Navruz holiday - at American Councils

Today's Navruz celebration (still ahead of March 21) was at the American Councils for International Education building. Here, American students in Dushanbe to study Tajik and Farsi celebrated along with Tajik students who had studied in the U.S., many as part of the high school Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX). (Hey, Americans in high school, college, or grad school--you too could study here--for a summer or a semester or a year!) Our friend of a friend from the airport delay, Zinnat, invited us. She was one of the mc's.

The program began with a little drama about the old year and the Navruz queen:

The American language students showed off for their teachers and the audience by reciting poems or explaining features of Navruz:

There were song and dance performances by both visitors and locals:

One young woman, a FLEX alumna (high school year in Wisconsin), said that when she gets homesick for the U.S. she comes to the American Councils building to hang out with Americans. The cultural mix of this event is why traditional Navruz arm wrestling featured guys and girls:

There was also tug-of-war, egg-cracking, and musical chairs:

Then there was dancing:

(My expression belies the fact that I'm feeling mortified to be such a bad dancer.)
Finally, there was a traditional dinner.

And still more dancing!

Thanks, everyone, for your hospitality!