29-03-10
on Pam Kerruish (Tajikistan), 29/Mar/2010 13:39, 34 days ago
Well, here I am in Dushanbe.I should have left for the Pamirs today but true to its reputation , the plane didnt go - the weather wasn't good enough. I went and sat in the Airport for a few hours but they eventually realized it was a no-go. Lucky for me as I was able to come back into town and push my Uzbeck Visa along a bit and get my internet for April paid for - so if I havent got contact from the Pamirs at least it won't be for want of paying up!I have been amused while I have been writing this (in the VSO Guest House)as Bev, who was cooking in the kitchen, came and opened and closed the door of the room I'm working in. The light had gone off in there and she said that sometimes inspires it to come on! Seems we all have quirky electricity supplies.Anyway as nothing is happening this is an opportunity to tell you that I am coming home for "the Wedding " and hope to stay in Italy for a few days. This means I wont have quite "done my time"and so I have agreed with Catherine , the boss of VSO and Orliya , the director of Degmai to come back for a bit and finish properly mid -December. That suits me fine. Orliya would like me to do another year but I dont want to do that. Going back to check on everything is ideal.30-03-10And I didn't go today either! Muhutin ( VSO driver)took me to the Airport again,and, to our suprise , when we got there there were about two hundred men hanging around outside. It looked very odd.Muhitin thought the airport must be shut for bad weather. The doors were locked but they seemed to be "processing " Iranian passengers inside. Anyway we found a set of glass doors which opened a couple of inches with a policeman behind them. He was being bombarded with questions but he helped us and we managed to find out the flight wasnt going today. We hadn't expected it to really as there had been a bad weather warning-but it was good to know so quickly as I didnt have to hang around.Anyway Ishouldbe going tomorrow .There are two Dutch volunteers who are in Dushanbe for the conference who had to stay up here to help with some interviews and do some other work after the conference and they have decided not to try to fly tomorrow but get a 4 wheeled drive down to Khorog. So I'm going with them. It will be really interesting tho long - it takes about 14 hours I think . There is a possibility we will have an overnight stay but that will depend ( not sure what on but I'll go along with them as they are old hands.They are in their second year.)Having got away early I went back to the Uzbeck Embassy to present my new improved application (I had filled in the one from the Internet and they needed it to be typed in a particular way on a different document.) and got a real telling off for presenting it so early! the guy was really mad - as if I had been very incompetent and unreasonable and said I should bring it back on 20th May. ( then wait 10 days as it takes that long to be processed)A really nice young German couple were there and one had very good Russian and told him I couldn't as I lived in Khojand. He repeated his tirade and I eventually asked him if someone else could bring it on my behalf. He attended to another person, came back and took the document , telling me to come for it on the 9th April - the date I said I'd be back from the Pamirs!Then I went to see if I could get an appointment with "my" dentist. I could and I went this afternoon. He did a great job again but it was disconcerting that he talked and laughed with other dentists ( 4 in a row , remember) and yawned a lot as he treated me . And I got a suprise when I opened my eyes at one point and found two of them ( one a male student ) peering down at me- a bit like those jokes of you lying on the operating table and being surrounded by downward -looking faces .The Student acted as dental nurse ( perhaps he is one ? - we are quite sexist in always expecting them to be women aren't we?-or is it just me?)In my extra time I sauntered to a new supermarket . About half as big as Ramsey's big coop. I tell you that so you'll see how much space they devote to sweets . The photo doesn't show the considerable range of chocolate they had.And as you will see they sell cosmetics - quite a few smallish supermarkets do - chemists don't.And - only in Tajikistan! would Zebra Crossings lead directly into a big, fast flowing drain.31-03-10Still here - all plans are subject to change in Tajikistan! Bastiaan and Eva ( the Dutch couple )found out that there is a car from a German Charity going empty to Khorog tomorrow and said it will be quicker and Safer and more comfortable to go with them. So I finally leave this house at 5.50am tomorrow . This one really should happen. As I dont know if I'll have internet I'll post this now and talk to you all again asap. love from Pam