March 8 - part 4

8 March, Women’s Day/Mother’s Day, was another beautiful spring day in Dushanbe. We were invited to hang out with Anisa, a recent college grad, and her friend Zeena. Anisa had befriended me during the long flight delay in the Khujand airport, and we had met again last month at an event for alumni of study-abroad-in-the-U.S. programs. Anisa’s time in the U.S. has been in Arizona and Nebraska, while Zeena has studied in Montana.

We spent an hour at the Botanical Gardens and then had shashlik for lunch before they returned to their extended families. (Both are from up north, but are living with sisters here in Dushanbe, where there is more interesting work for women in their 20s.) 

It was wonderful to celebrate Women’s Day with these accomplished young women, talking about cultural adjustments, life in Tajikistan, and how to make chocolate chip cookies here. :-)

Here are some more photos of the day, from both the Botanical Gardens and Rudaki Park.

It's a day for women to get out of the house, for sure!
I saw a few young families:

It was so rare to see a dad with kids that I asked to take this man’s photo:

Mostly there were moms out with kids…

…Often in extended family groups:

The Botanical Garden was clearly a special location:

It was obvious that this is a day to celebrate women’s friendships too:

Best wishes to all women, and a special blessing on those whose paths crossed mine today.