Hello from Tajikistan
Hello I am Harika. And this is my diary. I will write here about my experiences in Tajikistan. I will write all my adventures here. I hope I will make many friends. I want to learn a lot from this culture.
I hope i will find good honey here.
Hello Tajikistan and Good Bye Taiwan.
Hello dear diary,
I spent along way to come to Tajikistan. I am here at last. I came by Turkish Airline early morning in Dushanbe. Dushnabe airport is very small. And when i took my luggage i went out and saw a girl who had a card which was written “ WELCOME HARIKA” I went and that girl was Zebo. Zebo and Kay met in VC in November and then this project was born. Preety fast everything happens. But i am happy that I am here. Zebo hired a taxi and we headed to south of Tajikistan to her town Sarband by name. We talked on the way a lot . I asked about Tajikistan. I asked what means “istan” because all Central Asian countries have this suffix at the end for example Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, etc. She explains that Tajik is the name of the people and “ istan” means “ land”. So then i find out about neighbors of Tajikistan Uzbekistan in the west, Kyrgystan in the north and Afghanistan in the south and China in the east. Tajikistan is mountainous country all the way i looked at the window and saw beautiful mountain. 93 percent is covered by mountains. The weather was sunny but chilly. Then i heard how Zebo speak with drive and i asked what language she spoke. And it was Russian. Russian is spoken here. Before it was part of Soviet Union and then in 1991 it become independent country. I asked Zebo how to say hello in Tajik language. It is , “Salom” and thank you will be” rahmat”. Now i know two words. I want to learn some Persian too. Tajik language is similar to Iranian and Dari language. But the scrip is Cyrillic. I saw sign on the road and it was in Cyrillic. I hope by the end of the year i will learn some phrases in English. Zebo knows Russian, English and abit German language.
It takes us one hour and 30 minutes from Dushanbe to come to Sarband. I was very tired. At last i came to Sarband. Zebo lives with her family in block of flats. Her neighborhood was very busy and with full of children. Neighbors were sitting on the benches and saw me and greeted them.
So i am here at Zebo house. Her mother greeted us. Before I entered the flat but Zebo’s mother spread the fabric beneath my feet and asked me to go over it. I was surprised and asked what dose it means. Zebo’s mother explained that when a new person, new guest for the first time come to our house they spread : “Poyandoz” a beautiful fabric. Poy means feet. I understood that from her speech that guest is very important in their culture. We all sat on the floor and zebo spread narrow mattresses which in Tajik it will be “ kurpacha”. And we sat and had a nice supper. We sat on the floor. They sit on the floor and spread the dastarhan ( Tablecloth). The food was light.Zebo’s family is larhe there are 8 people in her family, a father, a mother, a elder brother, two sisters, sister-in-law and 3 nieces. One of her sister is married .This is a large family. It is common here big families. And they all live together. Zebo’s family is very nice people. I liked her mother. She is an English teacher also.
Tomorrow i will go to school and i am excited. I want to see how their school look like and to see their school uniform.
Hello dear Diary,
Hello dear diary!
Here is my another day in Sarband. In this day I came to school. And
at school I saw other Zebos 6th form students. First I introduced with
all of them and they were very glad to meet me and I was glad to meet
them too. After it there came one of the Zebos student and he took me
to the elementary school. In the way I introduced with him and his
name was Subhiddin he was 17 and he studies in the school #1 in the
11th grade. He was a good boy. He likes to talk in English language
very much with guests from foreign countries. But elementary school
was not far from secondary school we walked about ten minutes to get
there. And I asked him why we are going to the elementary school
please explain it to me. And Subhiddin said to me that our teacher
Zebo was in USA by US program Teacher Exchange. And US Embassy sends
to her school Native American speakers, that students improve their
English knowledge and learn a lot about American culture. When we came
to elementary school there were many students and they were greeting
us very nice. I came to the elementary school with Subhiddin because
today was unusual day, Zebo invited hip-hop dancers from US Embassy. I
was glad and happy to saw American hip-hop dancers in Sarband and
Subhiddin was glad and happy so on, than me. After it Subhiddin my
translator went to them introduced himself and talked a little with
them about hip-hop in USA. I was alone in a few minutes there because
I lose Subhiddin and there I find out Zebo. I saw with Zebo Rano,
Nigina, Rafael, and others there they were all Zebos students.
Unfortunately besides Zebos students nobody didn’t understood English
and I was a little terrified. Then I went round and find out Subhiddin
and I with him was talking in English and Subhiddin introduced me with
American hip-hop dancers. There were also Tajik hip-hop dancers from
Dushanbe and I introduced with them too. After some minutes when they
began their dance and we all took our seats and watched. After a few
minutes they invited English club members to practice with them
hip-hop. At first it was difficult for students because they danced
hip-hop for the first time. But they tried and did all their best to
dance. I saw there were 8 movements and they practiced a lot to use
those movements. In their group I saw some students confused because
they didn’t understood what are left and right. But they tried and
learned those 8 movements of hip-hop dance. I saw Subiddin and other
English club members was happy because they learned a little of
hip-hop dance. After some minutes it was finished and hip-hop dancers
had gone to the US Embassy. Because US Embassy brought them to
Sarband. And Subhiddin showed me and told many things about elementary
school and then I with Subhiddin came back to secondary school. In
school Sibhiddin took his bag from English class and we said to
everyone good bye and we together went to Subhiddins home. Today the
weather was very cold and windy I was cold. Subhiddin ashamed to give
me his suit because I was girl. After party I was so tired and
Subhiddin was tired than me! Because he danced there a lot. But when I
came to Subhiddins home I introduced with his Mom and his young
brother Sunatullo. I liked Sunatullo very much because he understood
English a little and in other times Subhiddin translated. And
Subhiddins Mom was glad to meet me on her house and was so happy to
have a guest from foreign county. Also there were Subhiddins grand mum
and granddad. I introduced with them too. They were retired. After
some minutes Subhiddins Mom was cooking Osh. It is Tajik national
dish. Tajik`s make Osh in holidays or they have guests. So today I was
guest and to my honors they make Osh. In Tajik tradition Tajik guests
are much respected. And Subhiddin told me the proverb, ``Guests are
Gods gift``. Then Subhiddin`s Mom put the kurpacha on the floor and
said to me ``marhamat shined``. ``marhamat shined`` is tajik word but
Subhiddin translated it to me that it is mean ``sit down``. Subhiddin
said to me that in our country every family must have their own
kurpachas and pillows. We sat on the floor and at first I was a little
terrified because I sat on the floor for the first time. And after
they laid dastarhan, ``Dastarhan``- is the Tajik table. And Subhiddins
Mom brought to the dastarhan Tajik breads. Tajik breads are round and
they said to me that in our tradition breads is the most expensive
thing on the dastarhan. After breads she brought much kind of candies,
fruits, tajik national foods and etc. Subiddin helped to his Mom to
set dastarhan because I saw that on his family there was not any girl.
So we altogether had supper. We talked about news around the world.
After it Subhiddins grandparents went to his uncle home, and then
Subhiddin told me a little about his family. So his father and his
brother were in Russia. But I asked him why your father and brother
went to Russia. He said to me that in our country it’s very difficult
to find a good and useful job. The majority of men in Tajikistan are
migration. In our country we haven’t many plants that our men could
work. That’s why my father and brother went to Russia to earn money.
And after it I spoke with his Mom and Subhidin translated to me
everything. And I with Subhidin made his homework. When at 10 o’clock
or at 11 o clock the light switched off we go to bed. So my dear diary
how to write, today I had a good and so interesting time with Subhidin
and his family.
Good bye my dear diary till tomorrow!
Hello dear Diary,
Here is my another day in Sarband at school #1. And today is
Saturday I want to say that Tajik students study from Monday
till Saturday. They have only 1 day- off. I've come to see Zebos
students, I saw Aziza she's Zebos student I introduced with
her she studies at school #1 she is in the 8th grade she's
fond of learning English . Every Saturday Zebo doesn't have any
lessons and Aziza with other students comes to English class
to learn more English language and Aziza comes to additional
private classes and she can speak English very well. And now
they have an International Olympiada contest via Internet in
their school . Aziza participates in Olympiada, and her teacher
training her for Olympiada. I heard it from speech and then
I thought about our school, and I said in Taiwan we have
no International Olympiada in every subject, their school is
very good, I liked it . Olympiada is in every subjects. The task
in olympiada in English there are taste and essays. Next
International Olympiada 2 round will begin, and it takes
place in another city. Aziza excited she need to pract ices .
Today I saw how Zebos students prepeared their bear "Asalak
" for her trip to Taiwan. One of the students Madina made her
school clothes and another students Zaynabi made a Tajik
dress from traditional fabric called "atlas " they told they
will make me "Atlas" dress too. Next week "Asalak" will depart.