October 10, 2011

Despite my resolve to give my feet a rest and stay home all day, agreed to go with Caroline and explore the bookstore where they sell English reference materials. The sun was out indicating that most of the dust had moved on and the weather was perfect for a long walk. We first stopped at a very modern looking office supply store and found a really cute night light made of what looked like blue tile material. I assume that once we start our teacher training workshops, this will be a good place to buy our materials. I tried to find a mouse pad, but the only ones they had featured Disney characters and could not stand the sight of them.

                                     Children's Theater

The bookstore in question was well-lit and the materials organized by subject matter, a far cry from the previous one we had visited where stuff was crammed everywhere. The clerk sat at his desk making copies of the original CDs that accompany some of the books. We found lots of textbooks, some of which I had never even heard, along with some classics in the field from universities such as Cambridge and Oxford. We have yet to receive the box of books the embassy is to allocate each of us, so we just peruse the entire section noting what might be useful if not included in it.

We made our way to the seamstress I had previously spoken to and had major difficulties in trying to explain what I wanted as they wanted for me to select some of the heavily embroidered, and expensive, designs they normally add to the collar and pant cuffs of their traditional dress. I was able to draw a simple square neckline and mime that I wanted a fold all around it as I had seen other women wear. I’d like to think that she got the message. The seamstress was scandalized when I showed her I wanted the tunic to fall just below my butt and she replied that was a no go. I learned the word for knee, injera, as she was adamant that the tunic should be no shorter than that. Caroline was laughing and commented that the woman probably thought I was  some kind of tart  and I added to that impression when she asked how close to the body the tunic should be and I indicated close so I don’t look like a sack of potatoes. The seamstress moved her finger back and forth, no, no and, no. I needed to add at least three more inches. Well, all those present had a good laugh at my expense. We managed to figure out that the outfit will ready next Friday and payment was due then.

                                          Flower stand

The mystery of the where to take out the trash has been solved. As I was going down the stairs to go to Ryan’s house, I caught one of my neighbors with a bucket in her hand. I was surprised when she greeted me with “hello” as I had never seen her before. Through sign language and a few words of Russian I mentioned I needed to follow her to find out where to dispose of mine. We had to go across the busy street and to the side of the Children’s Theater to find a construction bin overflowing with garbage and the fetid smell that accompany it.

Went to have dinner with Ryan, Yoomie and Sam at the Rohat Tea House, an impressive building with stately columns and colorful ceilings, most of it open. It was here where I encountered my first squat toilet and was asked to pay 50 dirams for its use. Yoomie was excited to find fried trout in the menu and we decided to have that. They turned out to be more like fried sardines than fish, but at least the price was reasonable. Ryan ordered the local beer, Sim Sim, on tap and I had a taste of it. I still prefer the Russian one, Baltika, as it tastes more like the Heineken one at home.


Yoomie decided to sell me her coffee grinder as she does not use it. I'm so relieved as my coffee supply is quickly being depleted and I haven't found one anywhere in the city.