November 16, 2011

I learned from Caroline this morning that Fulbrighters in Dushanbe are entitled to receive local language classes up to $300.00. When she contacted the embassy to find out if we, ELFs, could benefit from the same program, she was told Fulbrighters are entitled to the lessons because they are doing research in the local community and need language skills while, I guess, we don’t.

Met with Peter and Elisabeth on the way to the institute and had a pumpkin scone and coffee at the Morning Star Café before proceeding to my classes. Elisabeth related she had had an unpleasant encounter with the realtor, Dilya, for they wanted to charge her for seven days of stay at a temporary apartment while her flight had been delayed and had arrived a day late. Since there was no communication between the embassy, the landlord, the realtor and Elisabeth, the landlord demanded full compensation. Elisabeth was insulted and felt that “the moral compass of this nation needs to progress by a hundred years”.

My afternoon class was delightful as the students are becoming more familiar with the textbook and learn to work in pair and do choral repetition. Once it was over, I went to the American Council where Corrie and Caroline were making a presentation on “Statements of Purpose” in support of a college application. I have to admit that I don’t recall ever writing one for either FIU or UNF.

It had been Caroline’s turn to breakdown that morning when Tahmina came over to her high school to sign the MoU. She related how frustrated she was at having to sit in an empty resource room for almost five weeks while her counterpart tried to rearrange the schedule and give her a couple of classes. She mentioned that unless the embassy finds her another post, she’ll be returning to the States. The two of us proceeded to the Ukrainian restaurant to have dinner with Nigina and when the topic turned to what Caroline was doing, she blamed the embassy for placing her at a school where she was obviously not wanted or needed and for lying about the scope of her duties there. When several employees from the embassy showed up at tables nearby, she started to cry and begged to leave. It was all so very sad.

I had another bland dish of chunks of lamb in a watery sauce with traces of eggplant and mushrooms. The bread was cold and the service practically non-existent. Nigina insisted on paying, even for Caroline’s dish, some sort of omelet, which had come too late for her to eat. The place was smoky even though the administration claimed the smoking section was downstairs.