Day Two of Blogging in Tajikistan

So, a few days ago, I went to a bridal shower. That was pretty interesting. There was a bride, of course, and lots of women. Most of the guests didn't seem too interested. But the most shocking part was to actually see the look on the bride-to-be's face. For several minutes, I kept thinking, wow, she must be really unhappy about the groom and really upset to be getting married at the ripe age of (21??). But actually, I then remembered someone having told me awhile back that the bride is actually forbidden from smiling. I questioned my family here about this and they expressed their dismay that I should have already understood how serious marriage is, and that if a bride smiles (even among women) she's giving a bad sign and being disrespectful. Of course, I hadn't realized how bad (from my cultural upbringings) it would be to have this gloomy look, until I actually saw a bride, in a typical bride's dress, but with a pout.
I've learned two things about Islam - Tajik style since I got here --- actually many things, but let's see what I remember....
1) Muslims speak little, sleep little and eat little. (this is apparently a saying)
2)Muslims pack up their entire bed every morning and hide it somewhere.
3) Muslims (women, or men I guess) cannot shave their legs.
4) Muslims must wake up after the morning prayer and stay awake for the rest of the day (I guess that goes with sleeping little., cause the morning prayer is really really really early, or at least this meant waking up at 4 am when I stayed the night with the grandparents outside the main city).
--I know I'll think of other strange things my family has attributed to Islam. Yesterday, my French friend definitely reminded me correctly that because the Tajiks were so isolated during Soviet times from the Muslim world, when they were free again to practice their religion, they just assumed that whatever cultural practices they had were actually because of Islam. Naturally, that wasn't the case.
I know that I need to post some photos, and I will do my best to do this by Monday. I have some great photos with statues of Lenin, left over from the Soviet Union. My host mother asked me last week whether I liked Lenin, but I simply didn't know what the politically correct statement would be, so I said, "a little." ha ha. She probably thought I was insane.
Toda, on the other hand, I added a book bag and wore a little makeup and the entire city seemed to be staring as I got on the marshutka(mini-bus).
The marshutkas are amazing - basically tap taps like in Haiti, but they have kept some of the nice upholstered seats. In the space where none of the seats are, about 2 feet wide, about 8 people stand upright with their bodies smooshed into each other. Personal space is definitely less appreciated, but I suppose for less than 10 cents a ride, I shouldn't complain about standing up while the van drives 50 miles an hour and a person's head is smooshed into my back.
But I have to say that living here in temperatures above 100 degrees every day is really starting to take its toll. Yesterday, I met a fellow classmate I went to grad school with in Geneva,...she's been on and off in Tajikistan for 4 years. Apparently, one of the first times she came, she got typhoid. And she had even gotten the vaccine...I'm glad now I got the vaccination...although just the day before I left at the BU Health Center.
Until tomorrow...
Love,
Karin