Author: billkralovec

We made it to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is my childhood home and I love coming back and visiting! Waves of nostalgia roll over me as I remember past friends, my parents, and my youth. The beauty and solitude of the Upper Great Lakes forests, rivers, and lakes reenergize my spirit. The UP skies gave us a spectacular sunset upon arriving at the KI Sawyer International Airport (formerly a US Air Force Base). The fresh air and cool temperatures (15 C) were an antidote to the hot, dusty climate of Tashkent.

I was pleasantly surprised that my travel plans worked out. Nadia and I needed to go to Philadelphia during our layover in Chicago. I managed to get flights leaving Wednesday evening after we arrived at O’Hare and return the next day before our evening flight up to Marquette. So after a 5-hour and 11-hour flight from Tashkent to Chicago, connecting in Istanbul, Nadia and I took the 2-hour flight to Philadelphia. It was delayed by an hour which was OK because we only needed to get there in the evening. We were the first customers at the bank on Thursday morning. We needed to be present at a branch of our bank to make a transfer of funds. Immediately afterward we Ubered back to the airport and caught an 11:48 AM flight to Charlotte, North Carolina (90 minutes). Charlotte’s airport showed the vibrancy of the economy there, a real energetic feeling. I hear a lot of good things about North Carolina. The connecting flight was on time and we felt relief meeting Oliver and Ocean in the terminal.

My brother and his wife hosted the kids. Oliver and Ocean had a great time in Chicago, the highlight being a 3-hour visit to a vintage arcade place. I am glad they were able to order an iconic Chicago “Deep-dish Pizza”. I always laugh thinking about Jon Stewart’s bit on the deepdish! We arrived exhausted Thursday night in Marquette and stayed the night at my son’s college rental. We are renting our home in Marquette but thankfully, Owen is still a student at Northern Michigan University. His roommates are mostly gone for the summer so it worked out.

We love Marquette and walked to a delicious and cut cafe, Third Street Bagel. Marquette is home to Northern Michigan University and has a great regional hospital. With a population of over 20,000, it is an island of sophistication in the rural, north of the UP. The bagels were perfect and a great way to start our day.

I am writing this while on the floor at the gate for our flight to Philadelphia on Juneteenth. We flew from Tashkent to Chicago via Istanbul today. The 5-hour flight to Istanbul was great because there were lots of open seats and Oliver and Nadia both had a row of 4 seats. They were able to sleep the entire time. We were not so lucky on the Istanbul to O’Hare flight as it was full. It was a grueling 11 hours. Nadia and I shared a row of three with a little girl which made the flight tolerable. Oliver and Ocean both had middle-row seats. I booked aisles for them but there were software problems at the Tashkent Airport, thus having us spread out on the plane. 

Ocean and Oliver are staying with their Uncle Andy and Aunt Chantel tonight here in Chicago. Nadia and I are flying to Philadelphia to make a bank transfer. We use TD Bank and they are only on the east coast. We are buying a vacation home in Saimpata, Bolivia. Due to splitting the cost with Nadia’s sister, we are paying in cash and owning it. It is on Air BNB, so we hope to recoup some of the costs or at least make enough to renovate it. I’ll post more about it later once the deal is through. 

After traveling through Istanbul and Abu Dhabi, I forgot how nicer many international airports are compared to the USA. I was reminded we are back in the USA with this sign at the American Airlines security check-in desk. What other countries do you need to remind people that they can’t fly without their personal firearms? After a flight delay of an hour, we made it to Philadelphia!

I took advantage of the Eid Al Adha holiday and rode my bike in the center of Tashkent on Sunday. Traffic was extremely light and it reminded me of during the COVID pandemic when I could ride without cars every morning in early 202o. I often ride along the Ankhor Canal but because of clear roads, I photographed the canal from the bridge instead of from alongside the canal. I often walk Obi or ride my bike along the canal while waiting for Nadia to complete her 2-kilometer swim. Ocean and her have been swimming quite a bit and I am happy that she is exercising again. She has been battling lower back pain and swimming relieves this.

June is a time of farewells as many expatriates move posts during the summer. Last night we had a final dinner at Tom Yum Restaurant. Our friend Zehavit is leaving in a few weeks and we wanted to say goodbye. On Sunday night we attended a BBQ and said goodbye to Heather & Matt and Anna & Samir. Such is the life of global nomads. The good thing is we are all in this together and learn to make new friends quickly and reignite friendships from the past when we see each other.

Early Monday morning I got out of Tashkent for a hike in the foothills of the Tien Shan Range. The landscape at this time of year reminds me of the parks in southern California. It is a couple of weeks away from being completely brown as the summer sun in Central Asia is relentless. I hadn’t gotten out in a few weeks and it was nice to recharge my batteries in nature. I always feel better after a walk in wilderness. The area is just off the highway on the ridge overlooking the town of Gazelkent. I think it is privately owned and there is a decent access road. The rolling hills with many Hawthorn trees make for a pleasant day.

The city is developing at breakneck speed after 25 years of a repressive government under the first Uzbek President, Islam Karimov. Friday night we wanted to leave the house because my son Oliver was hosting a party of his friends. I wanted to check out FoodMall Tashkent and it was really good. It is modeled after those food courts you find in shopping malls and other areas that recreate an Asian night food market. Ocean tried Pho Boss (Vietnamese) and I tried the Thai stand. Both dishes were delicious. It is near Westminster University and there were a lot of upper class, hip university-age people there. I thought the music was a bit too loud, but other than that, it was a good experience.

I love the sound of kids at our house and it was with pleasure that we prepared a pancake breakfast for Oliver and his friends who slept over on Friday night. International school students are so nice that they tidied the pool area and kitchen after the party. Oliver is with two of his best friends, Anton and Tristan. Nadia and I savored the opportunity to talk with them.

I love the photo Owen sent above of Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Owen is an intern for our District 1 Michigan Representative Jack Bergman this summer at the Capital. He is having a life-changing experience there and it is good to see him stretch himself and grow. He has gained a special insight into how the US government works and we are proud of him. I can’t wait to see him next month when we visit.

Last night I combined a cycle ride along the Ankhor Canal and playing paddleball with friends. UzPadel has 3 really nice courts right under the Tashkent TV Tower and I play occasionally with Dmitry, Walid, and Chahin. One of the benefits of being an expatriate is interacting with people from all over the world. Last night’s foursome we had an Uzbek, French, Russian, and American on the court. I like the camaraderie of sport and although paddleball is not as good as tennis, it is a better workout than pickleball. The canal ride home was beautiful at sunset. A new hotel, the Crowne Plaza is now open, and the front lobby opens up directly on the 5-kilometer walking/cycling path on the Ankhor Canal. It would be a nice place to stay if you like to exercise.

I end this post with a video I shot while riding next to the Minor Mosque. From Saturday to Tuesday in Uzbekistan, they are celebrating Eid ul Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) which commemorates Abraham’s love for Allah demonstrated by his willingness to sacrifice his son. Abraham figures in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism and can be used to connect these three major world religions. The story is found in both the Book of Genesis (first of five books of the Torah) and in the 37th surah (chapter) of the Quran. Police were setting up metal detectors and controlling parking and traffic in front of the mosque in advance of services to start the holiday. Both Monday and Tuesday are national holidays here.

A Kralovec child finally makes the Honor Roll! Ocean’s academic average of 6.125 qualified her for the Principal’s Honor Roll. She had her last day of Grade 10 yesterday. We were proud of the hard work she put in to reach this level. Owen also made the Dean’s List at Northern Michigan University last semester, so things are looking up on the academic front for the Kralovec children.

Last night I took a tour of a new warehouse in Tashkent. My friend Phillip hosted an American Chamber of Commerce Business Mixer which included the tour. Balton Trading is a distributor of groceries, supplying over 20,000 stores in Uzbekistan. The state-of-art warehouse uses solar power and has many high tech features. My big takeaway from the experience was I never think about the logistics of putting something into my grocery cart. The amount of work that goes into the convenience of finding a product at a grocery store is a lot! It reminded me of shopping at Costco as the place was massive. It was cool that the company supplies not only the big supermarket chains (Korzinka, Makro) but also the smaller mahalla stores. Thanks Philip for an enjoyable evening.

Uzbek culture is a nocturnal one, especially during the summer months. I took the photo above in our local supermarket “Korzinka” (basket or trolley in Uzbek) at 10:15 PM on a Tuesday evening. The store was full! If this was America, there would be much less shoppers in the grocery store at this time, with peak times most likely immediately after work on weekdays (4:00 – 7:00 PM) and on weekends from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Not so here in Uzbekistan. I especially notice early mornings, most people are still in bed. I think in part it is the culture, Ramadan is another time that encourages people to sleep in, and in the summer, the hot weather.

Ocean and Nadia are swimming at BeFit Athletic Club here in Tashkent. They have a 50-meter, outdoor, heated pool and they go several times a week. It warms my heart to see them doing something together and of course, exercising. Both of them are looking in better shape.

I had to laugh seeing guys in their underwear while driving in Tashkent. They were jumping from the road bridge into the canal. Swimming in the canals is a Tashkent tradition during the summer. They eschew swim trunks, probably for financial reasons. The current is quite strong and the water cold, but it must feel refreshing as I often see mostly older Russian men and women and then Uzbek guys, cooling off. I don’t know the water quality and there must be drownings because of the swift currents. One of the signs of summer…

Oliver and I attended the Uzbekistan versus Turkmenistan Asian Football Confederation (AFC) World Cup Qualifier Match last night at Bunyodkor National Stadium in Tashkent. Uzbekistan was the clearly better team and dominated for a 3-1 victory. The stadium was almost full and the highlight for me was to spend time with my son and his friend Tristan. Oliver loves soccer and I was pleased to help us go to the game. It was a bit of a hassle to find parking, enter the stadium and find our seats, but overall, it was an entertaining experience.

There are 46 teams in the AFC and they are playing for 8 guaranteed spots (a ninth spot may be granted if an AFC wins a playoff against the South American representative) in the 2026 World Cup that will be hosted by Mexico, USA, and Canada. They are almost at the end of the Second Round and Uzbekistan and Iran will advance to the Third Round in this group. Uzbekistan will be one of 18 teams in the third round, vying for the 8 spaces. The top teams in the region in the third round will be Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Iran.

I predict Uzbekistan will make it for the first time in their history! I noticed two good players on the team. #11 Oston Urunov, a 23-year old attacking midfielder who plays in the Iranian league. The captain, Eldor Shomurorov, a tall (6 foot 3 inches) striker that plays for Cagliari in the Italian Serie A club, is also a great passer and goal scorer. The third round starts in September 2024 and finishes in June of 2025 and so hopefully I can go to another match next school year.

I was tickled to see Ocean building a pergola in her design class at school earlier this week. She loves working with her hands and is quite good at woodworking and contract work. Her Uncle Andy would be proud! The class designed and is building an outdoor relaxation area for the school which includes two topchans, an outdoor pizza oven, and a pergola sitting area.

I took this photo on the way to school earlier this week. The intersection is between my house and the school. This is not the first time the traffic light in this intersection has been knocked over due to a traffic accident. Traffic accidents and pedestrians being struck by cars are probably the most dangerous aspects of living in Tashkent. Driving culture is new here. During the Soviet Union and the first 20 years of independence, most people did not have cars. Today, the number of car owners is growing rapidly. This is leading to increased traffic congestion and more accidents and fatalities. Anecdotally, I see at least one “fender bender” on a daily basis. Last night, a Chevrolet Spark ran into a tree in the infamous “Death Star” roundabout.

I can’t figure out why many Uzbeks drive so fast? Outside of the car, the culture is gentle, slow, and welcoming. Once many get behind the wheel, they become aggressive, so much so that sometimes I see cars weaving through traffic like in a chase scene. Friends explained to me that a bit of it is masculine pride, and driving fast is a sign of manliness. There is also not much driver training and for many families, it is the first time they experienced car ownership. It will take a while for drivers to realize that disobeying traffic rules and driving above the speed limit results in accidents.b City officials are trying to rectify the problem through increased cameras and enforcement of regulations. They are also lowering speed limits, widening roads, adding lines and crosswalks, etc. It is helping, but slowly.

Last night we attended a reception hosted by the Israeli Embassy to celebrate the 76 years of the country’s founding in 1948. The current Israeli Ambassador always puts a creative twist on diplomatic events, which I appreciate because I go to a lot of them. Last night she invited Israeli jazz musician Guy Mintus Trio to play a concert after the reception in Zarafshon Concert Hall. He was an incredible musician, quirky, charismatic, a real showman! He collaborated with an Uzbek saxophone player from the band Jazz-o-rama for a couple of songs. He was supposed to visit Uzbekistan in April of 2020 but due to COVID travel restrictions, he was not allowed to. He met virtually the saxophonist and they composed a song together. Last night was the first time they met and played live together. Guy is based much of the time in New York and his song set included takes on classics like Chopin and Beethoven, but also Israeli pop and folk songs and originals by him. He has a great voice and is an amazing pianist. It was a fully entertaining concert, with audience participation. Thanks to Zehavit for organizing the event and inviting Nadia and me.

Summer weather arrived in Tashkent with temperatures reaching into the 90s F (30C) later this week. We had a quiet weekend at home, resting after a very hectic past couple of weeks (and weekends). My highlight yesterday was picking up Oliver from the airport. He went on a senior trip to Barcelona with some of his friends. He liked the city and being in Europe which has a different feeling to Central Asia. Obi was so happy to see his big brother. I am always amazed that dogs can recognize “friends” and caregivers after an absence. I wonder what is going through their heads.

We are searching for apartments and houses here in Tashkent to downsize. With Owen already gone and Oliver leaving in a couple of weeks, it will only be Ocean, Nadia and me at home. We love our house but it is very big and we may get some cost savings with a smaller place. I like the location of our current home because it is so close to school and all of the time saved throughout the year with travel to and from school adds up. How much does one value that? Many people want a neighborhood closer to the center of the city because of nearby amenities, and I agree it is nice to be close to restaurants, parks, etc. Does it compensate for a longer commute? We checked out an apartment in one of the new Tashkent City Apartment Complexes, the Garden Residences. Only about 40% of them are occupied as many Tashkenters bought them as investments. They are new and the grounds are nice. The owner said it reminded her of Dubai, a place that Uzbeks absolutely love. It reminds me of how Latin Americans think of Miami. They are new and comfortable, but we will have to get rid of stuff that has accumulated over the past years with a family.

We finished the weekend with a walk along the canal with Obi. It is one of my favorite places in Tashkent. A five-kilometer walking and biking path along the canal is frequently used by people in the city. When you are feeling anxious or stressed, a good walk in nature is the best antidote.

I loved watching Nadia perform Aha’s “Take on Me” at our annual End-of-Year party. She has a good voice. Performing music for others is one of the most human activities we do. It brings people together!

I also put together a video of the track & field meet from two weeks ago. Oliver ran a winning opening leg of the 4×100 meter relay. Ocean won the long jump and 200 meter run. They are both excellent athletes.

One of my favorite aspects of the city of Tashkent is the legacy of Soviet architecture. UNESCO is considering granting “World Heritage” status to 16 Tashkent Modernist Architecture. I hope this gets approved and these projects will be protected. I understand that Uzbekistan was under Russian control for many years, but I think at this point, it is part of the history of the place and it enriches city experience for future generations of visitors and inhabitants.

Tashkent was the fourth most populous city in the USSR. The Russians invested a lot in the infrastructure as they viewed the city as a showcase of the “Soviet Orient”. The UNESCO bid for heritage status argues that the Soviets held many conferences and meetings in Tashkent and brought back the idea of “east meets west” from the heydays of the Silk Road. The 16 TMA (Tashkent Modernist Architecture) projects are outstanding examples of unique buildings the Soviets and Uzbeks designed and built from 1961 to 1990.

For my birthday last weekend, I went on a tour of the жемчуг “The Pearl” apartment building. UNESCO describes it as follows:

Zhemchug (design 1972–1984, construction 1975–1985) is a seventeen-story residential building designed by Ophelia Aydinova. In 1986 it was awarded the gold medal as the building of the year by the Union of Architects of the USSR. Zhemchug is a highly experimental building aspiring to create a vertical analogue to the single-story community housing of Central Asia’s historic cities, the mahallas. The apartments are grouped around three-story suspended courtyards where inhabitants could practice the collective way of living within extended family units. Zhemchug was also one of the first uses of fully monolithic concrete construction in Tashkent, with the sliding formwork liberating the architecture from the rigid constraints of prefabricated construction. The experimental construction and the ability to merge modernist architecture and quasi-anthropological interpretation of traditional mahallas make Zhemchug a unique example in the global scenario of modernist architecture.

A resident of the building gives tours. She welcomed us in front of the building and walked us through the building, including going up to the roof top. She didn’t say much and it was cool to explore on our own and experience the architecture. People live in the apartments and we saw several residents coming and going in the lobby and standing outside of their doors. The architect, Ophelia Aydinova’s big idea was to recreate the traditional mahalla inside a high-rise apartment block. She did this by designing five, three-floor plazas that encouraged residents to interact with each other. She also made the rooftop a public space with a pool and gardens. The building is in a great location in the central area of Tashkent surrounded by big urban parks. We were told the apartments are not spacious and the construction has not been adequately maintained since it completion almost 40 years ago. It would be fun to renovate an apartment and rent it out on Air BNB.

The best part of the tour was to be able to share the experience with my wife Nadia and friends. Nadia knows I love doing stuff like this and she made it happen! I am blessed to have such a supportive wife and fun friends. It was a great day!