Now in one of the main cities in the south of Tajikistan, Kurgan Teppa, or KT as it is known amongst friends. The streets are wide and dusty, fewer trees here. The city is near the Vakhsh river which is wide and powerful at this point, bringing meltwater down from the Pamirs.
I took a shared taxi to get here, and it was a painless journey, apart from being squeezed between a rather large lady and a sleeping man in the middle of the back seat, who had both managed to get in at the same time in a kind of pincer movement, which ensured I got middle place! The landscape is wild and rocky, there are no trees giving shade to the donkeys and herds of goats we passed. These were the only things moving in the landscape apart from a stray cow who looked as if it had lost its way, but was munching contentedly, however, on the few strands of grass.
Our driver was good and drove fast but well, talking in Russian to a smartly dressed, elderly woman with hair curled upon itself in a chignon. A journey of 89 km was only 15 somoni or £2. An hour later we were pulling up. I even got taken right to the door. Better than a bus!
It was good to see Paul again; he was out back directing cement mixing operations for the new patio taking place behind the Sword Teppa centre. I also met Joe, another English guy, who had stayed after this summer’s Roof of the World Rally from London, but is soon returning home. The centre works as a hub for English teaching and indeed is the only English organisation which carries out this role in Tajikistan. So the British Ambassador visits here; he is informal “Please call me Trevor.” When Paul demurred, stating lessening of respect for the office and such like, the response was “I order you to call me Trevor!” We wondered if the response had come down from on high to seem less removed from the commoners!
They are wondering whether the Ambassador might come to the Halloween party, but as he has to be back within Embassy walls by dark, it is unlikely. All the talk now is about the upcoming Halloween party, and much of today has been spent planning it. It has been merged with Guy Fawkes, and we now have an excellent Guy with rubber gloves and baggy trousers and all.
Sworde Teppa is also a centre for studying the environment and research into malaria and other diseases. This is Paul’s side of the work. He works together with the Natural History Museum, which is how I know him, through my moth curator friend, Geoff, who works at the NHM. Last week the Centre was organising a series of climate change events for school children, next week it is a similar thing with university students, however this week seems to be all about Halloween!
The centre is looking for another British national to run their English teaching programme. I also met a lovely lady N, who works with the centre too. It was interesting to hear their take on things, as Paul has worked in Tajikistan for 11 years or so, he is a wealth of information about the ‘charity scene’ in the country.
N then kindly took me to the family I will be staying with for the next week. When I arrived the mother M laid out an amazing spread; trays of sweets and cakes and then after we arrived kept bringing out other dishes such as plates of chips and sausage and freshly crushed walnuts. We sat drinking black tea, chatting. Their flat is comfortable family home for parents and two children, a smiling girl M of 12 and a boy Z of 15.
The father is a bank manager so for Tajiks is fairly affluent, as he also has a shop in the market too. He brings down men’s shirts from Dushanbe and he and the salesman both add a couple of somoni on each; and this does good business.
By chance, this family and N are all Ismailis, they were so happy when I told them that I worked at the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London. The father asked me whether I had met His Highness, I was sorry to disappoint and answer in the negative.
However he had met many of the IIS governors and staff members during their various lectures and presentations here. The family is devote, and the father is warm and open and speaks well about his religious beliefs, telling me that God wants many different flowers in the garden, religions of many different forms and hues.
The father likes the peace of the countryside and the simplicity and straightforwardness of country people from the villages. But he urges his sons to study in US and try and improve their English. One, Z wants to be president! – “How should I get there” he asks me?!
The daughter is 12 and good at art, and the father hopes she might study design, architecture or painting. She shyly showed me her paintings and they are good, both the colours that she uses and the forms. She was either painting from her imagination or copying from books
How revered the Aga Khan is here, he came into conversation a lot and interesting that he spoke about the importance of the Samanids to the Tajiks.
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