September
6, 2002
Chirchik, Uzbekistan
American "Spectacle" hits Kibray
Assalom Alaikum,
We stayed at the sanitorium for two weeks before we moved in with
our host families. During the second week, the sanitorium staff
performed a small Uzbek song-and-dance show for us. So we decided
to reciprocate, and in two days, we threw together a show for
them to highlight various bits of American culture.
In those two days, word spread quickly that the Americans in town
were going to have a performance. The show was to begin at 8 p.m.
on Thursday, our last night there. The news, in fact, had spread
so quickly that at 7:30 p.m., buses and marshrutkas were pulling
up to the sanitorium gates to deposit groups of locals who were
very curious about this American "Spectacle" (Uzbek
term for talent/variety show). By the time the Americans showed
up, around 7:45 p.m., the modest auditorium was nearly packed
with locals. It is possible that the entire village of Kibray
showed up that night. By the time the show began, every seat was
taken, and there were crowds of people in the doorways and windows.
Children were squatting in the aisles, and most of the Americans
were left standing.
The show turned out to be quite good and tons of fun. Not bad
for two days worth of preparation. We had songs, dances, cheers,
skits, poetry, a boy-band spoof, and audience participation (relay
races and an attempt at line dancing). It turns out we have a
lot of talented people in our group, and we also have others,
like myself, who are just willing to be silly on stage. It was
very entertaining, but I'm sure we managed to perpetuate whatever
crazy notions the Uzbeks already had about Americans.
But regardless of how silly or talented we were, we just could't
compete with the local entertainment that night. Just before 9
p.m., during the show's last act (crazy Americans trying to get
Uzbeks to dance to the Village People's "YMCA"), almost
the entire crowd headed for the door. Where were they going? To
their television of course. They couldn‚t possibly miss "Esmerelda",
a Mexican soap opera that airs daily dubbed in Uzbek.
Earlier that day, we learned where our permanent sites will be.
After November, I will spend two years in a region called Gala-Asiya,
which is just north of Bukhara. I will be living in a village
of about 3,500 people called "Dustlik", which
means friendship.
What I know about the village so far:
It is 13 km from Bukhara and 4 km from the town of Gala-Asiya.
The climate is sharp continental. The temperature is 18-20 C in
the winter and 35-40 C in the summer.
The people in the region grow grapes, wheat, cotton and other
fruits and vegetables. There is a small wine factory that is famous
for its variety of wines.
The region was founded in 1930. Although the primary language
is Uzbek, the village is fairly ethnically diverse. There are
plenty of Tajiks and even some Turkish speakers.
It sounds interesting so far.
Training keeps us pretty busy. From Monday to Thursday, we have
technical training sessions, teaching practicums, Uzbek or Russian
language classes. The 50 of us are scattered throughout four towns/villages.
Every Friday, we all get together for administrative, medical
and cross-cultural sessions. And we usually have something scheduled
for Saturdays as well. So our schedule is pretty packed until
November.
My host family is very excited to have me back, and I'm pretty
happy to be here. My neighborhood in Chirchik is interesting,
too. It's a ghetto composed of many run-down Soviet-era apartment
buildings. There are always many children playing in the street,
and window-to-window conversations among neighbors are quite common.
It is like the rest of Chirchik, a fairly Russified, middle-sized
town, about 45 minutes (by marshrutka) northwest of Tashkent.
My Uzbek has been developing quickly. For the rest of training,
I will be learning independently, with occasional sessions with
a language trainer. There are a few of us in this situation because
we were here last year. In terms of grammar, we've already learned
everything they are going to teach during training. And since
they don‚t have enough teachers, they've left us on our own
to develop our oral skills and build our vocabulary. The idea
is to hang out in the community and speak Uzbek, but it might
just turn into more time to sleep. But it helps that my family
doesn't speak English. And in the true spirit of assimilation,
I've begun to watch "Esmerelda" every night,
and that helps too.
 |
|
Imran
Javed ©2002
|
I
experienced my first earthquake yesterday. I'm not quite sure
where the epicenter was, but I certainly felt it here in Chirchik.
Don't worry, what I felt was very mild. I was having an Uzbek
lesson in my teacher's apartment, when the whole place began to
tremble as if a train or a large truck was passing by. We trembled
for at least half a minute. When it ended, my teacher, Nasiba
Opa, was very quiet. She told me there are mild earthquakes in
Uzbekistan every few months, but they always scare her. She has
memories from 1966, when a huge earthquake destroyed Tashkent.
At the time Nasiba Opa was a little girl living about 40 km outside
of Tashkent. She remembers seeing the wall in her house crack
and crumble.
In the following months, workers from all over the Soviet Union
traveled to Uzbekistan to help rebuild Tashkent. And the way Nasiba
Opa tells the story, the workers ended up building an newer, better
Tashkent. So the earthquake was sort of a blessing in disguise
for Uzbekistan. There is even a huge earthquake memorial statue
in Tashkent, and to this day, newlyweds go there on their wedding
days to take pictures.
I will write again soon. If you are reading this, send me a letter.
Tell me your news!
Peace & blessings,
Sofia
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