Word for the Travel Wise (05/07/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Just when I thought I couldn’t unearth any new hard to find languages in the world and on the web today I discovered a few and I do mean very few links into one I’m sure you are all dying to know! (I surprise myself sometimes.) Before I just blurt out the word let me add that this country rarely gets mentioned here on Gadling with the exception of Neil’s fabulous Red Corner series. I’ve always been curious about Uzbekistan and know very little about the country, let alone the language, but as promised here is your new and exciting word for the day.

Today’s word is a Uzbek word used in Uzbekistan:

arzimaydi – you’re welcome

Uzbek is spoken by 18.5 million in Uzbekistan and across Central Asia. It is the official language of Uzbekistan and classified as an Eastern Turkic language in the Qarluq. Wiki has great background on the lang as usual where as you can find an incredible list of the most common Uzbek words at this Introduction to Uzbek Language site. In addition to the wordlist there is also a small section for pronunciation and grammar.

Red Corner: Peter Hopkirk’s Central Asia comes Alive

by Neil Woodburn on

Until just recently, Central Asia had all but disappeared from the world’s consciousness. Swallowed up by the Soviet Union in the early part of the 20th century, places like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan simply vanished anonymously from the world stage.

After gaining their independence towards the end of the century and struggling through a period of economic hardship, however, the ‘Stans of the former USSR are back in the spotlight thanks to oil deposits and large Muslim populations.

Back in the spotlight, you ask? When was a place like Kazakhstan ever in the spotlight?

Central Asia was actually a major center of conflict and interest in the 19th century as Russia and Britain fought over the region in a long running series of affairs known as the Great Game. While this conflict has mostly been forgotten by the modern world, one amazing author has struggled to keep it alive through a series of commanding books that are some of the finest historical reads you’ll ever come across. Author Peter Hopkirk has written a handful of novels dealing with the Great Game which are now, according to The Telegraph (UK), being re-released due to increased interest in the region.

Hopkirk’s finest work, appropriately titled The Great Game, is such an amazing read involving spies, espionage, and double-agents that it is almost impossible to accept the fact that everything mentioned is true. If you’re planning on traveling through the region, be sure to read it; Hopkirk referenced nearly ever place I visited in Uzbekistan. If you become a fan, and you will, you can move on to Foreign Devils on the Silk Road and Trespassers on the Roof of the World-two books whose alluring titles should whet your appetite for more.

Montezuma's Revenge

by Neil Woodburn on

I’m
not sure why Montezuma is always so vengeful, and what it is I’ve done to piss him off, but for whatever reason he
has extracted the sweet taste of revenge numerous times upon my travel-weary body.

Montezuma’s Revenge, diarrhea, Hershey’s Squirt; Call it what you will, but nothing short of an airline
crash ruins your vacation as slippery quick as loose bowels.  I’ve actually been rather fortunate considering
the number of hygienicly unsound countries I’ve visited (I would advise, by the way, not to eat street food in
Uzbekistan).

Nonetheless, on those occasions when it hits, it hits hard (I would advise, by the way, not to eat street food in
Uzbekistan and then take a long bus ride on a bumpy dirt road).

I’m usually pretty good at avoiding the traveler’s curse by following simple rules such as no ice cubes
in my drinks, brushing my teeth with bottle water, and no French-kissing the tequila shot girl in Tijuana. 

So, if you’ve made it this far without clicking off this horrible post, you’ve probably suffered as I
have and are hoping for some wise words of advice.  Well, here they are: check out this great LA Times article on how
to deal with this oh-so-nasty ailment.  It will make any future trips to Uzbekistan far superior to what I
experienced. 

 

Red Corner: Eatin’ Dog

by Neil Woodburn on

Kobe beef is usually the most expensive meat you can buy in an upscale market; in Uzbekistan, it’s dog meat.

Dog came to fashion in Uzbekistan thanks, in part, to Joseph Stalin. During his rule, Stalin exiled ethnic Koreans from Russia’s Far East to Central Asia where they introduced their fondness of dog into the land of shish kabob. Uzbeks themselves eventually came to embrace this new cuisine due to a widely held belief that dog meat was not only nutritional in value, but a medicinal panacea as well.

Uzbeks and Uzbek-Koreans alike are therefore willing to pay big bucks (or som in this case) to get their hands on this highly prized, canine cure-all. This is especially true today due to an outbreak of tuberculosis. Sadly, many who come down with this deadly disease are opting for shurpa (dog stew) in lieu of medical treatment. In the meantime, a rash of dog thefts is occurring amongst those who actually keep such potentially lucrative animals as pets.

Dog consumption isn’t only limited to the sick and contagious; it is still considered a delicacy and can be found on menus in some of the “better” Tashkent restaurants. I used to think that the cheap street food I ate in Uzbekistan was indeed dog meat, but that would be like serving Kobe beef in a Tijuana taco stand. I guess I was wrong.