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.