--The Howell's back garden from my window--



Here is my first official report from Oxford. I might add that I have tea and a biscuit even as I type.

Tuesday

I left Tashkent at 4:55. This meant that we (Burt and I) had to leave at the unfavorable hour of 2 AM. The early hour, however, proved be be the only real bother on the journey.

At the airport things went smoothly. My luggage was technically, Aeroflot only allows 44 pounds of luggage total. I put 44 pounds worth of things in my biggest bag and brought the small suitcase and my book bag on as my carry ons. Since my checked bag wasn't overweight they didn't bother to weigh the carry ons, so I was spared an overweight charge.

The small suitcase was a little bigger than they allow for carry ons, so when I got on to the plane, I couldn't stow it in the bins. Fortunately, my seat was 8A, in the first row of economy seats. With the stewardess's help I stuffed it under my neighbor's chair (the wall made the spot under my chair too small). It stuck out about 6 inches, but, not knowing Uzbek I couldn't apologize to my neighbor when he came. Actually, he was part of a rowdy Uzbek athletics team and they annoyed everyone by being really loud so I didn't feel too bad.

I made it safely through the Moscow airport. To my great delight the second Aeroflot plane was a nice new one. It didn't rattle so much and more importantly, the overhead bins were larger! That flight was very enjoyable. It was raining in Moscow and cloudy most of the way to London, but I did get a few very tantalizing glimpses of Germany, Denmark, and France.

All my luggage came through. Passport control and customs seemed well satisfied with my papers. I caught a bus to Oxford without trouble. When I got to Gloucester Green, I had 30p, just the amount needed to call the Howells. All in all it was a very fortunate and enjoyable trip.

So now I am in Oxford! Well, strictly speaking I am in one of Oxford's suburbs (Botley). I'm staying with Dr. and Mrs. Howell at the house they have rented for their time here. It's a small two bedroom flat with a nice back garden, a very small kitchen, and a very steep staircase. They tell me they weren't very pleased with the house at first. Dr. Howell fell down the stairs, the house had been left dirty, etc. However, they have learned to love the location, which is within easy walking distance of the city center and the countryside.

--The Howell's treacherous staircase--



I arrived at their house near 4 o'clock and we had dinner around 5. They were planning to attend an organ concert at 7, so we had some spare time. We decided to find The Vines on Pullens Lane, the house where I will be staying. Pullens Lane proved to be beautiful and The Vines quite a picturesque house. We knocked on the door and found the dorm parents (Jackie and Clint Bass) at home and amiable. They showed us around so I got to see my room early. It's a large room with a nice view. I'm looking forward to it and hoping to snag the top bunk tomorrow.

After our adventures at The Vines, we continued on to our organ concert. It was a good one with lots of Bach. We returned home, and so concluded my first day in the city.

Wednesday

After breakfast and a shower, we headed out on foot. The news predicted rain, but to our relief the weather was warm and dry the entire day. We walked south-west from their house to the postcard-worthy village of North Hinksey (read: stone cottages with thatched roofs and beautiful gardens). One of the amazing things about Oxford is that the countryside is within walking distance. So the walk to N. Hinksey was through meadows and over little streams and canals.

From N. Hinksey we went north-east to Oxford's city centre. They don't allow auto traffic through the city centre during daytime hours, so the streets were ours. We visited Christ Church and saw the Great Hall, the staircase, the quad, Tom Tower, and the Cathedral. It looks just like it does in the pictures, so being there felt quite unreal (by the way, look up images of Christ Church in Google; you'll find some nice ones). We also stopped in the porter's lodge to inquire about tickets for the Nine Lessons and Carols, which Oxford also has at Christmas. Unfortunately the concert will be after I'm gone.

From Christ Church we headed north on Aldgate St. and Cornmarket St. to 2 Frewin Court. That is where SSO (the program I'm in) has its headquarters. We met Simon Lancaster (head of student affairs) and Dr. Rosenburg (directer of the program). Mr. Lancaster showed me the student lounge and kitchen they have in the basement (Frewin Court is in the city centre, so students can hang out there between studying in the library and classes). Meanwhile, Dr. Howell chatted with Dr. Rosenburg (it appears that they are friends from a previous visit).

When all the chatting was over we continued our journeying. We passed the Bodleian Library and Radcliffe camera, All Souls and Brasenose. We went through the covered market. We stopped at the tourist information centre, where I got a calendar of events, and at the police station, where I got a free map. We returned to Gloucester Green and window shopped at the outdoor antique market.

We returned home for lunch of peanut butter and Nutella toast sandwiches. Then Mrs. Howell and I set out in search of St. Margret's Well (also known as the Treacle Well from Alice in Wonderland). We went north through field-ish, farm-ish land for half an hour til we reached the village of Binsey (pop 20). We went inside The Perch, a quaint pub with fires in the fireplaces and a low ceiling. Then we went to the church to see St. Margret's well.

--At Binsey--


According to legend, an unwanted suitor chased Frideswide (saint-to-be) through the forest but was struck blind by lightening. Frideswide prayed to St. Margret to heal him. A fountain of holy water bubbled up and Frideswide healed him. You go down three steps to the well, which is in a kind of cave.

As I said, the well is at the back of the church, so when we finished looking at the well, we tested the church door. It was open so we went in. We were looking about when the priest came in. He showed us the Saxon doorway and told us how old the roof was, etc.

After that we headed homeward. We had pizza for dinner. Since then I've been responding to my email and writing this. I'm very excited about tomorrow and I'm quite glad that I came in early because I can't imagine trying to see Oxford and get settled in all at once.

General Observations--

Everything here is small. Maybe compact would be a better word. The houses fit tightly against the others, doors, windows, rooms in general are smaller, the roads are narrow (Broad St., supposedly the widest, has two lanes in each direction,) and even the refrigerators are typically the size you see in dorms. This has both its downsides and upsides.

Downside: houses usually border right on the street, it can feel claustrophobic, only one person can go in the kitchen at a time.

Upsides: the saved space can be used for meadows, everything is within walking distance, you can learn to live without Costco.

There are lots of streams. I guess I should have expected this, considering that Oxford is in the Midlands. However, I grew up during the drought, so I am surprised by streams on principle. From the Howell's house to the city centre you have to cross probably five streams or canals. Besides the streams and canals Oxford has the Cherwell on one side and the Thames (which locals call the Isis) on the other. Dr. Howell says the footpaths along the Thames extend all the way to London, so in theory you could walk the whole way uninterrupted.

Oxford is amazing. I find, rereading my post, that I haven't explained this adequately. I think it is beyond my powers of expression, so you'll just have to come here to see it for your self.

I sent this to my family two days ago, but I had no time to post it til now.
.....

Success at last!

We ate osh for lunch today. I can now consider my Uzbek experience complete.

We returned to one of the cafes that had refused us osh last night.
This time they did have it, so we ordered a large dish of osh, some
Samerkand non, salad, and Coke.

The Coke was served in teacups (little bowl-like ones without
handles). The Samerkand non was like typical non (round bread about
the size of a dinner plate and indented in the middle) only it was a
bit more dense. The salad was equal parts tomato, cucumber, and onion
(we were lucky, salad is often half onion). The osh was a big bowl of
rice with meat and carrots and raisins and peas mixed in. It looks
like rice and meat mixed with mango chutney because the carrots are
very yellow-looking and the raisins look like they do in mango
chutney. The meat was beef and horse, and there were about eight eggs
around the rim of the bowl, some regular sized and some smaller.

The osh was good. I tried some of the horse meat, which tastes a bit
stringy and a little more salty than regular meat would, but it was
okay. The rest of the osh tasted like a meat and rice dish spiced with
the spices they usually use here. I liked the salad and non too, but I
wasn't brave enough to try one of the small eggs.

Julie was. She ate two of the small ones, but then she asked the
waiter what kind they were and when she found out they were peacock. Then
she wouldn't eat any more and she brought one of the remaining ones
back in the taxi--stroking it and calling it "poor baby" the whole
ride home.

OK, I have to stop. We are going to Walking St. (their equivalent of Paseo
Nuevo) one last time. I will write again later.

I couldn't use the computer yesterday because Megan was on it. However,
I wrote down my would-be-post in my journal, so now I'll
simply copy it over.

Sunday
Shannon and I stole the Playmobile from the girls and set up a
pastoral scene beside the miniature creek that runs through their
courtyard. Pastoral scene quickly developed into scene of murder and
intrigue. Unfortunately the story was left incomplete, as dinner came
long before we figured out whether our spy/creepy bandit should attack
our heroine (an amateur spy) before or after she confronts the double
spy/murderer of her good spy husband.

Monday
Shannon left early this morning. She is at Blackforest Academy by now.

Janet, little girls, and myself visited the zoo today. It was pretty
good. They do allow people to feed the animals, but at least the
animals have large habitats and nice sticks and things to run on.

We saw a cute teddy bearish bear. It was "brown with blonde
highlights" according to Erin. Janet thinks they probably bought it
from gypsies since it could stand up and beg for food in the cutest
way.

We also saw Himalayan black bears with brown rings around their front
legs, funny twisted back ears, and long bushy manes (I'm not
exaggerating, they actually had manes).

Other highlights included
--two hippos
--kangaroos (or kengurus, as the sign said)
--a white wolf
--a crocodile
--sharks
--snakes (including a huge python)
--llamas
--deer
--camels (dromedary and bacdrian and one you could ride on)
--tigers
--leopards with beautiful spots
--all manner of monkeys (fearful primates, oh Roommate)
--a lionness you could have your picture taken with

This evening we wondered through the neighborhood on foot, trying to
find someplace to buy osh. A week ago we refused to buy overpriced osh
at Walking Street. Since then we have had miserable luck finding any
osh. I've eaten shashlik twice (once bad, with sausage, once good with
real meat) and non many times, but no osh.

The evening's excursion failed to get us any osh, but it did give me a
nice tour of the west side of the neighborhood. I'm familiar with the
east side from walking to the university and to the little corner
stores where we buy groceries. The west side is a funny combination of
houses and businesses. They are all homes, but many of them have home
businesses attached. As you walk down the street you see signs for
grocery shops, automobile repair, small restaurants, fresh vegetables,
and non. Since none of the little restaurants were selling osh
(apparently it was too late in the day) we bought non from a street
vendor and returned home to eat it with peanut butter and jam (this is
not the traditional way to eat non, but it works).

Tuesday (today)
The cleaning lady is here, Janet is at Evergreen, Burt is at the
school, Megen is still sleeping, the girls are playing educational
computer games. I'm typing this up because I know that tomorrow I will
have to stop thinking about Uzbekistan and start thinking about
England.

I'm astonished that my two and a half weeks have passed. And yet, I
have been here long enough that I can recognize all the buildings from
here to the university and from here to Walking St., Mir, and Sum. I
can recognize a few popular Uzbek songs. I can say "rakhmat" and
"spasibo" ("Thank you" in Uzbek and Russian). I can convert dollars to
sum very roughly, I can hail a taxi, I can recognize milk even though
it comes in a bag, and I can wash my clothes in the Russian washing
machine. Yes, I have accomplished much in my time here.

And I am going to miss it here. I wouldn't want to live here, but I'll
miss it anyway. I'll miss seeing the beautiful or at least interesting
buildings here. I'll miss the tree-lined streets and the flowers. I'll
miss the irregular streets and the grapevines over the driveways. I'll
miss seeing people over-water their courtyards.

I'll miss the thrill of taxi rides, bad drivers, and dangerous street
crossings.

I'll miss working at the English school--going through the vocabulary,
trying to lead discussion, trying to get the quiet students to talk,
answering random questions about culture shock, American dating
practices, regional accents and stereotypes.

I'll miss the Luds. I'll miss hearing school politics and city-lore
from Janet, I'll miss playing Scrabble with Shannon and talking about
books and life. I'll miss watching Erin and Julie torture their poor
hamster by shooting it across the kitchen floor in Julie's roller
skate.

I'll miss the Ludington's house--my peaceful library bedroom, my
faithful hammock, my Chesterton, John Adams, and Ladies 'Tec Agcy.
I'll miss having the leisure to read, that's for sure.

I'm off for England; for other beauties and cultures, for new pursuits
and adventures. I'm eager for England--Oxford and formal logic!--but I
will miss Tashkent.

So, after days and days and days of no internet (and 1 day of no water
and 2 days of no roads) I am finally back in contact with the world!
We aren't sure about the cause of the internet problems, but the roads
and water problems were because road workers dug enormous ditches at
both ends of our street.

So, now that the mystery of my incommunicativeness has been solved,
what are you interested in hearing?

We (the entire family) just finished two rounds of Mexican Traintracks.
Earlier Shannon and I made the dough for tomorrow's cinnamon
rolls and dinner (french toast) for ourselves and the little girls
while Burt and Janet and Megan ate at a cafe that gives its customers
free internet.

Shannon leaves Monday (4 am) so we've been trying to do special things
together. We've wandered through shops, ridden in scary taxis with
engine problems and bad music, we've played many games of Scrabble and
Set, but mostly we've talked and talked like you wouldn't believe. We
stayed up to 2 on Wednesday and til 3 on Thursday talking. Subject
matter of conversations: everything.

I also got to talk some with Janet yesterday when we took the little
girls down to the park to rollerblade. This is a pretty stressful time
for Janet as she bears a lot of responsibility for the school (which,
as you may remember, has been having lots of trouble). Also, she has
the girls to worry about, Megan to worry about, Shannon to worry
about, and her friends here to worry about. She is trying to work out
a Theology of Poverty. That is, she's trying to discover the biblical
answers to the questions of 1) why some people (or nations) are poor,
2) how the rich ought to respond to global and ongoing poverty, 3) how
the poor are supposed to their poverty, and 4) what a rich American
should say to her dirt poor Uzbek friends who wish they could go to
America.

I met some of these friends at the Luds end of the year party
for the teachers. The party was on Thursday afternoon in the Luds'
kitchen. About ten of the teachers came and I had conversations with
four or five of them. It's funny how interested they are in talking to
someone from California. I have a hard time understanding why
Americans, esp. Californians, are so much more exciting than people
from other places. Nevertheless, that is how it is. Anyway, the
teachers are friendly, mostly women, mostly Uzbek Uzbek (as opposed to
Russian or Korean Uzbek) and I enjoyed talking to them. I didn't get a
chance to chat too long, or to hear the speeches, as Shannon and I had
to walk to the University to run the final movie club.

I'll try to describe the movie clubs sometime--just now it sounds like
a difficult task. I feel a bit nervous having lost my precious
internet connection for so long. I'll feel better when I complete this and I
know that whatever happens I've at least posted this much.

So,

Books read so far:
John Adams
1 and 2 of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
How to Read Slowly (a reread)
Some book, I forget the title, retelling the Princess and the Pea
The Sunday Philosophy Club

Other accomplishments:

--Teaching Julie math, reading, and the fine art of playing Set
--Drawing a really cool crayon picture (I'll scan it later)
--Watching my first ever episode of Friends
--Watching my 12th ever episode of Friends (obviously a favorite of
the household)
--Solving a textbook shipping problem for Janet
--Successfully helping cook scones, pizza, french toast, and cinnamon
rolls (despite the fact that the pizza dough didn't rise, this is great
accomplishment since cooking here involves converting measurements,
substituting ingredients, and finding ingredients labeled in Russian and
Uzbek).

Major failings so far:

--No real work on grad school applications
--Never left the city of Tashkent (we were going to go to Bukhara or
Samarkand, but both trips ended up requiring too much time--Bukhara an
overnight train trip and Samarkand eight hours of driving)
--Have not eaten Osh yet
--Have not posted my pictures on my blog (I'm really sorry about this,
I have been trying)

Your faithful (in intention if not in actuality,) correspondent,
Krista

Today we went out to Evergreen School to register Megan, Erin, and Julie for the upcoming year. The school is in a big four story building. Administration, library, and K-2nd on the second floor, 3rd-5th on third, and 6th-12th on the fourth. The first floor is not a part of the school.

The building is cheerful enough, but school is actually having a hard year. Several of the teachers and school families couldn't get visas, so the remaining teachers will teach combined classes and some of the older students will have some of their subjects through an online school program.

Janet is head of the school board so she was busy talking with the teachers, delivering some new curriculum, and putting the finishing touches on a letter explaining the online program to the parents. Shannon, Julie, Erin, and myself spent our time enjoying the library.

I don't know if I ever properly explained Julie to you. She is a Russian orphan in the process of being adopted by the O'Ferro family. They found her living in an abandoned house near them and took her in. Unfortunately the O'Ferros couldn't renew their visa, so they are back in the states. They are trying to complete the adoption process, but until they do, she can't leave the country. So for the time being she is living with the Ludingtons.

She turned ten yesterday (we had cake and pizza) but because English is a second language and because she hasn't had much school, so she'll be going into 2nd grade. However, she's working hard in math and English (she can read in Russian, but not yet very well in English) and I'm sure she'll catch up quickly. For now, she is a cheerful addition to the household.

More on Tashkent--

People's clothing varies depending on how old they are and where they're from. More conservative women (often from the countryside) wear headscarves and long dresses. Russian women wear whatever they want. The traditional Uzbek dress is what Janet calls "70s bridesmaid" and I have to agree. The men usually wear a white button-down shirt and dark pants.

The women are beautiful, generally very small-boned but tall. Everyone is really skinny except for the grandmothers. Fatness is a sign of prosperity and the grandmothers are fat because they have their daughters-in-law to slave away for them.

I mentioned that the streets are tree-lined, but that doesn't communicate it. Last week we went to a park and road the Ferris wheel (here regular parks have random fair rides). From the Ferris wheel you could look over the city, but you can't see the roads because there are these giant trees everywhere. I don't know how else to explain it--from above the city looks like its been overrun by trees. It's kinda cool.

People either live in houses or in apartments (which they own rather than rent). The houses are mud brick, usually one story, and centered around a courtyard. Traditionally all the rooms have doors to the courtyard, but the Luds house and other more modern ones don't. The walls around the house merge with the neighboring houses. I guess about 9-25 houses will be merged with each other like this. Then there will be a little irregular street (giving directions here is nightmarish) and then more merged houses. Neighborhoods like this are called molehills. They're built this way for protection against thieves. Burglary is a big problem here, so almost all the houses have bars on the windows.

Uzbeks like houses because they like to live together in large families. But the Russians like apartment buildings, so when they came they bulldozed some houses and created apartment buildings. This did have the happy effect of solving some housing problems and getting rid of some really bad houses, but apartments are definitely not as nice. They are usually four stories high (so they didn't have to put in an elevator) and they have communal gardens associated with them. They don't look like normal apartments because 1) they often have lots of decoration on them. like huge mosaics or something, and 2) people are free to remodel their section of the apartment however they like, and this results in rather patchwork quilt look.

OK, I think that's the end of today's Uzbek culture lesson. Shannon and I need to go figure out what questions we want to ask at film club tonight.

My faithful readers have complained that the last post reveals my distressing slothful habits. In my defence I will say that the post was written early in the morning (no slugabed I) and refered only to the morning's activities. After breakfast, I helped various Luds with cleaning and sorting projects. In the afternoon I took part in the group excursion to Walking Street to buy presents for Shannon's birthday.

So there! I feel much wronged.

Nothing to report today. It's just a good old boring day. I think I'll go read John Adams.

Greetings all! I'm sorry that I've been so slow in sending you news. Part of the problem is that I'm sharing the Luds computer and it is busy a good deal of the time. The other problem is that I'm a little overwhelmed by all I must to write to be a "good reporter."

Well, I'll start out with some preliminary notes. All is going well here. I got my luggage back and the books through with a little Cadfael-esque explanation. Oh well. Shannon and I watched A Man For All Seasons and Thomas More says something about needing to be truthful but that God gave us ability to be crafty when we need to be.

Oh, and I am very sorry Elissa but the bags got very dirty from the Aeroflot trip. I'll try to wash them when I get to Oxford.

OK, now for some observations about Tashkent.

Vegetation--
It's lots greener here than I expected. The streets are mostly tree-lined and it seems that everyone has a garden. Moreover, there are extensive public parks complete with trees, flowers, fountains and artificial lakes.

Unfortunately, this is possible because people here are not at all environmentally sensitive. Lights are left on, the taps are left running, excess water floods the street, and high noon is the favored watering hour. As a good Californian raised during the drought, this never fails to shock me.

The Luds tell me it was the Russians who decided Uzbekistan would be the cotton provider. To make this possible they had to over-irrigate the region. Wasting water is just a way of life now, and the fact that they are draining the Aral sea (an environmental crises of the first order) is of little concern to most people.

Cars and Driving--
Driving is rather an interesting experience over here. The roads are a mixture of dirt and pavement, with the paved roads often having so many potholes as to make dirt roads preferable. The roads do not have lanes except for in some spots on the main thoroughfare, where they are absolutely ignored.

The person cutting you off has the right of way and the favorite maxim here is "whatever you can get away with." It is considered offensive to wear a seatbelt as this communicates your distrust of his driving. So far, though, I have not had reason to fear for my safety. Janet's mantra as she navigates the city is "driving is a blessing and a privilege."

Another funny thing about driving is that there are only about four kinds of car here. It seems like you just see the same car over and over again.

Buildings and decoration--
I've really enjoyed looking at the buildings here. Each one is different and most of them have really interesting and individual decorations. Sometimes they have patterns drawn in the stucco and sometimes they have decorative brick work. Many of them have floors or walls paved in marble. Marble is cheap here, plastic counter tops are a symbol of status.

People build houses with thick mud brick walls. When people feel that they need a new room, they simply dig a hole in the back yard and start making bricks. Or, if they are really rich and want more property, they might by the house next door, tear it down, and use the bricks to enlarge their home. It sort of reminds me of what Dad says about the construction methods on Tel Zeitah.

What I've been doing with my time--

I've been adjusting to the time difference, following the Luds in their daily routine, and wondering at the strangeness of it all.

Shannon and I have been helping at the English school. We watch part of a movie and then ask the students questions about it. This gives the students an opportunity to practise their listening and speaking skills. We also answer questions ranging from "why is it illegal for Americans to copy CDs?" to "did WWII affect America?" to "are all the houses in the U.S. wooden and if so why don't they fall down?" So it has been interesting and rather fun.

Other than that Shannon and I have watched A Man For All Seasons (as I mentioned earlier) and, for a change of pace, old episodes of What Not To Wear. We've also played Scrabble (without the board since it was lost) and dominoes and made cookies (dyed green in accordance with ancient Ludington tradition).

In my spare time I have been reading John Adams, by David McCullough in my favorite hammock.

Oh, I have taken some pictures, but I haven't gotten them on to the computer yet. I'll try to do that soon, but just now I'm going to help tutor Julia.

Your faithful (or at least well meaning) correspondent,
Krista

Travel story-- August 9th, 10th, and 11th

After I left Elissa and Mom at LA I had a superbly uneventful flight
to Heathrow. I had a window seat and no one next to me, which was
really nice. The flight continued smoothly until we reached Heathrow.
Then, because of the terrorist plot and the heighten security that
followed we were forced to wait on the ground for over an hour.

Eventually we were able to disembark and collect our luggage. Then I
settled down to my 22 hour vigil. I read for a bit and walked around
a little bit, but walking was awkward because if you walk even twenty
feet from your luggage people get worried. Well, time passed
sluggishly but at last it was midnight. Traffic decreased and the
people staying overnight prepared for slumber. Heathrow provides
these mats and and tinfoil blankets for people. I had a tinfoil
blanket, though not a mat, so I curled up on the floor of a closed
cafe. It was cold and hard, but at least the tinfoil blanket doubles
as a crude security system. By wrapping it around self and suitcases
I was able to feel enough peace of mind to sleep.

I awoke at five, packed up, and continued waiting. At about nine I
dragged my suitcases through three terminals in a hunt for the
Aeroflot check in. When I finally found the check in I was told that
I should wait until 11 to check in. I went to an upstairs lobby, read
the account of the plot and airport chaos in the paper, and most
unhappily learned that all carry on luggage now had to be checked. My
suitcases were stuffed to the gills already and it isn't as if you can
compress books. I was terribly afraid that I would have to end up
throwing things out. I considered buying a second suitcase but I
decided to try packing it together first. For this new endeavor I
moved to the "female toilets" as they so discreetly call the
restroom. I started shoving things into my suitcase and shifting
things around and generally trying to make the impossible happen.

The only carry on luggage we were allowed was a clear plastic bag
containing passport, necessary travel papers, money, a small purse,
glasses (without the case,) prescription medicine if non-liquid, and
baby bottles (on the condition that the mother sampled the milk in
front of security). They were pretty strict about throwing out items
that didn't pass muster, so I really did have to get all my luggage
into those two suitcases. Eventually (and miraculously) I crammed it
all in save my bulkiest sweater, a scarf, the camel stuffed animal
(which I left in the lobby in the hope that some small child might
find it,) a small purse, papers, passport, and Bible. I then (it was
about 11:45) joined the line for Aeroflot. I became chatty with the
Russian woman ahead of me and we discussed the possibility that they
would let reading matter (my Bible and her book) through. At the desk
she asked and the answer was a strong "no". That left me with three
seconds to stuff the Bible into the suitcase, pulling out another
sweater in exchange. The luggage was not surprisingly overweight.
(The Ludingtons tell me that I should have made them give me the
American standard weights, but of course I didn't know that.) So,
minus nearly all my worldly goods and down about 150 pounds, I left
check in for departures. On the way there I had the interesting
challenge of trying to look natural in two sweaters, a coat and
scarf. I was mortally afraid that they would confiscate the sweaters
and my travel papers, as I wasn't sure how strict they would be about
what counted as travel. However I got through fairly well and only
lost two chapsticks, two pencils, my hand lotion, and my unfinished
banana chips. This, as I said, is not bad, though I miss the
chapsticks in this weather.

Well, on to the Aeroflot plane. I don't think I can do justice to the
plane. Imagine a plane straight from the Soviet days with blue and
orange seats, a very high ceiling, rusted seat belts, and an
altogether flimsy feel. The instructions were given in Russian with
occasional English translation. We took off with a rattle and a roar.
The gravitational pull fluctuated wildly and I noticed that all the
seats were provided with small orange bags. At this point I decided
that if it was possible to sleep while essentially bouncing on a
trampoline, it would be wisest to follow Mom's philosophy. I was
again fortunate in seating again and though I didn't have a window, I
was in an empty row. I slept soundly for most of the flight and awoke
only in time to hear the very fast and not always grammatical
English instructions for how to transfer in Moscow. Aeroflot landings
(the successful ones) are traditionally followed by a round of
applause. I joined in heartily and then followed my fellow passengers
to the bus and to the terminal.

There was a space of only two hours before my flight to Tashkent
left, so I had no time to waste. It is a credit to those hours of
Usbourne puzzle books that I found my way to the flight and on time.
I boarded with a feeling of great accomplishment and in my pride sat
down in seat 8D instead of 8C (I failed to notice that they
alphabetized the seats in the opposite direction from the previous
flight. This too, however, proved to be lucky, for I sat next to a
Russian Uzbek mother and son. The son (about 12 but looking younger
and very much like that boy in Decameron) wanted to practice his
school English. So for most of the flight we talked and played cards
and generally made merry. His name is Oleg and he loves soccer and
computers.

We landed in Tashkent and they helped me find the correct lines and
fill out the customs paperwork. Then I waited for my luggage, and
waited, and waited. It didn't come, so they helped me question some
people about it and then pointed me towards lost and found. On my way
there I met up with the Glen-Eden people who helped translate with
the lost luggage people. Then, about three hours since landing, we
left for the hotel.

The hotel was really beautiful. They build things with lots of
decoration in Tashkent, so the buildings are really interesting to
look at. Unfortunately they are kind of like Mexico in that people
build a bit sloppily and so it doesn't take long until the buildings
look run down. However, Glen-Eden was very well maintained and
relaxing. I took a shower and lay down and watched Russian television
and ate a pancake breakfast. Then the Ludingtons picked me up and I
think I will have to continue the Ludington side of the story later,
because my suitcase may have arrived at the airport and I need to go
in person to pick it up.

I don't really have anything to say today, but since I am trying to get into the habit of posting every day I'll write anyway.

This is a poem I wrote when I was younger:

Leaf and thistle, flow'r and thorn--
In the land where I was born
There is a pool by which I slept,
And near, a tree 'neath which I wept.

Here is another youthful effort, and this time a joint work.

I cannot wait to
Go cooking with you.
Yum, yum we will make
A great tasting cake.

Yum, yum, tiddlely tum,
I cannot wait to eat it.

The picture portays the authors immediately before a penguin-finding expedition.

Cody helps me pack. I leave in four days, so today we had a trial packing to make sure everything fits.

So far it does. I'll be okay, provided I don't add anything else.