The ? of Ob

I just returned from Choykhoniyi Rohat, a place where they serve Tajik food and all the waitresses are running around in the state dress, looking all the same.

Tajiks don't have a sense of service, it is very much like in Sweden. That is, you buy one of their services and all you get is a slap in the face instead of a thank you. Of course, not everyone is like that, if you go to an expensive restaurant things are a little bit different.

Anyway, ordering was a hassle. She didn't give me a menu, and I don't know what it is called in Tajik, and even if I knew I'm sure she wouldn't care to bring me one. I asked if they had mantu, which they did so I ordered that and I also said "va ham ob mekhoham" and she nodded approvingly.

The mantus were OK, think of them as over-sized raviolis, but steamboiled..and I think I could discern a pinch of nutmeg in them, too. So when it was time to pay I asked her why she didn't bring me water, as I had requested.

She: But you didn't ask for any water, if you had I would've brought it! *faked tears in her eyes*

Yeah, right.

They just don't understand the word Ob it's like it's not in their vocabulary. I'm beginning to suspect that they don't even drink it themselves. At any rate, I don't think it's something that the regular customer buys, they either go with some soda or just plain without. There has to be some explanation! Today I wanted water at the Internet Cafe, I'm a regular now so they should all know by now that i want:

1. 1 hour of Internet time
2. 1 big bottle of water

But, no..they don't. They gave me that Royal Crown cola again. *sigh*