November 30, 2011

We received a message from the embassy encouraging us to celebrate World’s AIDS Day by presenting a lesson at our respective host institutions. They attached a lesson plan, an article about a woman whose parents had died of AIDS and even a short BBC clip about the disease in different parts of the world including Tajikistan. If only I had the technology to take advantage of these materials. I don’t even have access to a photocopier to provide each student with a copy of the article much less watch the clip on TV. I wasn’t even sure such topic could broach in such a conservative society as the Tajik and approached the dean with the question. He indicated I was free to talk about the topic in my classes.

As to the idea of offering conversation classes to all the English teachers at the institute, he was more than supportive and told me to just make sure the Resource Center would be available during those hours. I promised to draft a memo to him so he could present the idea to his other colleagues in the corresponding departments so attendance might be much higher. If this proposal comes to be, and I’m never sure of anything around here, I’d feel much better since I’d actually be doing the teacher training I was initially recruited to do.

Since the semester’s exams are around the corner, a group of students was hounding me this morning to tape several topics on  their cell phone so they could listen to it at home in preparation for a speaking presentation in their phonology class. I did it at the end of my class and it must have sounded awful, at least to me, since the texts were plagued by numerous mistakes, lack of punctuation and missing words. At least the students were happy with it.

On to the meeting at the American Corner to finalize details about our upcoming series of teacher training workshops. Elisabeth monopolized much of the conversation, as usual, and when done, we went to a cafeteria nearby that Elisabeth had discovered with her teacher assistant. The place was clean, well-lit and practically deserted by 1:30pm. As in many other places, the food was cold as they don’t seem to have the capacity to keep food hot once it comes off the stove/oven.

Elisabeth and I proceeded to the bookstore to see if books had arrived, they hadn’t,  and she asked the attendant if she could use the bathroom. He responded in the negative and she point blank asked him: “Where do you go to the bathroom?" The clerk looked at her perplexed and just shook his head. I think it was best he didn’t understand her arrogance and lack of finesse. Next, we passed the Apple store and she indicated she was going to go in and ask about a bathroom since she “sort of” knew these guys. I guess the answer must have been negative and she joined me again to stop at the stationery store so I could buy envelopes and batteries. I also checked the prices for the sticky notes and highlighters I’ll need for my presentation. Elisabeth asked again to use the bathroom and was told none was available. I then remembered that the Rohat Tea House across the street had a bathroom for customers and charged only 50 dirams for its use.

Elisabeth tried to entice me to have a cup of tea with her there, but I told her I had some preparations to do for dinner that night at Yoomie’s house. Peter had blurted out in front of Elisabeth about the dinner plans and she had not received an invite. I encouraged her to email Yoomie as she must have forgotten, but she said it was all right.

The day turned from a frigid morning with temperatures around 37 degrees to a balmy afternoon in the mid 50s. I had to shed my coat on the walk home and when I stopped at the supermarket, I was greeted by a blast of hot air from all angles as they still had the heat on.

Daroush joined Caroline and I on the way to Yoomie and gallantly hailed a taxi as he didn’t want to wait for the mini-van and then paid for it himself. Although Yoomie had promised to take the day off to prepare dinner and insure we sat to eat at 7:30, she pulled up to her apartment in a taxi when we got there. Her apartment doesn’t have a stove or oven, but a hot plate, there is no wall unit for AC or heating and no washing machine. She’s proud that she only pays $200.00 a month, as opposed to my $500.00, but I certainly wouldn’t want to have to go someplace else to do my baking and laundry. The place is so drafty that I kept my coat on the whole evening. She only has a space heater and kept it in the bedroom the whole time.

Met Cecilia, another Couch Surfer I had contacted online, who works for the Save the Children Foundation. She grew up in London and the United States and has been all over the world working for this NGO. There was Amanda, another young woman who has been paid to come here and learn Farsi and who impressed Daroush greatly by speaking his language in a flawless manner.

The food was great:  a locally-grown turkey with not an ounce of fat in it. Ryan, where she baked it, said it looked like a cat when it was done. Delicious mashed potatoes with garlic, stuffing with apples and nuts, corn, squash and flat bread. I contributed some locally made shredded carrot salad. I even shared half of a Baltika beer with Peter. The desserts left much to be desired as the commercially-made ones were totally insipid and the one someone brought, some concoction with oats, peanut butter, nuts and who knows what else looked disgusting, hadn’t been baked and it was served cold. I had to take it out of my mouth and discreetly dispose of it.

Daroush, Peter, Caroline and I shared a taxi ride since Daroush could arrange it. I had a pretty good day in all.