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| From DW in Dushanbe |
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| From DW in Dushanbe |
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| From DW in Dushanbe |
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| From DW in Dushanbe |
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wanna see more?
I've updated my online picture album with some photos of the Panjakent-Khujand Trip and my neighborhood. If you'd like to check them out go here. Here are some of my favorites.
North by Northwest
Early Saturday morning eight of my classmates and I left Dushanbe in two jeeps, heading toward the ancient cities of Panjakent and Khujand. Rarely paved, the roads were overwhelming and great--the best part of the trip. To best represent my rawest impressions of the journey I took notes at points throughout. The road to Panjakent is best characterized by smells: of gasoline, desert and burnt trash. At times when we would exit the cars to admire the vistas and take photos the air was its lightest--when the air was weak and fresh, so much so anything else was lost. At all times the air was unreal in lightness or gagging in smog.
Most of the ride was in between the narrow roads of mountain sides and the roaring, brown river hundreds of feet below. The landscape shifts were stunning: from city to desert to mountain to desert to oasis. Dry rocks, red rocks, green rocks, sprinkled the mountains and the roads; some still hung thousands of feet up, snowed in or carved out from the spring-time melt. Driving through had taken us through natural beauty of places like Colorado, the Alps, Morocco, and the Izrael Valley.
The trip to Khujand was equally stunning. As opposed to the mountains roads to Panjakent, situated on and around their waists, the road to Khujand took us over them--up to heights of 3300 meters (~11,000 feet)--into stubborn snow.
The ride down led us into valleys--on shaky and bumpy roads, perhaps more so than the ride up--in between greener mountains that gradually dried until we arrived in the flat and arid plains leading to Khujand; a city split by a river, humid, but watched by towering western mountains. Khujand, the republic's most important financial city is found at the peak of the map of Tajikistan, slipped between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Its great trees, busy streets, and markets had the whispers of Tel Aviv's metropolitan charm. Walking into the Panjshanbe Bazaar (or Thursday Market) is a punch; the nose fills with freshest spices and the salt of body odor, too. Eyes and ears are overwhelmed by colors and packs of shoutters; hands and calls, welcomes, thick movie-taught hellos.
Our trip from Khujand to Dushanbe--a flight--was laughably rickety. The plane on which we flew was an old Soviet plane that suffered turbulence before we even took off. The (thankfully) quick flight was a fitting close to adventure--an arthritic ride back home.
In moments of instability and imperfection--driving on rocks and sand, inches from a catastrophic plunge or boarding a plane older than your father--try to laugh. And pray, maybe. I've heard before: worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere. So just take it easy and hope the plane will land. And when it does, laugh.
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| From DW in Dushanbe |
Most of the ride was in between the narrow roads of mountain sides and the roaring, brown river hundreds of feet below. The landscape shifts were stunning: from city to desert to mountain to desert to oasis. Dry rocks, red rocks, green rocks, sprinkled the mountains and the roads; some still hung thousands of feet up, snowed in or carved out from the spring-time melt. Driving through had taken us through natural beauty of places like Colorado, the Alps, Morocco, and the Izrael Valley.
 |
| From DW in Dushanbe |
The trip to Khujand was equally stunning. As opposed to the mountains roads to Panjakent, situated on and around their waists, the road to Khujand took us over them--up to heights of 3300 meters (~11,000 feet)--into stubborn snow.
 |
| From DW in Dushanbe |
The ride down led us into valleys--on shaky and bumpy roads, perhaps more so than the ride up--in between greener mountains that gradually dried until we arrived in the flat and arid plains leading to Khujand; a city split by a river, humid, but watched by towering western mountains. Khujand, the republic's most important financial city is found at the peak of the map of Tajikistan, slipped between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Its great trees, busy streets, and markets had the whispers of Tel Aviv's metropolitan charm. Walking into the Panjshanbe Bazaar (or Thursday Market) is a punch; the nose fills with freshest spices and the salt of body odor, too. Eyes and ears are overwhelmed by colors and packs of shoutters; hands and calls, welcomes, thick movie-taught hellos.
 |
| From DW in Dushanbe |
Our trip from Khujand to Dushanbe--a flight--was laughably rickety. The plane on which we flew was an old Soviet plane that suffered turbulence before we even took off. The (thankfully) quick flight was a fitting close to adventure--an arthritic ride back home.
 |
| From DW in Dushanbe |
In moments of instability and imperfection--driving on rocks and sand, inches from a catastrophic plunge or boarding a plane older than your father--try to laugh. And pray, maybe. I've heard before: worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere. So just take it easy and hope the plane will land. And when it does, laugh.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Greetings from Khujand
I'm in Khujand right now. Our flight back to Dushnabe leaves in a few hours. It's been a great weekend and I will post pictures and some other content tomorrow. For now, I'm kiling some time here online and later at Ravshan Cafe, a stellar restaurent.
That's it for now.
Until tomorrow, take care
That's it for now.
Until tomorrow, take care
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Weekend travel plans
This weekend a number of classmates and I will travel to the northern cities of Panjakent, Istirafshan, and Khujand. These three cities are among Tajikistan's finest and oldest. Panjakent today is a small city but contains a great amount of ancient ruins. It is also circled by a beautiful natural environs. Istaravshan is another small city and is famous for its knives; it is said to be over 2500 years old. Khujand was founded as a military fort by Alexander the Great around 300 BCE at the eastern most point of his empire. It has since been inhabited--one of the world's most consistently inhabited cities.
The drive north begins tomorrow morning at 5:00 am and will snake into the mountains of central Tajikistan. It will be a fantastic trip into new places. I will be sure to take pictures and notes; I'll let you see 'em when I get back.
Peace.
The drive north begins tomorrow morning at 5:00 am and will snake into the mountains of central Tajikistan. It will be a fantastic trip into new places. I will be sure to take pictures and notes; I'll let you see 'em when I get back.
Peace.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Choikhona Rohat, Varzob Valley, and Settling
This past weekend was great: Friday night a few friends and I watched the USA/Slovenia World Cup game at the local Hyatt. The Western (mostly American)crowd made it feel like we were back in the States. It is a very, very fancy hotel--easily the best facilities in Dushanbe. After the game and a few over-priced beers we made our way over to Choikhona Rohat, Tajiki for "Relaxed Teahouse." Settling at this gorgeous indoor-outdoor local gem in the 80ยบ starred Dushanbe night --made better by fresh shashliks (kibabs) and warm local bread--perfected the night. We chased our food with some more chilled beers and a stroll by the Haji Yakoub Mosque.
8:30 Saturday morning we left Dushanbe, driving along the Varzob River north into the mountains. Dushanbe is besieged by mountains--some still capped in slowly melting/year-round snow; others full of once-green brush, crisped by the Tajiki summer. The river lead us in to the Varzob region of Tajikistan, where the mountains have dried, barring a few towering peaks. There, myself and a few others made our way up a dry and steep summit. Only a few brave souls made it up the peak, from the original twenty or so hikers (the main obstacle being bad footwear and sharp slant). By the time we finished we were about 2200 meters (~7200 feet) up, looking down at the Varzob and the similarly snaking road. If you'd like to see some more pictures from the tip (and other parts of my travels here) they can be found here.
After descending from the mountain the rest of the day was spent in bungalow-like huts that dangled over the roaring river, eating and relaxing. After a filling lunch of cucumber-tomato salad, fresh bread, watermelon, and osh--the Tajiki national dish, composed of oil, rice, carrots, mulberry, and mutton-- I took it easy for a bit while others swam in the pool filled by icy river water. Soft pillows, drawn shades, and the storming white river served as prime environs for reading and nap time. It was a serene Saturday that I will not soon forget.
In Dushanbe again and done fighting stomach aches round two, I am back in the swing of things. Classes are going, and I can feel my Persian slowly strengthening. And the same goes my Tajiki. I finally finished The Accidental Empire and have moved on to Saul Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March. It's fantastic.
Take care for now.
-DW in Dushanbe
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| From DW in Dushanbe |
8:30 Saturday morning we left Dushanbe, driving along the Varzob River north into the mountains. Dushanbe is besieged by mountains--some still capped in slowly melting/year-round snow; others full of once-green brush, crisped by the Tajiki summer. The river lead us in to the Varzob region of Tajikistan, where the mountains have dried, barring a few towering peaks. There, myself and a few others made our way up a dry and steep summit. Only a few brave souls made it up the peak, from the original twenty or so hikers (the main obstacle being bad footwear and sharp slant). By the time we finished we were about 2200 meters (~7200 feet) up, looking down at the Varzob and the similarly snaking road. If you'd like to see some more pictures from the tip (and other parts of my travels here) they can be found here.
 |
| From DW in Dushanbe |
 |
| From DW in Dushanbe |
 |
| From DW in Dushanbe |
After descending from the mountain the rest of the day was spent in bungalow-like huts that dangled over the roaring river, eating and relaxing. After a filling lunch of cucumber-tomato salad, fresh bread, watermelon, and osh--the Tajiki national dish, composed of oil, rice, carrots, mulberry, and mutton-- I took it easy for a bit while others swam in the pool filled by icy river water. Soft pillows, drawn shades, and the storming white river served as prime environs for reading and nap time. It was a serene Saturday that I will not soon forget.
In Dushanbe again and done fighting stomach aches round two, I am back in the swing of things. Classes are going, and I can feel my Persian slowly strengthening. And the same goes my Tajiki. I finally finished The Accidental Empire and have moved on to Saul Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March. It's fantastic.
Take care for now.
-DW in Dushanbe
Monday, June 21, 2010
Apologies
Sorry I haven't posted anything new recently. Expect some new stuff later today/tonight--maybe some pictures to go along with. For now: class!
Adios.
Adios.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
About something new
As the time for introductory posts has come to a close I'd like to know what people want to read here. Aside from the usual of food, thoughts, emotions, etc. what would you like to know about Tajikistan you can't find on its Wikipedia page. Please comment so I can begin to write about more things other than going to the local Turkish place for tea (as awesome as it is).
One of my own hopes is to put myself in to new, "scary" situations--aka exploring outside the comfort zone of my classroom and local house; namely into the bazaars and sites, where a better flavor of the actual Tajiki people is attainable. By "compromising" I do not mean dangerous, threatening, or foolish situations; I mean ones in which I will experience things unknown/foreign/unparalleled/not-Western. I'll utilize the light of day and absolutely travel with friends, so (Mom and Dad) don't worry too much.
This is a "study abroad" but is better characterized as a foreign immersion program and it's important to actually challenge my skills and see new people/things. I've been slow in immersing myself here so far but its time to start going new places and meeting new people.
I'll let you know how it goes soon. In the meantime let's hear what suggestions you have for me?
Take care for now.
-DW in Dushanbe
One of my own hopes is to put myself in to new, "scary" situations--aka exploring outside the comfort zone of my classroom and local house; namely into the bazaars and sites, where a better flavor of the actual Tajiki people is attainable. By "compromising" I do not mean dangerous, threatening, or foolish situations; I mean ones in which I will experience things unknown/foreign/unparalleled/not-Western. I'll utilize the light of day and absolutely travel with friends, so (Mom and Dad) don't worry too much.
This is a "study abroad" but is better characterized as a foreign immersion program and it's important to actually challenge my skills and see new people/things. I've been slow in immersing myself here so far but its time to start going new places and meeting new people.
I'll let you know how it goes soon. In the meantime let's hear what suggestions you have for me?
Take care for now.
-DW in Dushanbe
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Pictures from Dushanbe
I haven't yet opened my Duane Reed disposable camera but some of my friends have posted some great photos. With their permission here are some of first shots from Dushanbe.
Enjoy!
(For clarification that is a bear)
Enjoy!
(For clarification that is a bear)
Getting the hang of things
First off, sorry for the initial link issues.
Things are going well: Classes began yesterday with some language aptitude tests and today we had our first actual lectures. My Persian class is going well--very well-- and Tajiki is too. It's a good feeling to get back in the classroom and jog my memory. Getting back into the classroom is a huge puzzle piece for in settling in to my new surroundings. It is undeniable that this experience will be an exceedingly great challenge. Probably the most outstanding obstacles are the food, water, and language. The food is great: I just need to get used eating oily and very rich foods regularly (regularly means 3 times a day). Dessert comes with every meal, instead of just dinner. I'm sure I'll tell more about Tajiki cuisine in a future post. Bottled water is the only option as the tap is treated only enough to make it appear safe.
My academic schedule obviously demands of me great attention and focus, but living in a household in which the only language spoken is Tajiki has proven a greater intellectual challenge than any normal classroom experience. As I previously mentioned, Tajiki is a dialect of Persian but is packed with Russian words and pronounced in a very Russian manner. This has definitely complicated my attempts to learn the language One the whole my homestay experience is at the same time both awesome and mentally challenging. I'm slowly making my way through my Tajiki dictionary with the help of my host-sister in an effort to supplement my Tajiki classes and facilitate at-home communication. Among the words I've learned so far are: ant ("murcha"), to negotiate ("savdo kardan"), and jar ("banka")--p.s. Tajiki is spelled in Cyrillic, the same characters as Russian.
The other bare neccessities of sleep, reading, fun are progressing. Adjusting to the time change is getting better. Now the only thing waking me up are malaria-pill induced dreams and the family of swallows nested in the adjacent room. Fortunately I am able to read more print books now since I've [consciously] left my computer in the US. I have internet access thanks to my classmates and the abundance of cheap internet cafes. I am currently reading The Accidental Empire by Gershom Gorenberg--an in-depth examination of the formational years of Israel's settlement movement.
That's it for now. Take care.
Things are going well: Classes began yesterday with some language aptitude tests and today we had our first actual lectures. My Persian class is going well--very well-- and Tajiki is too. It's a good feeling to get back in the classroom and jog my memory. Getting back into the classroom is a huge puzzle piece for in settling in to my new surroundings. It is undeniable that this experience will be an exceedingly great challenge. Probably the most outstanding obstacles are the food, water, and language. The food is great: I just need to get used eating oily and very rich foods regularly (regularly means 3 times a day). Dessert comes with every meal, instead of just dinner. I'm sure I'll tell more about Tajiki cuisine in a future post. Bottled water is the only option as the tap is treated only enough to make it appear safe.
My academic schedule obviously demands of me great attention and focus, but living in a household in which the only language spoken is Tajiki has proven a greater intellectual challenge than any normal classroom experience. As I previously mentioned, Tajiki is a dialect of Persian but is packed with Russian words and pronounced in a very Russian manner. This has definitely complicated my attempts to learn the language One the whole my homestay experience is at the same time both awesome and mentally challenging. I'm slowly making my way through my Tajiki dictionary with the help of my host-sister in an effort to supplement my Tajiki classes and facilitate at-home communication. Among the words I've learned so far are: ant ("murcha"), to negotiate ("savdo kardan"), and jar ("banka")--p.s. Tajiki is spelled in Cyrillic, the same characters as Russian.
The other bare neccessities of sleep, reading, fun are progressing. Adjusting to the time change is getting better. Now the only thing waking me up are malaria-pill induced dreams and the family of swallows nested in the adjacent room. Fortunately I am able to read more print books now since I've [consciously] left my computer in the US. I have internet access thanks to my classmates and the abundance of cheap internet cafes. I am currently reading The Accidental Empire by Gershom Gorenberg--an in-depth examination of the formational years of Israel's settlement movement.
That's it for now. Take care.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Hello all
Hello and welcome to the inaugural blog post for DW in Dushanbe. In the coming weeks I will post to this site on a semi-regular basis in an effort to record my thoughts and tell of my experiences while here in Dushanbe, Tajikstan. Dushanbe is the capital city of the Republic of Tajikistan, a small mountainous country situated between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Dushanbe is home to a little under 700,000 of Tajikistans 7,000,000+ inhabitants. If you'd like more info click here for Dushanbe's Wikipedia page and here for Tajikistan's. If you do not know why I am here it is because I am participating in the Persian Undergraduate Flagship program. I will be here for two months during which I will study both Persian and Tajiki (a dialect of Persian), while touring and immersing myself in a totally new environment.
Since arriving on Thursday (after about thirty hours of travel--DC to Frankfurt to Istanbul to Dushanbe) most of our time has been dedicated to learning about the city of Dushanbe and acquainting ourselves with local traditions and culuture. I cannot adequately describe 1he immense hospitality of the Tajik people, most notably embodied by my wonderful host family. Immediately upon my arrival I was greeted by my host-brother who ushered me home with a warm smile. I was brought into the family room where my host-mother fed me and made sure that I had eaten more than my fill. I soon after met the remainder of my Tajiki family, each of whom was just as welcoming and gracious as the one before.
Since then I have walked around the city with my friends and classmates--there is still so much to see and do. I will post again soon.
Take care for now.
Since arriving on Thursday (after about thirty hours of travel--DC to Frankfurt to Istanbul to Dushanbe) most of our time has been dedicated to learning about the city of Dushanbe and acquainting ourselves with local traditions and culuture. I cannot adequately describe 1he immense hospitality of the Tajik people, most notably embodied by my wonderful host family. Immediately upon my arrival I was greeted by my host-brother who ushered me home with a warm smile. I was brought into the family room where my host-mother fed me and made sure that I had eaten more than my fill. I soon after met the remainder of my Tajiki family, each of whom was just as welcoming and gracious as the one before.
Since then I have walked around the city with my friends and classmates--there is still so much to see and do. I will post again soon.
Take care for now.
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