April 7, 2012

My hectic day started with a trip to the PedInst to meet with my former counterpart, Pariso, so she could give me the handouts for the ETM session she had attended last year. Beth had been kind enough to respond to my email and had sent me the actual schedule for all three day so that we just needed to decide what to keep and what to delete. Pariso had purchased a new computer and even had access to the Internet. She was having a student create a FB page for her while the rest of the students sat around doing nothing. She handed me a sheaf of papers and I was disheartened to see that what she had kept was mostly pronunciation exercises that Rich had taught. In exchange for these useless materials, she had practically demanded that I bring in my JumpDrive and give her additional materials for her classes, not at the PedInst mind you, but for her classes at the private language institute where the students are clamoring for reading and writing classes. When I asked her if she knew how to conduct a writing class, she said no, but was hoping I could give her a book she could use. It’s sad to see that she has no idea what a complex task writing is and how much guidance, from someone with experience, is needed to get the student through it. I've been confirmed in my belief that her elevator doesn't go all the way to the top.

Mr. Boron had called early in the morning to inform me the faculty was going on a picnic that afternoon, but I declined because of our meeting. He suggested that we postpone it, but I told him we couldn’t as our schedules differ so much making it difficult to find a suitable time. So, Matluva, another teacher, walked in and wanted to know if both Pariso and I were going to attend the picnic and Pariso said that was the first time she had heard that a picnic was in the works. I didn’t feel as bad then as she also turned down the invite since she had classes at the language institute anyway.

I was in desperate need of a bathroom by then and called Ruth to see if I could stop by her house before we headed to Corrie’s apartment. It took a while to find this place as she takes a cab back and forth and is not used to paying attention to the landmarks along the way. She did have to come down to the alleyway to find me as her house is hidden on a narrow walkway. She moved into the house that an executive for the World Bank is renting and it’s pretty posh by Tajik standards. We took a cab from there and Corrie and found out that had gone through the trouble of baking muffins for us which she served alongside fruit, cheese and black bread. I was even able to make fresh coffee using a French press. We were able to map out most of the conference schedule whereby I’ll be present all three days, managing the show so to speak, while Corrie will be present Monday and Tuesday and Ruth will come in on Wednesday to do her song presentation. Ruth and I took a shared taxi, she to go have an early dinner as she is used to doing, while I headed to the new, rather chic beauty salon that had opened next to the F1 café. I needed a pedicure for my toenails still had some remnants of the nail polish from the pedicure I had had last October and I was ashamed to be walking around without wearing socks. The beautician spoke a bit of English and I spent a pleasant hour being pampered by her.

I returned home with the intentions of changing into something more suitable to attend Yoomie’s farewell party as she requested that everyone wear black, but then I decided I wasn’t in the mood for that and kept on my Tajik outfit. I called Ryan to ask him to wait for me so we could walk together as I couldn’t remember her apartment building that clearly. Yoomie was still cooking when we got there, nothing unusual, and just a few people had gathered around the living room. I was ravenously hungry and there was nothing to eat but a few dessert items on a table. Dinner was supposed to have been served at 7:00, but it was 8:30 before she came out of the kitchen bearing a pot with what I think was meant to be a vegetarian chili. There was no flat bread, or corn bread or rice to go with it. Ryan had brought barbecue chicken and someone brought a pot pie. I had a bowl of this “chili”, some pot pie and a piece of banana bread while talking to Dagmara, from Ecuador, who told me there were other Latinos/Hispanics working at the UN building. Darren, from the embassy, came in and pretended not to recognize me. and I did likewise. Hillary, Lauren, Megan, Kristina and Umed were also present. At 9:00, I said goodbye to everyone claiming to have had a really long day and needing some rest as the place was already getting smoky and way too loud to even carry a conversation.

Ryan offered to walk with me part way, but I told him I felt perfectly safe getting home alone. I was even brazen enough to go through the shortcut as I had brought my flashlight with me and made it in no time at all. I read a few more pages of “Makeda” and then fell asleep.