It was a quiet day of rest and recharging after an emotionally and physically draining CABC tournament. There was wet snow most of the morning so I stayed in and caught up with my yoga. Nadia and I supported Oliver who is getting ready for his practice IB exams this week. I did errands around the house like putting windshield wiper fluid in the car, tidying the kitchen and living room, doing dishes, etc. Ocean stayed in her room most of the day, working on getting her personal project journal completed. Oliver, Nadia, and I watched the first half of Oliver’s favorite team, Manchester United against Manchester City. Man U scored the first goal but ended up losing the game, 3-1.
The big event was Nadia and I visiting the new Tashkent City Mall that opened last week. This is the first major mall in Tashkent. It has an IMAX theatre with movies in English, international brand stores like Zara, Pull & Bear, etc., a food court that will feature the first Pizza Hut in Uzbekistan. The mall was filled with people like us, just walking around and checking out the scene. It reminded me of when the first international standard ski resort opened a couple of years ago here (Amirsoy), and Uzbeks were proud that they were joining the international community after a repressive dictatorship under the first president Islam Karimov. It helps our family to buy clothes. We don’t have to wait until the holidays and can get the fashion Nadia, Ocean, and Oliver want here.
It is a very young population here and this is an example of rapid growth. The mall is part of the Tashkent City development that includes two international hotel chains, restaurants, apartments, office buildings, and a Dubai-like park. The city is changing rapidly and becoming more like other cities with modern amenities like large shopping malls, cinemas, restaurants, credit cards, etc. We have seen all this happen within the 4 an 1/2 years since we came to Tashkent.
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