It is nice to be back in Tashkent after a restful summer holiday. I am getting used to the higher temperatures (high of 102 F today) and lower humidity (43%). Tashkent has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers.
City officials improved Furqat Park in our neighborhood. I went for a run yesterday morning and notice many people walking before it heats up. We also take the cross-country team there to train to break up the monotony of running at school. If you combine several laps of the park and school, you can get a decent 5-kilometer run. Furqat was an Uzbek author, poet and activist. He was against religion and Asceticism and supported human dignity. He lived in Tashkent for a short time (1889-1893) and traveled extensively. The Russian Tsarist regime eventually forced him into exile in western China due to his criticism of their rule. There is a statue of him in the Milly Bog (National Park) in Tashkent.
It is so nice to have my dog back in my life. Our precious Obi was happy to see us after our long summer holiday. I’ve been taking him for some long walks in the evening and noticed he is a bit out of shape. He also does not do well with the heat so I am being careful with him. Last night we walked around Milly Bog. The cityscape is changing in Tashkent and the large skyscrapers in the Tashkent City project are nearing completion. You can see three of them in the background of Bunyodkor Square.
I have not been seeing much of my family. They are suffering from jet lag. I am doing pretty well to maintain my day/night balance and it helped being in the office at school Friday and Saturday. I am already in full work mode, collecting new teachers from the airport, arranging my new office and taking care of the multitude of tasks that need to be done to start the school year again.
Bill's Blog 