Dancing on the Casket
Written September 17, 2009
This has not been a good week for small creatures of the earth. I have killed two of them, more or less accidentally. The first was a lizard. I stepped on it as I made my way to the outhouse. I was really lost in thought because I didn’t even notice it until there was a weird cracking sound underfoot. I glanced back, saw a writhing thing and quickly walked by. I have a full-blown lizard phobia, and apparently it doesn’t matter if its dead or alive. Its still sends adrenaline flooding my system and freaks me out. I walked all the way around my host family’s central yard so I wouldn’t have to pass it on my way back to my room. When I went out to cook dinner later that day, the lizard was being consumed by a flock of carnivorous wasps. It was a very creepy image.
Today, I killed a mouse. I didn’t intend to kill it, but I did need it out of my room. I was on a quest for my ATM card, which has vanished. The last time I remember having it was in January, coming back from vacation. I thought maybe I left it in the pocket of a winter coat, so I pulled out my winter clothes. I’ve been keeping them in a suitcase under the floorboards of my room. In hindsight, perhaps that wasn’t the best location. The first thing I pulled out was a very nice cashmere turtleneck sweater that was riddled with holes. My first thought was, “how did moths get in here?” My second thought was “MOUSE!” as it scurried from my suitcase into a corner of my room. I checked the rest of my clothes for little mouse babies, but thank god I didn’t have to deal with that too. Then, I set about trying to get my furry invader out of my bedroom. Initially I just left the door open and tried to be quiet. This was not successful. Then I tried to scare it to the door, but the door was apparently less attractive to the mouse than under my desk. It hid under my medical kit, which was precariously balanced on a stack of old Emergency Action Plans. During my shooing with a plastic bottle, I knocked the kit onto the mouse. It died, and then I had a fun two hours of gathering my courage to lift the kit and remove the body.
Number of dead mice in my room: 0
Number of mice corpses in the burn pile: 1
Number of slightly queasy but proud Americans: 1
Friday, October 2, 2009
16 tons and what do you get? Written September 24
16 Tons and What Do You Get?
Written September 24
Turkmenistan’s economy is driven by two very different factors. Internationally, there is the natural gas. With pipelines planned to Iran, Europe, and China, Turkmenistan pumps out a lot of it. Proceeds from this provide the service net around which all Turkmen survive. Without it, there would not be free electricity, salt, flour, and, well, gas, at least until 2020. However, most Turkmen do not see actual money from this part of the economy. They survive on cotton.
During the Soviet era, cotton was brought to Turkmenistan as a cash crop. I am not quite sure I grasp the logic of developing a desert for agriculture, but its here, and it remains. In my welyat, much like the in the old South, cotton is king. Until fairly recently, students were required to pick cotton as part of the curriculum. Now, while it isn’t mandatory, many children still go picking instead of school because they can earn valuable cash income. From a privately owned cotton field, a kilo of cotton earns 1,000 manat; from a government one, 500. If anyone is more math oriented than I am, 14,215 manats equals a dollar.
I went cotton picking last week. It just seemed like one of those things that I probably should do before I leave, and I’m leaving fairly soon. (I am out of Turkmenistan and on to other grand adventures on December 16). I went to Momotay village, where another Peace Corps volunteer resides. I expected it to be difficult, but it was harder than I thought. First of all, it was hot and sunny. Then, the cotton plants are short. It made my back ache. Additionally, cotton isn’t exactly heavy. It takes a lot of blossoms to get a kilo, far more than I was willing to pick. Mostly it was a photo opportunity. So, there they are, above!
Written September 24
Turkmenistan’s economy is driven by two very different factors. Internationally, there is the natural gas. With pipelines planned to Iran, Europe, and China, Turkmenistan pumps out a lot of it. Proceeds from this provide the service net around which all Turkmen survive. Without it, there would not be free electricity, salt, flour, and, well, gas, at least until 2020. However, most Turkmen do not see actual money from this part of the economy. They survive on cotton.
During the Soviet era, cotton was brought to Turkmenistan as a cash crop. I am not quite sure I grasp the logic of developing a desert for agriculture, but its here, and it remains. In my welyat, much like the in the old South, cotton is king. Until fairly recently, students were required to pick cotton as part of the curriculum. Now, while it isn’t mandatory, many children still go picking instead of school because they can earn valuable cash income. From a privately owned cotton field, a kilo of cotton earns 1,000 manat; from a government one, 500. If anyone is more math oriented than I am, 14,215 manats equals a dollar.
I went cotton picking last week. It just seemed like one of those things that I probably should do before I leave, and I’m leaving fairly soon. (I am out of Turkmenistan and on to other grand adventures on December 16). I went to Momotay village, where another Peace Corps volunteer resides. I expected it to be difficult, but it was harder than I thought. First of all, it was hot and sunny. Then, the cotton plants are short. It made my back ache. Additionally, cotton isn’t exactly heavy. It takes a lot of blossoms to get a kilo, far more than I was willing to pick. Mostly it was a photo opportunity. So, there they are, above!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Here Comes The Bride
One of my really good Turkmen friends got married right before my vacation. this is a picture of us with her traditional bridal finery. Its quite beautiful!
Midnight Train
Phonetic spelling is an amazing thing. A casino in Tbilisi hasn't grasped the 'ph' concept quite yet
At the old fort in Tbilisi with the city in the background
the highest point of the fort
View of the biggest cathedral in Tbilisi
The most delicious Georgia peach at Pheasant's Tears vineyard.
Giant amphoras at the vineyard. To make the wine, these jars are sealed with beeswax, filled with wine and buried in the ground. The end result is delicious. Anyone in the greater DC area should got to Potomac Wines and Spirits and buy a bottle or two. Its pretty bombdiggity.
The vineyard through the vines.
Special and delicious grapes at the vineyard
More views of Tbilisi
wine amphoras at the Christian cave city outside of Gori
St. George's Church at the cave city
Some of the rocks around the cave cities
Me at the cave city!
St. George's church at the cave city
St. Georges at the cave cathedral underneath
views of the river by the cave city with mountains in the background
Me at Gori fortress with the Georgia flag in the background
Views of Gori from the fortress.
The Gori fortress.
Strange statue at the foot of the Gori fortress
Stalin's train car. he rode it to Potsdam!
Me and Stalin in front of the Stalin Museum
Rachel and Noah in Batumi
Me at Gonio near Batumi. WooHoo for Roman ruins
More of the Ruins
Pretty flowers and more ruins with the dramatic mountains in the background
More ruins!
Me at the ruins
The harbor in Batumi
Batumi from my hotel room!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Georgia On My Mind
Written when its actually posted
Its that joyful time again when I get to leave Turkmenistan. Its good to get away to remember why I still like Turkmenistan despite the heat, the camels, the desert, and the myriad of little things that annoy me every day. I'm in Georgia (country not state), and it has been wonderful in the extreme. I'm traveling with two other Turkmenistan PCVs, and we are stalwart travelers, plus Georgia is more developed than T-Stan. So, even though we've largely been staying at hostels, there's been a toilet in each room.
We flew from Turkmenistan to Istambul and from there to Batumi. I made it in fine form, but my baggage disappeared into the void. It was cool though because I was there. We found a hotel on the remodt row. Remodt being the russian term for anything related to construction. (shoe repair is shoe remodt). This was good for price, good for the walking it made us do, but bad for the lack of airconditioning and window facing the street. Apparently people get an early start in the hardware business.
ON the day we arrived, we trolled around looking for bathing suits to replace the ones in the lost luggage. We ate our first Georgian meals. They make this fantastic bread baked with cheese in the middle. One variety even has an egg cracked on it at the end! There was also wine and the cheapest, sweetest peaches I've ever seen. On the second day it was cloudy (boo), so we found the Adjaran Art Museum which had a Picasso exhibition going on. It felt nice to be cultural. We also strolled on the prominade and ate more food. Food has been a fantastic part of this trip. Day 3 involved collecting our bags from the airport, and making our way to Sarpi near the Turkish border. We clambered over a set of Roman ruins at Gonio before finding delightful pebble beaches on the Black Sea. It was nice to frolick in bikinis, surrounded by people wearing skimpier bikinis than I was. More food was also eaten.
We left Batumi on the 4th day, heading for Gori. This town in the foothills of the lesser Caucuses brought forth Stalin, whose museum and statues feature prominently. We spent a few hours at the Stalin museum, where there is a Turkmen carpet on display. It was given to Stalin as a gift. It was way prettier than the Tajik carpet. We slept at the Intourist Hotel, which has remodted itself since soviet times and is a decent (but expensive) hotel. In the morning we took a bus to an anchient set of cave cities. It predates Christianity, but has some wonderful cathedrals hewn out of the stones. It was stunning.
Now we are in Tbilisi where I am being spoiled at a distance by my parents. They splurged for me, and I'm shacked up in the Marriott hotel on freedom square. I am loved. My parents are wonderful. My family is amazing. And I'm only about halfway through my adventure.
More to come
Oh, and this is a photo of me at my clinic with our new ambulance!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Red Dust written June 3, 2009
Red Dust
Written June 3rd
May 30 marked my second and possibly last Mighty Merv campout. I, along with 13 other volunteers representing 3 welyats slept beneath the stars and on top of the dust that was a city. Merv was a major player in Turkmen and world history. It was a Silk Route stop and was sacked and destroyed by such notables as Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great. Merv, in all its incarnations, depended on the Murgap River for water, so as the river’s course changed, the city moved. What remains now is a sprawling set of walls, mosques, icehouses, and mausoleums that covers several miles.
It’s Peace Corps tradition that the Mary volunteers host campouts among the ruins when the weather permits. In preparation for this event, I spent a LONG time baking cupcakes. I have a fantastic silicon cupcake tray, but only one. Usually that is enough, but when cooking 40+ cupcakes, the limits are more obvious. It took about 6 hours from start to finish, although most of that was waiting for cupcakes to bake and cool. My host family was suitably impressed by my culinary prowess, which was nice. They generally don’t like my curries and spicy soups. Chocolate cupcakes are winners, though.
I also brought sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts to mix with a pasta salad that another volunteer created. Little treats from home are wonderful things. We all met at the bus station loaded with carpets, sleeping bags, libations, food, and energy. As we made our way to the site, there was a pretty intense dust storm, but we decided that we live in a desert. It will take more than dust to scare us away. That turned out to be a good decision because while it was annoying to constantly have gritty teeth, the wind kept the temperature bearable and the mosquitoes at bay. Last year the mozzies were biting through jeans. This year they were negligible.
Thanks to the prowess of not one, but two, eagle scouts nature was destroyed with saws, axes, and hatchets. We made the fire pit extra deep so that the wind wouldn’t cause it to spread. Then we cooked vegetarian kebabs on a little grill. The tomatoes in this country are amazing no matter how they are cooked. The cupcakes were a hit, and with music blaring from everyone’s Ipods, merriment was had.
Written June 3rd
May 30 marked my second and possibly last Mighty Merv campout. I, along with 13 other volunteers representing 3 welyats slept beneath the stars and on top of the dust that was a city. Merv was a major player in Turkmen and world history. It was a Silk Route stop and was sacked and destroyed by such notables as Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great. Merv, in all its incarnations, depended on the Murgap River for water, so as the river’s course changed, the city moved. What remains now is a sprawling set of walls, mosques, icehouses, and mausoleums that covers several miles.
It’s Peace Corps tradition that the Mary volunteers host campouts among the ruins when the weather permits. In preparation for this event, I spent a LONG time baking cupcakes. I have a fantastic silicon cupcake tray, but only one. Usually that is enough, but when cooking 40+ cupcakes, the limits are more obvious. It took about 6 hours from start to finish, although most of that was waiting for cupcakes to bake and cool. My host family was suitably impressed by my culinary prowess, which was nice. They generally don’t like my curries and spicy soups. Chocolate cupcakes are winners, though.
I also brought sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts to mix with a pasta salad that another volunteer created. Little treats from home are wonderful things. We all met at the bus station loaded with carpets, sleeping bags, libations, food, and energy. As we made our way to the site, there was a pretty intense dust storm, but we decided that we live in a desert. It will take more than dust to scare us away. That turned out to be a good decision because while it was annoying to constantly have gritty teeth, the wind kept the temperature bearable and the mosquitoes at bay. Last year the mozzies were biting through jeans. This year they were negligible.
Thanks to the prowess of not one, but two, eagle scouts nature was destroyed with saws, axes, and hatchets. We made the fire pit extra deep so that the wind wouldn’t cause it to spread. Then we cooked vegetarian kebabs on a little grill. The tomatoes in this country are amazing no matter how they are cooked. The cupcakes were a hit, and with music blaring from everyone’s Ipods, merriment was had.
Far Side of the World written June 10, 2009
Far Side of The World
Written June 10
Salams and hos(h) geldin(g)izes to the future T-18s. I did this about this time last year because I imagined the future Turkmenistan volunteers were curious about this mysterious Stan where they might be spending 27 months. I will probably not have the opportunity to know you because I COS in December, but I can answer any questions you have about this place, from packing list to paranoid fears about our proximity to Iran.
First off, all fears about personal safety are kind of paranoid. Turkmenistan is, for a variety of reasons, one of the safest places I’ve ever lived. It was voted a neutral state by a vote in the U.N. It maintains peaceful and cooperative relationships with its neighbors. Private citizens are not allowed to own guns. While there might be one or two old rifles floating around, armed violence is unlikely, unless you somehow involve yourself with the opium trade. That is not recommended. It’s also something of a police state. In all the major cities there are policemen on practically every corner. Furthermore, there is compulsory military service for all boys when they leave school. Many of them are posted to the borders of Uzbekistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. Additionally, while Turkmenistan is a Muslim country, it is not fundamentalist at all in its leanings. As in Turkey, the religious establishment is run by the government, and 80 years as an atheist, community republic has left its mark. Finally, Peace Corps does not put volunteers in areas that are dangerous.
Now that the unreasonable fears are out of the way, I can talk about the reasonable ones. Joining Peace Corps, regardless of where you go is going to be difficult. Turkmenistan has one or two quirks that exacerbate that. First, it is a very closed place. Full coverage of the country, or at least enough coverage that most volunteers have cell phone reception, only came about last year, and it’s expensive. Internet is really only available in the welyat (district) capitals. Although, in the cities, internet in homes is increasingly common. I have a cell phone, and I mostly use it to stay in contact with other volunteers. To talk to people in America I use skype. (If you don’t know about skype check it out before you leave. It’s an internet based phone program that makes calls cheap.) The internet café in Mary has the program and my friends and family know that I am usually online at a specific time each week. It takes work and money to say in touch, but it happens. To be specific, I am online about once a week, and I probably spend about 5%-8% of my monthly salary on my cell phone.
The work situation here is different and can be difficult for both health and TEFL volunteers. I can better speak to the health aspects. Unless you have a really great site, people aren’t really going to understand what your job is. Generally things are run very hierarchically, and in most cases the higher ups tell lower downs that an American is coming to work with them. It can be frustrating to figure out what you’re supposed to be doing, especially at the beginning. It can also be frustrating to work around the hierarchy aspects. Again, unless your site is exceptional, everything needs a permission to get done, and the tendency is to say ‘no.’ Developing good relationships with your co-workers and supervisors can mitigate this, but its definitely annoying to temper personal initiative.
I live in a typical Turkmen village, and socially that can be challenging. It was hard to find local friends because I am just not Turkmen. Most of the girls my age are married with several children. Their concerns and interests are radically different than mine. I have no male friends between the ages of 12 and about 50 because I am unmarried. Although it took a while, I did manage to find a social circle, and surprisingly it consists mostly of 40-50 year old women. In terms of temperament, they are most similar to me. They’ve raised their families and generally have a certain respect and cache in the village, so they have more freedoms than other people. Friendships can be made and be meaningful, but they probably won’t be the types of relationships you’re expecting. Be flexible and curious. (Although things will be different if you are in a city or non-Turkmen area).
Now that I’ve depressed you, on to the positives. Despite the hardships, you can have a rich and meaningful service. First of all, Peace Corps isn’t like dropping off the face of the earth anymore. While expensive, pretty much all volunteers have decided that cell phones are worth it, so we are in touch with each other. Also, a lot of host families do have landlines in their homes, so people in American can call. While, again, expensive (and time consuming), friends and family can get visas and come visit. Off the top of my head, five volunteers from my group have arranged for visitors, my parents included.
Second, if you work to develop (or wind up with a fantastic sites) good professional relationships, you will be able to accomplish things at work. Right now, my favorite part of the week is my Future Mothers’ Club. I run a club for girls that have finished school, but aren’t married. We talk about general health, make cookies, and just hang out together. These girls have become my friends, and I am able to impart information to them. I’ve worked with my counterpart to teach hygiene lessons to families throughout my village. This was done as a part of a grant I wrote to dig a well at the clinic. Other volunteers field baseball teams, teach geography, and build resource centers. I could not be doing the work I’m doing if I didn’t spend months drinking tea, going guesting, and just being really present at my clinic and in my community.
Another great benefit of Turkmenistan is the opportunities to travel. Turkmen Air because we pay local prices for our tickets, is really cheap. Most volunteers go to Turkey, Thailand, India, and London (or onward to other destinations from there). Pretty much all tickets will be under $500, and most substantially cheaper. It is also cheap to travel within the country. Plane tickets are about $20-$30, a taxi from my site to Ashgabat is $10-$15, and a train ticket from my site to Ashgabat is $2. Arranging travel can be an enlightening experience in bureaucracy and poor customer service, but at the end of it, you’re going to Thailand. That thought keeps most of us smiling through.
Anyway, if you have any specific questions about this place, I’d love to hear from you. We’re already speculating and preparing for your arrival. My e-mail is Katheryne.kramer@gmail.com, and I usually check my e-mail Fridays!
Written June 10
Salams and hos(h) geldin(g)izes to the future T-18s. I did this about this time last year because I imagined the future Turkmenistan volunteers were curious about this mysterious Stan where they might be spending 27 months. I will probably not have the opportunity to know you because I COS in December, but I can answer any questions you have about this place, from packing list to paranoid fears about our proximity to Iran.
First off, all fears about personal safety are kind of paranoid. Turkmenistan is, for a variety of reasons, one of the safest places I’ve ever lived. It was voted a neutral state by a vote in the U.N. It maintains peaceful and cooperative relationships with its neighbors. Private citizens are not allowed to own guns. While there might be one or two old rifles floating around, armed violence is unlikely, unless you somehow involve yourself with the opium trade. That is not recommended. It’s also something of a police state. In all the major cities there are policemen on practically every corner. Furthermore, there is compulsory military service for all boys when they leave school. Many of them are posted to the borders of Uzbekistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. Additionally, while Turkmenistan is a Muslim country, it is not fundamentalist at all in its leanings. As in Turkey, the religious establishment is run by the government, and 80 years as an atheist, community republic has left its mark. Finally, Peace Corps does not put volunteers in areas that are dangerous.
Now that the unreasonable fears are out of the way, I can talk about the reasonable ones. Joining Peace Corps, regardless of where you go is going to be difficult. Turkmenistan has one or two quirks that exacerbate that. First, it is a very closed place. Full coverage of the country, or at least enough coverage that most volunteers have cell phone reception, only came about last year, and it’s expensive. Internet is really only available in the welyat (district) capitals. Although, in the cities, internet in homes is increasingly common. I have a cell phone, and I mostly use it to stay in contact with other volunteers. To talk to people in America I use skype. (If you don’t know about skype check it out before you leave. It’s an internet based phone program that makes calls cheap.) The internet café in Mary has the program and my friends and family know that I am usually online at a specific time each week. It takes work and money to say in touch, but it happens. To be specific, I am online about once a week, and I probably spend about 5%-8% of my monthly salary on my cell phone.
The work situation here is different and can be difficult for both health and TEFL volunteers. I can better speak to the health aspects. Unless you have a really great site, people aren’t really going to understand what your job is. Generally things are run very hierarchically, and in most cases the higher ups tell lower downs that an American is coming to work with them. It can be frustrating to figure out what you’re supposed to be doing, especially at the beginning. It can also be frustrating to work around the hierarchy aspects. Again, unless your site is exceptional, everything needs a permission to get done, and the tendency is to say ‘no.’ Developing good relationships with your co-workers and supervisors can mitigate this, but its definitely annoying to temper personal initiative.
I live in a typical Turkmen village, and socially that can be challenging. It was hard to find local friends because I am just not Turkmen. Most of the girls my age are married with several children. Their concerns and interests are radically different than mine. I have no male friends between the ages of 12 and about 50 because I am unmarried. Although it took a while, I did manage to find a social circle, and surprisingly it consists mostly of 40-50 year old women. In terms of temperament, they are most similar to me. They’ve raised their families and generally have a certain respect and cache in the village, so they have more freedoms than other people. Friendships can be made and be meaningful, but they probably won’t be the types of relationships you’re expecting. Be flexible and curious. (Although things will be different if you are in a city or non-Turkmen area).
Now that I’ve depressed you, on to the positives. Despite the hardships, you can have a rich and meaningful service. First of all, Peace Corps isn’t like dropping off the face of the earth anymore. While expensive, pretty much all volunteers have decided that cell phones are worth it, so we are in touch with each other. Also, a lot of host families do have landlines in their homes, so people in American can call. While, again, expensive (and time consuming), friends and family can get visas and come visit. Off the top of my head, five volunteers from my group have arranged for visitors, my parents included.
Second, if you work to develop (or wind up with a fantastic sites) good professional relationships, you will be able to accomplish things at work. Right now, my favorite part of the week is my Future Mothers’ Club. I run a club for girls that have finished school, but aren’t married. We talk about general health, make cookies, and just hang out together. These girls have become my friends, and I am able to impart information to them. I’ve worked with my counterpart to teach hygiene lessons to families throughout my village. This was done as a part of a grant I wrote to dig a well at the clinic. Other volunteers field baseball teams, teach geography, and build resource centers. I could not be doing the work I’m doing if I didn’t spend months drinking tea, going guesting, and just being really present at my clinic and in my community.
Another great benefit of Turkmenistan is the opportunities to travel. Turkmen Air because we pay local prices for our tickets, is really cheap. Most volunteers go to Turkey, Thailand, India, and London (or onward to other destinations from there). Pretty much all tickets will be under $500, and most substantially cheaper. It is also cheap to travel within the country. Plane tickets are about $20-$30, a taxi from my site to Ashgabat is $10-$15, and a train ticket from my site to Ashgabat is $2. Arranging travel can be an enlightening experience in bureaucracy and poor customer service, but at the end of it, you’re going to Thailand. That thought keeps most of us smiling through.
Anyway, if you have any specific questions about this place, I’d love to hear from you. We’re already speculating and preparing for your arrival. My e-mail is Katheryne.kramer@gmail.com, and I usually check my e-mail Fridays!
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