полубокс

So, D had great fun at my haircut. He says the style of it is called "polobox" which is Russian for half-boxer. It was in fashion a couple of years ago but now no one wears it but the French. He had even more fun to the fact that I asked not to get cut like the Tajiks, to which the hairdresser said "Ah, you want to get cut like the French, eh?" Little did I know that the French army guys in Dushanbe all go around with polobox. Oh well, I still like it..'tis the only haircut that really fits me. The other day, D and I went for a stroll and we happened to pass by the hairdresser's and when he saw me he waved madly. Funny guy, I'll pay him a visit once again right before I fly back.

We caught a rat by the way. We had bought two traps, one which I placed near the fridge and the other D placed near a hole in the kitchen floor. Well, the first day the rat managed to nibble off all of my bread that I had used as a bait and managed to elude setting off the trap. He never went to D's trap though, it was always my trap that was found without bait.

One morning, I went into the kitchen and saw that my trap had been eaten off but that D's still was intact...3 seconds later I heard a snap and went to look. A fat rat had got caught in D's trap and was still twitching. Oh, the joy!

Since then, two traps are waiting to snap but no rat has eaten from them so we suspect that there are no more rats in the kitchen, well, for the time being at least -- if one managed to sneak its way in, more will surely follow. A part of me wishes that they will, they provide unadulterated fun that is hard to find otherwise in this dull city.

Life is in Dushanbe is getting better though, mostly because I'm much less sick nowadays since I started to stay away from restaurants. But I did go to a Turkish restaurant yesterday and well, I guess you know what state I am in today... but it was all worth it.

Things Tajik say:
Scenario: Watching a scantily clad Nancy Ajram dance around in one of her videos.
Tajik: You know, you really wonder when you see these singers and how they are dressed, are they really Muslims?
I: Well, technically, they could be Christian.
Tajik: Yes, they must definitely be non-Muslims.

Scenario: Taking the taxi home late at night.
Driver: So, you study Tajik then, hmm...
I: Yep...reading Ayni at the moment.
Driver: Have you read Tajikon? It's really great! *enthusiastic* (a big book about Tajiks and their history)
I: No, have you?
Driver: No.

Later:
Driver: Yeah, you should read the Quran! It will give you strength!
I: Yeah, I've read some parts of it in Arabic...but most Tajiks can't read it in Arabic...they read it in Tajik.
Driver: No! NO! They CAN read it in Arabic! *nervous breakdown*
I: Er...
Driver: WE HAVE THOSE, THOSE WHO KNOW IT BY HEART, 10 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION KNOWS THE WHOLE NOBLE QURAN BY HEART!
I: -- (Yeah, right.)

On a side note, I'm getting pretty tired of how they always talk about how good Muslims and how righteous they are and rah rah rah...that guy probably hasn't opened the Quran.