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The Registan
The main square in Samarkand, Uzbekistan Samarkand
Happy Memorial Day weekend to everyone! Our weekend was spent sitting on a train, wandering about the city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, sightseeing, and shopping. I have to say that although being a tourist and sightseeing is fun, one weekend is enough at a time! I’m glad we are back in Tashkent and getting ready for another (half) week. We visited several popular places around the city, learned about the history from our tour guide on Saturday, and spent probably too much time in little shops within rooms of a historical mosque that used to be used as classrooms. Now they are tourist shops where one can bargain, etc. I was looking at earrings in one of the shops and the guy said 25 thousand sums, this is about 22 dollars. I immediately thought this was too much, but didn’t attempt to bargain because I’m not used to this “sport” that is widely accepted and practiced here, so I just said hmm, and started looking at something else. The salesman attempted to explain to me the process of bargaining, and I thought it was funny that he wanted me to bargain with him- many of these people do enjoy bargaining
with their customers and I think it’s somewhat of an art or a sport with all it’s techniques and tactics. Anyway, we all got a little better at it by Sunday because we spent HOURS looking at various silk scarves, pottery, jewelry, clothing, etc. We also spent lots of Sums buying them! There are some very beautiful patterns and designs. I bought myself a cotton scarf that is very authentic looking, and thicker than the silk ones, for use in cold weather. I bought some silk ones for others who I thought might like them, and one silk one for myself. We had fun occasionally trying on different things that we didn’t buy as well. I have to quote Ella when she put on a little hat and said “I’m probably offending like 30 different cultures wearing this hat like this right now.”
Since it was the last day of school for all the school kids, all around town the kids were dressed in their last day of school uniforms, which are these cute little dresses that Ella said she wore when she lived in Ukraine until 2nd grade. Yulduz told us a bit about the schooling in Uzb
An older woman
Ella asked this lady if she could take a picture of her, as she looks so beautiful in her traditional Uzbek dress which was interesting. I got to thinking I should make a list of the things that are different here in Uzb. Here’s what I have so far:
• School children are expected to sit with their arms crossed and their backs straight. When they want to ask a question they raise their right arm with both arms crossed in front of them and their elbows on the table.
• According to Yulduz, there aren’t problems in schools like ADHD, etc because the kids are expected to act disciplined and behave, and this is enforced strictly.
• Marriage customs: The female goes to live with the male’s family, traditionally. The male’s parents often will have tea with the female’s parents, and the female will come bring the tea, giving the male’s parents a chance to meet the female and decide if they like her as a suitable mate. This takes place before the male even gets to meet the female. Then the parents set the couple up on a date. Sometimes the male doesn’t even want to go on a date but does due to pressure from his parents. Sometimes the female doesn’t like the male at all but has
to act all interested and smiley. If the female doesn’t like the male but the male wants future dates the female can try to politely refuse by making up excuses a couple of times until the male stops asking. Males prefer females who will be housewives and stay home to take care of the children. Yulduz is 27 and unmarried, as she is a very educated woman with a masters degree and an intent to work, not stay home and be a house wife. She thinks this is the reason she is not married yet, because it takes a man with a more westernized attitude that will appreciate a woman who wants to work, and this is hard to find in Uzbekistan.
• Ladies usually sit in the backseat of the car, even if there is only one male driver in the car. This is custom and symbolizes the male’s authority of some sort over the female, and perhaps protection for the female and also any children who are in the back seat with her.
• It is somewhat unusual to see a group of women out for lunch during the work week. We mainly see groups of men and
Yulduz pouring us tea on the train
Trying not to spill because it was a bumpy ride! occasionally couples at restaurants around town at lunch time and in the evening.
• Traffic lights are rare in Samarkand, but more the norm in Tashkent.
• Something interesting about us: We are picked out as American’s everywhere we go. The kids say “hello” and Sharon and Ella even heard a “hello baby” to us when we are walking down the street. In touristy areas, strangers have come up to us repeatedly asking where we are from, and then wanting their picture taken with us. Today Sharon was interviewed by a young local Uzbek man and the interview was taped by a girl on her cell phone camera. Interesteing! None of us can figure out why people do this! And it is people from different countries that want their picture taken with us, not just Uzb.
• The younger generation always seems to be carrying a cell phone (similar to in America). But we noticed in Samarkand that many of them played music on their cell phones as they walked down the street with their friends.
• There are walls around many of the houses. Entire yards are fenced in. I may have already mentioned this.
We stayed
in a hotel there Saturday night, after enjoying an evening at a fun restaurant with live music and belly dancing. There were lots of graduates having a party at the restaurant celebrating their last day. Sunday was spent with more shopping and we went to eat lunch by an observatory, a tourist spot. I have to mention that I needed to use the bathrooms near the restaurant and it dawned on me that it is strange to PAY MONEY for such an AWEFUL EXPERIENCE. Many public bathrooms are Turkish style (hole in the ground), which wouldn’t be so much of a bother to use except they smell REALLY BAD, and this particular toilet had about 100 plus flies flying all around it near the hole. When you come out of the bathroom, you are expected to pay a small fee. I don’t mind the fee, as the mainenance ladies deserve every penny (I mean Sum) for even stepping foot in there, but I do mind the flies and the odor. Next time I think it would be better to find a bush!
The observatory was interesting to look at, but I couldn’t quite understand all the technical astronomy stuff
they were talking about. Basically it is the ruins of this famous observatory that a man created many years ago and made all sorts of really accurate predictions about the earth and the stars, etc. He must have been a very smart man. What interested me, is that from this side of town, you could see the mountains of Afghanistan in the distance.
We are back and ready for our week at the Neurological hospital, mainly children with CP. We finished at the orphanage Friday and distributed gifts to the caregivers and the children. We met with the orphanage director who ensured us that she will personally make sure that the “knowledge” we have provided them is carried out and distributed to the caregivers so as to improve the orphanage. I hope that our efforts are successful in making better lives and a more hopeful future for some of the children. It will certainly take lots more work on their part though. Our part was easy compared to what the caregivers have in their hands now- more knowledge which comes with more responsibility to make a change in the orphanage. But I think they can do it. And with
more teams hopefully coming in the future, the improvements of this orphanage will continue!
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