October 19, 2011

My landlord showed up at 8:00am to repair the broken pipe and looked none too happy. Evidently, he felt that I should have known where the main water knob was so it could have been turned off and avoid more damage from happening to the apartment down below. As if talking to me in Russian or Tajik would have done any good. When he plugged the pump back in, only a trickle of water came in and he advised us to place a bucket under the shower faucet to catch some of it for now. Later on I got a text message from the embassy indicating we’d have no water in Dushanbe for two consecutive days. I have no way of storing water in the apartment, so I’ll have to buy some.

Corrie and I headed to the Green Bazaar so she could see what was available as the real estate canceled their appointment to see some apartments today. I got to peruse the house wares section where most stalls were completely dark and the merchandise dusty and forlorn. I wasn’t able to find any cast iron cookware, bake ware or a blender. Caroline met us for lunch and we tried one of the makeshift restaurants in the bazaar that looked relatively clean. We ordered shorbot to be on the safe side and green tea. The woman served us the soup and flat bread and came back with two big mugs of fruit compote (a drink). Corrie told her we had ordered green tea and she replied there was no water to make green tea. The soup had the usual piece of tough mutton, pieces of potatoes, carrots and a few garbanzo beans.

I needed to price the ink cartridges for the printer I had inherited from Beth, and so did Caroline for the one Rich had left behind. We headed to the stores that sell appliances on one end and computer supplies on the other. No cartridges were available to my model printer and I might have to use my allowance for teaching materials to buy another one. Printers can be purchased from $50.00 on. I asked to use the bathroom at this upscale shop and was told they were closed due to the lack of water. I did manage to find a mouse pad for under a dollar here. Blenders were way too expensive, but they offered a little one similar to the bullet one we can find in the States for about $25.00.

Another trip to the seamstress only to find out she had not been able to finish the items I had given her a week ago for alteration and the skirt she did manage had not been done as requested. I’ll never go back to her once I get my things back!

Met with my 111 group and managed to get all but one pair to do their presentations for the rest of the class. Gave them an assignment to list the qualities every good teacher should have for homework so we can have a discussion on Thursday. Caroline and Corrie were nearby and we accompanied her to get her OVIR registration and left her there as she had friends picking her up for dinner. We went on to have dinner at the F1.

Stopped at my neighbor’s apartment as she had called two nights in a row inviting me to visit. When I took off my sandals at the entrance, she offered me a pair of slippers to wear. Her daughter, Nilufar, has a 5 months old baby and apparently has trouble finding housing for herself and her husband, so she lives with her mother while he stays with his. I was offered grapes and a cut-up apple and my choice of coffee or tea. I turned down the latter as I didn’t need any caffeine so late in the day. Nilufar speaks a smattering of English and had access to an English-Russian phrase book, so we managed to carry on a halting conversation. Her father came in later on and embarrassingly told her what a beautiful woman I was. He is a musical conductor and started to hum a piece by Mozart, which, of course, I didn’t recognize. I also learned that my neighbor, Mariam, is a clothing designer and sews from her home. I asked her if she’d willing to make a couple of outfits for me and I brought down the fabric I had purchased and my Nepali outfit so she’d have a better idea. She found the fabric to be too thin and asked me if I’d not be cold for the winter wearing just that. I realize I need to buy some much thicker fabric for the upcoming months, but want to try her first.