As I reflect back to Camp Umeda, I remember the day I first arrived there. It reminded me of my time in Bangladesh because of the dry land in the city where grass was scarce. When I stepped out of the airport, a stray dog scavenged for food, and I ran quickly to the bus, afraid that the dog would chase me.
The bus was a white minivan and fit all 11 participants. The driver greeted all of us amicably and we all greeted back with the little Tajiki that we knew. The infrastructure, particularly the road, seemed to be akin to a Westernized road. I was a little surprised because I had low expectations for a country that was completely once unbeknownst to me. Once we started driving, we slowly moved away from the city. Suddenly, we The mountains and valleys were surreal. I scrutinized the stark contrast of the houses in the mountains. Some of the houses were extravagant bungalows, while others were small huts that were of a modest nature. The Dushanbe River flowed through the mountain, right in front of the extravagant houses at the foreground of the valley. Once we arrived at the main gate, there was a river in between with a bridge that connected the camp to the mainland. When we arrived at camp, it was early morning---like about 5 or 6 am. The cabins were triangular prisms with two floors. All the girls were in one cabin, and we decided to all live in the 1st floor. The boys were separated into two separate cabins. The bathrooms and showers were in a separate building outside. Beyond the bathrooms, there was a forest behind. On the right of the bathrooms, there was a separate building with two classrooms and a kitchen. I was exhausted, so I took a shower. Afterwards, I took a nap because we all had class the first day.
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I am currently learning the Tajiki alphabet, and I believe I have made progress. The alphabet has 35 letters and 10 vowels. I can read Cyrillic now, but at a really slow pace. The alphabet is similar to Arabic not in writing, but in the character sounds. There are several parallels between Tajiki and Arabic. Persian is often referred to as the poetic language, and Arabic is often referred to as the language of religion. I've been reciting the alphabet several times a day, and I hope I can soon write it!
Calom! I received a scholarship to go to Tajikistan this summer to learn Persian. I am extremely excited for a new adventure. Tajikistan is an extraordinary place with virgin lands and a rich heritage. The language is especially fascinating. I am departing from the United States on June 20 and arriving back on August 1st. I will probably have limited Internet access, but I will try my best to share my stories and photography, which will illustrate my trip.
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