July 18, 2019


For internet, they got a little portable router that only 6 devices can be on at a time, so we will go in shifts, but students can’t even connect with just one devices. Foiled again! In class today we asked our teacher to say whether this year’s group or last year’s group was better. He without hesitation told us last year’s group was better and explained one. The bluntness of Tajiks is one of the clear differences.
            Last night I spent a while playing Injustice on my host family’s Xbox with my host sister. She trounced me all but one time. I really should’ve been studying for the test tomorrow. My host brother also took my phone and used it accidently to call my RD while he was mashing buttons. That was awkward to explain of his cries and the screams of “[host’s brother’s name], Nakun!” (“don’t do it!”).
            Something vaguely interesting that happened today (the pace of life is very different here, so more things pass for interesting) is that I have gotten very used to being glad Akbar, which is the Tajik name one of my teachers gave me. They gave us all Tajik names that start with the same letter us as given American names. The other students in my group have taken to calling me Akbar as well, so now it is pretty much the only name I go by, even my host family calls me Akbar, except for my RD. A classmate called me Alan today and it made me noticed how used to the name Akbar I had become. It’ll be funny getting used to Alan again when I get home.
            It’s crazy to me how quickly this past week has gone by. We have only a bit more than two weeks left. Soon we’ll have been here a full month. There’s another test tomorrow, so I am going to go study now, while I wait for my turn to try (and probably fail) to access the wifi. Update: we have thirty minutes of internet.

Our Class Schedule
9:00-10:30: Our first class. One group will be with one teacher, and the other group will be with the other
10:30-11:00: Break! (Tanafoos!)
11:00-11:50: Our second class. The groups switch teachers and classroom, since the teachers stay in their rooms the whole time.
11:50-12:00: Mini break before lunch
12:00-1:00: Lunchtime
1:00-2:30: Third class. The groups go back to the teacher of their first class
2:30-3:00: Technically homework and study time, but it is seldom used for that since the teacher leaves at about 2:30.
3:00: Whatever our afternoon cultural activity usually starts here

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