Tag: Trolleybus

Tales From The Trolleybuses of Tajikistan

Published on by Mark Jahnke
A Dushanbe trolleybus

Remember how I was waxing poetic about Dushanbe’s marshrutka system?  I really glossed over a lot of the other routes of transportation.  In particular, I did not do justice to Dushanbe’s beautiful rusty old trolleybus network.  My love for this relic of Soviet Russia has grown many times like flower in pot.  These elegant green and white and iron oxide colored buses quickly whisk people from one stop to the next, manned by a driver and a fare collector who rides in the door and tells the driver whether to stop and mercifully wait for people running for the bus or to drive by completely without stopping.  In general, they are far more eager to take an extra one Somoni fare from a passenger than to maintain a “schedule,” though, so I rarely miss them like in the US.  Here are some of my favorite stories about the trolleybuses so far.

Continue reading “Tales From The Trolleybuses of Tajikistan” →

The First Week

Published on by Mark Jahnke
Rudaki Park
A statue of the poet Rudaki in Rudaki Park in central Dushanbe, Tajikistan

It’s been a VERY long week it seems, probably because of the 15 hour-long days that start at dawn and go until well after dark. I’m definitely sleeping well, but more from exhaustion than from the bed. It is comfortable, but has taken some getting used to, particularly the part where it’s not extra-long like my dorm bed. Luckily, the temperatures in the evening drop into the 60’s from the 100’s during the day, which means I actually have to sleep with a blanket or something (usually my sweater – it’s too warm the first half of the night to have it on).

My house is nice, and understanding my host grandmother has gotten a lot easier. My host mom and I get along great; she is very warm and caring, but also very patient and willing to help me try out grammatical structures and use new vocabulary. I took it as a very positive sign (and a great practice opportunity) when today she asked me to translate a sunblock package into Tajik so she could understand it, then since she had not used sunblock really before, asked me how I would advise her to use it. She also had me translate and describe how to use foot and hand cream. I think giving beauty tips in Tajik definitely helped my language skills. Continue reading “The First Week” →

Mark, Meet Dushanbe

Published on by Mark Jahnke

We arrived in Tajikistan at 3:30 in the morning a few days ago, and since then I have a lot to report, partially because I have not had a lot of access to the internet. On our first day, we spent most of the day trying to orient ourselves after having had very little real sleep for several days. After clearing customs, we were bussed over to a hotel in the center of the city to rest for a few hours before eating and having an in-country orientation. We all had thought that we would immediately pass out for the entire rest period, but many of us ended up sitting around using the internet to update friends and families as to our location and arrival (this was when I posted my last blog, assuming I would have internet the following day to post another). After finally being able to fall asleep, though, many of us regretted the decision because we were so sleepy when we woke up. After our orientation we had lunch at a Persian restaurant, and then walked around the city for a few hours. Continue reading “Mark, Meet Dushanbe” →