returning - Dushanbe and Khojand.
on Pam Kerruish (Tajikistan), 13/Apr/2010 04:16, 34 days ago
Thought I'd just add acouple of Khorog thoughts. My translator Naneesh is standing on the bridge where, when I crossed it for the first time , I met a cow coming the other way. She had negotiated three steep steps on "her" side no bother. There wasn't much room for both of us!The sink and bucket are a fairly standard feature of life in the countryside . You push up the knob hanging down which lifts the plug inside - very effective.I think I said that the journey back to Dushanbe was long. I'm not sure if I said how tedious it was.We set out from Khurog at about 9.15am and in the first hour delivered a beautiful little girl to her grandmother ( her mum was coming to work in Dushanbe for the week)collected a couple of parcels , got petrol and, at a different place, air in the tyres. We then got on our way and were stopped at a lot of Border type police points where,as a foreigner, my passport had to be taken and my movements recorded.We stopped for a couple of breaks and to buy rhubarb which children were selling at the side of the road.The grandmother of the little girl gave her daughter a big square loaf of bread and she shared that round - it was delicious! and the rhubarb was shared round too. They strip the outer skin off and eat it raw. We were quite a convivial group as time went on and I had the good luck that there was an English speaking lady doctor in the group.Towards the end we got to an area where petrol came from petrol stations rather than from jars and buckets at the side of the road and I was amused that in a big modern forecourt the petrol was in dustbins which they dipped the bucket into and funnelled the petrol into the car as per usual. There may have been an electricity cut which would have stopped the pumps working , I dont know.But the most interesting stop was when we were held up for a drugs search. We were all told to get out of the car and the ladies had to show the contents of their handbags. These were then "searched" with a phone torch!I commented afterwards that if I had been smuggling drugs I wouldn't have put them in my handbag and the driver rather defensively said that they were more interested in the behaviour of the searched person than finding anything . But in that light they would have had precious little chance of observing anyone's reaction.Rhubarb seller.Anyway I got safely back to Dushanbe which is looking its Springlike best. There are beautiful horse chestnut trees lining the road to the guest house and lovely tree lined streets. It looks good.I went to see if the Uzbecks had decided to give me a visa and I 'm delighted as I have one for a 3 day entry. ( I thought it in doubt as they have closed their borders to Tajiks. ( I think. )I say "I think " as all information is open to doubt. I met up with Christina and Julian who have also returned to Dushanbe and was very interested to hear how they had fared in relation to their journey to Khyrgstan. They told me that if was almost impossible to get good information ,everyone having contrary stories. " they have been 70 people killed" to " theres no problem , my cousin lives there and everything is normal"( it has made me feel some empathy for Tony Blair.)Anyway they came back to Dushanbe and their trip made mine seem like travelling on Concorde. They started their journey accompanied by a dead cow and ended up in Dushanbe 30hours (! )later. We met to have tea in a tea house here and were entertained by a short but quite violent storm.I had to go to a meeting here yesterday (to discuss a big EU funded programmed ) and there were no planes available so I can't fly til this afternoon. A pity but I can do a bit more catching up ( it has suprised me how far behind you can get in 9 days of no internet. )In my wanderings around town I stopped to watch a "posh " wedding arrive at a hotel. The bride and groom were met by a man beating a drum and two "Trumpeters" blowing horns about 8 foot long. The idea seemed to be to make a din at which they were very successful . The trumpeters were dressed in black and gold robes - rather like speakers robes and I was amused when , horn blowing over, they came down the steps and one of them spat.I continue to be suprised when some well dressed man walks along and spits - really fast like a lizards tongue.Ive just read a VSO Document and come across PIP, PAP, PAR, WHO ,LTV ,STV, EC in a very short space of time . I think its the NGO's , not the country itself , who are very fond of them.Ah yes, I missed out VSO.Back in Khojand now and settling in again. I met an Afghan man on the plane and he told me he came from the area just south of Tajikistan but the Taliban problems drove them out.It was nice to get back to Degmai as I was getting anxious about how things would have been while I was away. I got a great welcome from the staff ( some of whom thought I'd been home as I'd been away so long ) and the kids. I thought some of them may have forgotten me but they hadn't. I was pleased that Islom recognised me but wasn't very bothered, but he has been very tearful since I've been back and he has become jelous. Its interesting as others were jelous of him before ( because I spent a lot of time with him- when they have showed that I have tried to "spoil " them to make them feel better)but he seemed oblivious to other children. Since I've been back tho he has become very jelous and hits his head and cries when he sees me with other children. Difficult. Another little boy I try to spend a lot of time with Rachmon , made me laugh yesterday. He has no speech but he tells you just what to do by guiding your hands -for instance when he had finished two helpings of his dinner he pushed my hands towards the bucket where it comes from to get him more! Anyway, I usually like to spend 5/10minutes with him when he goes for his afternoon nap and as I was with him yesterday one of the Nurses came and said "choi?" to me ( tea?)by way of inviting me to join them for dinner. I said yes but stayed on the floor by his bed . He however, didn't want to be fooled onto staying there , got out of bed and went to the door as if to say "come on then.what are you waiting for?"One of the things I had done just before I left was to have some paintings put on the perimeter wall showing a figure skipping , and then after an interval hopping, then walking backwards etc. Simple variations to make the walks more interesting for the mobile children.Any way, Kibreaw, who will do my job when I have gone ( and who is great) has started to take the fittest children there in the afternoon to get some extra exercise. On Thursday I stayed late to see it and as Islom was upset another child, Sharraff put him in a wheelchair to take him for a ride. Sharraff loves pushing wheelchairs. Anyway thats how Islom got into a Wheelchair race with a Physically disabled boy Akram. Their "pushers"got carried away with the race and forgot to steer and there was an almighty crash.Akram was thrown out and luckily thought it was funny.Islom was lying flat on his back ( still in the wheelchair ) and didn't blink an eye!I think the pushers were the most upset.Sharraff (pusher ) with Islom looking typically anxious.Later he reminded me of the Last Emperor as he loved being pushed about -right -with Murzok. He is a really nice 15 year old with no evident problems -but as he has been in Degmai a lot of his life he has had no education.So he's got very little chance of getting away.As for how things were -well its hard to tell.I think they have kept up the walking and playing with toys ( Kibreaw would have pushed that ) but I dont think they have done any of the stuff they were doing for the competition - some massaging and exercising children, feeding them sitting up etc. Luckily before I left Dushanbe I went to a meeting with the people who are responsible for a big EU spend-aimed at improving standards in Childcare here. I can use that knowledge to try to Kick-start a renewed effort ( I hope).I have been to see Saboat about the progress of the playground and she offered me a job with Rangicommon for next year! I said I'd think about it but its very unlikely that I'd take it. Its good to be asked tho' as I've been wondering if I would do this whole thing again sometime.Without ignoring the bad bits I can honestly say its a fantastic experience - one of the best things I have ever done so I was interested in my own reaction to the possibility of doing more-which at the moment is "thanks but no thanks".I've had my hair cut and coloured again. That is bleached ( horrible !), dyed brown then highlighted . It took 3 and 3/4 hours! Mind you its all very laid back. The girls chat on their mobiles while they cut hair , waiting customers lie on a settee and the girls do their own hair in any intervals. They are very kind tho and its a nice atmosphere. While I was there an old man came in and I thought he was brave coming into such a female world! anyway turns out he was begging and a few people gave him money.Its Sunday (18th)now and I've had a really nice walk by the river with Anne-Marie.The river is a beautiful sea-green colour today and although it was hot there was a strong blustery breeze so it was a great day to walk around. Would have been really nice if there hadn't been heaps of rubbish here and there stinking the area out. Luckily that wasn't much of the time. We went through a park and the grass was long and green - made me think that I'll be missing the bluebells. Ah well.All for now. Pamx