Friday afternoon I went straight from the school to the airport to catch my 8:00 PM flight from Izmir, Turkey. I connected through Istanbul to Tashkent and had a 4-hour layover there. Tashkent always has arriving and departing flights in the middle of the night. They do not have any zoning laws here from the neighborhood, and being so far away from other major hubs, I speculate that it allows more airlines to use Tashkent as a destination. I still enjoy flying because it gives me quiet time to read, write, and think. After a beautiful sunny day in Izmir, there was a cold, pouring rain as we went from the plane to the bus to the terminal I had a nice burger at the Turkish celebrity chef Salt Bae’s restaurant. He was an internet meme in 2017 for his flare in flavoring meat on the grill. The internet creates these global “celebrities” for such simple actions. We live in strange times… I arrived the next morning in Tashkent and the flights were generally smooth and comfortable. I was annoyed at how Uzbeks don’t know how to respect rules when it comes to waiting in lines to board the flight and crowding the baggage claim conveyor belt so everyone struggles to retrieve their luggage. It is kind of endearing, this unruly but friendly mob that frustrates Turkish Airlines personnel.
My dog Obi really missed me and I took him out for a long walk along the canal while waiting for Nadia to finish swimming. There are still leaves on the trees and in the sunshine, it was a refreshing time. Obi was off leash and he is such a well-behaved little guy. I took a long afternoon nap to shake off the flights and prepare to go out.
Nadia and I went to the Marine Ball at the InterContinental Hotel. The marine contingent that protects the US Embassy here in Tashkent celebrated 249 years since the founding of the Corps. Nadia looked gorgeous and it was nice to support the US military, especially with our son Oliver taking military science this year at his university.
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