2002-10-19 - 4:05 p.m.
Parkent. I visited my permanent site for five days last week. My counterpart, a man named Kosimjon, is an excellent english speaker with much teaching experience and a great sense of humor. And he seems flexible. I visited six Uzbek families, all catering to my every need, in a whirlwind frenzy of visiting. They were competing for me, to be my next host family. I eventually chose a site, having yet to meet anyone but the mother. However, it was the only site outside the small city center and it is located in a village, in the mountains. From my street i have a view of the Chatkal Mountain range, a nice site to see in the morning and to return to at night.
The facutly slaughtered a sheep in my honor the first day, although I was not witness this time and of course did not partake in the delight. But the faculty seemed cordial, and is odd because the majority are men, not women. My classroom is decorated rather well also, including a poster of MLKJ speech and the lyrics from Dylan's "Forever Young" which is oddly one of my favorites. Heide was a volunteer before me, two years prior, and she decorated the classroom. I owe her a thank you. We still lack resources so anyone reading this should thing of ways to communicate, gather school supplies / books/ or whatever and mail them. But shipping is expensive, so maybe an exchange of letters or info would be cheaper, and maybe more sustainable as well because learning is forever.
I did have my first bout with food poisoning in Parkent. It was not pleasant but quickly "passed." A large river divides the city of Parkent, which means two cities, but now it is a barren basin. Later, after the winter snow melts, it will be a large flowing river. P'kent is know for grapes and cherries. One neighbor sold his vineyard harvest and travelled to Mecca, making his Hajj (for all you Malcolm X readers). The city reminds me a little of Taos, although it is obviously lacking in infrastructure. The mountains are beyond the city though, and you enter from the gently rising hills.
The next week or so will be intense. I have to pass a language exam on the 26th and then will be sworn in as a volunteer on November 1. I will move to site on the second, and will be thinking of the vacationing, and marathon running New York tourists on the third. Continue to write and any newspapers of magazines sent, old or recent, are a nice treat. The Economist seems to have a lot of everything. Take care.
