Camel Spit: The Blog

Turkmenistan/Iran relations to improve

2011-06-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

The always cosy ties between the neighbors are doing as well as always:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/186269.html

Sweden Deports Son of Turkmen Activist

2011-06-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

RFE/RL reports that Sweden has deported Keymir Berdiev. Berdiev is the son of a Turkmen opposition figure. However, Swedish authorities found insufficient proof that he would face danger if he returned to Turkmenistan.

Smithsonian Folk Life Festival Celebrates Peace Corps

2011-05-31T14:10:00.000-07:00

For those of you who will be in the DC area in early July, check out the Smithsonian's Folk Life Festival. One of the themes will be the Peace Corps' 50th Anniversary. The other two themes will be Colombia and Rhythm & Blues.
http://www.festival.si.edu/2011/PeaceCorps/

The Peace Corps section will apparently feature an exhibit by a Guatemala RPCV who built a school house in her village out of plastic drink bottles she found littered around the community. Thus ends my long insistence that the Balkanabat Bi-Monthly Frisbee Club was the GREATEST PEACE CORPS PROJECT EVER.

US sends Ambassador to Turkmenistan... finally

2011-05-31T05:38:00.000-07:00

Camel Spit may not be in a good position right now to chide lateness, but after 5 years the US Embassy in Ashgabat finally has a full-fledged ambassador: Robert E. Patterson, Jr. Ambassador Patterson is a career Foreign Service Officer.

http://turkmenistan.usembassy.gov/bio.html

Watch the Turkmen TV coverage of Ambassador Patterson presenting his credentials to President Berdymukhamedov. The report highlights commercial and energy cooperation between Turkmenistan and the US.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THoEv-X_5t4

Turkmens in Space

2011-05-31T05:31:00.000-07:00

After a hiatus for finishing law school, your friendly Camel Spit Blogger is back.

What better way to get back into the swing of things than... TURKMENS IN SPACE!

http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=241815

Turkmenistan News

2010-06-03T06:23:00.000-07:00

The IMF predicts a robust year of economic growth for Central Asia, particularly Turkmenistan, which could see a 12% increase in real GDP.

Ashgabat hosted an international carpet fest the last weekend of May, apparently to the delight of the previously unknown pro-Turkmen faction at ukflooringdirect.com.

France's human rights ambassador, Francois Zimeray, visited Ashgabat in late May and noted the progress the country has made in human rights while insisting "there is more left to do." However, Mr. Zimeray was clear that human rights concerns would be considered separately from the two nations' economic relationship. Currently the French construction firm Bouygues has contracts worth 2 billion Euros with the Turkmen government.

A Russian businessman was sentenced to six years imprisonment by a Russian court for electronically stealing $20 million dollars from the Central Bank of Turkmenistan in 2002.

Turkmenistan deployed its first batch of Russian-made drones to border guard units, with the aim of curtailing illegal border crossing and drug smuggling.

In other border issues, the Turkmen-Iranian Commission met on May 29th to discuss consular, custom and border issues and increase trade cooperation.

Eurasianet offers some suggestions for reading the Turkmenistan.ru website.

President Berdimuhamedov visited India May 24 - 27 to visit culturally important monuments and shore up bilateral ties. Some Indian travelers faced delays as New Delhi airspace was shut down for 30 minutes while
Berdimuhamedov and Indian President Partibha Patil waited to begin their voyage to see the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Moscow celebrated Turkmen Cultural Days last week, culminating in the May 25th Turkmen folk music concert at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall.

Turkmenistan News on the 'Net

2010-04-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry, thrill seekers - after attracting the notice of a small number of tourists and a large number of YouTube armchair adventurers, the "hells gate" gas fire has attracted the attention of Presdient Berdymukhamedov. He has ordered the fire extinguished to facilitate the exploitation of the nearby gas fields.

Turkmenistan continues to strengthen its cross-border ties with Iran. A high level delegation attended the April 17th summit, "Nuclear Energy for All, Nuclear Weapons for None" convened in Tehran by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who praised the "unbreakable ties" between the two nations.

Turkmenistan.ru reports that the "Altyn Asyr" cellular telephone network now has 500,000 subscribers. The semi-official news outlet also reports that the Russian MTS cellular service boasts another 1.82 million subscribers.

In a visit to a Ruhabat farm, the President Berdymukhamedov urged Turkmen parliamentarians to remember the needs of villagers.

ConocoPhillips may be coming to (or at least near) Turkmenistan. After losing a bid with Lukoil to drill for oil in a Russian sector of the Caspian sea, the energy company teamed with Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Development Co. to develop Turkmenistan's seabed reserve. In other hydrocarbon news, the Turkmen government increased its estimate of the South Yolotan gas reserves.

Doctors Without Borders published a report on April 12th which is critical of the Turkmen health system. However, an online Lancet report dated April 12th indicated that Turkmenistan has made marked improvement in maternal mortality. The rate fell from 77 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1980 to 22 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2008, a decrease that puts Turkmenistan in the category of highest improvement.

Turkmenistan has yet to publicly respond to the developments in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Turkmenistan News Round-up

2010-04-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon arrived in Turkmenistan on April 1 to start a tour of the ex-Soviet Central Asian nations. While in Ashgabat, he called on greater engagement by Turkmenistan on human rights issues.

Turkmenistan is a key transit point in the Europe-Caucasus-Asia transit route, as Turkmenbashi city handles 90% of the goods in transit.

In the wake of the Moscow subway attacks, Turkmen President Berdimuhamedov expressed condolences to the Russian government.

A survey conducted by Gallup from April to August 2009 determined that 36% of Turkmen viewed NATO as protection, 7% a threat, 25% niether, and 32% didn't know or refused to answer

Turkmenistan News on The 'Net

2010-03-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

From the United States, With Love
Secretary of State Clinton released a Nowruz greeting to Turkmen media on March 19th. Secretary Clinton expressed her desire to continue preserving Turkmenistan's historical heritage sites and offered continuing US support for the "process of reform and development" in the country.

From Turkmenistan, With Love
The Turkmen government has given clothes and books to members of the Turkmen diaspora in Tajikistan. There are 25,000 ethnic Turkmen in Tajikistan.

From Germany, With Love
Someone in Turkmenistan is cruising in style. Daimler recently agreed to a $185 million settlement with the US Department of Justice for paying foreign bribes, including the gift of an armored Mercedes to an unnamed
Turkmenistan government official.

From Russia, With Love (surely you saw that one coming?)
There may be no competing with the Germans for luxury cars, but Russia produces quality military equipment. This year, Turkmen government has beefed up its military with purchases of 10 tanks, 2 fast attack boats, and 6 rocket launchers. Turkmenistan's military purchases are actually fairly modest compared to the build up by other nations in the budding arms race developing in the Caucuses and Central Asia.

Sorry I Cannot Hear You, I'm Kind of Busy

2010-03-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

by Steve Lynch, T-13 (Dashoguz City)

Former Peace Corps Volunteers do not call home. They do not buy phone cards. They do not page through scuffed tetrads (notebooks) filled with lists of digits from their village, calling codes cramped into the corners, hunting for their favorite dukançy's number. We return home, shake out the rug we bought from someone in the capital, and make a few drunken speeches to whomever will listen here about how this experience changed us and how we learned more from them than we think they learned from us and that's crazy, man. But we do not call home.

Almost every conversation between RPCVs (former Volunteers) will loop back through the same doorways of the same circular home of conversation: it's insane how it feels like forever ago; yeah, I was thinking about that, too; and then, finally, have you talked to your host family at all, like called them or something? There is the same look of guilt shading all of our eyes--no, I didn't but no one does and the land lines are terrible, right? There is comfort in knowing we are a type, that we have self-similar habits here. Because that guilt always turns to relief when the other person admits to host familial silence. Our communal guilt is a comfort.

I am the ugly duckling, for I have called my host family almost without fail once a month, almost every month, since I returned here in October 2006. I am a rarity. For almost three and a half years, I spend an hour on the phone with a family that suffered, stuffed, angered, adored, and amused me for two years and we, like Volunteers, cycle through the same conversations every single time. It goes like this.

1. They will always express relief that I finally called. I will apologize a lot and say I think of them all of the time (this is true, this is honest.) They will tell me which family member is at the neighbor's. I will say that I just woke up. They will call me lazy for waking up so late, I will agree because it's my eje (mother) and you don't disagree with ejes. They will ask if work is busy and yes, yes, like always, I am busy, I say. Too busy to get married? Yes, yes, eje, too busy to get married. Ah, wai ey, bay bo, etc.

2. And then in the middle of a sentence, they will stop, and declare, "Ok. We are giving the phone to pop now."

3. Pop will get on the phone, yell a lot about how I am, what I am doing, how my health is, and thank you thank thank you. Because that is how you talk with Turkmen men. After I respond, he will tell me how happy he is that I have not forgotten their language. I will remind him that Turkmen is in my heart, that it is my second language to me. And him, in English: "Ahhhhh yesssss. Velly gooood." And then I am given the list of neighbors who ask about me and I give him the same list of people I say hello to. I am wished good health and as I am mid-sentence to wish the very same, he trails off with a "Sank you."

4. The phone is suddenly in someone else's hands. Probably my sister, Gozel, whom I am closest to. 75% of my conversation is with her, about her fears of marriage, her exhaustion from working, and the reasons why I cannot/will not find myself a boyfriend. All of this makes both of us upset.

5. I will talk to another family member and they will remind me of a culturally inappropriate thing I did five years ago that still makes everyone laugh really hard. We all laugh really hard on the phone, as if we were still sitting around the kliyonka in our oturlyan jay.

6. Conversation grows stale, there is a lot of sighing on both end of the phone, many "ey way ey-ey's" and we say goodbye. I promise to call again next month and Gozel and I part with the phrase, "miss you, kiss you, bye."

This is all comfortable and it is all so well-worn. No matter how fearful I am that we will have nothing to talk about, we talk for an hour in a language I haven't spoken on a daily basis in years. I talk about a life they cannot picture, cannot imagine and they recite the news of neighbors whose faces I have long forgotten. I barely even remember the name of people we were all close to. But despite the enormous disconnect between us, I wake on Saturday evenings and log on to a website to retrieve my electronic phone card number, so that I may continue to love the people who provided the best support and love a Volunteer ever could want.

The cultural disconnect, though, is growing, sprouting shoots. There are parts about my life that I cannot speak about, sometimes because I lack the language and other times because I lack the courage. I remember how when I first bought my Nintendo Wii, the first thing I did was create Mii's for all of my host family so that I could, while I played the Wii Sports, see my host family's digitized avatars in the background, cheering for me as I bowled in that strange, virtual world. The following weekend on the phone with them, I tried as best as I could to explain the whole concept of a Nintendo Wii, of avatars, of creating something that looks like you; I became frustrated and disheartened while I tried to explain the process. They listened, confused and bewildered by my Turkmen spiraling outward in larger, more erratic circles, having no idea what I was talking about. I stopped and instead just had to ask about the neighbors.

The most concerning issue for me is regarding my marriage and sexuality.Where I could think of my two years when I was in my early twenties as a test of endurance and excuse-making about why I wasn't married, the exercise is stretching longer than I anticipated and will happen this way for decades. I could very easily tell locals that I was focused on creating a strong career so that I could support a family later and they would nod, yes, yes, so smart, American boys are so smart when it comes to marriage. But what is that excuse now? I am 27, at the edge of acceptable marriage age in Turkmenistan and I have no prospects, no interest in their eyes. How long can I tell them that I am building a life, a career, a home? How much money must I claim I have to save before marriage is an option for me?

I cannot tell them of the times my heart has been broken. I cannot tell them of how my inability to sustain a relationship has caused me depression. I cannot tell them that I am not certain how fit I am for a long term relationship with anyone. That is too personal, that is too uncomfortable to talk about. So instead, I feed the same lines: oh, eje, not now, later, later when I have a stable life. I want a good career. And I will always hear the same quiet and discontented, "Ay, Stevejan."

At my wedding, more than anyone, I would want my host family there. More than my real family, more than my friends. They have wanted the best for me more than almost anyone else I have known. I would even pay for the tickets to have them attend. But they cannot, for obvious reasons, attend a wedding between the son that makes them so proud and another man--this is an uzhis, maskara, kochmar. So I must keep my secret to myself on the phone for an hour, for a lifetime.

But I will always return, I will always call back. Despite the fact that a cultural distance keeps us all at two arms length at all times, I will need the comfort of a foreign family always telling me that it's not the same without me, that they are waiting for me, waiting for me to come back home. And I suppose they are not wrong at all.

Turkmenistan News on the 'Net

2010-03-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to recently Returned Volunteers Gary Goodson and Robin Wilson, who got the picture above, labeled, "An assemblage of Turkmen" into the Turkmenistan newstream. The picture accompanied an article promoting their upcoming talk about their Peace Corps experience. If you're near San Marcos, Texas, swing by the public library tomorrow (March 16th) at 7 pm to hear the talk. Remember - just because Peace Corps week is over for 2010 doesn't mean that the window for Third Goal activities has closed.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is in Turkmenistan for an official visit. According to Russia's ITAR-TASS news agency, the visit will discuss ways to strengthen economic relations, especially in the gas sector.

President Berdimuhammedov announced plans to demolish illegally built homes and other buildings in the suburbs of Ashgabat. The goal will be to increase cleanliness and allow construction of orderly roads.

A recent demographic study by the Turkmen government found that women outnumber men in the country.

Earlier this month, Turkmenistan invited Haitian children to enjoy a respite from the problems in their country by vacationing at Avaza, the newly rebuilt resort community on the Caspian Sea.

Turkmenski Shashlyk

2010-03-12T10:57:00.000-08:00

by the Shashlyk Master of Ashgabat
Camel Spit has published multiple plov recipes, but has yet to provide instructions for that essential Turkmen party staple: shashlyk. Sure, you could translate the dish as "shish kebab," but that does not do justice to the fire charred, fat laden, tangy meat that tastes uniquely of Turkmenistan, and the scarce wood from the desert sacrificed to cook it.

Whether you first had it in the shady back alley behind the Presitzhe bar & grill in Abadan (Bizmein) or with the famous shashlyk masters of the Nebit Dag Bazaar, or that special gem in Ashgabat, the Iceberg Café, shashlyk was always a great break from the grechka/chorba/chorek diet of village life. It did not even have to be good shashlyk, just some grilled meats cooked outdoors with a pivo (beer) or three.

Many Volunteers have attempted to recreate various shashlyk recipes, and below I’ll try and recount as many as I can remember from some of the great PCV shashlyk masters of yore, and of course our Turkmen counterparts who actually know what they are doing.

Key Ingredients:

Russian Shashlyk spice packs
Just like those great Taco Bell or Old El Paso Mexican seasoning packs your mom would send you in care packages, these Russian pre-made spice packs are great for a quick rub or marinade without too much work. Available online from the following shops, they are a cheap and easy.

http://www.thefind.com/appliances/info-kabob-grill

http://www.russiantable.com/store/depts.asp?page=all&dept_id=48

The Vinegar
Its up to you how you want to do this, but arbitrarily spraying the cooking shashlyk with a baklashka (plastic bottle) of vinegar always makes you look like a real shashlyk master. Put some apple or white vinegar in a Dasani bottle diluted down with water. For full effect, poke a hole in the cap, screw it back on, then squirt the vinegar water through the hole.

The Grill
Finding the secret ingredient of Turkmen shashlyk may be difficult, since the roasted flavor comes from the dangerously endangered desert wood Saxahual. If you can't take a poaching trip to the Kara Kum desert, charcoal seems to be in order, at the very least. Whether you want to actually lay the skewers across the grill or place them on an oiled grate is also up to you and the dimensions of your grill space.

The Skewers
If wooden soak for a few hours prior in water. It metal, handle with care once on the grill

Recipe #1 The “Kransnavodsk Special”
2lbs of Fish: For authentic flavor, choose the critically endangered Oesetria Sturgeon. To not alienate your friends and/or violate US customs law, any good fresh fish such as Salmon, Halibut or even Swordfish will do.

Marinade:

1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of dill
1 tablespoon of vinegar

Cut fish into 1-2” chunks. Set aside.
Prepare the marinade and pour into ziplock freezer bag. Add fish and shake bag to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hrs prior to cooking. Greatness takes time. Any shashlyk master will advise patience.
Brush your grill grate and fish with oil to avoid excess sticking. The hotter your grill i,s the more quickly the fish should “release” from the grate after a few moments of cooking. Lower heat means you’ll lose more fish to the grates.

Fish cooks fast so watch out that you don’t burn one side inadvertently. A single flip is all that should be necessary about 4-6 minutes into a hot grilling. When fish flakes with a fork, its done.

Grilled Pomadori (tomatoes)
As in life, a master will only succeed with big tomatoes and some chopped basil to put them on.

Skewer 3-4 big tomatoes and grill evenly on all sides until tomatoes can be easily pierced and skin is charring.
Serve alongside fish and top with chopped basil.

Recipe #2 Chicken Shashlyk

2lbs Chicken, cut into large cubes
Shallots or Whole Onion (a few shallots or one large onion)
1 Lemon
A few bay leafs
Mint
Salt & Pepper
Mineral water/Seltzer water

Marinade: Place chicken into a pot and add the marinade

One lemon, wedged and squeezed into the pot
Sliced shallots or onion
Shashlyk spice kit (any “flavor” grill pack works to suit taste)
Several bay leafs (just for taste, remove before skewering and grilling)
Salt & Pepper to taste, can disregard if adding a spice kit or your own spice blend
Mineral/Seltzer water

Once marinade is prepared, mix up the chicken and marinade in the pot. Now, add several cups of carbonated mineral water or seltzer water to the point that it begins to cover the meat mixture. At this point, place a heavy lid that is a size to small on top and weigh down. Place in refrigerator overnight and remove only the chicken to thread onto skewers before grilling.

Garnish (optional):

Remaining sliced onion (very thinly sliced)
Chopped fresh mint
Vinegar (small amount, enough to make the onion “wet”)

Mix together in bowl and smash/crush with your hands to break the onion slices and release their juices. Mix together vigorously until onion, mint and vinegar are combined. Serve on top of or the side of the chicken shashlyk.

Recipe #3: Chicken “Mix” Variant
Follow recipe as above but disregard the garnish. Instead intersperse some veggies on the skewers, and serve together.

Large button mushrooms
Red onion

Slice the red onion very thick to get chunky wedges (1-2”), place alongside a large mushroom and then 1-2 pieces of chicken, repeat down the skewer with the marinaded meat.

Recipe #4: Lula Kebab with a Spicy Twist
This is for about 4 people, so just the double the recipe for a larger party.

Take 1lb of 80/20 or 85/20 ground beef and place in a mixing bowl. Take ¼ of a large onion (can use slightly more if desired) and finely chop. Add to mixing bowl. Take a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley and finely chop. Add to the mixing bowl.
Prepare marinade separately.

For the marinade:

2 tablespoons lemon juice, or 1 whole lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
two good pinches of red pepper flakes
one good squirt of Worcestershire sauce
Whisk together

Pour marinade into the mixing bowl and hand-mix until everything is incorporated, don’t overmix the meat.

Refrigerate covered for at least 2-3 hours. Take out the meat and form good sized hamburger patties with your hands. Take a skewer and place the center of the patty in the middle of the skewer and carefully wrap the patty around the skewer. Massage the meat onto the skewer until you have that classic Lula look.

Grill on high heat evenly for about 7-10 minutes, or until fully cooked. Avoid charring, so watch carefully and turn when necessary to cook evenly.

Garnish with the thinly sliced onion/mint mix and some lavash or naan bread.

Turkmenistan News

2010-03-04T12:12:00.000-08:00

Israel is planning to open an embassy in Turkmenistan. However, diplomatic relations have hit a snag because Turkmenistan has delayed ratifying the appointment of Israel's ambassador, because they are uncomfortable with an ex-Mossad (Israeli secret service) official serving in the post.

While Richard Holbrooke was not able to coordinate a meeting in Turkmenistan, another U.S. official, special envoy for Eurasian energy Richard Morningstar did meet with President Berdymukhamedov, according to Turkmenistan.ru. Reuters analyzed the meeting within the familiar framework of energy diplomacy.

According to the Neutral Turkmenistan, as reprinted on Turkmenistan.gov.tm, President Berdymukhamedov has announced a major criminal law liberalization program. The maximum prison sentence in Turkmenistan will be reduced from 25 to 15 years and fines will replace prison sentences for some crimes. This move comes after Turkmenistan faced criticism about its prison system by a number of international non-governmental institutions.

Sad news for Balkan Welayat soccer fans: Balkanabat's Nebitchi lost in the President's Cup finals to Ashgabat's Altyn Asyr.

RPCV Advocacy Efforts on Behalf of Peace Corps

2010-03-01T11:58:00.000-08:00

The National Peace Corps Association will mark the anniversary of the founding of Peace Corps with a Day of Action tomorrow (March 2nd). RPCVs will visit Congress to urge continued bipartisan support for the agency. NPCA has an action page if you would like to help advocate in our home state.

In a similar vein, Push of Peace Corps is currently advocating for increased funding of Peace Corps (to $465 million in 2011). If you would like to write your Representative on behalf of the goal, the organization has set a deadline of March 15th. More information on getting involved with this campaign is available on their website.

Turkmenistan News on the 'Net

2010-03-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

Turkmenistan's AFC Challenge Cup run ended with a loss to North Korea, 1-0 in the finals.

Neil Bush, brother of President George W. Bush and son of President George H.W. Bush, visited Turkmenistan and passed on the best wishes of his father and to President Berdimuhamedov and conveyed the hopes of the U.S. business community for strengthened relations between the countries.

Perhaps reflecting warmer relations between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are on the horizon, Turkmenistan.ru announced that Dashoguz will host a festival of Turkmen/Uzbek friendship in September 2010.

Gas consulting services firm Gaffney Cline & Associates believes that Turkmenistan has the fourth-largest natural gas reserves in the world, but Russia isn't so sure.

President Berdimuhamedov is not pleased with the condition of the Asghabat ring road.

Turkmenistan has given Russia 2 male leopards to help restore the wildlife stock in Sochi. Now Iran announced it, too will donate 2 leopards. Russia is hoping to allay environmental concerns stemming from the massive infrastructure construction necessary to prepare for the Olympics.

Correction from the last blog post: Richard Holbrooke, US Special Representative, did not visit Turkmenistan during his Central Asian swing due to "scheduling conflicts ."

FoT President's Update

2010-02-25T20:08:00.000-08:00

by Thomas 'Skip' Mark, T-8

Dear Friends:

On behalf of the newly elected Executive Committee and Board of Directors, I would like to thank you for your interest in Friends of Turkmenistan. I am writing this letter to update you on the current state of affairs of the organization, to share with you our strategic plan for 2010, and to describe to you the benefits of becoming a member.

At the end of 2009, the future of Friends of Turkmenistan looked grim. The Board seeing indications of a lack of interest in the organization began to discuss the possibility of dissolution. The indicators that worried them included a sharp decline in membership, a lack of donations, and a tepid response to announcements for new elections. However, as word spread about dissolution, members and prospective members began engaging in a constructive discussion about the future viability of the organization.

Three basic conclusions came out of that discussion. First, the organization’s problems were not a result of a lack of need for organizations that promoted Turkmenistan. Second, the organization suffered from a lack of focus, such that prospective members were not aware of the benefits of membership. Third, there was sufficient interest and commitment by members and prospective members to refocus the organization so that it achieved the goals set out in its mission statement. As a result, a decision was made to begin the process of refocusing the organization and to elect new leaders.

Since that decision was made, I have seen tremendous progress and commitment in a very short period of time. In the last month, we have recruited and elected a new Executive Committee and Board of Directors; have discussed a strategic plan for 2010; have organized a small projects committee to develop a strategy for selecting and funding a small project in Turkmenistan; have redesigned the website and designed a new blog; and have organized social events in Boston, Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C.

Thanks to the commitment and vision of our Committee and Board, these are just the first steps in establishing Friends of Turkmenistan as an effective, member-driven organization that assists its members in maintaining an active connection to Turkmenistan. We also plan to facilitate that connection in the following ways:

First, and foremost, our main goal for 2010 is to select and fund a small project in Turkmenistan. As a member-driven organization, all members will have input in project selection, and are free to participate in the project to the extent possible. However, even if you have no time to contribute to the project, your member dues will directly contribute to our ability to achieve this goal. We plan to keep you up to date with the progress of our project through the website and blog, and envision this being an interactive project for members.

Second, we plan to foster each member’s involvement in a third goal project. Currently, we have the tools to organize and promote third goal projects on our website, blog, and facebook group pages. We also plan to assemble a Turkmenistan cultural box that will be available to our members to utilize in third goal presentations about Turkmenistan. Finally, we plan to serve as a liaison to NPCA so that our members are aware of all opportunities to engage in nationally organized programs like Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary.

Third, we plan to keep you apprised of current events in Turkmenistan. Currently, you can link to Turkmenistan news directly from our Website. We also plan to keep you informed of any major developments in Turkmenistan, as well as any new sources for news and analysis on Turkmenistan. Further, if you are searching for information of a more local variety, we offer that information on our new Camel Spit Blog.

Fourth, we plan to connect new Peace Corps volunteers to our current network of RPCVs. As part of this process, we plan to communicate with Peace Corps to host a staging event prior to the new group’s departure in March. We will also continue to use our website and our blog to provide helpful information for new volunteers and their families.

Finally, we hope to serve as a conduit to meeting and keeping in contact with individuals who share your connection to Turkmenistan, whether they be RPCVs or Turkmen nationals. We hope to accomplish this by keeping our social networking sites active and by organizing occasional social events like those of the past week. As we continue to grow, and as members become more active, we plan to host events in other cities, post pictures on our websites, and plan more wide-ranging programs.

Thank you for your time in reading this letter. I hope that you will take some additional time to visit our revamped website at www.friendsofturkmenistan.org and activate your membership. Friends of Turkmenistan is your organization, and will only achieve its full potential with an active and strong base of dues paying members. I believe that the strengths of a member driven organization is that its leaders ultimately act at the will of its members, and welcome your feedback and input on our strategic plan and any other issues that you feel that we should address.

Sincerely,

Thomas ‘Skip’ Mark (T-8, Chardjew, 1999-2001)
President, Friends of Turkmenistan
skip@friendsofturkmenistan.org

Turkmenistan Updates

2010-02-25T10:47:00.000-08:00

Turkmenistan beat Tajikistan 2-0 to advance to the finals of the AFC Challenge Cup for the first time. The AFC website pointed out that Turkmenistan has done well in the cup despite challenges, including the hot weather and spicy Sri Lankan food which does not sit well in Turkmen bellies.

Turkmen composer Nury Halmamedov, who died in 1983, would have turned 70 this week. RFE/RL posted a story in honor of the event, including some clips of the music he wrote during the Soviet era.

The Washington Times published an op-ed piece earlier this week urging more US strategic interest in the Eurasia, particularly Central Asian energy market. Outside the hydrocarbon market, Turkmenistan has convened a conference on alternative energy in Ashgabat.

U.S. Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke visited the former Soviet Central Asian republics, including Turkmenistan, to warn of the danger of Al-Qaeda sponsoring activities to destabilize the countries.

Job Resources and Suggestions for T-stan RPCVs

2010-02-22T13:58:00.000-08:00

by Kelsey Beckner, T-11 (Dashoguz)

Welcome back to the US! Or if you're just finishing more school, welcome back to the glorious U.S. job market! In this article I will provide a bunch of useful resources for finding a job on your return from Peace Corps.

The author power networking herself into the prestigious FoT Vice-President position

1. Peace Corps Career Center and other resources. If you're in Washington, DC you might as well head over to the Peace Corps Career Center, located in Rosslyn, Virginia. I found the spreadsheet listings of international development organizations most helpful for learning about the multitude of development organizations that are in DC and around the country. While this is a good place to start and gives you a sense of purpose in your job search, I do not recommend spending too much time there. Try it out for a few days max and then move on to a coffee shop.

I also found the Hotline magazine pretty helpful as a resource for current job listings. It is also a good place to learn about development and other non-profit organizations.

2. Idealist.org, Craigslist.org etc etc. There are a lot of great job search sites, like Monster.com and Simplyhired.com, but I think that the best for doing non-profit work is Idealist.org. There are tens of new job postings every day all around the country. This is a great site for learning about smaller community development organizations in your area.

If you're doing a more development focused search I recommend ReliefWeb or InterAction (which you can get access to via Peace Corps) or DevNetJobs. These sites will help you learn about organizations that you want to work for, and then you can go to that org's website to check on their job postings. From there you can figure whether your brother's former classmate knows someone who works at the organization that you're interested in so that you can do an informational interview with that person.

I also like Craigslist.org for finding jobs. It is sketchy, yes. But if you approach it knowing that it is sketchy you can weed out the jobs that look like a scam or look like just a position where you're attempting to get money from people on the street. It is a free place to post, so a lot of non-profits or other orgs will post jobs there because it is free. Just use common sense when responding to ads.

3. Don't be afraid to temp. When I moved to DC after Peace Corps one of the first things I did was sign up with a three or four temp agencies. Not all RPCVs go this route, but I found that it was an easy way to make money while I was looking for a full-time job. Most jobs that RPCVs qualify for are administrative and don't require that much brain power so I found ample time to still apply for positions.

Here are some of my recommendations for DC temp agencies: Help Unlimited Temps is a favorite of RPCVs and they love RPCVs as well. Career Blazers has clients like the IMF and the World Bank so if you are interested in those organizations that is a good place to try. CityStaff is good, and Ajilon is a national organization with a lot of legal and other types of temp positions.

4. If you don't feel like temping, you might as well volunteer. Volunteering or doing an internship is a great way to get your foot in the door. It means you get a chance to get to know people who work there, you get to know their systems, and you're right there when they have a position opening. It doesn't always work out, but at the very least you'll meet people who know people and you can start the networking fun!

Good luck!

Turkmenistan News

2010-02-21T13:45:00.000-08:00

President Berdymukhamedov announced that Turkmen citizens will be allowed to register new political parties this year. Currently, the only registered political party is the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan has advanced to the semi-finals of the AFC Challenge Cup, the international soccer tournament for asia. If they beat Tajikistan, the Turkmen players will face either North Korea or Myanmar (Burma) in the finals.

3rd Goal Presentation Tips

2010-02-19T05:57:00.000-08:00

by Charles Gussow, T-11

After completing their service overseas, Volunteers are considered "Returned Peace Corps Volunteers" rather than "Former Volunteers" to emphasize their continuing duty to educate Americans about their country of service. This responsibility is tied to the 3rd goal of Peace Corps - bringing the experience back home to the United States (the first and second goal are providing technical assistance and sharing American culture with foreign hosts, respectively).

In honor of the upcoming Peace Corps week (March 1st - 7th), Camel Spit is pleased to offer some suggestions for successfully sharing your experience at your local school or community center.

Don't be afraid! Use the classroom match at the Peace Corps site or just call a school/library near you and set up a talk. At least once during your service, you convinced a room full of children/doctors/ministry officials that you knew something about health/business/the English language that they didn't (okay, you probably didn't need to fake English language knowledge). You actually do more about Turkmenistan than most people in the U.S., so will be able to pass on a ton of information to your audience.

Do bring props. Grab the mini-carpet under your telephone, the cheshkas (slippers) in the back of your sock drawer, the takia (skull cap) in the memento box, the don (robe) in the closet, the stuffed camel from your bed, through them in a bag and bring them in. Put your favorite photos in a PowerPoint, or just print them out if you're not sure about computer access.

Do speak a little Turkmen.
No longer a Magtymguly when it comes to the language of your service? Fear not! Thanks to the good people on the Internet, you can now find the official Peace Corps intro to Turkmen booklet on line at: http://multimedia.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/audio/languagelessons/turkmenistan/TK_Turkmen_Language_Lessons.pdf . Basic introductions and phrases are on pages 4-5. Print out some of the basic phrases, read along with your best impression of your host parent / counterpart / favorite taxi driver and you'll be a multilingual sensation.

Don't lose touch with reality.
I was a counselor at an English camp during my second summer. I'd like to think that I did more than share American culture and familiarize Turkmen students with English spoken with a Staten Island accent. I'd like to think I gave my students a taste for the dramatic arts through my improv comedy workshops. I'd like to fondly remember the hilarious student-led comedy performance on the last day of camp. I'd like to think I instilled in them new performance skills and mastery of the English language.
Unfortunately for my ego, and fortunately for the cause of accurate memory, another Volunteer brought a video camera to camp and gave me footage from the workshop. What the camera shows is me sweating profusely and failing miserably to convey what "short form improv" was and how, exactly, it related to the good citizens of Turkmenbashi. It turns out that my fondest desires for training the next generation of Turkmen comedians was ill-matched to the 10-12 year old basic English language learners I was assigned.
At Peace Corps week, I could tell American students that I created a burgeoning comedy scene on the Caspian coast. But, that would mean ignoring an important part of Peace Corps life: the error in the trial and error process of grassroots development. We all learned a lot from those parts of our service which didn't go well. Our audiences in America can as well.

* All rights reserved by author *

A taste of soccer glory at the AFC challenge cup

2010-02-18T09:36:00.000-08:00

Sports fans! Turkmenistan held South Korea to a 1-1 tie in the AFC challenge cup for under-23 teams. The Turkmens only had 10 men on the field for most of the second half. The South Korean team had been World Cup finalists. More coverage from Goal.com, notes that the South African bound Korean team probably should have easily beaten the young Turkmen team.

Turkmenistan News

2010-02-16T11:41:00.000-08:00

Turkey would like Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to join the parliament of Turkish speaking countries. In another forum, the Economic Cooperation Organization, Turkey held itself out as a role model of development for their Central Asian cousins to follow. Perhaps part of that development project is the new power plant built by Turkey in Ashgabat.

Sports fans - check out the profile of the Turkmenistan international soccer squad, written by an Indian sports site excited about the upcoming Asian championship.

Dashoguz has a new cotton mill.

Cool Things in Random Places posted a story about the perpetual gas fire in Darvaz, called "The Door to Hell." Catchy title.

Peace Corps Week-3rd Goal Activity Suggestions

2010-02-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

Peace Corps Week 2010 is from March 1 to March 7.

If you are interested in participating in a Peace Corps activity in your area, the Peace Corps website has a list of events that are taking place all over the country between late February and early March. You can find it at the following link: http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.returned.pcweek.events.

Peace Corps also offers "How To" tool kits for third goal activities. You can find it at the following link: http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.returned.thirdgoal.getinvolved.

Let us know if you participate in any of these activities and we'll post it on the blog.

Education News & A "Great Game" Update

2010-02-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

According to Trend News of Azerbaijan, President Berdimuhammedov, who reinstated the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan last year, has named Gurbanmurat Mezilov to be the full-time president of the Academy.

A Swedish newspaper reports on Afghan students studying in Sweden, including a young lady who originally left Afghanistan for Turkmenistan, before migrating north to continue the medical studies she began at Turkmen State University.

Turkmenistan.ru reports that Turkmenistan's universities are expanding. The government will increase the number of available postgraduate study slots while adding 7 new faculties (roughly equivalent to American university departments) and 48 new positions for university professors.

If you see a foreign university student studying in Belarus, there's a good chance she or he is Turkmen.

Central Asian watchers are often fond of describing regional relations as "The Great Game," borrowing the term from the 19th century contest between the British and Russian empires in the region. Those commentators usually mention China as a "new player" for the 21st century, since it enjoys new wealth and old geographic and cultural ties to the region. The Diplomat.com analyzes China's recent overtures to Central Asia, concluding that one more major power interested in the region could be a boon to the Central Asian republics by providing more foreign policy options. Meanwhile, the Obama administration's newly proposed aid budget for Central Asia is austere, with levels remaining largely constant and aid to Turkmenistan falling from $12.5 to $10 million dollars. Of course, these figures may change by the time Congress approves them.

Does Peace Corps Help Turkmenistan: No, but...

2010-02-12T07:46:00.000-08:00

by Maya Saryeva
This essay is part of a continuing Camel Spit conversation.

I would like to present a subjective account of my experience with Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs), and please note that none of what I say is directed at any PCV personally. These are simply my thoughts, memories and experiences that I gathered over the years. I cannot argue that Peace Corps Volunteers make Turkmenistan a better country. However, I can say that they certainly facilitate a great deal of cultural exchange and touch the lives of different individuals and families in different ways. While there are a few jewels amongst the waves of PCVs that come and go, most are there for the experience of enduring a life outside of United States and coming back to say that they actually made it, and if they are lucky or strong individuals, they were actually able to enjoy it. I found it especially interesting that very few of the Volunteers (most of the ones I became friends with) had a sense of pragmatism and interest in the lives of Turkmen people, while many others didn't. Undoubtedly some PCVs came with the goal of changing Turkmenistan, while others had a strange air of ideological bias that "we are here to show you things that are not necessarily different, but are essentially "better". I believe for most of the latter, the attitudes change in time as they realize that there is much in their way, and that the only difference they can truly make is in their neighborhoods, villages or a group of friends.

With this said however, prior to visiting United States, when I was nine years old, I used to look upon PCVs as characters from movies that were so distant, different yet so interesting. I used to rehearse English phrases over and over in my head prior to approaching a foreigner, to be able to exchange one sentence with him/her, and felt an enormous sense of fulfillment if that foreigner understood me. I still remember the feeling of anxiousness and excitement that I felt when I exchanged my first English words with a PCV named Matthew. In that sense, I think Peace Corps Volunteers help Turkmen youth the most, in providing them with an opportunity to better their English and offer them a window into a world of real knowledge about United States. Undoubtedly, many PCVs bring a positive contribution to the lives of young student participants who get to enjoy taking part in summer camps or other educational activities organized by PCV. If Peace Corps ceased to exist in Turkmenistan, the majority of the population will probably never notice, however the youth will lack that personal interaction with a person from a different part of the world, and many kids will never get to experience the feelings I felt when I first had to speak to a Peace Corps Volunteer at the age of nine.

Maya is originally from Turkmenbashy, Turkmenistan. She is currently studying in the United States.

Does Peace Corps Help Turkmenistan : Yes & No

2010-02-12T05:55:00.000-08:00

by Nate Truitt, T-9
This is a response to the question we posed in an earlier posting.

Yes and no, depending on who you ask.

Perhaps the most important thing I learned in Peace Corps was that, by and large, people in other countries are quite content with their way of life. Of course, they have problems and complaints, as do all of us. But they also place a high value on the attitudes, ideas and traditions that under-gird their day-to-day existence.

With very rare exceptions, no nation thinks of itself as desperately in need of foreign assistance. To the contrary, when people think of how foreigners or foreign organizations might help their own country, they usually define the word "help" in very narrow terms.

This is so evident to me today, that I find it hard to remember what I thought before my Peace Corps service. I think it went something like this: of course Turkmenistan is a poor country, suffering from X, Y and Z. I, as a member of a great nation, inherently understand how to solve X, Y and Z, so therefore I will be a great help to Turkmenistan.

I may have "helped" Turkmenistan, but it was certainly not in the way I had naively anticipated. To the extent that I did help, it was by responding to the narrowly expressed needs of people in my community (English courses, summer camps, after school clubs, etc.) If we asked many of them, "Did Peace Corps help Turkmenistan?" they would answer, "Yes," because Peace Corps responded to their own personal vision of what Turkmenistan needed.

If we asked, on the other hand, teachers of the Russian language whether Peace Corps helped Turkmenistan, we should not be surprised if the answers we received were less enthusiastic. If we asked the U.S. State Department if we helped Turkmenistan, we would surely receive yet another answer. If we asked only ourselves if we helped Turkmenistan, we would receive an entirely different - and probably wildly inaccurate - answer.

The reason, of course, is that each entity or individual has its own, highly-subjective definition of what "help" means.

To conclusively answer the question, "Did we help Turkmenistan?" you would need to do one of two things, neither of which is possible:

1. Identify an objective, irrefutable measure of "help" that would be valid to all perspectives. Occasionally, the international community puts forth candidates for this measure - "education," "capacity building," "felt needs," etc. - but the fact that they change with the years should make us suspect that they, too, are heavily rooted in subjective judgments.

2. Quantify our "helpfulness" according to each individual's criteria, and calculate our total average "helpfulness" based on an aggregate of every individual perspective. This is theoretically possible but extremely tiresome even to contemplate. It might perhaps make a fun drinking game.

In the meantime, it's much easier, and close enough to the truth, to say that we did help Turkmenistan . . . at least according to some people.

(The author served in Turkmenabat from 2000 until Peace Corps was evacuated in September 2001, then returned to help restart the program, serving from 2002 to 2003.)

Turkmenistan's GREAT salt lake: Mollakara

2010-02-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

by Charles Gussow, T-11
As is occasionally apparent, your humble Camel Spit editor was a proud temporary denizen of Balkanabat. Readers will need to forgive this, and other instances of regional boosterism.

Many travelers assume that Balkanabat is not a prime location for aquatic adventure. This is a misconception. Sure, the town is surrounded by high desert and mountains, but that doesn't mean you need to go all the way to Turkmenbashi City and the Caspian Sea to enjoy a day at the beach. Balkanabat is a short taxi or marshrutka (minibus) ride away from Mollakara, a GREAT salt lake, located in the outskirts of Jebel. The saltiness means you become super buoyant as you float around and the high mineral content is believed to have strong health benefits. In fact, after Avaza gets rebuilt, Mollakara is due for a sanatarium upgrade.
Until then, here are some tips for enjoying your trip to Mollakara.

View Larger Map
* Make sure to arrange round trip transportation from and back to downtown Balkanabat. Nothing against Jebel. I hear they have a great chaihana (teahouse). It's just that on a hot August day, it's no fun trying to convince the average taxi driver that you will not pay 10 times the going rate for getting back to Balkanabat when the alternative is a 25km walk through the desert.

* Bring picnic supplies, but keep your eye on your watermelons.
(Background: Turkmenistan has great melons. I'm not making a juvenile double entendre, just stating a fact about Central Asian produce. Rumor has it that in the Soviet era, a Turkmen could bribe himself into a nice hotel room in Moscow by bringing up a couple of melons from the motherland.)
Mollakara is a great place for a picnic, but humans aren't the only ones enjoying the party. There are cows enjoying the lake atmosphere. If there's one thing I know about cows, it's that they will just as soon eat your melons as look at you.

* Best not to shave for a day or two before plunging into the water. Ever hear the phrase, "pouring salt in the wound?" Getting salt in cuts is painful. In fact, it hurts quite badly. Similarly, no matter how persuasive your friends are and no matter how many Zip beers you have enjoyed while waiting to bathe, do not open your eyes under water.

* Bring a beach ball or frisbee, but be prepared to share. Throwing a toy around as you're floating freakishly high in the water is a ton of fun. You're not the only one who will realize this. Launch the ball in the general direction of that group of kids in the corner. They'll probably send it back to you eventually.

* Ladies, gentlemen, let's not get too cuddly. This isn't some shady disco, it's a family area. Also, ladies if you have a long dress that you wouldn't mind bathing in, that wouldn't be amiss. For gender equity, feel free to insist that the men in your group bring along their swimming pants, bathing button down shirt, and aqua tie.

The next time you find yourself in Balkan Welayat, remember that you don't necessarily need to take that 1.5 hour ride to the Caspian Sea when there's a GREAT salt lake a short taxi ride away from the regional capital.

* All rights reserved by author *

Turkmenistan News Round-Up

2010-02-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

It seems that Turkmen/American relations took some interesting turns in the fall.

The circus is back in town! On April 24, the Turkmen State circus will reopen in Ashgabat.

Skiing is coming to Turkmenbashi City. A covered ski run and skating rink will be built in the reconstructed Avaza resort zone. In other Caspian news, the unexpected guests on the Aerosvit flight diverted into Turkmenbashi airport from Baku have written letters to the Turkmen government thanking them for the hospitality and hot meals.

The director of the TV station "Turkmenistan" has been fired and the Minister of Communication reprimanded after a February 4th meeting in which President Berdimuhamedov expressed dissatisfaction with the mass media in the country. A friendly request from Camel Spit - more Lachin Mamedova coverage, please!

President Berdimuhamedov has won the race to be the first world leader to visit the world's tallest tower in Dubai. He was in town to sign a memorandum of understanding to enhance commercial ties between the United Arab Emirates and Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan News Round-Up

2010-02-07T19:51:00.000-08:00

Business Week notes that Turkmenistan is open for business and may provide returns for adventurous investors. ArabianBusiness.com believes that Turkmenistan may become the "Dubai of the Caspian Sea." However, The Economist is more bearish on prospects for this year. India is in the optimistic camp regarding Turkmenistan's economic potential, as it is sending Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur along with a delegation from the Confederation of Indian Industry to explore strengthening business ties between the two nations.

Iran continues to enjoy strong commercial relations with Turkmenistan, with a recent Iranian delegation highlighting the completion of the Turkmenistan-Iran gas pipeline and construction of a rail link between the nations.The Iranian Vice-President indicated his country's desire to open a Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Iran ferry link connecting into the port of Turkmenbashi city.

Turkmenbashi city's airport experienced some more short-term excitement a few days ago - a Ukranian Aerosvit flight from Kiev to Baku had to make an emergency landing in the city's airport due to bad weather.

Plans are underway for Asghabat residents to enjoy more reliable electricity as the city grows. Following Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov's visit to France, he announced that a consortium of European countries will receive a 2.2 billion Euro contract to improve the capital's power grid.

Vancouver Winter Olympics: Sorry, no Turkmen athletes will be competing this year, though that may change someday. Central Asian fans will be able to root for Kazahkstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Uzbekistan, according to Altius.com.

Vegetarian Plov

2010-02-07T19:04:00.000-08:00

Camel Spit's third in an ever-expanding series of plov variations. This recipe suggests the addition of a hard-boiled egg, not exactly a plov standard, to provide a little more protein give some meat-like texture. Letting your guest peel the cooked garlic head and hardboiled egg also adds the element of hands on plov eating which is often missing from American dinner parties. Of course, if you leave out the egg, you will have a perfectly respectable vegan recipe.

Ingredients:1 tbsp (or more) grapeseed oil
1 cup jasmine rice
2 cups water
1 or 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
8 large carrots, cut into long, thin slices. [Slices should be about as long and wide as your pinky, but only 1-2 centimeters thick.]
2 small onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped (+ optional head of garlic)
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp ginger powder (or chopped fresh ginger)
(optional pinch of cinnamon)
(optional fresh jalapeno or chili pepper)
salt and pepper to taste

Spread the grapeseed oil on the bottom of a medium pot, preferably with a thick bottom, and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the coriander, and brown the chopped onions and chopped garlic, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the ginger powder or fresh ginger. If you wish, add the pinch of cinnamon now.

When the onions are soft, add the chickpeas and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

After letting the chickpeas heat thoroughly, about five minutes, turn the heat down to medium low. You have now done with the stirring portion of the recipe! Congratulations. Now resist the temptation to stir.

Spread the carrots over the chickpeas. The carrots should completely cover the layer below it. If you have chopped dried apricots, spread them over the carrot layer. We did not add apricots to the ingredient list because they aren't very Turkmen. We figured meatless plov with the possibility of hardboiled eggs was experimental enough. But, if you do choose to add them, it may be delicious.

Spread the rice over the carrots. The rice should completely cover the layer below it. Sprinkle the rice with coriander, salt and pepper. If you have a head of garlic, stick it into the center of the rice, pointy side down. You can also add the chili pepper.

Slowly pour the water into the pot. Be careful not to disturb the rice layer. The ultimate importance of a careful water pour is the subject of considerable controversy in the Camel Spit Test Kitchen. Your author believes that plov cooked in less than pristine layers can still taste as suyji (sweet/delicious). Others in the kitchen disagree, believing that sloppy plov reflects a sloppy mind.

Cover and cook over medium heat for 35 minutes. If you would like to add the eggs, after 20 minutes, place the eggs into the rice layer, standing with the smaller side up. If the rice is done and there is still water in the pot, cook uncovered until dry. If the water is gone and the rice is not yet done, at additional water a half cup at a time until the rice is cooked.

After the water is absorbed, stir the pot and serve.

Past Projects by Friends of Turkmenistan

2010-02-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

Friends of Turkmenistan (FOT)'s new leadership is busy exploring options for projects to pursue this year. Because we are a member-driven organization, any FoT member can suggest projects for the organization. So, if you have any idea you're passionate about and are willing to work to help realize it (and have paid your dues at NPCA or by sending a check for $15 to FoT), let us know!

To get your creative juices flowing, here are some of the projects that FoT has undertaken in the past.

* Turkmenistan academic scholarship competition. To encourage graduate-level study of Turkmenistan, a team of outside readers chose the best paper or public health poster on Turkmenistan to receive a small scholarship. The winning scholar wrote about HIV prevalence among sex workers in Turkmenistan.

* Buddy program - RPCVs volunteered to be community contacts for UGRAD and Muskie fellows studying in their hometown.

* Community center support - FoT sent books and office supplies to two resource centers in Mary Welayat, building on a Peace Corps project that has been successfully picked up by the community

* Created PowerPoint presentation for teachers and RPCVs to use in introducing Turkmenistan to students. Available at FoT's homepage: http://friendsofturkmenistan.org/Teachers.html

* Hosted pre-departure parties for Peace Corps Trainee groups traveling to Turkmenistan.

Peace Corps Memories: The Beekeepers

2010-02-05T07:50:00.000-08:00

by Kenyon Weaver, T-12

Pamoimoo (to my mind). To me and my two Peace Corps compatriots, Derek and Ben, the word “beekeepers” triggers a response worthy of Proust.

It was our first night in Dashoguz City, which meant it was our last night of the trip to meet our permanent host families. As small and navigable as Dashoguz is, T-12 Ben and I were new and clueless; we latched onto guide and mentor T-11 Derek. The plan was simple: Meet up with the other T-12s at the American Corner, transfer to the Dashoguz Hotel, stay overnight, then pile into the first plane in the morning back to Ashgabat.

Somehow, the second step never followed the first. That is the truly hazy part: how we even got to the beekeepers’ place in the first place, since both the American Corner and the hotel are
on the same street—the main avenue—a mere five minutes’ walk from one another. Was it by choice? It was—it must have been—even though the way I remember it, it seemed necessary and inevitable that we should accept the beekeepers’ invitation.

We three arrived at the American Corner with our dusty backpacks. Closed. One door opposite the Corner was open and lit, however, and inside sat an older and a younger woman. Derek’s Turkmen flowed naturally: Hi there, who are you? We are the Beekeepers, they answered, as though it were a feudal title. Tell us more, Derek said, amiably. Tea and brochures followed, standard black and white trifolds that explained in Turkmen and Russian about the organization. The tea warmed the hands; although the days were pleasant in October, the desert climate turns cold at night.

Ben and I tried our classroom-polished Turkmen that still had the lisp characteristic of Ashgabat. The usual questions were hardly banal when you had a language to practice: We’re Americans, we’re here with the Peace Corps, we teach English and health, we are on our way back to Ashgabat in the morning, we are staying at a hotel. Why don’t you stay over at our place, they asked. Say no more—where is the hotel, anyway?

The beekeepers’ place, a classic Soviet brick one-story home, was just a few minutes’ walk away. Slipping off our backpacks and settling at the low table, the mhymanchilik (hospitality - Turkmen style) had begun. The rest of the night I have only memories stitched together without a narrative: an Uzbek grandfather with a snuff bottle in hand explaining about the old days, bottles of bugday (wheat, ie moonshine) vodka that refilled themselves, toasts about Turkmenistan and America and friendship forever, Korean salads and apricot-flavored plov, mangled Turkmen sentences that degenerated with each passing stogram (big shot), and finally – whoa! – a bright fluorescent light and suddenly it’s six in the morning and there are fried eggs on the table, one for each of us. Time to get going—standby on the next flight was not an option. We thanked our hosts profusely, in breath that must have reeked of cottonseed oil and fermented grains.

Sending Care Packages to Volunteers

2010-02-04T09:31:00.000-08:00

by Sheryl Abrahams, T-11
In honor of Turkmenistan inviting a new group of Peace Corps Trainees to start service in the spring, we are pleased to share the following hints for those looking to brighten the day of a loved one serving in our favorite corner of Central Asia.

Nothing makes a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV)’s day like receiving a package! But with increased postage costs, it’s always nice to know that you’re sending the right thing. Here are some suggestions from returned PCVs to make sure you get the most for your money when mailing parcels to Turkmenistan.

WHAT NOT TO SEND
- Krispy Kreme doughnuts: This is not because PCVs won’t eat 3-week old Krispy Kremes that have just come halfway across the world in a cardboard box. It’s because we WILL. Every last one, in one sitting, all while telling ourselves that the green spots starting to appear on the top are ‘sprinkles.’ We just don’t need this kind of temptation.
- Tea: By the time your PCV has finished his/her service, s/he will have consumed approximately 7,000 cups of tea, all without any help from you. Trust us, tea is one thing that your PCV will not do without at any time. Ever.
- Unmarked powders: Though it seems like a no-brainer, this has been done before! Don’t send your PCV baby powder or cream of tartar in a Ziploc bag, for obvious reasons. Keep it in the original, marked container, or just let your PCV go to the Turkish supermarket in Ashgabat.
- Snickers: Turkmenistan’s shops and bazaars are stocked with these, the saving grace of not-yet acclimated PCVs looking for a little taste of heaven. Same goes for M&Ms, at least in many parts of the country.
- Most any toiletries (soap, shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, razors, lotion, nail polish): These are all available for purchase in most any local bazaar, including familiar brands like Suave, Pantene, Nivea and Colgate. Cosmetics are more difficult to find, since most Turkmen women (and men, for that matter) don’t use them.
- Dill, parsley, garlic and bay leaves: While spices are a popular package-stuffer, these three are available year-round at any self-respecting Turkmen bazaar.
- Feminine products: These are available free from the PC Medical Officer (PCMO), and are name brand and of the same quality one would find in the US. Better to empty out the box and use it as camouflage for other items you don’t want stolen in transit.

WHAT TO SEND
- Permanent markers: Good markers, and other good-quality office supplies, can still be hard to find, and expensive. A nice set of multi-colored Sharpies will come in handy for both Health and TEFL Volunteers.
- Gifts for kids: These can be given to host family relatives for birthdays, and used as prizes for students in classes, after-school clubs, or camps. Coloring books are very well received by Turkmen children, and usually unavailable in country. Often what matters is that the gift is from ‘The America.’
- Cooking spices like curry powder, cinnamon, ginger, and oregano: It’s fun for Turkmen host families to try these new flavors, and they can give your PCV a taste of home on days when s/he craves something more familiar.
- Photos from back home: Perhaps the only completely valid stereotype about Turkmen is that they love photographs. Your PCV’s host family doesn’t know you, but based on his/her stories, they feel as if they do. Capture family birthdays, vacations, weddings, and other events and enclose hard copies in your letters and packages. The shared photo viewing will be a great way for your PCV to bond with his/her host community.

Turkmen President Visits France

2010-02-02T11:39:00.000-08:00

President Berdymukhammedov is visiting France to meet with President Nicolas Sarkozy. According to RFE/RL, Berdymukhammedov and Sarkozy "expressed satisfaction about the continuing dialogue on human rights issues between the EU and Turkmenistan."

In other areas of satisfactory cooperation, the French construction company VINCI looks forward to new business opportunities in Turkmenistan, building on the legacy of Bouygues, a French firm which has demonstrated admirable efficiency in managing construction projects in residential areas.

Palow, Afghan Style

2010-02-01T21:11:00.000-08:00

by Sheryl Abrahams, T-11 [modified from recipe by Rebecca Walton Chirak, T-11]

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
0.25-0.5 cup vegetable oil, depending on your taste (olive oil works well)
4-5 cut-up chicken pieces, such as drumsticks and thighs
2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
3 cloves garlic, minced
0.5 cup seedless raisins (golden raisins work best)
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
1/4 tsp saffron
5-6 cups chicken broth (If you can manage it, using homemade broth will make this dish absolutely amazing. Substitute water for some of the broth if needed.)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a large, heavy pot, brown the onion in the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken parts and cook until browned on each side. Add the carrots and garlic and cook another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the rice and cook another 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (raisins, spices and broth), and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer according to directions on rice package, probably about 20 minutes.

Serve hot and make sure your guests are forced to have seconds.

* All rights reserved by authors *

Turkmenistan News Sites

2010-02-01T15:30:00.000-08:00

Not sure that Camel Spit is giving you all possible information about current events in Turkmenistan? Go to the following sites to satisfy your curiosity about the home of the Golden Century!

Turkmenistan.ru
http://www.turkmenistan.ru/?lang_id=en&&sort=date_desc
Turkmenistan Golden Age News Site (In Russian)
http://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/
Turkmenistan Official Magazine
http://www.turkmenistaninfo.ru/?lang_id=en&&sort=date_desc
Turkmenistan news from the horse's mouth.

Eurasianet
http://www.neweurasia.net/category/turkmenistan/
Eurasianet has its very own Turkmenistan blog. Not that I'm competitive, but you'll find nary a recipe on that site. Fake translations of PCV conversations? Nope. It is, however, informative and funny. The Russian version has different content, so load it in the Google translator if you're not up on the language.
Through Eurasianet, you can also subscribe to email updates from OSI's Turkmenistan project. You can enter your email address on the main page at http://www.eurasianet.org/resource/turkmenistan/index.shtml

Times of Central Asia
http://www.timesca.com/index.php?option=com_juser&task=UserRegistration

You can sign up for a free weekly newsletter or get the full web version for $15 a month, with various deals for multiple month subscriptions.

News Central Asia
http://www.newscentralasia.net/
Internet news agency headquartered in Ashgabat.

BBC Country Page Turkmenistan
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1298497.stm
Unfortunately, this page is infrequently updated. But it has good general info and the occasional interesting news story.

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Turkmen Service
http://www.rferl.org/section/Turkmenistan/163.html
U.S.-funded news and information site.

News Round-Up

2010-01-31T14:19:00.000-08:00

Attention Wedding Planners: The NY Times advises you to discourage unwelcome friends from attending your wedding by telling them you plan to host the ceremony in Ashgabat. Clearly the Social Q's author has not considered the advantages of a destination wedding at the Iceberg Cafe.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/fashion/24social.html?scp=4&sq=turkmenistan&st=cse

The Turkmen government is allowing some university students to study abroad after a 6 month delay. Students attending university in Bulgaria have been allowed to leave, while those studying at American University of Central Asia have not yet been allowed to return to Kyrgyzstan.
Source: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/news/articles/eav012910c.shtml
However, some students will be encouraged to study overseas. The Ministry of Culture and Broadcasting of Turkmenistan has announced a photography and video contest called "Moments." The winner of the contest will earn awards including cash and the opportunity to study abroad.
http://turkmenistan.ru/?page_id=3&lang_id=en&elem_id=16271&type=event&sort=date_desc

University students in Ashgabat are also in the news. The Turkmen-Turkish University team came in 4th at the Commonwealth of Independent States international cup for club teams. While the team earned its berth in the quarter finals with a tournament record of one win and two defeats gave "rise to talks about their 'excessive' luck," the team beat Uzbekistan's champion Bunyodkorto advance to the semi-finals. Sadly, the streak ended with Russia's Rubin fielded a youthful squad which beat the intrepid students 4-0. Despite the disparity of the score, Turkmenistan.ru reports that Rubin striker Igor Portnyagin conceded, "To prevent any fortuitousness in the game, it was necessary for us to act with maximum dedication, which we did."
Source: http://turkmenistan.ru/?page_id=12&lang_id=en&elem_id=16263&type=event&sort=date_desc

While Turkey is helping Turkmenistan win football games, China is helping Turkmenistan pull natural gas out of Yolatan. The Economist asks the all-important question, what does China expect in return?
Source: http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15393705

After the summit between the Turkmen and Belarussian premiers, Belarus had its own cooperative projects in Turkmenistan to announce. Their contribution will be a 250 km stretch of railroad and a glass making facility.
Source: http://law.by/work/EnglPortal.nsf/0/8F88E011392D0B65C22576B400554472?OpenDocument

Finally, the director of Russian energy giant Gazprom wrote an editorial extolling the virtues of the company's time-honored partnership with the Central Asian states, notably Turkmenistan.

Source: http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-199824-105-opinion-gazprom-and-central-asia-a-time-honored-and-long-term-partnership.html

Breakfast with host mother

2010-01-28T12:49:00.000-08:00

By Charles Gussow (T-11)

Conversation between Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) and his host mother (Eje), as remembered by the PCV. Translated from the Turkmen.
Eje:    Good morning, dear son! I hope that you had restful sleep.
PCV:     It was restful, thank you. I'm always amazed that sleeping on a dushek can be so comfortable. People in the U.S. could learn something from the Turkmen. You can't just throw money around and expect happiness. Simple solutions can work so well.
Eje:    Maybe you could start a an import company when you return home and become rich on Turkmen technology! Just remember to send some money to us.
PCV:    Sure! We'll call it Eje's Therapuetic Sleep System.
Eje:     You're so funny! Would you like some tea while I make you breakfast?
PCV:    Yes, please. Would you like me to help you?
Eje:    Don't be silly. I'm your mother. It's my pleasure to serve you. You work so hard helping our community by teaching our children how to be healthy.
PCV:    You're so great.

Conversation as remembered by Eje. Translated from the Turkmen.
Eje:    (Glancing meaningfully at wall clock showing 10:15 am) Good morning, sonny. You sure seemed to enjoy sleeping this morning.
PCV:    Yes. Sleeping dushek comfortable. America needs what teaching. Money not fix all. Plain good.
Eje:    If money's not that important to Americans, you should go home, start a business, and send all those American dollars to me!
PCV:    Yes! We name it Eje Hospital Sleep Role.
Eje:    You're ridiculous. Sit down and drink your tea so that I can get myself organized in the kitchen.
PCV:    Yes. I help?
Eje:    Stop joking. You're my guest and it's my duty to serve you. If you want to work hard, spend your effort on the community, helping our children.
PCV:    Yes. You great.

*All rights reserved by author*

Turkmenistan: The Music Videos

2010-01-27T12:56:00.000-08:00

Pining for Turkmenistan? YouTube has you covered. A little Internet searching (read: procrastination) found music video tributes for the capital cities. Well, Mary's isn't so much a music video as a car ride.

Asghabat: The City of Love has music videos in two modes: Sexy rap and melodic techno.

Balkanabat: The intrepid students of School 15 show that hard core Russian rap is as appropriate to Balkan Welayat as Moscow.

Dashoguz: Sting shows he is the Karakum desert rose in this slideshow. The second offering sends the viewer on a virtual taxi ride, in HD.

Mary: More music, more cars. Turkmen techno, with a dancing car in a toi convoy.

Turkmenabat: Live footage, with the most nostalgic music I've heard all week.

Gozel! No, she's not a city. But no music video survey would be complete without the queen of Turkmen pop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAyV-iyaMPc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAY1gBvBPIs

Call for answers: Does Peace Corps help Turkmenistan? Why/Why not?

2010-01-26T19:12:00.000-08:00

by Charles Gussow, T-11

As many of you know, Turkmenistan initially invited, then declined to issue visas to the Volunteer group set to arrive in autumn 2009. An agreement has since been reached to invite a smaller group, consisting only of health volunteers, to begin service this spring.

Given the ambivalence shown by the Turkmen government, now is an opportune moment to ask - Is the Peace Corps good for Turkmenistan? Why or why not?

Obviously, Peace Corps has immeasurably enriched the lives of Volunteers who experience Turkmen culture, learned new languages, and broadened their worldview. Similarly, the Turkmen citizens who interact with Volunteers learn about another country, gain new skills, and sometimes find friendship with someone from a wildly different background from their home.

But these clear individual gains must be the beginning, not the end of the discussion about the role of Peace Corps. These experiences, dear to us all, are paid for by funds from the U.S. government, Turkmen government, and host community members. US Peace Corps dollars represent money that is not going into USAID grants for Turkmenistan; space allocated by Turkmen governmental bodies for the use of Volunteer-sponsored community centers is space not being used for a classroom; hours spent by a nurse helping a Volunteer translate a health poster into Turkmen are hours that could be spent earning extra money for his or her family.

Given that Peace Corps Turkmenistan, as in every country, entails community and national expenses, what are the community and national benefits that Turkmenistan receives? What metrics can we use to track those benefits? How can we know whether public benefits outweigh public costs? Does it even matter?

Share your comments below or by emailing them to me at charles@friendsofturkmenistan.org.

Turkmenistan Is Organizing a Navy

2010-01-25T12:39:00.000-08:00

First, the nice thing about writing for friends of Turkmenistan is that we don't need to address any snarky comments about why a landlocked country would need a navy. Comments regarding Kyrgyz naval efforts are very much on the table.

The navy, to be ready by 2015, may signal a more aggressive defense of Caspian Sea interests. The composition of the force indicates cooperation with at least some of their neighbors (and friends of their neighbors), as ships were procured from Ukraine, Iran, Russia, and the US.

On land, Belarus and Turkmenistan have signed a separate military cooperation agreement, part of President Berdimuhamedov's visit to Belarus.

Tracking Turkmen Data

2010-01-24T11:24:00.000-08:00

(updated from a 2007 Camel Spit article by Sheryl Abrahams, T-11)
The original article actually pulled some of the data from these sources in readable and informative tables. Unfortunately, your humble editor does not yet have the Blogger skills to translate that into a web posting. So, for now, readers will need to navigate to the pages to pull the data themselves. Happy tracking!

Gap Minder

Gap Minder is a great tool for tracking income (measured by inflation adjusted GDP) and health (measured by life expectancy at birth). This link takes you to data for Turkmenistan from 1955 to 2007.
World Bank
The web site of the World Bank is another useful source of information on economic, education and health-related indicators. Turkmenistan's page contains “Data and Statistics” with detailed data on health and demographics, education, economic development, and information technology access. Some indicators are available from 1985-2008, allowing
for trends to be tracked over time. Of particular note is the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) report. Though hotly debated, many development experts and funding organizations view MDG figures as the gold standard for country tracking, so it is interesting to see how Turkmenistan stands.

Links to downloadable copies of WB-issued written reports on Turkmenistan’s development and infrastructure are also available through this page.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
The UNDP is an excellent source for a number of human development indicators. Indicators are available for categories ranging from health and sanitation, to maternal and child health and survival, to women’s political participation, to energy and the environment, to technology diffusion and creation. Turkmenistan's fact sheet can be accessed here. Information available from UNDP includes indicators such as the human development index (and HDI rankings by country), GDP per capita, life expectancy at birth in both 1970-75 and 2000-05, demographic trends over the past 30 years, percent of population under the age of 15 and over the age of 65, public health and education expenditures as a percent of GDP, number of physicians per 100,000 people, and the female economic activity rate.

United Nations' Children's Fund (UNICEF)
UNICEF contains information on maternal and child health and key demographic indicators for a wide range of countries, including the under-5 mortality rate, the annual number of births, annual population growth rate, annual average rate of reduction in under-5 mortality, and nutritional indicators. Statistics on Turkmenistan are available here.

Public Health Career Resources

2010-01-24T11:12:00.000-08:00

by Sheryl Abrahams, T-11

Want to work in global health? Public health career resources for newly-returned PCVs and newly-minted MPHs.

Organizations to consider: the following non-profit organizations are global-health focused, or have large global health programs.

· CARE, Los Angeles, CA, Atlanta, GA, Washington, DC and international: www.care.org
· The Carter Center, Atlanta, GA: www.cartercenter.org
· Family Health International, Arlington, VA, Durham, NC and international offices: www.fhi.org
· EngenderHealth, New York, NY and international offices: www.engenderhealth.org
· Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA, Washington, DC, and New Delhi, India: www.gatesfoundation.org
· Elisabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Washington, DC, Santa Monica, CA, and international offices: www.pedaids.org
· Global Health Council, Washington, DC and White River Junction, Vermont offices: www.globalhealth.org
· IntraHealth, Chapel Hill, NC and international: www.intrahealth.org
· IPAS, Chapel Hill, NC and international: www.ipas.org
· Project HOPE, Millwood, VA and international: www.projecthope.org

Public Health Jobs web sites:
Emory University School of Public Health Public Health Employment Connection: http://cfusion.sph.emory.edu/PHEC/phec.cfm

Association of Schools of Public Health Employment Resource:
www.publichealthjobs.net

American Public Health Association CareerMart:
http://www.apha.org/about/careers/careermart/

Bragging rights for Lebap

2010-01-22T08:00:00.001-08:00

Turkmenistan's athlete of the year for 2009 was a 23 year old resident of Turkmenabat (formerly Charjew) who won the Asian Championship for lightweight boxing.

Ashgabat boosters can get some consolation from the recent victory of Orif Buharakov in Turkmenistan's first knife throwing competition. But, in the spirit of full disclosure, it must be noted that his victory took place in the absence of indisputable Turkmen knife throwing champion and Mary resident, Jawad Achilov.

Low-Fat Plov Recipe

2010-01-21T09:35:00.000-08:00

Camel Spit is throwing the gauntlet! Your loyal editor claims that the following is the best Americanized plov recipe out there. What do you say?

Low-Fat Chicken Plov (reprinted from Dec. 2006 camel spit)
by Charles Gussow (T-11)

A certain amount of controversy exists around this recipe. The intent is to capture the Sunday plov taste we all remember, without slowly killing ourselves by guzzling cotton seed oil. However, some RCPVs note that the final product, “just tastes like chicken and rice.” In contrast, FoT Vice President (and wife) Kelsey Beckner, raves, “This is the best dish I’ve ever eaten. You are a genius, Charles. In appreciation for your efforts in creating this recipe, I will do all of the housework from now on.” At least that’s how he remembers the conversation.

2 Chicken breasts, chopped
2 Onions, sliced
3 cloves Garlic, diced
1/2 pound carrots (or more), sliced into long strips
2 cups of Rice
1 cup of Chicken broth
1 cup water
2-4 tablespoons Canola or vegetable oil
Garlic powder
Salt
Paprika
Head of garlic (optional)
Jalapeno pepper (optional)
Dried apricot (optional)
Craisins (optional)
Remember to use a heavy pot with a lid.

1) Mix the chopped chicken breast slices with the onions and diced garlic. Season with salt, and paprika.

2) Coat the bottom of the pot with a small amount of canola/vegetable oil. Though it takes a couple of tablespoons, it’s less than the bottle-emptying daiza pour. Turn the burner to medium high and wait for the pot to get hot.

3) Brown the chicken, stirring infrequently, until the meat gets that crunchy layer we all remember and love. At this point, pour in some of the chicken broth. The broth should cover about half the width of the chicken.

4) Turn the heat down to medium. Add the carrots as a layer which entirely covers the chicken. If you are adding dried fruit, place on top of the carrots now.

5) Add the dry rice to the top of the carrots. Season the rice with paprika, salt, and garlic powder.
Stick the entire head of unpeeled garlic into the rice, as well as a jalapeno pepper.

6) Add the remaining water and broth. Cover the pot and check occasionally to see how the water is absorbing. If the water is gone before the rice is soft, add more. If the rice is almost done and there’s a lot of water left, open the top for awhile.

7) As always, remember not to stir anything until you serve.

*All rights reserved by author*

Gas holiday

2010-01-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

January has been a busy month for Turkmenistan's natural gas diplomacy, with a new Minister appointed and deals completed or contemplated with a number of countries. Complete coverage of these deals can be found elsewhere on the Internet.

There is a more concrete benefit of all that activity for Peace Corps Volunteers in Turkmenistan: a new holiday! In honor of the Turkmen-Kazakhstan-China pipepline, December 14th will be Oil and Gas Industry Geology Worker Day. If English teachers are serving in Turkmenistan by next December, Turkmen students can enjoy watching a Liberal Arts major try to explain the similarities and differences between American & Turkmen hydrocarbon extraction techniques. Good luck PCVs!

Arch of Neutrality

2010-01-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

Future PCVs and other visitors to Ashgabat will no longer be able to enjoy the view from the Arch of Neutrality, according to January 18th reports from the Neutral Turkmenistan. The "Three Legs" monument is coming down as part of an urban renovation project. Fans of Permanent Neutrality need not be dismayed, as the Turkmen President announced that a new "Monument to Neutrality" will be built.

Available at: Turkmenistan.ru

Etiquette Lesson: How to Drop Your Peace Corps Service In Any Social Setting

2010-01-20T14:15:00.001-08:00

by Charles Gussow (T-11)

There are many reasons you may want to communicate that you were an RPCV in Turkmenistan: making new friends, impressing potential romantic partners, cowing your enemies, or applying for a job well beyond your qualification range (though running an etrap-wide day camp should really count as experience managing an international NGO). The problem is how to let everyone know that you were the best Volunteer in the toughest country of service without people getting the wrong-headed idea that you have a big ego. FoT is here to help.

Tactic 1: Marry another RPCV. When people ask where you met, respond, Turkmenistan, when we were in Peace Corps, serving our country… you’re welcome.” You may, however, find this tactic does not help find new romantic partners. But, there is a common misperception that this approach requires that you laid some groundwork while serving. Not true! Simply call an old sitemate, travel buddy or casual acquaintance from PDM Conference and explain the valuable networking you could accomplish by marrying not only your souls, but your Close of Service records. Just remember to invite FoT to the wedding!

Tactic 2: Pretend you see a Turkmen person in the crowd. Shout a friendly “Salaam! Gowami?” in their direction. When it turns out the person isn’t Turkmen, say, “I’m sorry, I could have sworn your scarf pattern was reminiscent of the stylized gül pattern favored by the Yomut people of western Turkmenistan… oh yes, I learned all about local handicraft when I was in Peace Corps, serving our country…. you’re welcome.”

Tactic 3: Use comparatives. “I haven’t been this hot since that day in Gurbanguly, Turkmenistan…when I was in Peace Corps, serving our country….you’re welcome.”

Tactic 4: Name your pet, car, child or bicep after a Turkmen geographical feature. This is highly effective, assuming you bring little “Kopet Dag” or “Garagum Canal” with you to parties.

Tactic 5: Always wear your group’s Peace Corps t-shirt. Unfortunately, some groups made t-shirts a little too subtle, so don’t be afraid to sew a Peace Corps patch and/or Turkmenistan flag patch to get the point across.

*All rights reserved by author.*

Spicy Manty Recipe (for American Kitchens)

2010-01-20T14:07:00.001-08:00

by Sheryl Abrahams, T-11

For those who like a little kick to their manty. Also good for RPCVs who have trouble re-creating their ejes’ (host mother's) dough:

•1 package frozen spinach, chopped
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•1 clove garlic, minced
•1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce*, or less for milder dumplings
•Pinch of salt
•1 package refrigerated wonton wrappers (usually found in the produce section of the grocery store, near the tofu)

Thaw the spinach and mix with the next four ingredients. Wet each wonton wrapper with a pastry brush, then fill and fold into the familiar manty shape. Spray down a stovetop steam insert with cooking spray, and arrange manty so that individual dumplings do not touch. Steam for about 10 minutes, in batches if necessary.
To balance the heat with a cool dipping sauce, mix 3 parts sour cream to 1 part cream cheese and add salt to taste.
*Sometimes referred to as “Rooster” sauce; it can be found in most grocery stores in a clear squeeze bottle with a green top and a picture of a rooster.