see lots of people gathered at the markets and along the road where vendors were selling butchered sheep, turkeys and other animals in preparation for the New Year’s celebration. We got to Khulob at noon and Shafoat reiterated that no lunch was available, as people in Khulob didn’t know how to cook, and we’d eat when we returned to Dushanbe.

I ignored her comment and turned to the American Corner’s coordinator and asked him for a place to eat nearby. He asked what I wanted to eat and I said anything as long as it was fresh and hot. He took us to a kitchen located within the university campus where two women were cooking soup. We had a delicious salad, soup and tea, and the coordinator refused to allow us to pay. He even presented each of us with a hand carved platter where Tajiks traditionally served kurtob and which they call a tabac. It was then time to meet the teachers and students who wanted to have a chance to practice their English with native speakers.

The American Corner in Khulob consists of two rooms, one dedicated to computers where students can learn to use them and get online access, and a general one where set up our materials for a workshop on using games to reinforce vocabulary. There was no power at that point and it was pretty chilly inside. We got about 12 teachers and a couple of students and got to carry out about four different games before being told that the embassy car was waiting for us outside. It was only 2:10pm.

My throat was parched from all the talking and the driver agreed to stop at a local grocery store where we all bought drinks. Shafot requested the driver also stopped so she could buy the Tajik version of chapatti bread, a thin circular flat bread that can easily serve twelve people. The market was set up directly on the ground and it was incredibly muddy, crowded and noisy.

It started to rain/snow on the way back and at certain point a heavy fog enveloped everything. Except for the driver and myself, everybody else went to sleep despite the bone-jarring ride, sudden stops and constant swerving of the driver hell bent on getting back to Dushanbe as soon as possible.

Shoafat indicated we’d be dropped off at the American Corner, but I knew my bladder would not stand the 25 minute walk back to my apartment and it was snowing lightly when we got into the city. Corrie invited me to have dinner with her anywhere in town, but I couldn’t think of a place I’d find appealing. Instead, I asked her to come with me to my flat and I’d make a quick pasta dish for the two of us.  I asked Shafoat if they could drop us off close to the Children’s park and could see the disapproving look of the driver when he heard the request. I had been sending him signals that I disapproved of the way he was driving and there was no love lost between us. He muttered something under his breath, but complied and dropped us off at the corner of Shotemur and Terzunsonda.

I was able to make an outstanding pasta dish by browning pieces of  salami in olive oil, adding crushed garlic, minced onion, chopped Roma tomatoes, and some pickled mushrooms I had bought at the market. Corrie made a pot of tea and we pigged out on our delicious concoction. We both had seconds and luckily there was still enough leftovers for another meal.

December 29, 2011

Went to my conversation class at Caritas making my way through the remaining snow and deeply rutted roads full of mud that radiate from Rudaki. Since the topic was childhood, it gave me a chance to learn about the way children are reared in Tajikistan and to hear them wax nostalgically about  about the days of the Soviet era as being more prosperous, when there were more cultural events to take part in and children were registered for after school activities such as ballet and gymnastics. They made quite a few references to the civil war that took place between 1992-1997 and how unsafe it was to step out of the house when they were teenagers.

When I mentioned that my Skype connection was not working properly, one of them offered to cut me a CD with the program so I could bypass the online download. They also gave me a box of chocolate as a New Year’s present. They all planned on gathering with family members to exchange present that day.

After not having had a manicure in about three months, my nails had started to look like talons. I went down Rudaki Street determined to find a beauty salon where to get my nails done but had forgotten that apparently every woman in Dushanbe was getting ready to receive the new year in style and the salons were packed. One of them asked me to wait for 25 minutes in a cramped space where two beauticians were blowing drying hair, a sound that grates on my nerves. Salons here have no ventilation system and thus the smells of hair coloring and nail polish become nauseating after a while. I decided it was best for me to just find a sturdy nail file and do it myself. After trying several shops, I found a metal file that should last me a while and got my manicure done later on in the evening.

There was an assembly of Santa Claus in front of the New Year’s Eve’s tree including a couple dressed in the traditional Asian robe as opposed to the Santa suit. Lots of freelance photographer were hanging around waiting the take photos of families visiting the tree.

Based on Corrie’s suggestion, I stopped at an Iranian fast foot place close to the Rohat Teahouse. It lacked in ambience completely with only six tables pushed against the walls and a few tourist posters. The young woman who handed me a menu seemed to be a relative and to, an inherent hazard, have no idea on how to serve customers. Corrie said her friend raved about the sandwiches and so I order a tongue one, French fries and a yogurt drink typical of Iran. The server came back to say they were out of it and I order tea instead. The sandwich could have contained dog meat for all I knew since the filling was an indistinguishable brown mass topped with a scant amount of chopped tomatoes and lettuce. No condiments of any kind were included to make the sandwich more palatable and the bread had not been toasted. The fries were soggy as if they had been fried in too cold oil and I had to use two napkins to blot out some of it. The tea was the usual weak variety served everywhere. Another place to write off my list of restaurants in the Dushanbe area.

Daroush called to find out if I was home so he could come by and request my assistance with one of his English papers. This one deals with war rugs, something I had never heard of before. I told him I could try and to something about it over the weekend and he dropped it off a short time later.

I watched the movie “Ronin”, one starring Robert De Niro and an extremely violent one at that. I’m not even sure there was a point to this movie, but having De Niro in it made it passable. I also finished reading “The Bean Trees”, a delightful novel by Barbara Kingsolver that I recommend to everyone.

December 28, 2011

I woke to more snow falling quietly on the ground. I decided right then and there to cancel my conversation class at the Caritas’ office. I texted Pariso to go ahead and make the trip to my apartment so we could discuss several issues still pending at the PedInst.

She braved the snow and came in with her socks almost soaked through as her boots are not waterproof. I lent her a pair while her own dried over my space heater. Pariso commented that she was here mostly to get her application completed for the teacher’s exchange program through the Fulbright office. My internet connection was slower than ever and I could not navigate the site. I had her call Megaphon to see if by any chance I had exhausted my funds and they said not, to just unplug the modem, wait five minutes and plug back in. It made no difference whatsoever. I’ll try to do the research for her in the next few days.

                                             
                                                  Snowy view in my neighborhood

While she was here, she got a call from Polyglot, the language institute where I have been scheduled to take language lessons, but haven’t gotten around to. Pariso jumped at the chance of teaching me privately since she’s work for this institute in the past and swears they don’t offer group lessons as I had expected, but individual ones as needed. We agreed on a rate of $8.00 an hour and I emailed Caroline to borrow her Tajik book for a while as I know she’s not making any use of it. She promptly said yes.

I still don’t have running water and went downstairs to check with my neighbor Maryam and confirmed she does have running water. I sent an email to Dilya so she can contact my landlady. It’s been more than a week since the pipes froze and the temperatures have risen to 48 degrees. I can’t see any reason as to why I still don’t have but a trickle of water.

I got a call from one of my students at the PedInst who is currently working at a school and she invited me to visit her school tomorrow. I thought for sure all schools would be closed by now. I’ll try to make it there after my conversation class.

December 27, 2011

It was, of course, snowing when I got up this morning and I promptly dispatched an email to Caroline letting her know the outing to the embassy was cancelled on my part. She had an appointment regarding the renewal of her passport and thus no choice, but to go. In addition, she lives in the center of town and they get sand spread over the main arteries whereas I have to contend with snow and ice everywhere I go. She emailed me later on to confirm that they can deal with the passport issue before her trip to Nepal.

Started reading about grant writing in preparation for a presentation next Wednesday at a local conference for English teachers sponsored by the U. S. Embassy. I really don’t know what these teachers are looking for in terms of funding and thus it makes it difficult to tailor my message. Are they looking for money for local projects, opportunities to travel abroad, teacher exchange programs? I just don’t know.

Someone knocked on the door and it turned out to be Zoir. I was still in my pajamas and bathrobe and asked him why he hadn’t called me as we had previously agreed. He said he didn’t have any money to add to his cell phone. I asked him in offered him some of the biscuits still leftover and some coffee. He had never had real coffee, just the watered down instant version sold here, and found it extremely strong. He hadn’t been able to complete the reading lesson I’d given him the week before as his dictionary, a very slim volume, didn’t include some of the vocabulary contained in the lesson.

I had been curious to find out how he supported himself since I knew he didn’t work. I figured today was a good day to ask. My jaw dropped when he started by telling me he had seven brothers and two sisters. His tuition is being paid by a brother who went to work in Russia, he lives with another brother and his wife and yet another brother, who works for a local TV station, gave him a computer he doesn’t know how to use and covers some of his other expenses. His parents and the four youngest siblings remain in the village.

In passing, he mentioned that his group had taken their history exam that morning and some had not passed. Those students had paid the teacher 10.50 somoni for a passing grade. He begged me not to repeat this fact to anybody else. He believes exams will be over the first of January and then they’ll have a 20 day winter break and be back at school at the beginning of February.

Corrie called me while Zoir was here to let me know she’d be stopping by to bring me a book on grant writing and some materials I might find helpful. I made her a cup of tea and offered more biscuits to see if I could get rid of them soon. I shared some of the bounty I had received lately as I know she likes to cook and so a packet of taco seasoning, some chili powder and a portion of the vanilla given to me by Jennifer went to her.

We chatted for a quite while about the ex-pat community in Dushanbe, Caroline’s chances of sticking out to the end, what will happen to Peter’s cat, other possible places to get decent food, and so on. Corrie did hear about an Iranian place that supposedly makes really good sandwiches. We’ll go exploring next week.

I still have no running water, but the same trickle that’s beginning to get on my nerves. I need to go downstairs and ask Nilufar if they’re having the same situation. Pariso called to tell me she needed to see me tomorrow. I told her that if it was still snowing, I wasn’t budging from my flat. She offered to come to my place instead. I first need to know if the driver from Caritas will be picking me up or not.

December 26, 2011

I still had the same slim trickle of water coming from the bathtub faucet as yesterday’s, so it was time for another sponge bath. Met Caroline at 8:15am in front of the Opera Ballet Theater and we then proceeded to the teachers’ training center nearby. I had passed this building countless times and had no idea what it was except that it must have been a government building based on its architecture and color. The entryway, staircase and second floor hallway were in total darkness, but Zhulejo, her former colleague at Gym #74, was already there and took us to a room that must have served as a library. She then informed us that the teachers were decorating the classroom where the training was to take place and bringing in food for a Christmas luncheon that day.

They had in fact written “Merry Christmas” in huge letters on the long blackboard and added tinsels to the posters hanging from the wall and other festive decorations to the ceiling. Caroline proceeded to conduct a brainstorming session on what they knew about Christmas and then talk about the history of the celebration. Most of the teachers seemed to be quite familiar with it and even talked about leaving presents under the tree for their children. I then gave them a pair work activity where they pretended to call Santa Claus with their list of wishes for this year. Some of the teachers struggle with the vocabulary and the two male ones needed the assistance of their colleagues, but never finished the questionnaire. The classroom in questions was just like the ones at the PedInst: small, cramped with tables and chairs and with insufficient lighting. Getting the teachers to work independently and then pair up for the conversation was chaotic and time consuming. 

                                                        Another spread for lunch

                                                   Christmas decoration

I had brought Michael Bubble’s “Let it Snow” song with a worksheet for them to find the mistakes in the lyrics, but at that point they announced a break and started to bring in tons of food into the room after rearranging the tables. Coffee and instant coffee followed and someone then produced an IPod and Tajik music was played. One of the teachers had produced a sort of “Truth or Dare” game and one of the questions was for the teacher to dance to a disco tune. She declined, but agreed to dance to the Tajik tune then playing. After a while, both Caroline and I were asked to join the dancers, which I had no trouble doing even while wearing my awkward hiking boots, but Caroline needed a lot of cajoling since she’s not really into dancing.

A woman who teaches at a private gymnasium asked me to come to her class next Thursday and offered to provide transportation. We left the gathering and went to Caroline’s new flat so she could drop off some of her belongings and I could use her toilet. We then went across the street to Volna’s to price a replacement cartridge for the printer Peter had left me. I was shocked to find out that it costs almost as much as the printer itself: 363.00 somoni or $76.00. I ended up just buying another JumpDrive since mine had been broken while at Qorgunteppa. It cost about $18.00, but it has 8GB of memory, more than enough to carry all of my important teacher training materials with me anywhere I might go.

Caroline hasn’t found anyone willing to take Peter’s cat and she can’t move into her new place with it. She only has two more days to stay at the old one. What a dilemma. I went to the bazaar and bought beef for my chili con carne and some of the carrots, beets and mushrooms already pickled that are being sold now that fresh produce is scarce. I located the little bakery on the side and bought two pieces of flatbread piping hot from the oven. I decided to walk back to the apartment instead of taking the mini-van as I have been spending too much time sitting at home these days.

I watched a documentary in the evening on the BBC about what is now called “citizen journalism”, individuals that travel to dangerous zones of combat, natural disasters or man-made calamities to report on the people affected by them. I was impressed by the courageous individuals that went to places like Egypt, Syria, Libya and Zimbabwe to bring us reports on how its residents were dealing with the tragic results of their quest for a better life.

December 25, 2011

I was delighted to find a trickle of water dripping from the bathtub faucet when I tried it as soon as I got up. No such luck with the faucets in the kitchen or bathroom sink. I set out immediately to fill up all the jugs that Maryam had provided me with along with the bucket I already had. It was a relief to be able to do the mountain of dishes that had accumulated in the last three days. I had to heat up water before tackling the chore as the water coming in was icy cold.

                                                   Children visiting with Santa Claus

When I was ready to cook, I was disappointed to see that I had not being careful enough and had bought bologna instead of salami and thus it supplied no flavor whatsoever to my white beans casserole. I’ll know better next time than to buy anything that is not in a transparent package.

Daroush called in the afternoon seeking guidance before attending Yoomie’s cocktail party and gift exchange celebration. He didn’t know what to bring and what to expect in terms of the drinking that might take place. He was crestfallen to hear that neither Caroline nor I would be in attendance. I told him I wasn’t a shopper nor a drinker and so little purpose in attending the event. I advised him to buy something both men and women would like.

Nigina called from Yoomie’s house to find out if I was planning on coming. I gave her my reasons for not attending. I spent most of the day cleaning my hard drive of numerous duplicate files and preparing for another presentation to take place tomorrow at the teacher’s training center alongside Caroline.

Made some progress in reading “The Bean Trees”.

December 24, 2011

Another day without water. I managed to get to the American Corner for Corrie’s presentation by walking on the streets next to the parked cars and avoiding the still snowy and icy sidewalks. We got ten teachers for the workshop on using songs in the classroom; a higher turnout than I had expected. The room was freezing as the wall unit installed at the American Corner seems to be there for purely decorative purposes and puts out no heat whatsoever. Corrie incorporated a couple of Christmas song to the repertoire and even got the participants to try their hands at writing their own songs.

Although Christmas is not officially celebrated here, the city puts up what they call a "New Year's Eve Tree"

Christmas' trees, albeit artificial ones, can be bought at several stores along with their corresponding ornaments. 

I can’t see myself conducting a similar workshop for as an acquaintance once said I seem to have a tin ear for music and couldn’t carry a tune if someone hand it to me in a bucket. I only recognized two of the songs she used and even then I couldn’t sing along. This session concluded the cycle for this year and the participants will get issued a certificate if they were present for three of the four workshops. We then went to lunch at the F1 cafeteria, mostly so I could use their pristine bathroom. The food was the usual blend of bland, watery and overcooked vegetables, this time over spaghetti as the only rice dish available had chicken in it. I’ve refused to eat chicken here unless I know its provenance ever since I saw the mounds of frozen chicken parts being sold at the market and being told they came from the States loaded, of course, with antibiotics and hormones.

                                               A moment of levity during the workshop

I had picked up the package my sister Esther had sent me and after lunch, Caroline and I walked to my apartment for a cup of coffee. She’s decided to move into Elisabeth’s old place and share it with Hillary, one of the Fulbrighters. I don’t believe this is a suitable partnership as Hillary likes to party and is a social butterfly while Caroline could almost be called anti-social. We discussed her desire to leave the program as soon as the January conference, which she is orchestrating so the embassy doesn’t have to request an English Language Specialist, is over or after the NELTA conference in Nepal in February. She’s unable to pinpoint what it is that bothers her so much about being here and even cried while trying to articulate what it was she was intended to do with the rest of her life. She claims to be done with teaching ESOL/EFL, but couldn’t say what could be another area of interest for her to pursue. I really hate to see someone that lost.

I sent an email to Yoomie letting her know I’d not be participating in the Christmas brunch at the Hyatt on Christmas Day for I considered 165.00 somoni for one meal in this country to be almost obscene. That’s almost $40.00 that could buy groceries for more than a week. She replied by saying I was entitled to treat myself once in a while and to at least consider going to her house for cocktails and a gift exchange in the evening. I haven’t been shopping and hence have nothing to exchange and the thought of trying to navigate the icy streets to her frigid apartment at night is not an appealing one, so I’ll pass.

I had a container of yogurt and some leftover beans for dinner. I watched “Gone, Baby Gone” and found it a bit too gruesome for my taste. Parts of the sound were not synchronized to the faces and it was hard to tell what was going one. That’s what you get when you copy movies, I guess.

I finished reading Julian Barnes’ masterpiece, “Flaubert’s Parrot” and remained deeply impressed by his erudition, wit and sense of irony. I then got started on “The Bean Trees” by Barbara Kingsolver, a hilarious novel that made me laugh to myself many times. Not a bad way to spend Christmas evening.

December 23, 2011

A third day without water and the same bone chilling temperatures. At least the weather forecast says the temperature should rise this afternoon and perhaps some of the snow will melt. I’m not sure whether that will mean that the pipes will thaw out, too. Dishes are piling in the sink and I’m using the jugs of water Maryam gave me sparingly. Caroline offered me her shower, but wasn’t sure she had enough hot water. I declined preferring  a sponge bath in my place to a shower, maybe hot, at her flat.

I called Bakhtyor to verify the package sent by my sister was waiting at the American Corner, but he knew nothing about it. I emailed Tahmina who reassured the package should be delivered sometime today, so I can pick it up tomorrow. Corrie will be presenting her workshop tomorrow and I’d like to watch what she does. Caroline and I will have lunch together afterwards.

                                                Gorgeous display of colors

I finished the book “Bee Season”, a bittersweet account of the disintegration of a Jewish family held together by dark secrets. I then watched “The Eye of the Needle”, superb thriller with Donald Sutherland that had been on my list of movies to watch for a long time. It was spellbinding and the outdoor photography simply outstanding.

Someone knocked on my door and responded in Russian to my questions. I’m wary of opening my door when I can’t identify the person on the other side, but the man kept talking and knocking on the door. I finally opened it and told the two guys facing me I spoke no Russian. The younger one told me they were from the state utility agency and were here to cut off the service for lack of payment. I panicked and called Nilufar, but she wasn’t home. I then called Nigina who was able to talk to them. The guys insisted the electric bill had not being paid to which I responded by showing them the bill I had paid at the beginning of December. They older guy pulled out a ledger and then subtracted what I had paid and told me I needed to pay 42.18 somoni on the spot. I did it and requested a receipt. He said he’d return with it, but I’m still waiting for it.

Ryan called about 6:45pm to confirm the Couch Surfers gathering was still taking place at my apartment, but I told him no one had called me to confirm and I didn’t even know what time the meeting was scheduled for. He then told he was going on vacation on Sunday to Spain and Manila when he had said his vacation request for Istanbul had been denied. Liar! Liar!

I then got a call from Valentina, who had originally organized the gathering, and she told me that at least ten people had confirmed their attendance and she was on her way to my flat. I had to scramble to pick up the place, get tea and coffee ready and put out the biscuits I had originally purchased for my students. Anton, a local Tajik, and his female friend from Belarus, were the first ones to show up. Then a woman from Iran, Patrick from the U. S., and Ryan whom I had texted to let him know people were showing up. Valentina showed up a bit late and then the last person was Shukat, a Tajik engineer working for an IT firm, Babylon. They all brought sweets and I made countless pots of tea. Ryan brought juice and Shukat, who had heard about the lack of water, brought a jug. We went around introducing ourselves, relating our experiences as couch surfers and explaining our presence in Tajikistan.

Anton clarified for me that the utility company was going door-to-door collecting any bills due before the end of the fiscal year so they could reconcile their books by December 31. He believes the guys that came over this afternoon were legit. He also confided that he was pessimistic about the future of his country as he was expecting another civil war to breakout any minute among the various ethnic groups that were previously held together by the Russian government.  The group was here until 10:30pm and I was so grateful to meet new people and establish new connections. Patrick, who has been here for about three years, knows everything about the city and Anton offered his help with anything I might need in the future.

December 22, 2011

Still no water when I got up this morning. Caroline suggested that I contact my landlady, but I suspected that maybe the pipes had frozen in this beastly weather, it was only 9 degrees Fahrenheit this morning again, and thought best to call on my neighbor and see if they were having the same problem. Nilufar used her Russian phrase maker program and wrote me a note confirming the pipes were frozen, but insisted on giving me four plastic jugs of water and more if I needed them. Both Maryam and Nilufar were still in their pajamas and wearing heavy sweaters over them.

My student, Zoir, called indicating he was around the corner but unable to find my building. He comes from a small village and doesn’t really know the city. After many frustrating minutes trying to guide him on the telephone, I had no choice but to put on my winter gear and meet him in front of the supermarket. He was wearing the same light gray suit he always wears to the institute with the addition of a sweater and a beanie hat. When he took off his shoes, he was only wearing regular, thin socks. I really don’t know how he can stand the cold in those clothes. I made him a cup of tea and proceeded to help him with his reading of “The Old Man and the Sea”, something rather difficult for someone with no background knowledge about the Caribbean Sea, fishing, or Hemingway’s prose style. He didn’t even know a marlin was a type of fish. I feel really sorry for him because his goal is to immigrate to the United States, but his English fluency is too low for him to pass the TOEFL and he doesn’t have any money to pay for exam preparation classes at the Bactria Center. On the other hand, he doesn't seem to be doing much to help himself for he told he does have a computer, but doesn't know how to use it, and doesn't have an email account or even a flash drive for me to give him some additional electronic materials for him to study.

                                          My student, Zoir, posing in my apartment.

I got another electric bill this time for 104.91 somoni. I’ll try to make it there on Saturday. Finished reading “Karma and Other Stories” by a female Indian writer and almost finished “Bee Season”. Yoomie confirmed that more than two feet of snow had fallen on the city between Monday and Tuesday. Yikes.

Oh, I had forgotten to mention that when I inquired about the package I was expecting from my sister, Sandy told me the diplomatic pouch had been delayed in Russia because the airplane cargo area had been taken over with the caskets of Tajik men killed either in industrial accidents or by violent attacks by skinheads. Tahmina emailed me just yesterday to say the package had arrived and offered to have it dropped at the American Corner so it’ll be easier for me to retrieve it.

December 21, 2011

The coldest weather I’ve faced so far: a mere 9 degrees Fahrenheit and so no chance that all the snow on the ground will melt anytime soon. When I opened the faucet, there was no water to be had. Good thing I had boiled some water yesterday in the electric teakettle and had enough to make coffee.

I emailed Takhmina at Caritas International to let her know I wasn’t sure I could navigate my way through the snow and ice to make it to the class scheduled for today, and she surprised me by saying she could send her driver to pick me up. A few minutes later, Zoir called to say he was with a group of my students and they wanted to pay me a visit, but I told him to make if for Thursday when I have no plans to set foot outside my apartment.

I wore my angora sweater, thermal undershirt, another long sweater on top and my coat, not to mention the usual accoutrements: hat, scarf and gloves. The SUV from Caritas was waiting across the street as my alleyway was too icy for the vehicle to make it. Nigina had to help me steady myself as I gingerly made my way from the vehicle to the office. I then met Takhmina in person and two other male employees whose names escape me now. She made me coffee and then we started the conversation class. The driver took me back and dropped me off in front of the supermarket so I could buy water, milk and other staples. It was really hard to walk from the store to my apartment building as only the middle of the street was free from ice and snow and I had to go through a different path to the building since I could not walk downhill even wearing my hiking boots.

                              Snowy view of the Children's Park across from my apartment building

Caroline has asked me to pick at least one subject to cover during the English Mentor Teacher program at the beginning of January but I didn’t find any of the topics appealing. The conference is intended to prepare the teachers to apply for grants, scholarships and teacher exchange programs abroad. I settled for the grant writing portion since I’ve done one in the past.

I’m so glad Elisabeth sold me her Pamiri woolen boots to wear around the house. I happened to watch a documentary on RTD and they showed a village in Russia where these boots are still made by hand. You should have seen the joy in the guy’s face as he turned out another pair of these boots and he related his dismay to be the last person in his village to still know how to make them. They are keeping my feet relatively warm. 

December 20, 2011

I spent another day at home perched on my window watching the goings-on of my neighbors now that all the leaves from the trees have fallen. I saw a young woman talking on her cell phone from her porch. Was she talking to a boyfriend in secret? There must be at least a foot of snow on the ground and more continued to drift from the trees. People don’t seem to be daunted by it as children march to school and adults continue with their every day chores.

                                                             Snowy street view

A truck, two men and two shovels sanding the main arteries of Dushanbe

Tajik men usually shake the snow from the trees probably to prevent them from breaking from the weight.

I was so glad that at least the power didn’t go out as I enjoyed a long bath, did my hair, gave a thorough cleaning to my kitchen and did laundry that had accumulated for a couple of weeks. I watched the movie “The Great Debaters” and found it superficial, self-congratulatory and a complete cliché. Since Denzel Washington is one of my favorite actors, I tend to watch anything he’s in, but this film didn’t make me care for his character as there was no depth to it. There’s no insight as to what made him become a college professor and something as incongruous as a union organizer on the side. The same can be said for the rest of the characters and the movie doesn’t even show how Denzel goes about training his students to beat Harvard or what happened to this college and its winsome team after that. The movie got the usual Hollywood treatment with women that are young, thin and beautiful and men that are strong, handsome and articulate and, of course, a happy ending.

I texted Pariso to try and confirm that the lock had been changed in classroom #12, but she hadn’t checked into it and hadn’t had a chance to speak to the dean. The vendor for the whiteboard called me, in Russian of course, to inquire as to its delivery, but I couldn’t say when it might take place.

I got the approval to buy a space heater for my classroom. Hooray for that!

December 19, 2011

It started snowing as soon as I got up and it didn’t let up all day. I had the perfect view for a landscape that seemed to have escaped from a Curry and Ives’ postcard with the tree branches outside my window laden with pristine snow and the ground completely covered with the powdery stuff. I love to see snow drifting down the paths, especially when I don’t have to deal with it as was the case today. I listened to music, read from a book of short stories and pondered what to do about food as my fridge was almost entirely empty and what was there was not appealing at all.

Had flat bread with the persimmon spread I had been able to salvage and café con leche. Nilufar knocked on my door with a plate of fried dough, similar to our Dominican “Johnny cakes” telling me they were made to celebrate her baby’s first teething event. They were warm and just the perfect snack on a cold day. Despite the falling snow, the satellite dish was working and I watched non-stop coverage of the death of Kim Jong Il and the announcement that the dynasty was to continue as his son was to succeed him. Is mass hysteria that easily induced so that thousands of fully-grown adults weep in public as if the end of the world had arrived? It was pathetic to watch such displays of grief given how little this person ever did for the common people of North Korea.

I was never so glad to have lots of flat bread around the apartment and had some for lunch with the last chunk of cheese still in the fridge. I then took a short nap and went back to the fridge for I remembered I had purchased a package of frozen won tons and figure I could make a soup, cream-based. It turned out a bit too salty, but totally edible. I think I’ll add potatoes and carrots tomorrow to make it more substantial.

Snowy views from my windows

Yoomie called to find out how I was “coping” with Peter’s departure as if he had been a lover of mine or something. I replied that I was fine, but had been thrown for a loop when their departure had been accelerated without giving her any of the details. She’s organizing something for Christmas day and wanted to know if I was going to be in town. I might be willing to participate in something low cost and not stressful. After all, Christmas is meaningless to me by now.

December 18, 2011

A very quiet day at home when not even the telephone rang once. Took advantage of the day to catch up on the news on both the BBC and Al Jazeera networks and eventually moved on to the RTD channel, a Russian network which presents very current documentaries such as the one on the Bay of Pigs invasion and surrogate motherhood I saw last night.

I began doing some online research for a talk on minorities in the United States, which I’ll be presenting alongside Caroline, on January 19 and which coincides with MLK’s day. I’ll have to determine how we can tie it all in for the occasion. I also spent hours listening to Emilio Jose on YouTube. That’s when the Internet connection was strong, enough mind you.

I got an email from Peter indicating he was back in the States; however, he didn’t indicate what state in particular. I haven’t heard from Elisabeth yet. So fortunate to have enough leftovers so as to not have to cook yet, but my fridge is practically empty and I don’t have milk for my café con leche. Oh, well.

I have agreed to teach two more classes yet for the non-governmental organization Caritas’ teachers. Since my classes at the PedInst are supposed to be over until perhaps end of January, I figure I could help out there so I’m not entirely loafing at home for so many weeks.

December 17, 2011

Another restless night still mulling over how the embassy had whisked Peter and Elisabeth out of country in the middle of the night as if they were criminals. Caroline called me before leaving for Qorgunteppa to let me she had spoken to them before their flight departed and they seemed to be coping well. The cat is back in Caroline’s flat. I couldn’t sleep past 3:00am and decided to get up and organize all the materials I’d need for the morning presentation.

Bakhtyor was not present at the American Corner by 9:30am as I had pleaded with him to do so I’d have enough time to organize before any of the participants showed up. Although Caroline had left me a bag with instant coffee and tea, there were no cups or sugar to go with it. I called him and he said was around the corner and got in at quarter to ten. I went to buy the cups and spoons needed.

Two teachers were present when I returned and the number eventually reached eleven. I did the “speed dating” introductory game for them to get to know all the participants and had them complete a reading inventory that they could share with their partner. I had placed highlighters and sticky notes on each table for all participants to be able to identify the main idea and supporting details in the article we read about population explosion around the globe. We discussed the population in Tajikistan and the average number of children most women have. This led to a discussion about the role women play in controlling population growth once they are educated and are certain that fewer children mean a better education and future for them and indirectly the parents.

                        Presenting a workshop on reading comprehension at the American Corner

                                             Participants in the workshop

When we took a break, teachers were appreciative of the pastries I had purchased for they were gone in a flash and I had purchased enough for twenty teachers.

When it came to the Tajik teachers completing the true/false, synonym matches and finding the meaning of words in context, they couldn’t keep up with the two American teachers and the one Tajik teacher who speaks quite fluently and yet, needed Kristina to explain certain terms to him. I decided to cut that section short and moved on to the discussion on the usefulness of the article and their opinion on the various assertions made by the author.

Evaluations were completed and they were dismissed. Meghan wanted to know who’d presenting next week and what the topic would now that Peter was out of the picture. I told her Corrie would take his place, but I didn’t know the topic of her presentation yet.

I met Pariso at the PedInst and boarded the mini-van to go to her house where her mother was preparing plov/osh for me. When we stopped at the store to buy some sweets, I offered to pay and she felt offended reiterating that I was her guest and not obligated to provide for anything. She lives within walking distance of the U. S. Embassy and I was surprised to see her turn into the gate leading to a three story house very similar to the ones embassy employees tend to rent. The house in question is still under construction and not even painted on the outside and sits on a large plot of land with an extensive vegetable garden and several chickens roaming around freely. Her mother came to greet me wearing the head scarf, just like Pariso, and I learned she gave birth to seven children, two boys and five girls. The oldest girl is married and she has three grandchildren. I was also informed that Pariso had been married, is still married, to a guy who is currently working in Russia, but from whom she plans to divorce upon his return due to irreconcilable differences as he drinks and shoots up drugs when money is available. She has had the complete support of her parents and they have even encouraged her to seek studies abroad so she might be able to find another husband on her own.

I was given a tour of all the unfinished room, each one colder than the other, but the third floor was the best as it faces the mountains and has large windows to appreciate them. Pariso’s living room could contain my entire apartment and doesn’t even have a wall unit to heat or cool the place. They had an anemic space heater on my side of korpacha and I could recline against it without feeling any warmth radiating from it. A parade of dishes then started to appear first with sweets, nuts and fruits followed by soup, flat bread, two types of salads and finally the piece de la resistance, plov. Pariso mother even peeled and cut the fruit for me: mandarin oranges, pomegranates, pears and apples. I was then expected to partake of the sweets Pariso had purchased that afternoon, but I turned those down in favor of a homemade concoction with lots of honey over which I poured some homemade cherry preserve.

                                      Elaborate window treatment in the living room of Pariso's house

                                       Set of korpachas (cushions) waiting for guests

                                         One of the salads Pariso's mother prepared for me

I’m not used to eating several course meals and felt so guilty that my presence in the house had forced her family to spend so much money for all that food and then spent so much time cooking it. Her mother even wanted for me to take leftovers, but I refused knowing she must have had plenty of hungry kids waiting for me to leave so they could feast. By this point, the room was so cold; I could no longer feel my fingertips and just wanted to return to the warmth of my apartment. She did give me a delicate scarf and presented me with a big jar of homemade cherry preserves which I promised to share with Caroline and Corrie. It was dark by the time I left, turning down their invitation to spend the night, and Pariso and her mother, carrying a flashlight, accompanied me to find a marshrutka to get home.

I had a chance to go over the evaluation for the morning workshop and the teachers indicated that what they really wanted were activities to teach English to little kids including phonics. Unfortunately, teaching little children is not my forte and I’ll discuss the issue with Caroline and Corrie to see how we can address their needs

December 16, 2011

What a tumultuous day! I taught my three classes and said goodbye to the students as I understood they will be having exams for the rest of the month and then their winter break. We played several games, none of which they had ever played before, and the time just flew. One of my students invited her girlfriend to come and observe my class and I learned she was earning a Ph. D. in English at the PedInst. I had no idea doctorates were offered there.

The dean came in while I was teaching and handed me a wad of bills and told me that was my salary for the last two months of teaching: a whopping 165.00 somonis or about $38.00. Most of my students humorously extended their hands and asked me to give them some of it. Pariso found a student who is willing to change the lock in classroom #12 for 20.00 somoni so I can finally move in. I then went to the embassy to pay for my airline ticket to Kathmandu for the upcoming NELTA conference where I’ll be presenting along with Caroline and Corrie.

On the way to the embassy, I got a call from Caroline informing me that both Elisabeth and Peter were being forced to leave the country on Saturday after the police had detained all three of them temporarily the night before for not carrying any documentation on them. Apparently, Peter had offered to walk Elisabeth and Caroline to their respective apartments after watching a movie and having dinner, but neither Caroline nor Peter had any identification on them. The police indicated there’s a law requiring all residents of the city to provide identification if they are out after 10:00pm. We had never been told about this law. Peter called his former supervisor and Elisabeth, the one carrying her embassy ID and list of phone numbers, called the security officer on duty that night who promptly arrived and kept them from being hauled into jail.

Shortly thereafter, Peter and Elisabeth were notified that since they had both resigned from their posts they were no longer employed by their host institutions thus making their work visa an invalid one. They were told the embassy had arranged for them to fly to Frankfurt at 3:00am on the following morning. Caroline wanted for me to rearrange the dinner party for tonight and I promised her I’d do so upon my return. Peter had agreed to sell me his printer and I called him to meet with him on my way home. He was having tea at a gorgeous new place with lots of carved wood, low tables and beautiful cushions. The only discordant note being played was the loud American music, mostly rap and hip-hop. Elisabeth joined us shortly thereafter and indicated she was doing all she could to get packed and say goodbye to everyone who had helped her here.

Peter had been told that he had never been properly registered with the corresponding authorities and need to pay an additional $200.00 on the spot to get his passport properly stamped before his departure. We went to pick the printer and he showered the kitten with kisses while showing me the destruction the kitten had caused to the drapes in his apartment. Caroline had agreed to take the cat back until she finds it another home.

Everyone converged in my apartment, instead of going to the new Iranian restaurant, where luckily I had cooked the night before and picked up some flat bread along the way. Peter, Corrie, Daroush, Caroline, Elisabeth and her teaching assistant, Azizah, were present and I made tea several times and passed around chocolates. It was so disheartening to see everyone trying to put on a brave front while we all felt like crying. Even Daroush refused to talk about the eventuality of seeing each other again as group so the waterworks would not start flowing. Peter was the first one to say he needed to leave as he had less than five hours to pack and had just being informed he needed to print his own ticket and Elisabeth’s before heading to the airport. Caroline offered to print them and then pick up the cat. Elisabeth and Azizah left together with Daroush and Corrie stayed for another hour to catch up on our respective lines of work.

                                           Daroush, Peter, Corrie and Caroline

                                                     With Azizah and Elisabeth

                               The former five ELFs and the teaching assistant Azizah.

Pariso called to tell me she was expecting me tomorrow for lunch with her family. I never did have a chance to rehearse my presentation tomorrow at the American Corner.

December 15, 2011

Still dealing with icy sidewalks and streets since the temperature has not risen above 45 degrees since it snowed last Monday. Not a single ray of sunshine today making it feel way below the 33 degrees it shows on the bank sign at 1:30pm. My classes went well and students in the second period were delighted to have copies of the photos I had taken some time ago.

I ran into Shahlo as I was making my way to the cafeteria across the street and told her I was having trouble getting the new whiteboard into classroom #12 as I still didn’t have a key. She told me that was her classroom and she had not being told my classes were being moved into it.  She told me she had a key, but it was useless since someone had recently broken the door in order to get in. She insisted I accompany her to inspect the door and then saw Pariso coming down the hallway. Shahlo bluntly asked Pariso why she wasn’t helping me with the issues I was having and I tried to deflect the blow by saying Pariso was too busy teaching at the same time I was or at the other school she works at and didn’t have time for me. Apparently, my classes will be over tomorrow unless I'm told otherwise. Is it possible I won't have any classes between now and early February? Who knows?

The door in questions has had two separate locks installed and both had been broken into, the last one leaving a gap around where the door handle would have been. Pariso’s solution, as usual, was to ask the students to chip in money to have a new lock installed, something I refuse to do. As it is, I see the door in need of replacement and I’ve no idea what that could cost or whether the institute would even allow it. Pariso asked me once again for a copy of my passport to hand it to my landlady for the letter of recommendation.

I then proceeded to the copy center to put together the handouts for Saturday’s presentation. I decided to offer pastries, coffee and tea and looked for the pastry shop Elisabeth had found across from the Ismoili Plaza and found it tucked in behind some arches. These pastries have very little sugar as they are made mostly with dried fruit and nuts and come in small sizes perfect for placing on a napkin and eating them thus obviating the need for eating utensils.

Elisabeth called to say she had found a sheepskin coat similar to hers at the second hand shop and had set it aside for me to look at. I was already home and cooking and not about to go out again. I’ll try to do that tomorrow after I return from the embassy where I need to go to pay for my trip to the conference in Kathmandu.

I emailed all the ELFs and Daroush to try and get everyone together to take Peter out to dinner this Saturday as his departure date is near. 

December 14, 2011

I got the time wrong again to cover Pariso’s class and was there at 8:50am. Instead of students, I got three teachers eager for answers to multiple questions about U. S. history, culture and of course, grammar points. I can’t determine when classes will stop and the testing begin. I was told today that all students need to have had 100 hours of instruction before being tested and each instructor is responsible for extending the lecture period if necessary. I was then told that teachers do come to the institute in January even when there are no students, but they could not explain why.

                                              Traditional versus Modern

My first class’ students were a now show for the 9:50 class and came in at 10:50 instead. I told them I had a conversation class in Mr. Sadat’s class and would see then on Thursday. Following up on last week’s activity where the students had had a very difficult time using the proper pronouns, I brought in a handout with complete list of all pronouns and a subsequent exercise for them to identify and correct any mistakes in it. It took them almost 40 minutes to finish it with lots of questions from row to row instead of working with their assigned partners. It was clear while reviewing that these third year students cannot differentiate between personal and object pronouns and the contraction of the verb “to be” and the possessive pronouns.

When we moved on to a speaking activity about the family, I asked students what kind of activities they enjoyed doing with their families, the student started by saying: “My family is not large……”. The next student started with the same spiel until I pointed out to him that the question did not ask about the size of the family only to realize that they had memorized this piece of information from previous classes and were just reciting it for my benefit. They had never been encouraged to exercise critical thinking and to speak spontaneously about any particular topic. What a pity!

Caroline met me for lunch at the cafeteria across the street and we then proceeded to the American School where Nazila had asked me to observe her Tajik teachers and give them feedback. I met Samad as he nervously waited outside the classroom to teach a social study lesson on natural disasters to first and second graders. His English was quite fluent as he had had a chance to study at the American Corner in his village. I provided him with immediate feedback at the end of the lesson and a report to his superior, Nazila, afterwards.

Walked to the stationery store to buy supplies for the workshop on Saturday and then inspected the whiteboard I want to bring to the PedInst now that the dean confirmed I’ll have classroom #12 assigned to me and can even change the lock if I so desire, which I certainly do. I was also able to print the photos I had taken at my students’ home back in November.

Ran into Daroush while walking home and told him we wanted to take Peter out to dinner before his departure, hopefully to the new Iranian restaurant opening this Friday. Nilufar came for her lesson, but hadn’t done of the assigned homework as she claimed Mariam had been out of the house all day and she had to look after the baby by herself.  

December 8, 2011

Another very cold morning with remnants of snow still on the ground. Mr. Boroni was concluding a testing session with his students when I came in and I could see that the photocopies of the test, for which the students have to pay, were barely legible due to poor photocopying. I continued with our exam practice with both classes today and had a lively discussion about numerous points of grammar they were either ignorant of or unsure about.

                                       These are the gorgeous suzani textiles produced locally

During the break, I dashed to the Resource Center to use the printer and found Shahlo there once again. I told her I needed help in getting the whiteboard, resting on the floor this time, hung on the wall and the bookcases pushed further back to make room for more attendees. She told me she wasn’t in charge of the Resource Center and I needed to deal with the woman who’s paid as the coordinator but whom I’ve never seen. She called her on the telephone and she agreed to come by and meet me. I waited almost 25 minutes and she got in she said she had some business to take care of that morning. I was very blunt in telling her that I had been to the room countless days and she had never been present. When I asked about her schedule, she vaguely said in the morning, knowing fully well that was a lie. I had to go back for my next class and told her we’d talk at some point in the future.

The dean finally got around to printing the memo to inform the faculty about the upcoming workshops. Still no word on when I’ll be able to bring the stand-alone whiteboard so I don’t have to stand in the hallway like a lost soul waiting for the only classroom with the miniscule one.

I’m getting addicted to the lagman noodle soup across the street. The owner serves it with what you could consider the Tajik croissant, a buttery, multilayer flat bread that practically melts in your mouth. Contrary to the other one I used to have, this one is so filling I don’t need another meal for four or five hours.

I went straight home and was glad to have running water again so I could do my dishes and flush the toilet to my heart’s content. I then got to my computer so I could put the finishing touches on my presentation for Saturday’s workshop.

December 13, 2011

The power went out while I was cooking my muesli this morning. I then remembered that I had the kerosene balloon Jamshev had brought me last week and with the matches Mariam provided, I was able to finish cooking it.

                                           Collection of colorful traditional hats

Mr. Boroni was out this morning and I was able to use the classroom with the whiteboard. The students complained that it was cold and they’d much rather remained in other classrooms where the teachers have their own space heater, but I didn’t relent. After my second class, Mr. Boroni came in and said his father was in failing health even though he’s only 55 years old.

I tried to use the bathroom on all three floors and they were all locked. I didn’t think I could last until I got to the embassy that afternoon and went looking for Pariso to help gain access to one of them. She didn’t believe me when I told her there was a faculty bathroom on the second floor where we teach and had to take her there myself. She was told the bathroom was only for the School of Economics’ faculty members and to go talk to the dean. A most disagreeable guy, who didn’t bother to look in my direction, indicated that giving me a key to the bathroom was entirely out of the question, but directed his deputy dean to let me in when I need to use it. This bathroom even had water and thus could be flushed.

When done with my classes, I proceeded to the embassy to meet with Sandy, who had emailed me demanding that I pay my half of her driver’s fee for the ride to Qorgunteppa on Saturday. I went to see the cashier first, but he was out to lunch and Tahmina told me she and Sandy were leaving the office in 15 minutes for a meeting with the MultiKids group. When I sat down with Sandy, she dropped a bombshell by telling me that Elisabeth had submitted her resignation that morning. She also requested that I pay an additional 100.00 somoni to her driver as Linda, Peter’s supervisor, was covering the rest of his fee. I agreed to do so as long as I could get a receipt to submit for reimbursement.   Jennifer had dropped a whole bottle of vanilla for me and Sandy asked me to share it with other ELFs. The only one that I know does some baking is Corrie.

I was able to cash a check when Vali returned from lunch, picked up a book from the library and a couple of recent Real Simple magazines. I was even able to print the handouts I needed for my class on Wednesday. The trip to the embassy was really worthwhile. Peter called while I was riding in the mini-van to let me know that he and Caroline were at Elisabeth’s flat having tea and to please come by. Elisabeth was burning some kind of Native American stick and it almost smelled as if they had been smoking marijuana. She made chai with real cardamom seeds brought from home and offered me a variety of pastries. I then got the full story of how she asked both her supervisors to come to her place for breakfast that morning and informed then she could not ethically work with the local KGB teaching them sentences such as “I’m going to break your arms.” and “You might never see your family again.” as she found the entire project way too sinister and could not abide the thought that our tax dollars were being employed to train military cadets in this field.

Elisabeth has been asked to leave the country within a couple of days, something she’s unwilling to do at this point. Caroline is thinking of moving into her apartment because it’s cheaper and Peter might have to give the cat back to Caroline if he’s unable to find a taker before December 24, his tentative date for flying out. Her place is really drafty and my feet were getting progressively colder when she offered me her recently acquired Pamiri boots made from wool and suitable for the unheated homes in the mountains. Out of curiosity, I asked her if she planned on taking them back and she said no, so I offered to buy them. She didn’t get around to buying many things in her five weeks in country, but I got a large zip lock bag, something you can’t find here, some red beans and a plastic container. Peter brought me some of his books and I was glad to see he had an additional Headway one that I could give to Nilufar so she doesn’t have to use mine.

I walked home loaded with all the stuff acquired during the day. There was still no power in my apartment, but the light was on in the landing. I knocked on Mariam’s door and explained the problem. She promptly went downstairs and showed me where the breakers were down, possibly because I had too many things on at the same time. I was so relieved. Nilufar came by to get her book and asked me how much it was going to cost her and I said nothing. She then insisted on vacuuming the hallway carpet, something I had neglected to do because I track in dirt every day with my boots and seems somewhat pointless to do it daily.

Pariso called to ask me to bring a copy of my passport so the landlady could finally write the letter of recommendation needed to complete my human resources’ file. What a nightmare this process has been! 

December 12, 2011

It started to snow the moment I got up, the wet snow that doesn’t stick around for long. Debated what to wear for a while and then went outside to face the elements. I stopped by the dean’s office to find out his decision regarding the whiteboard and classes for the teacher. He hadn’t made a decision and suggested I follow him to see the other dean. His door was locked and he promised me that at 12:30pm when I was finished with my class, he’d be in his office waiting for me so we talk to the other dean together.

The topic for today was “Thoughts on Family” and the students didn’t understand “having friends over at your place” or could not describe exactly what different family members did for a living. At the end of the class, and out of earshot of their teacher, they all indicated their hope of going to the United States to study or stay in the near future. I referred them to the American Corner to improve their English and mentioned the teacher mentoring program at the American Embassy.

The dean’s office was closed. I conscripted Pariso into taking me to the mysterious bathroom in the School of German on the third floor as I really needed to relieve myself. She was practically trembling with fear saying she had never heard of a bathroom for faculty members anywhere in the building. A male teacher was washing his hand when we walked in and she almost walked out afraid of being reprimanded for being there. I pressed on asked to find out if a key was needed to use this western-style toilet and he said and that we could secure the key and make a copy of it for our use. After he left, we both used the toilet, no water was available to flush it, but an empty bottle was placed nearby and we filled it at the sink and poured down the toilet. Let’s hope Pariso can locate the key so I can make a copy as it would greatly enhance my performance while at the institute.

I went across the street and saw diners eating something different and requested the same. It was the shorbot soup served on top of the buttery flat bread I’ve become addicted to, but just like the soup in itself, it was flavorless and a waste of the crispy bread. Something not to be tried again.

Out into the snow, I cancelled my plans to go shopping for the supplies needed for the upcoming workshop on Saturday and instead purchased various grocery items from vendors along my walk to board the mini-van. An empty one made a U-turn in front of me and for the first time, I got to see in the front seat.

Nilufar came for her first English class and it went rather well even though she recognizes fewer words than I expected given her previous study of the language. Peter emailed all of us to inform us his decision had been finalized and he was leaving the country having found no cooperation or support from the embassy personnel. He was asked again to pay his share of the taxi ride and he refused. I don’t know his departure date yet, but feel really saddened by this turn of events.

I got an email from Sandy informing me that I need to pay my full share of the amount due to the driver, her personal driver, as that was the amount agreed to in writing by the various people involved in the negotiations. I’ve a meeting schedule with her tomorrow and will discuss the issue then.

I just made a fantastic sauce for my penne rigatoni pasta: cubed salami with slices of eggplant, garlic, onion, hot pepper, tomato paste and oregano. The only thing missing, and something I cannot find here, some freshly ground Parmesan cheese.