December 6, 2011

I was glad to see the sunshine, but a bit worried to see that the piles of snow still on the ground. The sidewalks were now covered with a thin layer of ice, difficult to see in some areas, and treacherous to negotiate. I was not able to get the classroom with the whiteboard for either one of my classes and ended up covered in chalk. Between classes, I went to eat a bowl of soup and scoped out another bathroom possibility near the girls'  hostel building, but had turn away for although this one sported a half door to provide some privacy, it still reeked of urine and feces, was dark and extremely cold. I ended up heading to the British Councils to use their bathroom and discuss what program they might be able to provide for students at the PedInst.

Given how miserable I had been the day before when I was out in the snow without the proper clothing, I decided to head to the bazaar and buy what I needed even in the absence of someone to help me translate or bargain for me. The bus took me through parts of the city I had never seen, mostly residential areas guarded behind gates or the ugly apartment blocks built during the soviet era. I passed by at least two places that looked like the Khourbon Market, but other passengers reassured me I wasn’t there yet. Despite the cold weather, the market was overflowing with throngs of shoppers. I exchanged $100.00 and set out to shop to heart’s content. Here’s a list of my loot:

1.   A pair of black leather (?) gloves lined with some kind of fur material.

2.   A black beret to keep my ears warm

3.   A black and white scarf to protect my throat

4.   A white turtleneck sweater, very thick and fuzzy

5.   A thick black sweater to wear under my coat or by itself in the coming spring

6.   A black cardigan to layer over my lighter turtleneck sweaters

7.   A cutlery tray

8.   A set of four teacups

9.   A paring knife

10.                A canister to store my muesli

11.                A plastic basket to store my multiple bags of seasoning

12.                A soup ladle

I paid a total of 325.00 somoni or about $67.00 and even though I’m aware I might have been overcharged by some of the vendors, it’s still a lot less money than I’d have paid in the States for similar quality items. I went home very happy indeed

Tonight I was due to attend the local Dushanbe reading club meeting and the organizers had turned it into a dinner celebration because of the holidays. I bought five pieces of flat bread and dressed as warmly as possible with my new purchases to meet Yoomie at her house and then walk to the hostess’ house. Such outing was  a complete departure for me as I prefer to stay home at night, especially when it’s so cold and I don’t even know where I am going or how to return home. After taking a mini-van to Rudaki, I took a taxi to Yoomie’s house. The driver claimed not to have any change and didn’t return the two somoni due to me. I decided to let it go as he obviously needed them much more that I did. Yoomie claimed to know the way, but we got lost anyway and walked in the dark, icy side streets off Rudaki for about fifteen minutes before she called someone and got the proper directions.

We entered another gorgeous house occupied by yet another embassy employee. She had mulled wine waiting for us and the house was relatively warm given the ample rooms and high ceilings. Gaia had set out the dining room table with a variety of chips and salsa, quiche, cheeses, and sweets. Rebecca came in and brought a full bottle of vanilla for me as she’s going to the States in a couple of weeks and won’t be needing it. I gave her a big kiss.

The format for this book club is to have each guest comment on the most recent book they have read and, if possible, donate the book to the club’s collection. I had brought two books pilfered from the embassy’s library and was the last one to speak. I loved the company of other readers and got to meet people such as Theo, a son American and Taiwanese parents, who grew up in India and China and now works as an architect in Dushanbe.  Rebecca, Theo and I shared a taxi and I walked by myself to my apartment finding quite a few people out at 10:00pm.