Some progress?
on Pam Kerruish (Tajikistan), 25/Apr/2010 16:06, 34 days ago
This has been a nice ordinary sort of week . Getting hotter but still bearable at the moment. I think my first suprise was going to Degmai and seeing a ladies workforce on the playground . The place has been flattened by these girls and they have spread all the soil.You will notice that the railings are being painted now so it looks less like a prison exercise yard. The whole place looks nicer now the trees are out and , if the children were allowed to go outside freely, it wouldn't be such a bad place to live.The nice thing about these roses is the smell -its fabulous!I dont think I have ever told you that there are loads of Magpies over here .No problem getting something good happening if you count them.Yesterday was Global Youth Service Day and Mirzo got some of his fellow "alulmni", the group who have been on a scholarship to go to school in America, to come to Degmai to take the kids out. Although he had cleared it with the staff the day before, the kids were all having their afternoon nap and we were told " they have all been out." That was a blatant lie, but I just suggested we take the lying down children out and in the end we got a good few out. That was nice otherwise the lying down children would have been lying on their backs til Monday morning.As its now hotter the kids are allowed to play in a "summer house" during the day but I doubt that the lying down children would be brought out to there if I didn't put them there after their walk.Sometimes I think I am getting no where at all. However, on the basis of observing some small and possibly? significant behaviour on the part of a staff member one of the visiting dignatories from Dushanbe has judged me effective and has been singing my praises.This led my VSO boss Catherine to tell the landlord of the place she is staying this week ( she is up here at the moment ) that I am doing a good job ( I know him vaguely) and he sent me a teapot as a thank you ! That is the kind of batty thing that I like about here. Funny random things happen all the time. Which reminds me -I didn't think I'd have much to tell you this week so I have been thinking of the things I like about Tajikistan.Well, the Degmai children come first , they are lovely.Most Tajiks like children and are kind to them ( as far as I can tell ) so thats nice too.And things look good at the moment . It seems that in general people really appreciate the beauty and will say that although they know life is hard it is worth it as Tajikistan "is the most beautiful place in the world."Spring comes quickly and I understand they can get 3 crops through in one year.They plant what looks like a peice of stick and in no time its got leaves and starts to look like a tree!The place usually looks colourful as the ladies like lots of glitz .Tajik ladies pay a lot of attention to their appearance and are usually very well ( tho glitzy ) turned out . The little boys wear suits for school - sometimes three peice and it looks very cute.People are usually very ready to strike up a conversation with you.Children and lots of others will greet you in the street with what sounds like "Rasti" to me - "hello" in Russian ( which is what alot of people asssume I am.)A lot of people will go to some trouble to help you.People get up for older people on Michoukras( minibuses) and sometimes for women.Women are allowed on to planes first.Most people can speak at least two languages.They produce fabulous roses.People like fun and are always ready for a laugh and everyone likes dancing . I was out to eat last night and people were dancing to the singer by 6.30!The men are generally very good dancers.-thats not bad for starters is it?and I know that all is not lost at Degmai. The EU intervention really should make a difference and there are some good people in the place . They just need the freedom to work the way they'd like. A really good lady called Kibreeaw who is going to take my place cares about the kids, and she is enerergetic and committed. It will be hard for her to maintain her routines when I've gone but I think she can do it.One of the reasons Catherine is in Dushanbe is to introduce a new volunteer into his workplace. He is Vistas, a Latvian,and he is going to work in a commercial dairy. He is a bit of a whiz -he likes making cheese and where he worked in Latvia they produced Parmesan cheese which they sent to Italy!I am sporting a big round bruise on my cheek at the moment - where Islom bit me. In total affection but it hurt . He got me again today - I'll have to learn to be quicker.Another child bit me today too. I'll be covered in bite marks and bruises when I get home at this rate.I just tried to take a picture ( of my bruise)as its pretty impressive but the result was the scariest picture I have ever seen of me so I think I'll leave it . On that happy note . Hope alls well. Have a nice bank holiday weekend . Pamx