PEOPLE OF UZBEKISTAN
People is what makes a place what it is.
Uzbeks are a lovely people. Pleasing and friendly. As is the case with Indians, they treat their guests from outside the country with a lot of of warmth.
Sometimes, the smallest of gestures by a stranger, touches you, in a big way. Especially, if you are in a new place. I can recall so many such moments during my week-long stay in Uzbekistan.
Most Uzbeks don’t speak English. But, honestly, it became the slightest of my worries during any interactions that I had with the people around. And I spoke to many people — street vendors, railway and airline officials, waiters in the cafe, passersby on the road,taxi drivers, a family on the train and such. A smile on the face and hello on the lips of that unknown person in front of me was enough to get me “talking”.
Once, while travelling on an overnight train, I was marooned on the upper berth. In the morning, when I got up, I saw an Uzbek mother and daughter, sitting on the lower berth, sipping tea. As is with me, the first thing I need in the morning is my cuppa too. I sat contemplating, whether to climb down and go looking for chai in the pantry car or wait for the attendant to pass by so that I could ask for some. The lady probably sensed it and asked me if I would like to have tea as well. I thanked her and said I would get it by myself, she however insisted that I stay put, while she sent her daughter, who would have been barely 10 yrs old, to get me a cup too.
The little child rushed and brought me a steaming cup of chai, handing it over to me with a wide smile and twinkling eyes. I gestured and asked the woman how much I had to pay, she smiled warmly and said “nothing”. I insisted and so did she. She won! And all this, when none of us spoke each other’s language. Its moments like these to know, that human beings everywhere speak the same language, which is of courtesy and kindness, its just that we need to understand it better.
The ice was broken thus. I climbed down from the berth and the rest of the time was spent chatting with each other, as strangers usually do, on a journey together.
Very often, when a shop owner or a taxi driver would know that I was from India, his face would light up. He would mention how so-and-so from his family had visited Delhi once, so on and so forth. They would talk in excited tones about how much Bollywood they watched on the Sat TV and rattle off the names of their favourite filmstars — from Sri Devi to Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar to Salman Khan!
While strolling in a bazaar or visiting a popular place, someone would just request you for a picture, impromptu. Young and old, all alike. Of course yes, I posed in quite a few, becoming a part of their memories like they have become a part of mine.
Not once, during my stay, did I feel fear or any uncertainty while dealing with random people. Nobody bothers you or hounds you, although you do get noticed as a tourist. Yes, like every small place, tourists are one of the main sources of revenue. They know that. So, they would definitely seek business but they don’t push beyond necessary. They are easy going people.
A very talkative taxi driver in Bukhara, one day, while taking me to a Sufi Shrine, played the latest Uzbek songs for me and filled me in on the local history and culture. He bought me Kurt (local sour cheese balls) with his money when I pointed at the roadside seller asking what it was. All this, when he spoke only Uzbek and I tried to make sense with some random words that I found familiar.
You don’t have to be particularly careful about your personal safety or that of your belongings, the usual caution is enough.
Uzbeks are fun loving people. They love their dance and music. They laugh and smile a lot. I would sum up by saying that, make that trip to Uzbekistan if you love history and the amazing people who made that history!
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