Snapshots

I've included some pictures of monuments around Dushanbe, and one of my first apartment. My profile picture is of Rudaki Boulevard, the main street. These are the trees that give the shade that reduces the heat that otherwise might be unbearable. People also walk up and down this street in the evenings. It’s not always convenient to take pictures, so here are a few “snapshots” of the people I’ve met so far.

Jonival (I’m sure I didn’t spell that right) was the visa expeditor who met me at the airport as I arrived in Dushanbe at 3:30am. He had my name on a sign “Erin Leigh Klark” and wore a snappy official uniform of neatly pressed navy pants and a khaki shirt complete with epaulets; it gave me a great deal of confidence to say the least. As a plane load of people made their way through customs, he told me to sit down in the visa office while he walked the paperwork through.

Mimi is one of the Tajik workers at the INL office at the embassy. I adore her. Just to give you an idea why: at the first public restroom I had to use, which really wasn’t all that bad, she waited for me and then led me to a sink with some soap and a towel. She’s been doing stuff like that ever since I got here. She gave me one of her own towels to use when she didn’t like the one provided at my first apartment, and she let me use one of her daughter’s cell phones until I could get one; she gave me a t-shirt to sleep in and moisturizer for my face.

Ella is a friend of Mimi’s who was a Fulbright scholar here to research migration. Now she’s back on a temporary contract with an international organization. She’s Italian and married a man in the American military; he’s now a high ranking official. They are stationed in Germany with their two sons. She married young and had kids young, and then went back to school. When I said it is nice that her husband is so supportive of her work, she said, “Well, if not, what does he want, a divorce?” She’s sassy, and I’m looking forward to doing more with her.

Dee is one of the guys in the INL office and the beauty of working with law enforcement is they’ve got your back. I think I will always have a soft spot for ex-FBI agents who do international development. The ones I’ve met have been peaches. Dee and Mimi helped me move yesterday, and when I opened the door, he said, “Did you look out the peep hole first?”

The women of Tajikistan have surprised me. When I got to my gate at the Istanbul airport, the first woman I saw was draped from head to toe in black. This was a little disconcerting and unexpected. I have since learned that this is very rare; in fact, I haven’t seen another woman dressed like that since. Many women wear traditional brightly patterned long dress with matching pants underneath, and they might have a scarf covering some or all of their usually very long black hair. They’re beautiful. I’ll get pictures.