In Murgab, even though I opted for the :no electricity: guesthouse to save some money, I slept very well! It was mainly due to the fact that the first blanket weighed at least 10 pounds, and there were collections of furs on top of that one, so endless to say, I slept like a baby. Murgab operates kind of on it’s own time, literally. As in some people go by Dushanbe time, and some Kyrgyz, so having to meet my taxi driver at 10:00 was incredibly confusing. Naturally, he didn’t show up, and randomly meeting a girl who spoke english, she called him up. “Oh, I’m in Khorog now”. This, the guy who JUST LAST NIGHT was in Murgab, 7 hours from Khorog. She apparently swore at him a bunch and told him to fix it. So sooner or later, this guys buddy came to pick me up. After filling the rest of the SUV with passengers, we were off to Khorog.
This was the heart of the Pamir highway, and the essential reason I came to this part of the world. Known as the “roof of the world”, this (albeit mostly dirt and potholed) road soars alongside endless peaks of incredible ruggedness that went on seemingly forever. This is a nations of mountains, and we were in the heart of them.
One of the passengers, a customs officer, spoke English (and 5 other languages of course), so we naturally had a lot to talk about on our journey. Of note was the role of Tajikistan in Central Asia. He had a bit of a negative outlook on things, which is unfortunate. He spoke of a fundamental lack of natural resources or exports for their economy, and complained of the incredible corruption in the government. I didn’t have too much to say to this, since I never sort to telling somebody what I think their country should or shouldn’t do, I simply lack that knowledge or insight.
A Cup of Tea
Arriving in Khorog, the driver and I struggled to find the hostel I was intending to stay at. I opted for a homestay listed in my travel book right downtown. A very welcoming family, their home is attached to the city’s central park, and after settling (and SHOWERING), I went for a walk.
Immediate observation is the incredible freshness to the air here. It’s amazing, and reminds me only of a few mountainous places in the US. Secondly, mountains, mountains, everywhere. There is a beautiful clear river bisecting the town, and about 500 yards down, this E-W river joins another N-S river. Well, on the other side of that N-S river only 500 yards away? Afghanistan. Weird. Kinda cool. About 40% of my horizon is Afghanistan, and from here, it’s gorgeous. But another odd reminder that although most borders do have a geographic element (river), it’s still a political thing. These mountains all just seem one and the same, and the language here (which, is not Tajik actually), is spoken over there as well.
As I was walking, a guy roundish my age walked up to me and asked if I was foreign (how polite of him, since it’s dreadfully obvious). We started chatting, and I was refreshed by how good his English was. We just kinda shot the breeze, and it turned into a bit of a tour around town (this is how I learned about the border and immediate location of Afghanistan). Surush invited me to his home for dinner, and I accepted, and am so glad I did.
Here was a young guy (22yo), with a drive and passion for his country that struck me all at once as particularly unique, and all together familiar to some of the stories I’ve been hearing along the way. Having already received his Bachelors in Telecommunications (another theme), he did well, got an internship in China, and wasn’t satisfied. His dream is to make Khorog a better place. So he returned here. Unable to find a job, he took up a civil engineering position, and has been teaching himself the field as he goes in his spare time (as in actually- he attends the university here, etc). In addition to this, he has been attending English classes. All in all, he is unsatisfied.
We spoke (over a delicious dinner and lemon tea) for 3 solid hours. And it was mostly him. He spoke of a philosophy that the point of life is to make the world just a little bit better. He spoke of idea after idea of how Khorog could be modernized and improved (both telecommunications and civil engineering). He spoke of a dream that he could get a higher degree from Europe or the States “to have that life experience, to take something from there, and bring it back here to Khorog”. He has a vision to start construction projects to provide more jobs to the area. Of particular pride was the current construction (phase 1 of 8) of The University of Central Asia right here in town. He spoke of how the environment here makes it better to study in (it’s peaceful, quite, fresh). He spoke how they have done research on what makes a university great and are planning to implement those ideas. He went on about the civil engineering feats they are planning for it. He didn’t stop. And it was inspiring to listen to. He looked at me and with complete conviction said “this could be the best university in all of Central Asia. Maybe one day, one of the best in the world. Maybe your children will come to study here”.
When was the last time I was that passionate about something? When was the last time I was so proud of my country, of my hometown, that I wasn’t even faking it when I spoke of it’s potential? That I meant it with all my heart? Even typing this I start to think of excuses, all related to negative outcomes or why a place can’t become successful, etc. But, in a sense, Khorog, Tajikistan, a place may of you may have never, ever heard of in your lives, has many reasons NOT to become that. But hearing Surush speak, it melted away and I believed him.
It seems the fundamental difference is not only perspective, but an unwillingness to accept something less than your dream. I’d like to pretend I have that, but the truth is, Med school feels like a conveyer belt, and as long as I work really really hard, I’ll flop off the end, a doctor. Maybe the difference between him and I, is his ability not to just maintain a dream, but to not give up the act of dreaming.
Surush is actively following a dream. He is doing something about it, and it’s neat to see. I’m genuinely looking forward to the emails him and I will send over the next few years as we follow along in our lives. But I’ll tell you what, I’m inspired to rethink not just goals or “dreams”, but to remind myself of that ability to keep dreaming, to keep learning, and to stay active and alive about it.
One of the best cups of tea I’ve had.
-BK
