Thanksgiving, and Language Mishaps

It is Black Friday in Türkmenistan and I didn’t think about shopping once, unless you consider the food we are going to buy tomorrow for the celebration we will have on Monday to thank all of our counterparts. (Kärdiş Toý) A few stories/experiences to share with you all are listed below. As always thanks for all of your support! Keep sending me letters! I will also hopefully have a cell phone soonish for anyone who might want to call! I will have free incoming calls and texts!
Thanksgiving – Turkmen Style
Thanksgiving in America – Macy’s Day Parade, Lots of food, Football
Thanksgiving in Turkmenistan – A classroom of children all singing Yesterday by the Beatles and Hound dog by Elvis. (If I can figure out how to post video on the blog I will!), Palow (rice, meat, carrots and onions) followed by an entire afternoon making a lot more food, and some more singing!
Thanksgiving menu: Baking powder biscuits (made with baking soda and vinegar), Mashed potatoes and gravy, Sweet potatoes with sugar (not brown sugar), Stuffed Chicken killed the previous night by Jessie’s family, A ton of stuffing (which we realized was actually very similar to Turkmen dograma – a dish I have not found a liking to), Pumpkin pudding (we used a pie recipe but didn’t have a crust and didn’t let it cook nearly long enough because we needed to cook the chicken, but it turned out really really good!).
We invited my host family to eat with us as well as our LCF (Language and Cultural Facilitator) named Soltan and the only thing the Turkmen actually seemed to enjoy was the pumpkin pudding. But we didn’t despair because each time we’ve made ‘American’ food Turkmen don’t really seem to eat much if any of it.
Language Misinterpretations 101
It is strange what a person dreams about while in new and unpredictable situations! This story begins with my good friend Jessie and I’m publishing this with much thanks to her for any embarrassment that may be a result of this publication. Jessie, similar to many of us (myself included) woke up before her alarm this morning. Instead of going back to sleep she began to daydream. The goal was a simple romantic dream in London. Instead she began to daydream about eating eggs for breakfast. Naturally, she shared her dream with each of us this morning as part of the morning ritual: How did you sleep? Are you gastro intestinally healthy? What did you dream about?
Several hours lapsed and we are at lunch. I was in a rather grumpy mood all day and when Sarah suggested we watch some Pride and Prejudice on her computer rather than the normal MTV in Russian I voted yes! We watched the entire second episode of the BBC version. It put me in a better mood and the girls in my group were talking with Soltan about the movie and Amy mentioned “Maña Mr. Darcy gerek” (I want/need Mr. Darcy). Sarah repeated the same statement and I followed suit. Jessie, however, commented, “Maña yurmurtgalar gerek” (I want/need eggs). Soltan began laughing hysterically and asked, “Really?!?!?!?!?” and continued to laugh. We all joined in and Jessie began to think if she said what she really thought she said. She then had a moment of clarity and realized the word yurmurtgalar sounded a lot like yurmurtgalich which means testicals. She clarified to Soltan and we all marked it up to another linguistic misunderstanding.
I can’t say I’ve had any misunderstandings quite that entertaining but I have absolutely messed up leaving and coming verbs. I’ve told my family and a bunch of community women that I have kids and am unmarried (this was because I thought I was asked if I liked kids to which I responded yes). I quickly clarified and their looks of shame changed. I’ve also found some fun verbs. For example :çykmak means: to exit, to climb, to seem, to appear (as in to appear that you are correct), to appear (materialize), to perform (i.e. a play), to take off (i.e. clothes), to come from, to deviate from, and finally it is also used after a gerund to indicate a completed action (like I am done cleaning my room – çykdym would go at the end of that sentence). Just imagine all of the complications this verb alone could cause!
In less than 1 week I will be an official Peace Corps Volunteer! I am very excited and daunted by that fact. During the swearing in ceremony two of my fellow trainees will be giving speeches in Turkmen. The group voted on Joshua and Nancy. Several groups of trainees will be presenting music in various forms. I’m hoping that our training group will be able to pull it off but we’re hoping to perform a traditional Turkman piece of music with dutar (Turkmen guitar with two strings) played by Joel and the lyrics sung by some portion of the rest of us. We shall see. I’ll keep you posted. Becoming a PCV is different from a Peace Corps Trainee in only a few ways. First, and most obviously I will no longer be in training. I will be alone in a village where the nearest American is a 30 minute Taxi ride to the south. I will be getting paid a real wage (although even in Turkmen standards we are paid subpar). We get 2.8 million manat .8 of which goes to our families. The average teacher gets paid 4ish million manat. We will also see how/if that changes when the economy is switched to the new currency system. I am not complaining, however. I will probably have to work fairly hard to spend that much money each month. I’ll probably be cooking for myself several dinners a week, getting a few more new dresses made, and traveling to the regional capital of Lebap several times a month. But other than that I just won’t have anything to spend money on.
I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving! Wishing you all a beautiful and joyful start to the holiday season! Send letters!!!

Guychbirleshek, Lebap

I have been to my permanent site and am extrordinarily excited! I didn't have my computer with so I haven't had a chance to write a thoughtful, thorough post. I'm sure I'll get one up eventually, or if not I sent a very detailed letter to my parents who can fill in the blanks.

We took an overnight train from Ashgabat to Lebap where we paused in the Capitol, Turkmenibat. It was large but I didn't actually get to get out of the train. We then traveled another several hours until we arrived in Halach - the etrap center (kind of like counties in the states). I am 15 - 25 minutes northwest of Halach in a small oba (village) called Guychbirleshek. My family was really nice and they are rather wealthy and have a large house. One of the main reasons I know they are wealthy is because my father has a second wife. There is a six month old baby at home and I have a 17 year old brother and a gelneje (sister-in-law) living at home. The clinic I'm working at is small with four doctors and four nurses. We didn't see any patients the entire time I was there. But everyone was very nice! My bedroom is small but has a bed (that creaks when I breathe) and a wardrobe type thing as well as a tv and a stereo sound system. I don't know if those will still be there when I arrive in December for the rest of my service. Overall I am very excited and can't wait to leave for permanent site in December. I am really in the middle of nowhere with the closest volunteer being 30 minutes away by taxi, but it is very exciting and I am the first volunteer at this site. Therefore I was constantly stared at everywhere I went! My gelneje took me to two toy's (parties for a wedding) and everyone kept staring at me. This was particularily exciting when they told me I had to dance. Turkmen dancing (for women) is basically walking in a circle to a beat waving your hands in a circular motion. I'll teach anyone who is interested when I arrive back home. Men have a much more fun time dancing as they get their entire bodies to do these crazy body moves. The thing I am most excited about is that in Halach people are much more liberal and open. Men and women talk, they are friends and men help in the house and with children. My future family is truly a family unit that openly cares for one another. It is going to be a very good few years!

That's all for now and I can't wait to hear from you all via email and letters!

Some updates about my permanent site:

So, I am going to Lebap vilayette. My village is Guichbirleshik and it is located in Halach Etrap (sort of like a county). I am leaving here in about 15 minutes. I will be meeting my host family that has a mother, father, two brothers (only one is at home often). The older brother is married and his wife and 6 month old child are at home. The younger brother is 17. I am very excited and should have time to update you all on what it is I encountered when I return (Wednesday morning here). I hope you are all looking forward to the update! I know I am!!!!!

Finally we have internet access!

I am officially half done with my training. We have done so many new and exciting things! I have written letters to everyone who provided me with their address before I left. You should probably get a letter before the end of December, but remember there are no guarantees with Turkmen or US mail systems.
The past month has been a time of constant adjustment. It has been stressful, tedious, educational, strenuous, and lots of fun. Overall it has been a growing experience. I have been getting to know my fellow PCT’s in my training village, spending at least four hours/six days a week on formal language practice and learning. Plus countless numbers of hours with my wonderful host family whenever they are patient enough to listen to me slaughter their beautiful language. I can talk extensively about food and family in Turkmen, I am supposed to know how to talk about transportation, Peace Corps and many other subjects that seem to float in and out of my mind hourly.
Training is a lot of fun, but it is also extremely packed with activities, lessons, observations, camps, excursions, semi-realistic language practice a few of the more recent ones I’ve chosen to list below in short stories for your perusal.
Saturday Nov. 1: Trip to the underground lake.
Today we were given the opportunity to go to an underground lake west of Ashgabat. It was about an hour from my training village. We arrived and of course chatted with our fellow PCV’s in different villages. And anytime we all get together there will always be an ‘educational’ session. Today’s session was on development, specifically sustainable development. It was good because the length was relatively brief. We were then given lunch: tomatos (pomidor), cucumbers (hýyar), meat (et), bean salad (salat), eggplant salad (bodomli salat), bread (çorek), and expensive soda (coca-cola, and fanta). Then we managed to find a outdoor dukan that sold beer. I’m fairly certain we greatly increased this particular vendor’s daily income a great deal! I then slowly approach the mountain base that is covered with about three very brightly painted rocks (they looked similar to the flat irons except much smaller and painted white). Behind one of the rocks is a locked gate (much to our disappointment). However, safety Ata (PC staff member in charge of safety and security for PCV’s, there is more than one Ata) came to our rescue and talked with the gate keeper who proceeded to unlock the gate and we glanced over the ledge into the abyss. One by one we carefully stepped down the stairs, beginning with the first two flights that dropped down probably 100 feet. Each step was more like a three foot jump or many times leap of faith. Every time the steps leveled out I glanced around me in hopes of catching a glimpse of this famed lake. Each time being just a little annoyed that I had to keep walking down the steps. Knowing somewhere in the back of my mind that I would soon be walking back up… Finally, after about 6 or 7 minutes walking down into the dark and mysterious abyss we hear voices and some splashing. Meanwhile, it is growing darker and darker and the lighting that has been provided is beginning to be inadequate. Each time I pass a light I have to feel my way down the steps until I begin to approach the next light. On my right I pass an area that is meant to be the changing area, however, I don’t stop to change thinking it is just around the corner and I can check out the lake and then come back and change. The smell that began faint is growing stronger and stronger, the sulfur rising around us. It is also becoming more and more humid, I begin to shed layers of clothing. Continue walking down, and still further down. Suddenly I see a group of people standing at a railing and I hear splashing and yelling! We have made it to the famed underground lake. After surveying the area I head back up to the changing area and back down to the lake. I join everyone already swimming and ease into the very warm, pleasant water (as long as you dismiss the smell). As soon as my eyes adjusted to the dark (unlike any American equivalent this lake is relatively unlit similar to the path heading down) I begin to explore. It was a lake whose water is replaced three times every 24 hours and this particular water table extends into Iran and apparently there is a hold underwater in this cave that leads to another cave behind it. That would be really sweet to check out with scuba gear and some lights. There are several stalagmites sticking out of the water in various locations and I managed to bring back a rock (I originally had two but I think I lost one somewhere along the way). It is pretty cool! The cave was extremely cool, a few volunteers brought head lights and we were able to see more of the cave than we would have otherwise. It is very dark in the back of the cave where the lake goes to.
October 29: My first ‘real’ toý experience.
Turkmen really know how to celebrate and have a good time! They have toýs for births of children, birthdays, and most importantly for weddings! I have officially been at three different toys. The first was for the birth of my host nephew one week after I arrived. I, however, missed the majority of the toý because I was at school learning. The second was at Michael’s (a fellow volunteer) home. This was an exciting toý because it was my first chance to see gellin’s (brides). The first time I was in the toý atmosphere, the first time I got to dance at a toý, and the first and most likely last time I’ll dance with men at a toý (they were Americans so I’m told it was ok). It is truly a unique experience, one I probably won’t do justice to in this brief explanation, but I will do my best.
So my third toý (officially first) was at our gonşe’s (neighbor). It was huge! A two day affair. I went to the second day. This toý had a large stage where the musicians produced live music, and where I saw my first Turkmen comedy act. The stage was surrounded by a 30 foot tall background that had many large flashing neon lights. The stage was situated on the end of the block that my gonşe lives on. On the street there was a large area in front of the stage for dancers and then there were lots and lots of really long tables that were covered in food. I was accompanied to this toý by Guljahan (I think she is the niece of my gelneje – sister in law). We sat at a table for about 20 minutes while I slowly ate and picked at the food. I have been told that food is abundant at toýs and I needed to go slow in order to not seem rude. Guljahan (who is 15 I think) then informed me we were going to go stand up and wait for the gellin to arrive. We stood and she came in. Turkmen brides (dressed in traditional dress) are truly a sight to behold. They are so extremely beautiful! I was able to get rather close to this one as well! Guljahan and I then found a place on the side of the dance floor to be invited to dance. You are not allowed to dance at a Turkmen toý unless you are invited by someone already dancing. Men and women dance in separate circles. Women dance by moving their hands in circular motions and moving their feet to the rhythm of whatever music is playing while walking slowly in a circle. Men get really physical with their dancing and do some pretty entertaining acrobatic moves. Guljahan and I stood on the side of the dance floor for the next three hours. The temperature outside is maybe 45 F and it keeps getting colder. I am luckily thoroughly dressed in all my warm clothes but many of the Turkmen women are wearing koineks and thin jackets and of course their three inch stiletto heels. I finally got a chance to dance when we were invited by one of Guljahan’s friends (or family – I’m not sure). We ended up staying at this toý for about three and a half hours when I finally decided I needed to go home and get some sleep.
A quick note on sleep in T-stan:
I get a lot of sleep! I have been averaging 9 – 10 hours a night. This is fantastic because I’m hardly tired during the day and it is many times necessary because I am more able to function and concentrate during the day. The downside is that when I only get 7 – 8 hours I feel completely disoriented and thrown off entirely! It is very challenging and confusing! Get ready family! When I return in a few years I’m going to need lots and lots of sleep!
Finally, thanks again to everyone who has been keeping me in your thoughts and prayers! They have proven to be immensely helpful! This upcoming week is going to be both challenging and extremely exciting! On Wednesday I find out two very important pieces of information. I find out where I will be spending the next two years of my service, and we find out who the next president of the US will be. Thursday and Friday here I meet my counterpart and we all undergo a counterpart conference in Ashgabat. And Friday evening or Saturday morning I depart to my permanent site to visit and meet my family, get to know a little bit about the town. We stay at our permanent sites for about 3 days and then return to finish training. Please, keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I go through this very exciting and scary new change! I will be sure to update everyone first chance I get!