An ordinary week

After all the holiday hoopla, it's time to write about an ordinary week. First of all, the weather. Typical spring--one nice day, several cloudy or rainy days.

ah...the pavement...

My work responsibilities this week included a methodology class, a student writing class, and some one-on-one consultation with gifted teaching colleagues.

Methodology class reflecting on group work in small groups

Consultation with Gulnora

The consultation provides opportunities to do a little linguistic detective work. What does "underclass" mean in this context? Is it simply a new term for "lower class" or does it have some connotations of being unable to rise? In an article about psychology, what does "wired up" mean? I would say "hardwired." Wired up" seems odd in that context, but perhaps it's British English...

Our Wednesday volunteer work at the American Corner included a session in our American Family Life series on communication. Lee and I got to practice what we preached while preparing for it!

We had company for dinner, sharing American-style chili from Sevara's Kitchen with J and K:

Thursday was Lee's day to present to the business group at American Corner:

With more teaching on Saturday, we're half way through a good week!

Navruz holiday - Hisor - local amusements

One of the reasons I enjoyed the outing to Hisor (see previous post) is because there were so many local families enjoying the holiday there. Here are some of the things we saw them doing:

Get a portrait taken

Take a selfie

Go on a carnival ride

Ride a horse

Ride a paddle boat

Ride a kiddie car

Climb in dangerous places

Play cards

Play badminton

Have a picnic with friends

Have a picnic with extended family

Delightful day!

Navruz holiday - outing to Hisor fort

Since my Friday class isn't meeting, thanks to Navruz, and as a reward for spending yesterday reviewing a pile of applications to an embassy-sponsored program, I persuaded Lee that today we needed to go on an outing to Hisor Fort.

Step 1: take bus #8 to the lot where mini-buses leave for Hisor and choose one that appears full enough to be leaving soon, but not so full that Lee won't fit in.

Step #2: Ride the minibus on the road heading west out of Dushanbe to the town of Hisor, enjoying signs of spring along the way.

 Step #3: Take a shared taxi a few miles out of Hisor to the fort. Navruz is evident in the signs and decorations on the fort and the crowds:

Step #4: Enjoy!

(More photos on what locals are doing at the fort in another post.)

Step #5: eat lunch on the patio of a restaurant.

I say hi to a big group at the restaurant. "Is it a birthday party?" "No, it's a picnic." And they proceed to offer us salads and cupcakes.

We are further distracted by the sounds of a wedding going by:

Step #6. Time to reverse our steps and go home. Goodbye, Hisor! We had a great time!

Navruz holiday - Dushanbe style

With a holiday that celebrates both the new year and spring, it's a perfect time for a fresh start. The city has new signs and decorations. Trees and flowers have been planted on the main boulevards. The grass is green. The plum trees are blooming. The fountains have been turned on. And people are wearing new clothes. Beauty all around!

Yes, I know I've taken a lot more photos of women. Just for balance, here's what some guys are doing--just hanging out, being vain, and taking care of kids:

I'll end with the cute little girls...

...and with us, wishing everyone a happy Navruz!

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P.S. I know I'm painting a pretty rosy picture of Tajikistan. I think it's because we live in a relatively nice neighborhood in a capital city that's very concerned with image (and because our Tajik and Russian language skills are non-existent/limited).

Click on these links if you want a more realistic picture of the economic situation, the marginalized, public health issues, drug routes, and freedom of religion.