Spent 4 days in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, overcoming jet lag and meeting folks at the American embassy. Another vibrant city with strong contrasts: palaces and expensive cars, large parks, dilapidated apartments from the Soviet era. I'm not much of a city person but I've been entertained by the local food, the colorful clothing, and the drivers who everywhere seem to aim for pedestrians. All very exciting. All signage here uses the Cyrillic alphabet; never have I felt so illiterate.
If the best way to learn is by making mistakes, I must be getting really smart. Most everytime I walk around the city, I get lost. Whenever I search for a restaurant, I can't find it. When I step indoors I trip over the consistently elevated threshhold. When I say the names of Tajik people or places, eyes roll. Mostly I try to maintain a sense of humor and accept the fact I have no idea what I'm doing.
