October 1, 2008
Greetings from the land of the Turkmen. We are staying in the Hotel Turkmentistan, which is apparently not the nicest of hotels, but is completely comfortable (at least as nice as anywhere I stayed in my trip to the Mideast). Outside our window – I have the room with a very nice girl from Flint, Michigan – you can see the Arch of Neutrality. This is the rocket-ship-like construction that supports the golden rotating statue of Niyazov, in a triumphant pose. If it weren’t a symbol of authoritarian rule, it would seem like something out of Las Vegas, as it is adorned with neon light at night, and changes color like the Empire State Building, only every few seconds.
From what I have seen of the capital, the whole city resembles the monument district of Washington, D.C. with grand while marble everywhere. Near the Peace Corps office, the buildings have Spanish roof tiles and stucco sides so that, with the dry air, you could mistake for California, if you weren’t looking too closely. As the Country Director pointed out today, Turkmenistan has tons of oil and natural gas, combined with a history of neutrality, so the wealth is evident in the capital. However, we will not be here for long; Friday we move into our small training groups for intensive Turmken study. In the Villages, the need for development will be instantly more evident.
Amid this loosely familiar scene, there is still evidence of traditional Turkmen notions. While the men wear western clothes, many of the women wear the traditional dress, with embroidery along the collar and down a panel in the front. Still other women wear pants and some I have seen wearing short skirts, but I believe they were Russian. Still, the neon glamor with post-Soviet sensibilities does not seem congruous with my fantasy of Turkmen culture. I guess I will see about the reality of that soon enough.
