Spring Has Come to Mary

Spring Has Come to Mary… and other adventures with a little help from my friends

Spring has come to Mary (which means that hot, hot summer is not far away). My backyard has transformed from a gray dirt pile to a multi-crop farm with blossoming trees and a wonderful series of canals. Few people know this, but I have always had an interest in canals. Wherever my love of water management comes from (perhaps the film noir classic Chinatown), organic waterworks are on fine display in my village now that spring has come. Somehow everyone knows when the waters will come. A few weeks ago my family began reconstructing and extending their existing trenches across the backyard. They even excavated and shaped a new bed for peppers. The next day all of the backyards around my house were lined with sparkling, flowing water. The sight of water is surprisingly refreshing around my usually parched village. People seem to have more energy now that planting season has come. And all of the canals are so well organized and designed. Size decreases almost uniformly as the water reaches the crops. Curves and under-bridge pipes are constructed sturdily with great care in order to hold and direct the great current. A great current it is too. The main canals that bring water into the village actually look like little rivers, not stagnant ponds.
The complexities of the water delivery system are interesting, of course, but the best part is that flowing water means flowing fresh fruit and vegetables. My family grows strawberries, peppers, apples, apricots and tons of pomegranates. I would estimate that we have around three-dozen nar (pomegranate) trees on our property, and some are already beginning to show blossoms. Don’t get me wrong: I really have enjoyed the canned fruits and vegetables that we have eaten all winter. The apricot campot (pulp-filled juice) has been the best. It tastes just like a Fruit Roll-up. In fact, I’m looking forward to learning the trade of canning this coming fall. However, nothing beats harvesting your own dinner. Most importantly to Turkmen culture, spring means that melon season is soon to begin. Melons are one of the national foods of Turkmenistan, and the country even has a national melon holiday. The melons are pretty wonderful. The quintessential Turkmen melon tastes similar to a cantaloupe with more juicy sweetness, and is white on the inside. I plan on eating them by the cartful this summer.
In other news, I returned last month from a stay in Ashgabat. I was attending a conference devoted to grant-writing and project development. All thirty-three (now thirty-two) volunteers attended, and it proved to be quite the reunion. It’s safe to say that we burned the candle at both ends, at conference all day and holding our own court all night. There was quite a bit to catch up on, and not all of it was positive. Several of my good friends here are having some difficulties involving their school, community, and/or other things. I was again reminded how charmed I have been in my service so far. One thing should help everyone out a little though: we all have cell phone numbers once again (after a three month hiatus). However, the local network we joined is overworked and overextended. It certainly isn’t ready to be the only mobile company in T-stan (as it has been since the last Russian company left in frustration). Still, even the possibility of a little more outside contact will likely help those of us who are more isolated.
More positively, bringing everyone together after three months at site proved constructive in working on challenges at site and developing new ideas for teaching. We were able to spend hours discussing lesson planning and curriculum development strategies. The circumstances vary widely between volunteers, from new sites with only beginners to developed sites with expert speakers and even some American culture. However, all of us had something helpful and something challenging to share. One of our goals for service will be to encourage and facilitate cooperation and collaboration between volunteers, an element that has at times seemingly fallen by the wayside. With a little help from my friends, I left the conference with a renewed confidence and energy to continue improving upon my teaching and curriculum development.
This place keeps me surprisingly busy, whether with my primary teaching duties or the more cultural aspects of my experience. I say this as an excuse for my (sometimes extreme) tardiness in replying to cards, letters, and packages from the States. Each piece that I receive reminds me how wonderful all of you are and how lucky I am to be included in your lives. I really do appreciate everything, and I promise that I will get back to you soon.