Today has been a very odd day, but I think it has been very ‘Turkmen’, therefore I have decided to share it with you.
The day began as many others do. I woke up, very groggily, proceeded to breakfast and then prepared for my Wednesday. As I’ve previously mentioned I spend Wednesday mornings at the kindergarten and I’ve begun (today) to spend Wednesday afternoons teaching girls ‘American cooking’. I had a lot to prepare for today.
Once it was all loaded into my backpack I began the trek to the kindergarten. On the way I stopped at the dukan to purchase a few eggs for the food we were going to make later.
My lesson for the kindergarteners today was not health related. This week is international Peace Corps week so I dedicated my lesson today to talking about America. My goal was to show the students the diversity of America. Diversity of people, places, landscapes, holidays, beliefs, traditions, etc. The students really liked all the pictures I showed them, although I could be mistaking that for their love of my computer. The lesson went really well and I was pleased. I also got a silk flower from one of the girls (this weekend is women’s and girls day so most women and girls get presents, but look for another blog entry on the details of that holiday).
Following the three lessons I walked to the kitchen to say hi to the cooks and chefs and they of course offered me some food. I ate a little knowing that I already had lunch plans but not wanting to offend. I had some bread, some potatoes (served with sugar), and some soup along with the traditional tea.
Onto my next location – a woman named Jemagül who lives near the kindergarten. Her daughter and a few friends taught me how to make Turkmen carpets, it was hard and I am really bad at it. The muscles in my lower arm hurt for a full day after I learned. Anyway, her daughter Arazoul is really great and I have been visiting their house for lunch most days after I’m done with the kindergarten. I’m also supposed to be teaching her and her friends how to make American food (today was going to be our first lesson), but they are all busy making another carpet at another house. We might try to make start this club in a week or two. I hope it all works out! So, I ate lunch there (komelekly işlýk – mushroom Turkmen pizza, which is really more like a calzone). I stayed for a while and chatted and showed some pictures because I had my computer with (I used it to show the pictures to the kids at the kindergarten). After I have spent nearly 2 hours and it is clear the girls are not coming this week to make food I decide it is time to go, I have some things at home that I have to do. I make my polite excuse to leave and begin the walk back home. At this point my backpack is feeling really heavy and I am getting tired and warm.
I walk past all of the school students who are outside on their break and are all staring at me and commenting to their friends. Have you ever walked into a room where you know everyone is talking about you? It was like that except that I can’t help but laugh. The situation is simply so absurd, I know they are all talking about me, about what I’m wearing, about how strange I am and whispering things like, “that’s the American”. And unlike in America where people will avoid looking at you when they’re talking about you Turkmen are not afraid to stare and to continue staring.
So, I’ve past the mob of kids at the school and am nearly back to the dukans (very close to my house) when this guy comes running across the street yelling my name. He looks vaguely familiar. I’m in a friendly mood so I decide to stop and talk with him. He also knows my name (although this isn’t too hard to figure out, I’ve had people who I’ve never met before come up to me and call me by name). He says, where were you? I think, hmmm, I’m really close to home so maybe I could make a run for it. I look at him in that look of nonunderstanding and he says, “Bibi, Ogulgeldi, Jemagül, and Akjagül are all at my house, where have you been?” I know all of those individuals (they are co-workers) so I decide this guy might be trustworthy, I know I can get myself back from nearly anywhere around here, the village is so small that everyone knows everyone else, I handed around a sheet last week to all my doctors and nurses and asked them to sign up for me to myhman (I didn’t see the sheet after it was passed out) and I figure this could be one of those times, and frankly I don’t have much to do that afternoon. The guy points to his car and says, “yer” (come). I hop in the backseat and off he goes, flying at incredible speeds through the mud streets. He pulls up to a house that I know I’ve seen someone at before and I think, it seems like this guy was telling the truth. He honks his horn as I get out of the car. A girl comes out of the house and then turns and yells, “mom!”. Bibi emerges and looks really happy. I am relieved.
At this point I’ve already eaten two meals and I am brought into the house where all the settings for a mini toý are set out. I know that I have to eat a fair amount of food not to offend. Then I notice the main dish – pumpkin manty – one of my favorite meals and I know that these were made for me. Now I have to eat a lot… I proceed to eat as much as I can. Then the vodka comes out and we toast. I ended up spending another hour and 15 minutes there eating and talking with my co-workers. I also made a date for yet another myhman event on Saturday.
On our walk back we ran into many people and it took us another 25 minutes to go on a 5 minute walk. Now, I am here (at my house) exhausted but in a good way, tired due to the alcohol, but really quite pleased how the day turned out. It was weird but good.
