Dear Friends,
There have been some major postal system issues here in UZ – so…. for the time being, please do not send any new letters or packages to me here. I’ll let you know when the issue is resolved. And, when it is resolved, I expect lots of letters and care packages 😛
Well I have been following things closely as much as I can via TV and internet. What I’m enjoying most, (indeed the vague news reports are difficult to read again and again,) is the comments posted by people responding to these stories. The topic, implicitly, always seems to be, “what’s next?” This one I liked the best:
People in Uzbekistan are very simple people and it is most likely that these Andijan protests won’t affect the entire country because we know how tough our government is. This Andijan problem will not spread. It will be contained and people in Uzbekistan will continue to live as they are.
– Ahmedov
I’m starting to think that this in indeed the case. Although what happened may indeed be the latest and greatest outburst, life does seem to be normal. People are buying things in the bazaars and students are preparing for their summer holidays.
On that note, I am currently in the process of working out my summer plans as well. I will be participating in a few camps, if all goes well, all aimed at intensively training the best and the brightest this country has to offer. I’ll let you know more as soon as I know myself.
So checking my inbox today I received a note from one of the PC admin people in Tashkent. It was not directed at me specifically, but since so many of us are keeping blogs, it does apply to me. Basically she doesn’t want us to blab to the media, which has apparently attempted to contact some PCVs for information:
Volunteers / Trainees must avoid becoming involved in the political affairs of their host country. Any public statement or action which potentially may involve a V/T with host country political issues or other controversial issues within the host country, or which are otherwise matters of official concern to Peace Corps, must be first discussed and reviewed with the Country Director. “Matters of official concern” are those that are related to Peace Corps or U.S. foreign policy, or matters that can reasonably be expected to affect the foreign relations of the United States. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action, up to and including, administrative separation.
…
V/Ts should be aware, however, that public political expression overseas may raise issues of V/T safety and security if the issues could provoke hostility locally. V/Ts should also be aware that, particularly in the area of foreign affairs, some policies or actions of the United States or other countries may relate to political issues or other controversial issues within the host country. A V/T’s statements or actions concerning such issues that may, in the opinion of the Country Director, endanger the safety and security of the individual V/T or the post, or impair the effectiveness of the Peace Corps or the individual V/T, may be grounds for administrative separation or other disciplinary action.
So, since I don’t wish to be separated from my service this early into it, I am going to keep my analysis about the current situation to the previous post for now.
But, this does not mean I am going to be mute about things here in UZ. Those who know me personally know that I certainly don’t roll over in the face of a rulebook. Though in this case I do agree that some comments could endanger the program or other volunteers, I will certainly continue to keep people abreast on the pulse of life here.
Oh and did I mention that school ends in one week?!?!
Funny Uzbekistan Anecdote:
Since the educational system here is pretty patriarchal, at the beginning of each class, students stand up and shout some greeting in unison to the teacher. In English classes, the standard practice is for the students to go, “Good Morning Teacher!” at which point I’m supposed to reply, “Good Morning Pupils.” Sometimes I initiate, sometimes the students do. But, since I soon tired of this shouting, I decided to teach my students about a little known American custom.
The system I invented entails that I first whistle a difficult and discordant little number, after which the students must whistle it back to me. So, if you can picture it, I have about 20 young Uzbek students in front of me, standing at attention, and we whistle to each other. They think it’s funny, but they do it.
Now, in case you are starting to worry, I am teaching them English, not Unamunda or anything like that. But these little things do help…
So much to say!
Well, although my dear little country is making international headlines, I have even bigger news. Yes, folks, last night for dinner I had fish. You heard right, fish. In this doubly landlocked country I had resigned myself to a fishless existence for the next two years. And, up until last night, that had been the case. But, when my host father mentioned “ballikxona” (fish room,) I knew my luck had changed. And indeed it was a delicious, if subdued meal.
With that I might as well talk about the recent goings on here in Uzbekistan. But before I jump to the here and now, as 24 hour cable news networks are famous for doing, I’d like to give a little background to the situation. Up until 1991, Uzbekistan was part of the Soviet Union. Although I can’t imagine many fans of this blog are ready wave the old hammer and sickle, the Soviet impact on this country was not entirely bad. The good was that people had jobs, food and money. That is, teachers got paid, students had textbooks, and the schools had heat in the winter. Additionally, medical care, though probably not by any means at Western standards, was free. The biggest plus, though, was that people were occupied with jobs. Maybe they were dumb jobs, but they kept people busy, gave them pride in the fact that they were contributing to society, and secured the familial structure.
After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan became independent. However, unlike many independence movements, this one wasn’t fought for, it just happened. Basically, the country was left with all the workings of the old soviet system. This meant many different things. First of all, all the old faces from the Communist role were still in office. And we’re not just talking about the president here, but the whole cupboard… So although a “new” country was born, ideologically, nothing had changed. The old Communist party was renamed with the words Liberal and Democratic sprinkled into the title. So while nothing changed in the governing structure, there was a whole country to be taken care of.
This presented many problems. The first, and perhaps most important, was the challenge of retaining control among the various factions that make up the population here. It was Stalin, I believe, who was responsible for dividing up Central Asia into different countries. As such, the countries here were apportioned so that no one ethnic majority could lay claim to one territorial area. So as a result, you have Uzbekistan, a strange looking country compromising of: Uzbeks, Tajiks, Afghans, Kazaks, etc. etc. You name it. So the new (old) government decided that the first and most pressing task for the new nation was to instill a sense of nationalistic pride and identity in its people. Therefore, to this day, you will see giant billboards with the Uzbek flag, inspiring words about greatness, and other such propaganda. Additionally, to remind the people lest they forget who was in charge, the president had his portrait plastered everywhere. And I’m not kidding, it is everywhere.
Part of this nationalistic re-awakening included a rejection of the Russians and the values that had so brutally imposed during Soviet rule. So Uzbeks were asked to look into their past, their distant past, to find a new model for their future. As such, famous personages, including Tamerlane (Amir Timur,) Miro Ulugbek, and other such 15th century heroes were vaunted as the ideal Uzbek. Schools and streets were re-named, documentaries about these people were aired constantly on the state owned media. Children were named Timur and Ulugbek. (As a gag, when I’m around a group of boys, I say, “who’s Timur?” and there’s usually at least one or two hands raised.) The great irony of this is that these famous people never thought of themselves as Uzbek, they just happened to live around the area. So, in a way, Uzbekistan claimed a regional heritage as its own.
This return to the past, though, meant a re-connection with the deeply rooted Islamic values of the region. Although public religious display was repressed by the Soviets, most people in Uzbekistan continued to self identify as Muslim, even if they did take to the bottle themselves. So although Soviet rule did dampen the religious component of life here, it did not extinguish it. Thus upon independence, many Uzbeks hoped that their nationalistic revival would include a re-connection with their faith. However, this was not to be the case. Perhaps understandably, the government feared that a religious revival would be the precursor to its downfall. After all, the more radical Islamic elements of society certainly had no good will to the individuals who had silenced their way of life for so long. As such, although Uzbeks were asked to reject the Russian influence and re-connect with their cultural roots, they were told, in no uncertain terms, not to start going to mosques. Indeed to this day, being an active participant in organized religious services is just an invitation to increased government surveillance and hassle.
The second major problem facing the new nation had to do with the economy. As has been the case in most of the former Soviet Republics, the challenge of transitioning from a socialist to a free market economy has been a highly daunting task. In Uzbekistan, the failure to do so has been monumental and has had disastrous effects. What’s happened is that the individuals who were in power before independence have retained their power. Thus the few successful private companies that do operate here are headed by these former, and often current governmental officials. As one in power would be a fool to work against his own interests, fair regulations for new business initiatives and foreign investment are nonexistent. Thus the macro picture is bleak; the country is run by mafia business cartels who pursue profit at any cost.
This has meant that universal services, formerly provided by the state to all citizens, have deteriorated to the point of near collapse. These include: water, gas and electricity distribution, road maintenance, telephone systems, health care, and of course, education. Most schools in Uzbekistan are appallingly ancient, lack resources, and are often without heat in the winter. Things slough on, but pragmatically, the quality of life here has been on an downward trajectory since independence.
So Uzbekistan is a crumbling place unable to meet the demands of its populations. The government allows its citizens no viable alternatives (think of how much faith based groups do to empower citizens and fix broken communities,) and most people are terrified to step out of line, lest they be taken away to places where they will be mercilessly abused. But over the past few years, people have been saying “enough,” louder and more publicly. This most recent incident is not the first of its kind, but is emblematic of this situation here. The men thrown in jail were sentenced with practicing religious extremism to the threat of the state (read government.) Now I’ll be the first to say I have no idea if this is true, but the general consensus is that these charges were used as a cover for other activities, including business development, that the government perceived as a threat.
So people gathered, stormed the jail, freed the men, and then moved on to the major’s office. As the crowd grew, the military was called in and many people were killed. Now I don’t think that a mass revolution is going to happen today or tomorrow for that matter. This incident, though perhaps the biggest and most publicized yet, is not unique. Over the past few years, protests have happened in different parts of the country, though mainly in the Ferghana region and in the capital, Tashkent. As you may imagine, these protests receive no coverage in the local media; all news travels by taxi and word of mouth.
As I see it, this is the latest in a series of sparks. And as I mentioned earlier, the infrastructure here, including the gas distribution pipes, is falling apart. It won’t be long till one of these sparks happens near a badly leaking pipe and a massive explosion results. Where that will be, or when, is not for me to say. But I am fairly sure that it will happen. What frightens me is the fact that although most people here have a great distaste for their government, it is predominantly the more radical Islamic elements which have been speaking out most vocally. Make no mistake, everybody here is suffering. But being on the inside, I can attest to the great fear of stepping out of line. The policemen in their green uniforms and orange batons are everywhere, and they don’t need any reason to stop you. So although the Uzbeks certainly do deserve a better deal, there is a real possibility that the new regime will be just as repressive, though perhaps driven by a different agenda.
This is all fascinating to me. I do want to assure you that I am safe. Peace Corps keep us up to date on things, and I am able to watch CNN and BBC World regularly. I’ve got loads to say about day to day life here – which is what the majority of people, including me, have been going about for the past few months, I’ll save that for next week.
For more information (all sites censored in UZ) :
Muslim Uzbekistan – I’d be interested in a review of this one… are they nutty?
And for a funny look at Uzbek daily life, as a primer for next week’s entry, check out:
So, I’ve seen my school and it is not so bad. I work at a lyceum, which means that the calibur of the students there is supposedly better than in the regular schools (maktabs.) My counterpart is a good woman, though a bit smothering. For the past few days I’ve watched her teach. Although I do like her, I don’t think I’d enjoy her class. She has a habit of instantly flying into a rage, snapping at the students in loud and sharp Uzbek. I think that I will be a welcome change. So although there is only 1 month of school left, I’m going to jump in and start teaching next week. For now, at least, I’m going to teach about American culture and such other non-intensive stuff. It seems silly for a new teacher to start teaching heavy concepts at this time of the year.
Good news from the homestead – at dinner a few nights ago my father points to the TV and says “parabolic.” So, I am almost positive that within a few weeks we will have satelite TV. This means a few English language stations, and some music video action – yes!
Tomorrow I’m going up to the mountains where my father’s brother – another great man – lives. Our two families are going to go swimming and he will teach me how to make osh.
A few people in our group have left – 4 to be precise. Two of them left because they were tired of waiting around for visas and did not feel welcome here. One girl left because of boyfriend issues back home and the 4th just wasn’t feeling the vibe. Some of those who left in this first wave were cool cats, so it’s a bit of a blow to the morale of the group. But that’s how it is in Peace Corps I suppose. And regarding the visas, all the vols are now at their sites. The last group arrived this past Tuesday.
Regarding what the hell I’ll do with myself this summer, that’s still TBD. A database of camps is being created and will be circulated via email. I’m hoping to maybe get in to one or two and go do stuff elsewhere. I’ll have next summer if I wish to create my own camp.
OK – I’ve realized that this blog has been getting a bit dull lateley. In future postings I’ll talk more about good books, current events, etc. And if you have any specific questions about what stuff is really like here, let me know. Also, I’m going to open the floor for some guest postings. To all my regular readers, be you family, friends or none of the above, if ya want to write a guest entry, send it to me via the “Contact” form from the top menu.
Also, thank you Chris for fixing the php problems with this site!!!
Well, it’s now been a few days at my permanant site! There is plenty to talk about, but since family is so important here, I’ll start with that. I live with a great family. My father is a architect/builder, my mother an administrative aide, two sisters (13 and 14,) and a 7 year old little boy. My two sisters speak a little English, enough at this time for me to communicate simple things like what I’m doing, what I need, etc. etc. They seem to have a real desire to communicate in English, and often whip out there little Uzbek-English dictionaries when a difficult word comes to their minds. So that’s a relief. I guess I realized things were really different just yesterday when I was summoned into the TV room for an hour of watching Mr. Bean. The whole family was in stiches for the entire time. My take is that if a family can laugh together (something sadly lacking in my 1st family I now realize,) then they can probably get along just fine. It was a great cultural/bonding moment.
In terms of location, the area in which I live is very beautiful. There are big trees all around, and mountains serve as a backdrop in nearly every direction. We even have a little stream running behind our house. My counterpart is very hands on, maybe a little smothering, but nonetheless energetic and enthused, something not as common here as back home. My classroom is kinda dumpy, but has books, a TV and VCR courtesy of the previous volunteer at my school. I’ll start teaching this week for a month at which time school lets out for the summer…
And okay, I’m gonna brag a little here. Today I met up with some other volunteers from the region and we had lunch with the American Ambassador to Uzbekistan. It was a good time because, 1) we had a delicious meal at no cost and 2) some interesting discussion. It made me feel a lil special 😉 So, now I’ll be heading back to town and unpacking (you know that always take me a while.) Lets keep our fingers crossed that things stay well for as long as possible.
For now,