The Stare of Nonunderstanding

I’ve been at my permanent site in Lebap, Turkmenistan for exactly two weeks (as of when I’m writing this – probably closer to three by the time it is posted). I am getting adjusted to my family, co-workers, and community as they are slowly getting adjusted to me. I’ve noticed something that seems to be universal and I’ve named it “the stare of non-understanding” or, more simply, “the Stare”. The Stare occurs anytime there is a misunderstanding. I see the Stare most often when it comes to issues in language and translation. I am equally guilty of gawking at other people with the Stare as I am of giving it myself. It is a facial expression that involves the mouth slightly gaping, with the corners of your mouth turned down, one eyebrow (in my case the left) is slightly cocked, the other is slightly depressed giving the face a slanted appearance. There are equal parts, confusion, compassion, and hysteria in the eyes and occasionally an entire conversation can happen where both members are exhibiting the Stare. The hardest thing about the stare is that I can usually relieve others with the stare but usually when I am afflicted the conversation simply ends, or I wear the stare so long that I fear it may become a permanent fixture.
I have been working hard at my Turkmen even after training is over with. I’ve found myself a teacher and we will begin after New Year’s working on my Turkmen. I have been working in a book called “Colloquial Turkmen” that was given to us by Peace Corps. It is essentially a grammar workbook that anyone who has taken foreign languages would recognize. I will also occasionally take out my vocab words, and I carry my Turkmen-English, English-Turkmen dictionary with me nearly everywhere I go.