The following is a post by Steven Mulvain, Vice Consul.
It’s almost the end of the year, a time when the embassy starts to feel emptier as our hard-working local staff, as well as the Ambassador and the other British staff, take a well-earned break to enjoy the festive season and spend time with friends and family.
It’s been a busy year for Tajikistan. After a particularly harsh winter which lasted until the middle of March, Tajikistan hosted the successful fifth Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) shortly afterwards.
It was also great to see Tajikistan at London 2012, where Mavzuna Chorieva became the first female medal winner for the country, taking bronze in the female boxing.
More recently, President Putin has made a state visit to Dushanbe, and Tajikistan has just joined the World Trade Organization – ahead of other neighbours such as Kazakhstan. Just as people in the UK can reflect on an amazing year, with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Tajiks can look back on the last 12 months and see what an eventful year it has been in their own country too.
I am going to be ‘manning the fort’ at our Embassy in Dushanbe during the holiday week – a prospect which is both novel and quite daunting. One of the great things about working for an embassy is that you never really know what each day might bring, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a quiet few days in Tajikistan!
This will also be the first Christmas that I haven’t spent in the UK. Instead, my friends and I will be spending the day together with food (not all good, I’m sure, since I’m making some of it), music, old DVDs, and a crazy dog who believes he’s a person (he will probably get most of the food I’ve cooked).
But there are far worse places to be than Dushanbe during the holidays. I’ve noticed how the city has become ever more colourful and bright in recent weeks: the streets, shops, and restaurants are looking very festive, with New Year trees for sale and decorations lighting up many windows.
I know that many Tajik people will be buying small gifts for their families and preparing for parties on New Year’s Eve. I also know that many foreigners working and living in Tajikistan will be included in some of those parties – another example of the world-renowned hospitality of Tajiks.
One of my favourite things around town at the moment is the trees; here, there is a tradition of putting a ‘yolka‘ in the house and promising children that Ded Moroz will soon be coming to give out presents. We’ll be doing just that ourselves for the children of embassy staff tomorrow, which means that there is a lot of present-wrapping going on in the office at the moment!
For those of us who are staying in Dushanbe, it would be great to hear about how readers of this blog will be spending the holidays, wherever in the world you might be. You can leave a comment using the text box below.
Season’s Greetings and a Happy New Year to all.
Steven, great blog. Very positive! I hope you enjoyed your first Christmas that you haven’t spent in the UK.
Dear Sir
Please kindly let me know do you have any holidays during March and April ?
I want visit Tajikistan and also apply for UK visa from your embaasy in Dushanba ,,,
Hi Mohammad,
You can see a list of the Embassy’s holidays here: http://ukintajikistan.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/holiday-closures/
You can find information about visas from the UKBA website: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/
Nice Article , Yes Dushanbe is the great place to visit and there are lots of best things about Dushanbe.
May the Lord prepare you for the coming year! Amen.
Dear Mr. Robin Ord-Smith.
dear Mr. Steven Mulvain, Vice Consul,
it ´s really interesting (for me ) to read this report. Although I thaught by reading the headline : “Oh, just another Christmas peace appeal.” After I had read completely I thaught:” What a great and fascinating story. Like a time – capsule of 2012″. Well , I ´ve never heard of this “Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan – RECCA ” but I think that this is another small step into the right direction. Or that Tajikistan has already joined the WTO. If I ´m correct not only Kazakhstan but also Russia have so far DECLARED to join this Organization in 2013.It ´s great ( and the picture is full of joy ) that Mrs. Mavzuna Chorieva became the 1st. female medal winner for Tajikistan at this year ´s Olympics at all. To me it ´s quite amazing to read about a “Crazy Dog” who believes that ” he is a person.” For my 1st.dog always wanted to be tread like a queen. So maybe a little bit more weird. But what a horror at New Year ´s Eve for she, like myself, just couldn ´t stand all these rockets and that din noise. Much more important to me is the fact that the Tajik-People will enjoy a peacefully Christmas and going out for party. It speaks for itself and for this country if so many foreigners are celebrating these parties together. Personally I will go home and stay for 2 weeks in Wales/Cymru. Which means nothing but that I had to improve my Welsh urgently again. In other words : Season ´s greetings, a ” FROHES FESCHTLE” + a “HAPPY NEW YEAR” from Stuttgart- but a “HAWYL FAUR ” and a ” NADOLIG LLAWEN” from Caerdydd !
Bw, Ingo-Steven Wais