Bill's Blog

Dr. Robert Greenberg, the Music Historian-In-Residence with San Francisco Performances in his “How to Listen to and Understand Great Music” course, said that going to a classical music concert was like time travel. The concert hall is like a reanimation machine that brings back from the distance past, pieces of music that were written and performed a long time ago. I was thinking about that when my daughter Ocean and I attended Prokofiev’s ballet, Romeo and Juliet, on Sunday night at the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre named after Alisher Navoi.

Sergei Prokofiev was a child musical prodigy born in a small Ukrainian village in 1891. Thankfully for music and dance lovers, his family was wealthy, and his mother was a great pianist herself who encouraged Sergei’s talent. He composed his first full opera at age nine and entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory at age 13! Prokofiev was unlucky to be in the prime of his music career as Czarist Russia was ending the USSR was beginning. It was a tumultuous time in Russia, and for much of his life, he lived in exile with his Spanish wife in France. The Soviet government tightly censored the arts. Prokofiev was way ahead of his time, a musical genius, and many people of his time didn’t get his music. He was finally lured back to the Soviet Union in 1935 part by the lies of government officials and the urge to go back to his homeland, the Russian language. Stalin’s government demanded the arts celebrate the glories of the socialist system, be simple, and politically correct. Watching Trump’s Super Bowl halftime show reminded me of this! Kid Rock, Country Music, patriotism, the USA!, traditional family values, etc., can be compared to autocratic Russian and German regimes of the 20th Century. Stalin eventually denounced Prokofiev. His music was too complex, modern, and “Western” for Soviet officials. He, along with some other great musicians, composers, and artists were “purged” by Stalin and his works were banned in 1948. Prokofiev retired to a dacha outside of Moscow in his later years and died from a series of strokes on coincidentily, the same day Stalin died, March 5, 1953.

Ocean and I were swept away with the beauty and power of the concert. He composed the ballet like a director of a film score, and the music is some of the most complex ever written for dance. This was my first time in a long time watching ballet. I was impressed with the athleticism, flexibility, and grace of the dancers who moved on stage. The story was easy to follow with the music, the movements, gestures, and facial expressions of the performers; no language was needed to understand what was happening. It was like an opera without words. We were in the second row near the orchestra pit. Thank you again Russia, ironically, for supporting the infrastructure of the arts. Most former Soviet Republics have a beautiful concert venue and low costs for citizens to attend the fine arts. We paid $36 for two tickets next to the stage, including free parking 25 meters from the door!

I would like to thank the actor Timothy Chalemet and TikTok. Chalemet made a comment about the waning popularity of opera, ballet, and classical music that spurred my teenage daughter to want to attend the ballet. The “Dance of the Knights” piece in the first act is also often used on social media videos. I need to ask my daughter again what the significance of that is. I had just as much pleasure watching Ocean watch ballet as watching the performance myself.

Prokofiev’s greatness and contributions to humanity outlasted Stalin, the monster.

I continue to savor the sights of the city of Tashkent. On my Saturday morning run with Obi near the Russian Orthodox Diocese (territorial jurisdiction) Headquarters in Tashkent. In Orthodox Christianity, a synod, a formal council of clergy (a new word for me), runs the various dioceses. The Patriarch reorganized the Orthodox Churches in 2011 for all of the Central Asian former Soviet Republics to be one diocese. The building used to be the residence of the ruling bishops of the Tashkent Diocese back when there were many more ethnic Russians here. I read it also used to be a hospital and I saw a group of nurses cleaning the pathways around the property while I was running by so there probably is a Russian hospital on the property. Byzantine Orthodox mosaics are beautiful, and the onion domes are distinctive. I am heartened by the Orthodox Christian Church to still be present in the ever-increasing Muslim majority post-independence Uzbekistan. As an American, I value religious freedom and a secular government.

The city improved the pathways along a canal that runs between the Ring Road and the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, also in the area. I noticed city officials are creating nicer walking paths along the various canals that run through the city. The next step would be to try to connect the pathways to create longer routes and loops. They could also publish route maps and promote Tashkent as a city great for walking. I also took a cool photo of four classic early 1980s Soviet apartment complexes. The four 19-story apartment blocks form a half circle around Hamid Olimjon (Uzbek poet) Square, named after the train station underneath. Some people think they are an eyesore, but I like them.

Hopefully, we had our last snowfall of the winter this week. A cold front came into the city and temperatures have been freezing for much of the week. March is the wettest month of the year. We have had rain or snow almost every day in the first half of the month. I sound like an old person, headlining my blog post with the weather! As this might be my last cold winter for awhile, I am taking a positive approach to it, trying to enjoy it! I’ll even miss the cold mornings greeting community members as they come into the school.

It is always nice to randomly bump into my daughter at school. I love walking with her into homeroom. I wish I would have recorded some ordinary conversations I had with my parents as a young person. It is a delightful way to start my work day.

International Women’s Day in the republics of the former Soviet Union and Russia is a big deal! I think it started to celebrate and encourage women to work in industrial factories with the socialist government programs and ideals. Today it has morphed into a cross between Valentine’s and Mother’s Day. Uzbeks love this day and women enjoy receiving flowers, chocolates, cards, and being taken out to dinner. There are also women’s gatherings all through the city. We went out last night for a drinks and a light supper at Lambic Restaurant here in Tashkent. Of course there was the complimentary champagne for the ladies, so we needed to take a photo. We had a ton of laughs, conversation, and people watching at the restaurant. Lambic is an excellent restaurant specializing in Belgian cuisine and Belgian beers. Nadia and I reflected on the secular lifestyle of Tashkenters. It was nice to see groups of women enjoying a night out with their girlfriends.

My friend Aaron and I hiked through the Aksakatasay River Canyon in the morning. We switched between climbing the ridge and snaking our way up the narrow canyon along the river. It was absolutely gorgeous and a fantastic way to spend a Sunday. One of the most memorable moments of the hike was being stalked by a cow! We think it was triggered by my dog Obi’s bright red harness. The cow menacingly followed us closely and was sneering and mooing. I picked up Obi and picked up a large rock, and was ready to become a bullfighter and go for the cow’s eyes. We didn’t want to be gored by a cow in the Tien Shan Mountains of Uzbekistan. My phone died, but we estimated around 12 kilometers, and we topped out at 1,450 meters. Besides a rider on horseback and a shepherd tending to his flock, we were the only people on the mountain. Our dogs love exploring the mountains and we will both miss the beauty of the Tien Shan next year. I am making it a point to get out more this spring.

It was a beautifully cool evening last night, and we had our first family dinner outdoors! Despite freezing temperatures predicted for next week, spring is on its way!

Nadia and I spent the day together, mostly shopping and packing or organizing our household items for shipping or sale. We are moving to Cairo in August and will be making a transition visit this spring. We are deciding what to ship to our permanent home in the USA, what to pack as excess baggage to Egypt, and what to sell. We are also downsizing while becoming empty nesters in the next few months. I find the fewer things in my life, the better I can enjoy experiences and my relationships.

We are keeping our Soviet and Bohemian vintage crystal glassware that Nadia bought in the famous Yangiabod flea market here in Tashkent. They are distinct and make great conversation pieces for dinner parties when I am making drinks for guests in USSR glassware. Most of the glassware comes from the Gus-Khrustalny Glass Factory located 200 kilometers due east of Moscow in the thick forests of the Vladimir Oblast. The socialist economic system meant that profit was not the prime motivating factor, so the glass produced has exquisite details and craftsmanship. I was thinking about the origin of the term “crystal glass”. High-end glass is produced using lead oxide, which refracts light brightly and, when flicked with a finger, gives that distinctive tone. The lead is not dangerous unless you store liquids in the glass for long periods. Some of it also came from Bohemia, the western region of the Czech Republic.

I walk Obi every day in the neighborhood and last night he ran into one of our neighbor’s dog (above). The black Setter/Spaniel mix dog is always by himself. The owner opens the dog gate and he usually trots by our house as he has several routes in the neighborhood. He never barks and usually ignores or hides from Obi. They actually spent some time sniffing each other last night. I hope Obi can develop a friendship with the dog. I love walking Obi as it gives me a chance to explore new neighborhoods and get me outside. I snapped this sunset photo of Mazza Chicken (below). We never eat there but it is popular in our mahalla.

I took this photo of Nadia this week as she was walking from our house to the car. After all these years together, I still find her glamorous and beautiful! I am so fortunate to have such a supportive, fun, and gorgeous life partner.

The past couple of days, the street in front of our house was filled with people waiting for entry to a government building that is near our home. I am not sure what the building is and why they were there, but they waited most of the day. One of the neighbors even erected a makeshift food stand to feed them while they were waiting. I came home early one day this week and found 4 guys squatting under our roof in front of our driveway to get out of the rain. It is always like a video game driving out of a mahalla, dodging pedestrians, cars, bikes, dogs, etc. through the narrow streets. It was even more complicated with all the parked cars and people this week.

Owen and Oliver actually sent some photos of their lives this week! Owen has a great group of friends in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica. Oliver also has his group of friends at St. Norbert College in Wisconsin. He sent the photo below to show a “warm” day on campus in late February.

It was a peaceful weekend in Tashkent. My highlight was taking Nadia and Ocean on a bicycle ride to the recently opened Olympic Park. I love cycling and love my two girls, so it was a delightful afternoon for us. Both have the potential to be strong riders, and I actually got a good workout in, chasing after Ocean on the way back to the car. Officials have not granted permission to use automobiles on the access roads along the highway, so this is a boon for cyclists. All of the venues were open. I would love to get on the velodrome before I leave Tashkent. We had a great dinner at home on Sunday night. Lots of laughs and great food.

On Saturday, I went for a run with Obi near Milly Bog (National Park) and the Seoul MUN development.

I am sharing a couple of photos our kids sent us recently.

Ocean is in the final stretch of her senior year, and she looked so cute studying mathematics, I had to take a photo. Alexi tutored Oliver to get a 5 in his mathematics exam, and hopefully, we will get similar results for Ocean. Ocean invited her friend Hadicha this evening. Ocean recently completed her “mock” exams and is now preparing for the final exams in May. Her last day of regular classes will be April 15. The countdown to graduation is on…

I toured around the Olympic Village on my bike ride on Sunday. It is finally open to the public. I also rode by the new private airport, although it is not in use yet. The New Uzbekistan development project east of the city is on a grand scale.

Ramadan started this week (dawn February 18) and will run until sunset on March 19th. Ramadan is known as Ramazon in Uzbek and came to the region with the Arab conquests of the 7th and 8th centuries. I conducted research on the background of Ramadan, as I was curious about its origins and the role it plays in the lives of Muslims. Ramadan dates back to 610CE when the Angel Gabriel revealed the first revelation to the Prophet Muhammad. This occurred in the ninth month of the Lunar calendar. In 624CE Muhammad and his followers made fasting during this month one of the Five Pillars of Islam around the time they migrated to Medina. Ramadan today is a time for Muslims to draw closer to God through prayer, gratitude, and communal solidarity.

I took a photo of the table above at the Korzinka Supermarket. Ramazan muborak means “blessed Ramadan” in Uzbek and it is accompanied by the Uzbek phrase Og’iz ochish vaqti that awkwardly translates to “mouth opening time” in English. Yesterday Muslims broke the fast at 18:08 as noted on the table as well. Religious observations were banned during the Soviet Era (1924-1991) and Uzbeks are slowly regaining religiousosity. I would estimate probably around half of the eligible population is fasting and it might be a bit less in my circle of cosmopolitan Uzbeks.

It was a cold but sunny day yesterday with temperatures getting closer to monthly averages. Evenings and mornings can dip to 4C (39F) and highs in the sunshine in late afternoon rise to 16C (61F). Nadia joined me for a bicycle ride along the canals. The swimming pool at her gym is closed this month for repairs.

February is usually the most dreary month of the year. The holidays have passed, the grey skies, cold temperatures, and snow/rain mix make for weeks you just want to get through until spring arrives. February 2026 in Tashkent has been unusually war,m with the average high temperatures historically (8C-46F) being the low temperatures, and the thermometer reaching into the high 60s and low 70s this week. Yesterday afternoon, it reached 72F(23C), and students were wearing shorts and t-shirts. Nadia and I took advantage of the warm temperatures and went for a walk downtown. We are getting used to soon becoming empty nesters and the next phase of our lives. I love the beautiful architecture of the city and the beauty of Nadia. The neighborhood around the Opera Theatre is my favorite place in Tashkent.

With the warmer weather, I am getting out more and exercising and improving my fitness. During the Lunar New Year Break, I ran or cycled every day. The government built a huge sports complex in anticipation of the Asian Games. Uzbekistan didn’t host the games as scheduled in September of 2025, but it did get a huge, open area for recreation. The facilities and grounds are not open to the public yet, but there are traffic-free access roads all around the area that make for a perfect bicycle ride. I hope they maintain clear paths for bicycles and running when it finally opens.