Coming to Tajikistan has been the most incredible experience. I first started studying Persian when I was in 10th grade with summer classes and I’ve continued over the years with classes here and there, wherever I could get them and with limited resources available to me, and not once did I ever think I’d travel to a Persian-speaking country.
Since my arrival in early June, I’ve been living with the host family of my bibi, my grandmother, her son, his wife, their four children, and my bibi’s other adult grandson. Together, we have our comfortable rooms surrounding a courtyard with a vegetable and herb garden and clothes lines for the washing. My new favorite breakfast here is shirbirinj, a warm rice porridge cooked with milk and salt, and topped with a combination of butter or sugar, depending on your tastes. It reminds me of a semi-savory version of the kheer, Indo-Caribbean rice pudding I grew up eating as a child. And my absolute favorite dinners with my host family are the nights we have osh, a rice dish with carrots and meat.
Five days a week, I go to class at American Councils, a short walk from my host family’s residence. I love the array of classes we have, all taught in the Persian language. Throughout the week in the afternoon, I have a history, culture, and literature class; a grammar class; a conversation class; a media class; a film class; and a class specifically dedicated to Tajik and the Cyrillic alphabet. These fascinating classes give me so much exposure to the Persian language, different accents, and different elements of Persian culture I cannot get back at my college in the United States. And I have loved working with my conversation partner every week from Afghanistan. He is a great help with learning idioms and understanding certain media articles I find particularly difficult, and like my teachers, is very kind. I’ve also loved learning the Afghan Dari accent with him, something he offers in place of Iranian Farsi.
Walking down the flower-lined streets of Dushanbe is very calming to meet despite the hustle and bustle of traffic in the street and pedestrians. The city is gorgeous and surrounded by a view of the snow-tipped mountains in the distance, easily visible from most streets and buildings. The architecture reminds me of a Russian city, and signs and posters in Cyrillic of Russian and Tajiki are visible evidence of the linked history of Russia and Tajikistan. You even hear it in everyday speech with the mix of “xoroshos” and “otlichnos” and many other Russian words used in Tajiki.
Even though Tajikistan is a foreign country to me, some of it is surprisingly familiar. As I said, different bits of food remind me of my Indo-Caribbean home. But as I walk down the streets and go to stores, I find people all with the same Persian and Muslim names of my Indo-Caribbean, paternal family, and faces and skin tones similar to mine as well. I’ve loved being in Tajikistan and meeting all of the kind-hearted people who have crossed my path. I cannot wait to continue exploring this beautiful country and the many adventures that await me the rest of the summer.
Program: Eurasian Regional Language Program, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Term: Summer 2019