Our Winter Break started on Saturday, December 20th. It snowed all day, starting about 11:00 A,M and as I write this the next morning, it is still snowing. I measured around 5 inches (12 centimeters) of snow in our garden this morning. We had a nice family day together. The highlight was attending a dinner at our friend Dilia’s home in honor of her grandson’s wedding next week. It was a classic Uzbek feast with a table spread with gold plates and chalices filled with more food than we could possibly eat. The courses included trout (форел), lamb (шащлик). They also served (холодец), a meat jelly that is popular in Russia and the countries of the former USSR. It is served as an appetizer, cold, and during holiday dinners. It is considered a comfort food. The meat is well-seasoned and delicious, but it takes a leap to get over the texture and the idea of a meat jelly. I ate mine and Oliver gave it a try, but it was a no-go for the girls. We had good conversations and a lot of laughs. The roads were slippery with lots of wet snow. I drove carefully through the conditions. Increased traffic in the city has lengthened driving times through the city. It took us more than 50 minutes to cross the city. It used to take about 25 minutes seven years ago.
I loved being out in the snow. I drove Nadia to her swimming session and beauty salon. I took Obi out for a couple of walks as well. After dinner, we tried to go to the Gravity Bar in the Sapiens Hotel, but they would not let us in without a member. We then went home and watched an episode of Homeland before going to bed. It takes me a while to get into a holiday sleep schedule. I usually go to bed around 9 or 10 PM and awake between 5 AM and 6 AM. It will take a while to get out of my routine.
Oliver and I had a laugh at the Vin Tash Liquor Store (Vino/Vodka as they are known here; “Party Store” in Michigan vernacular). The Kaleshnikov Vodka bottle is hilarious. We passed on the $200 price tag. Due to the Russian influence, vodka is the most popular spirit in Tashkent.
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