November 1, 2008
It’s the first week of November, and I think winter is starting. Or, *nervous laugh* maybe this is just the ‘overture’ – a free-spirited, superficial intro to the real thing. And, if this is the case: I WILL die this winter …. And my eulogy will read: I wanted to get my package from the post office first.
And so, here it is… My two cents on the ex-Soviet bureaucratic institution called the ‘pochta’ (a.k.a. post office): They need a make-over! It’s time for a sassy Fed-Ex employee to come and show these people how it’s done!
I’ve waited in an empty post office while a female employee finished her tea and gossiped about her plans for the summer before being helped. And, perhaps ‘helped’ is the wrong word here because I’ve never actually been ‘helped’ at the pochta … Only left wondering how such an institution is left standing. Enough said.
On a lighter and more positive note, I’ve been meaning to write about my thoughts on hospitality – Kyrgyz hospitality and how that of Americans generally pales in comparison.
I’m currently reading the book “Three Cups of Tea,” a real-life story about an American man’s mission to build schools for poor villages in Pakistan’s Northern areas and I’ve found striking similarities between Kyrgyz culture and that of the Balti – the people described by the book’s author. The strongest similarity is the high value placed on hospitality, especially hospitality to strangers, or foreigners.
Not a day goes by here that I’m not invited to someone’s home for tea. Hospitality is an obligation and a matter of pride for the Kyrgyz. Certainly, one would be ashamed if they didn’t open their home to a new friend or co-worker. Which should be surprising, given the obvious excuse not to have guests: the Kyrgyz are a poor people. Americans, alternatively, are not and in my opinion could afford to learn from the Kyrgyz example.
So, next time you see your neighbor in the driveway, ask him or her for tea or coffee … it is that easy. And with all the depression and isolation issues people are having in our country this could be a cheap solution.
It’s the first week of November, and I think winter is starting. Or, *nervous laugh* maybe this is just the ‘overture’ – a free-spirited, superficial intro to the real thing. And, if this is the case: I WILL die this winter …. And my eulogy will read: I wanted to get my package from the post office first.
And so, here it is… My two cents on the ex-Soviet bureaucratic institution called the ‘pochta’ (a.k.a. post office): They need a make-over! It’s time for a sassy Fed-Ex employee to come and show these people how it’s done!
I’ve waited in an empty post office while a female employee finished her tea and gossiped about her plans for the summer before being helped. And, perhaps ‘helped’ is the wrong word here because I’ve never actually been ‘helped’ at the pochta … Only left wondering how such an institution is left standing. Enough said.
On a lighter and more positive note, I’ve been meaning to write about my thoughts on hospitality – Kyrgyz hospitality and how that of Americans generally pales in comparison.
I’m currently reading the book “Three Cups of Tea,” a real-life story about an American man’s mission to build schools for poor villages in Pakistan’s Northern areas and I’ve found striking similarities between Kyrgyz culture and that of the Balti – the people described by the book’s author. The strongest similarity is the high value placed on hospitality, especially hospitality to strangers, or foreigners.
Not a day goes by here that I’m not invited to someone’s home for tea. Hospitality is an obligation and a matter of pride for the Kyrgyz. Certainly, one would be ashamed if they didn’t open their home to a new friend or co-worker. Which should be surprising, given the obvious excuse not to have guests: the Kyrgyz are a poor people. Americans, alternatively, are not and in my opinion could afford to learn from the Kyrgyz example.
So, next time you see your neighbor in the driveway, ask him or her for tea or coffee … it is that easy. And with all the depression and isolation issues people are having in our country this could be a cheap solution.
1 comment:
OMG, yes, remember when I moved to the states I used to tell you how Romanians always have guests over, that you are never lonely like in the states. Isn't it much nicer to have company than sitting alone in your home in front of the tv or computer? I DO miss that. YOu come to realize how alienated people are in US.
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