One Month in Tajikistan

Anna and I in downtown Khujand, walking along the river, the Syr Darya, near sunset.

Yesterday marked one month since Anna and I arrived here in Tajikistan.  We are gradually building routines and finding rhythm in our lives here.  Anna's work permit took a bit of time to get approved; she only started her work at Khujand State University last Thursday.  She'll continue to observe classes this week but will soon shift into actual teaching. 

Anna at "5 &5."  Happy wife,
happy life and all, right?

We didn't expect to have this much unstructured time together!  We have taken advantage of this dynamic with long, explorative walks; multiple work sessions at our favorite local coffee spot, "Panju-Panj" (5 & 5); many luxurious couch naps; and a tri-weekly (that should be a word, right?) Russian class.  After initial frustrated helplessness at how little we knew and understood either Russian or Tajik, we are making strides and, fitfully, coming out of our respective shells.  Все хорошо!

That said, it's not like Anna's been doing nothing even though the university duties weren't sorted right away.  Building off of initial introductions and connections, she's visited local English classes, given professional development, and volunteered at American Space Khujand (ASK).  While some of these activities are Anna's "secondary duties" -- the university work being her "primary duty" -- others are simply opportunities she's made happen on her own.

I'll undoubtedly have lots to say on American Spaces in future posts because (1) I love them and (2) we'll probably be spending a lot of time at Khujand's.  Basically, American Spaces are US information hubs that offer free Internet and cultural and language-learning programming.  So think library, think after school space.  If you're wondering about more, check out their website. 

While American Spaces are not exclusively for youth, most services seem to be oriented as such, with clubs for local students, presentations on exchange programs, and English discussion clubs and language proficiency test prep classes.  Soon, I'll actually be teaching an academic writing class at ASK; it should start sometime next month!  A big part of it will be preparing students to succeed on the writing section of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), which they need for studying abroad in the US or other English-speaking countries.  I'll keep everyone posted with how the class goes!

Anna and I with Muhammadosim.

Another educational experience for me has been guest speaking at a pair of language centers, "Donish" (Tajik for "knowledge") and Globus (Tajik for "globe"), a connection forged through Muhammadosim, a recent high school graduate from Khujand.  He'd been teaching English at these centers for the past year.  Muhammadosim is now in Poland beginning his studies at University of Warsaw, however we overlapped for a few days before his departure.  Not only did he connect me with Donish and Globus, but he also took Anna and I under his wing, showing us around Khujand, taking us to some of his favorite spots in the city.  His kindness was a terrific early positive for us amid the frenetic energy and 100+ degree heat of our first few days here.

My experiences at Donish and Globus were very positive.  In each case I spoke to groups of about 40 students of various ages, most in their early teens, about me and life in the US and took questions.  I also helped their teachers run games and engage in English dialogues.  I was told that, for most of the students, I was probably the first native English speaker they'd ever engaged with.  Pretty humbling stuff!  There are definitely not many English speakers that come through Khujand and certainly even fewer in recent years because of the pandemic.

Let me briefly circle back to the topic of weather: After hitting that heat wave on arrival, it's continued to, by our standards, be hot, although not scorching, with highs regularly in the low 90s.  It is a dry heat though and there really is something to be said for that.  Cooler weather is on the way, with the extended forecast calling for highs in the 70s.  The sunshine has been essentially ceaseless.  It spat rain one morning a couple of weeks ago and it got overcast one evening a few days back but that's it.  From what we hear, things change a bit in the winter, but Khujand is indeed a desert climate, albeit a temperate desert, technically speaking.

Overall, we're enjoying Khujand.  At about 190,000 people, Khujand is about a fifth the size of Dushanbe.  Nearly everything we want is within a half-hour walk or a five- to ten-minute taxi or bus ride.  Khujand also has a decidedly different vibe than Dushanbe.  Khujand is old, a Silk Road stop if you go back far enough, while Dushanbe is a modern city that only grew to prominence thanks to Soviet urbanization.  I both know and also sense there's a number of other aspects to these cities' differences, however I'll take some more time before I write about it anymore than this.

Anna, Navruza, and me: A failed timer
effort but a fun photo nonetheless!

I'll close with a true highlight from recent weeks: our first excursion beyond Khujand to Kayrakkum, a large reservoir about a half-hour east of the city.  It's officially called the Tajik Sea, although I have yet to hear anyone actually call it that.  Anna's made friends with Navruza, a local English teacher, and she led the way for us, organizing our taxi there and showing us around.  We really enjoyed our day with her and being back around some "big water," even if it's man-made.  With school back in session it's officially low season, which meant we nearly had the place to ourselves despite it being a Sunday with, you guessed it, abundant sunshine and a high of around 90.  We swam for a good couple of hours and the water had just the right bite to it for a hot, late summer afternoon.  We have our eye on a return trip(s) to stay at Bahoriston, a resort hotel and, by the looks of it, a decently maintained Soviet-era relic.

Until next time, blog readers!  Thanks for reading and please pass this on to anyone who you think might get something out of it!   

Kayrakkum: The opposite shoreline is about 10 miles away and barely visible in the haze.