One of my favorite foods of Uzbekistan is the somsa which is a savory, baked pastry. Traditionally the Uzbeks fill them with beef, chicken, pumpkin, spinach or cheese. On the left is a pumpkin somsa and on the right is a different kind of pastry filled with beef. On Tuesday I was waiting at a government office with the International Relations Officer to get a tax document for the school. I caught the aroma coming from the Doppi Cafe located on the premises of the office (good idea) and headed over there for a delicious mid-morning breakfast. The sauce was a spicy tomato sauce and it hit the spot.
Yesterday was Uzbekistan Independence Day and we are on a 5-day vacation. I organized a cross country running team training session at Ecopark. I ran 5 laps at an average pace of 5:59 / kilometer. The last lap was the fastest at 5:43 and the slowest was the penultimate lap at 6:12. I am trying to get to a 5:40 pace for a 10 kilometer run. Tashkent’s California-style weather is ideal in September and we had a nice cup of coffee afterwards at a cafe located in the park. City officials promote environmental awareness, hence the name of the park and thanks to funding by the Mitsubishi corporation, they were able to develop a nice green space in the city.
Nadia and I did a few shopping errands and house cleaning (holiday – no domestic help!) and I did a bit of school work. In the evening, we hosted friends Neta and Dafna for dinner and pool time for the kids. They have four young children, including the new born above. It was nice to have kids again running through the house and Obi was so excited. Babies are so precious and we all enjoyed holding the little guy. Nadia and I are in a different stage of parenthood with our oldest at university and the other two in middle school and high school. I feel we are always trying to find creative ways for them to spend time with us. In the old days, we were the center of their world. It is natural for them to pull away from parents in adolescence and I am OK with it. I do wish however, that it would be easier for us to get them to do stuff with mom and dad!
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