Summer Nights

June 18, 2009

What is summer in T-stan? Three months of never wearing my hair down, watermelon, swimming, sandals, and loads of ice cream.

Truthfully I can’t complain. It’s hot but I have hats and sunscreen. It’s simple but unique. It’s frustrating but fascinating…

And at night the stars flood the sky and there’s something glorious about the way the moonlight reflects against the Murgap River at night.

Oh those summer nights…

Positively Tactless

June 4, 2009

Tact is something Turkmen people sometimes lack, but it's
something that we learn to deal with out here. Last month I gained two
kilos, putting me back to the same weight I was when I came to this
country, and it did not go unnoticed.

"Angela, you look fat," my host brother's friend said a couple weeks ago.

"WHAAAAA?" I said. I had no words.

"Yeah, are you eating a lot more now?" he ased casually, as if he were
asking about our new sheep or the price of tomatoes at the bazar.

"Uhhhh..." I didn't know what to say.

"I guess you're not on a diet, huh," he said.

"I am now," I muttered.

Today was no exception at the bazar, when the lady I buy bread from
every week patted my stomach and said, "Look how fat the American is
getting!"

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled.

"We'll still find you a nice Turkmen boy," she said. "Don't worry."

True story.