8月9日タシケント Aug 29th

朝、６時まで飲んで帰宅して睡眠、１０時にドンドンとドアがたたかれた。
なんだろうと思ってあけたら、配管工事の必要があるので修繕に来ただと。
聞いてないよ、そんなこと。
ビルが全部廃刊修理しないといけないらしい。で何時間かかるかときいたら２時間という。
８時間後、まだ修理できないでいる。で、翌日９時からよるまでずっと工事。
ぼくは２日風呂に入れなかった




不利に入れなかったので近くにのORZU　HOTELに風呂を借りに行った。
ついでに写真も撮っておいた。３号室、１時間利用、７ドルといわれたが、５ドルでなんとかしてくれといったらすぐOK。

シャンプー、セッケン、バスタオルは持参。２日分の汗を流す。












この部屋、１泊３０ドル。たぶん２５ドルにはまけてくれるだろう、非常に居心地よい、部屋だった。

テレビ、冷蔵庫、クーラー完備。

















My door in the flat room was knocked by unexpected visitor this morning. I went to sleep at 6 a.m. How hard and how much you feel pain after a heavy drinking night, 3 hour sleep .

Asked who the heck it is at the door. "laanckl lkurg oiueyroqwi 9856jlbydm js "
In Russian and I opened the door. I asked if, "hjbfsd f bg iotdg vuhk" then he answerd it takes 2 hours.

So I said to him,"fsd vdsjhd ytuore sahwdop xfvjbdndr "

Then 8 hours later, the toilet and bath room was still under construction. No water, No toilet, no shower.

The next day was the same. 3 hour sleep, started their work, my room still has no water, toilet under construction. I decided to go to the closest hotel to take shower .

Went in a hotel called, "ORZU HOTEL" where you pay 25 dollars or bit more for a night.

Asked if possible for me to use a shower room. Said the manager, 7 dollars.

% ok?

Said him all right. I took the room No.3.

Here are the some pics of the room. I knew this hotel from the Lonly Planet Central Asia guide book.

Phone, TV, Fridge, air con, everything is alright here.









Nice shower, after 2 days.

27 August Tashkent, Uzbekistan

I was alone having dinner at a Arabian restaurant in Sailgor street, (a.k.a.Broadway street). Uzbek TV cameraman and some friends are at the next table and they invited me to their table and we started drinking Uz brandy. That tasted excellent, from which I did not get hungover.

After this, went to a park and I played the guitar and sang " I said baby, baby don't you wanna go, to the same old place, sweet home Tashkent.

Got back home safe, and I stopped at a mini shop for some water to store in my room. There were some guys asked me, "hey can we hear your guitar?"

I said "sure! What do you want to hear?"

Thay said, "Yesterday", I said to myself,,,"let me play something else..." But I played of course.

Then, a white brand new Djigli sedan with 4 guys in, waring a white shirt and black pants like some kind of nice cafeteria waiters, stopped and said the De Vito lookalike guy said, "I am Al Capone, hey, play "yesterday"!"

Oh again, here you are, I love playing Yesterday...

After my little guitar playing time, Capone dude and his friends left. I found them really good people.

And a guy standing near me gave me an ice cream I do not know why though, I ate,, ,he came to me and said, they are really really bad people. They eat you. Be careful. They are militsiya!

In this country, cops sometimes(?) means yaks. But I know I should not say anything about it. This is a story that I heard from the people that I meet here. Not really what I think. They say so, I believe so...

26 August Tashkent

I woke up.
Cooked spaghetti with Sardine, minced mutton, tomato, potato and onion.

Tastes excellent.















I picked one and ate. It was not tastful as it is.
Better with soi sause, piece of lemon, and konbu(sea wead).







Phone call, picked up, said my friend Taxi guy, " My friend is a pro Uzbek musician, he will come see you in 5 mins."
"Tanbur", is the 4 stringed instrument's name on this picture. The tanbur master, Mr Djakhongir Mirzaev, plays with a small pick called "nokhun" on his index finger. I videoed it and he sang a beautiful Uzbek folkrore.








He said it takes 15 years to make this wood material. After cutting off the wood, leave it for 15 years and make this instruments. I do not know why not 3 month, but, it makes better sound if have it rest for longer period of time, said he. He said it should cost more than 1000 dollars to make one. But good ones can buy from a good craft man for 400-500 dollars, if lucky.

25 August 8月25日 晴れ タシケント

Last night, I finnaly got the OVIR regislation, which proves that I am a proper registered person in this country.
I am free!

Today's breakfast was spaghetti w/meat sause (minced mutton, onion, tomato and poptato) and a boiled egg. Multi vitamin tablets.
Spaghetti breakfast kicks ass.

The day begins.
というわけで今朝もスパゲティーミートソース。今朝のはイモ入り、タマゴ付。





I went to Uzbekistan Universal Magazin, or Uzbek Central Department store. They said that it is the biggest department store in Tashkent.
I was looking for an Uzbek musical instruments. Then I found "dtar" or "dotar". This 2 stringed instrument is often used by Uzbek woman musicians. They play this instrument and sing. I have not heard someone singing. I'd like to listen to it sometime.
But last night, I had been looking for some places where people play Uzbec national music in the band. But all I found was a Uzbek Karaoke and some singers sing one after another. There is no such place??? I gotta find one.




My fellow taxi guy, Bahkrom took me to the department store.

タクシーの運転手、バフロム君につれられてタシケントデパートでウズベキスタンの民族楽器、ドタールを探しに行った。
ありました、いいのが。でも買わなかった。ちょっと今の僕には高い。だって1万円もするんだもの。
ちなみにドタール、ウズベク女性がよく弾きながら歌うんだそうだ。聴いてみたいな。





This is the karaoke singers restaurant. I checked inside and said to the taxi driver, that I am not interested in listening to someone singing karaoke while I am eating.

Then after here, I ended up in a restaurant where a cool violinist playing his nice Romanian made stradivarius with..........KARAOKE!

Here is a good page about Central Asia (In Japanese)

http://econgeog.misc.hit-u.ac.jp/excursion/03CentralAsia/index.html

24 Aug, Tashkent ...continues...

Thi s is my room for 150 dollars a month.
I brought my loving Ovation guitar from Japan I wanted t play on the street or something but It seems forbidden to play without regislation or just cops come and charge money for nothing. Cops in Tashkent are collupsed of course.

I wanna through a crazy quiet B.Y.O party here. (maximum 7-8 persons)
Because my neighbours are old, I mean started to live quietly, and they just call cops. If they call them, I will have to pay money. So if they appeared while we are having a party, prepare your 10 dollars with you and help me pay them money under the fucking table.

Call me to : 340-36-67 if you are in Tashkent.
(language : Japanese- preferable, English -preferable , French- kind of preferable , Thai -mmm so-so I speak, or Russianwell, I'll try...)



And my kitchen.
I bought many cooking utensils. Water from tap should not be drunk. Well it is same as anyplace else in developping countries. I don't even think of drinking 20-minute-boiled water. Bacterias in Uzbekistan is immortal.

I bought potatoes and tomatoes, some juice and milk, coffee, tea, ham and some stuff to eat at a modern super market near Chorusu market. It is fro the Chorusu metro station, go left from the gate of the market, then walk 200 meters and go cross the street South ward. Everything seems quite expensive there but it is quite ordinal and decent but small sized super market such as Jusco in Japan , Carrefure in France or Walmart in the states.










When I wake up in the morning, First I open this door and get out to the small balcony, do a Tai-chi looking stretch excercize. People think me a Bruce or Jackie.

People await for the bus and taxi. I don't like taxis. They charge too much. like 2 dollars daytime, 4 dollars at night. It really depends on how much you try hard bargaining. I always pay 3-4 dollars. But by bus, you spend 15 cants or so. It is cheap by public transportation surely. But to avoid yourself from the cops, better take Taxi all the time.

View from the 4th floor where I am on.










Some friends. I do not need to keep a cat. Coz there are so many sociable cats around. I counted to 9. If I feed some food, maybe they will be 20 or more. Most cats are small. Where are their parents cats?

24 Aug, Tashkent

I had a bad food 2 days ago. Yesterday I was in bed a whole day. Today I felt like cooking this morning. But the time was already 11 am when I felt like getting up.
Hope today no many cops(miliitsiya) around, who check people IDs and begging for money from the tourists like me.

I fixed Spaghetti with minced mutton, onion and tomato sause.
and a multi vitamin tablets. Had milk tea as well.
Tastes all right.

I got an air conditioner(cooler) TV sofa and meal.

What else I need are as follows :

-a PC
-a cat / dog
-a cleaning person
-a massage person
-a girl who visits me less than twice a week
-an English or a Japanese news paper





Djensheni tooth paste, or a vehicle body polishing compound tastes like korean jinseng with peppermint.


























Phone shop


















A man with ethnique clothes.

(19 dollars local price)

Not cotton. Korean material, nice embroidery)

Some pictures タシケント

200 sum bank note.



微妙なデザインなんです。けっこうおもしろい。













20 dollars in 200 sum.













Where I do some work on PC.
In front of " Le Grande PLAZA hotel"

At the front gate of the hotel, You go cross the street and you find this net cafe easily. The street has a railway track, so that you can know which street to cross.




日本語がバッチリ書けます。

AUGUST 22 Tashkent

BUMI hotel chaged to "Le Grande PLAZA"

The latest Lonly planet guide of Central Asia has a lot of mistakes now. Alot of things like phone numbers and hotel names, street names have changed. It also means that Uzbekistan is unstable.

タシケントBUMIホテルは"Le Grande Hotel" に名前が変わりました。ロンプラガイドにはBUMIと記載されております。










In Tashkent, you find every tree is painted like this. I asked the TAXI driver why? He said it prevents termites.

But...the one in the middle of this picture is an electric pole.

タシケントの町にはたくさん街路樹があります。すべてに白く色が塗られています。アバウトな塗り方です。で、タクのうんちゃんに聞いたら、シロアリよけだと、一言で言われました。
これって正しいのかな。実は時々電柱にも塗られてるのを発見します。







20 U.S dollars becomes like this in Uzbek SUM.

1 U.S.D=1130 sum (2005 August 22)

悪趣味。円やドルではこんなことできないんですもの・・・ｳﾌﾌ














Went to a big market near Abudulla Qodili metro (subway) station along the street called "Amir Timur", 2 km south of Inter continental hotel, 1,3 km south of Raddison hotel.

アムールチムール通り、インターコンチネンタルとラディソンの南２ｋｍのところに宝石やさんとかがたくさん入った市場があります。

この写真は布団のワタです。

タシケント TASHKENT ２００５年 ８月２２日

乗り物の写真少々。
市電、バス、トロリーバス。１６０スム（１乗り１５円ほど。）


今回は初めてのウズベキスタンということで、ロンプラの中央アジア版を穴の開くほど読んだ。

そもそもなんでウズベキスタンで生活したいかと思った理由は、書かない。
とっても複雑なのだ。まずこの理由を書いても役に立つことは何もないだろう。
むしろ便利な情報を書いてゆきたい。

１ヶ月に滞在なのでとりあえずはアパート探しからはじめた。ブミホテル（ル・グランド・プラザホテルに変名２００５年８月２２日現在）のちかくに、マクラーという不動産オフィスがあるらしいが、僕はタクシーのにいちゃんと一緒に探すことにした。その辺のおじさんに聞きまくって、つき１５０ドルー２００までの部屋を探すことにした。初日は３軒みたがどれももうひとつ、ロケーションももうひとつだった。で、１泊３０ドルの部屋に泊まって翌朝８時半から部屋を知ってるというオバサンと一緒にさがした。

で、月１５０ドル、デポジット１００ドル（出るときに返してもらえる、、、ハズ。）で見つけた。キッチン、シャワー（バスタブなし）、トイレ、リビングルームソファー、ソファーベッド、ガスコンロ、テレビ、フトン、食器とナベ（フライパンなし）。

右の写真のムスリムオネーサンが提供者。英語話せる人だったから安心。

左バフロム君、右バフチー兄ちゃん。タクシーの運転手ブラザーズ、（タクシー認可取ってるので基本的には安心）。

タクシーの兄ちゃんには８時間ほど付き合ってもらって、２５０００スムほど渡した。まぁ、１時間４－５ドルでいろいろ完璧に手伝ってくれるから、一人ですべてすることを考えたらかなり楽だった。

※タクシー１時間乗り放題---市内５ドル

１日、行きたい場所を先にリストアップして、適当に回ってもらって最短時間で一番やりたいことをできたらいい感じです。ただ、バス、地下鉄、公共の乗り物は安くていいのですが、ミリツィヤ（悪徳警察官）に出くわして小額のお金をパクられる可能性もあるので、これ、ついてるかついてないかって事ですが、まぁ、タクシーは安全パイってことです。

提供してくれたのが、イスラム教の女性、（握手しようとしたらダメっていわれちゃった）。そのひとの物件を見た。２つ返事でOK。僕の部屋は地下鉄AYBEK駅近く、グランドミールホテルのすぐちかく、４階の部屋になった。

買出しをして、自炊の準備をした。包丁マナイタその他もろもろ。本当は現地の食べ物を食べ続けてもいいんだが、僕は料理が結構好きで、現地の食材でなんか捜索したくなったのだ。

まず、９８円ぐらいの包丁、これが失敗。ぐにゃぐにゃだった。マナイタ、これはOK。

※今ほしいもの、、、

・じゃがいもの皮むき器

・キッチンペーパー

・タワシ

・フライパン

・かつお節とコンブ

・日本のお醤油

とりあえず、こっちの料理はすべてレストランで味見してからおいしく和風に工夫して料理していきたいんだが、だしとしょうゆがほしくてタマラナイ。こっちの魚でちょっとだしをとってみようと考えている。

August 21

Old oven in the room I stayed.









And a 1960's Russian made cooler, that made my room a North pole in 1 hour.

150 dollars/month room

August 19 , 2005



Zdravstvuite Drogie druziya y Asalam aleikom,

Ya prishol v Tashkente...


On plane, I enjoyed russian beer. Tastes great and I wanted to keep the bottle back home but, no.




This fish in tomato cheese sause truly tastes like heaven. Chose Uzair if you ever go there....











Arrived in Tashkent on the 19th, found a good 28-y-o TAXI driver Bakhrom who speaks English.
I gave him around 30 dollars. For all I need to do in order to live in Tashkent.

He found me an nice furnished 2 room flat with a telephone. It is located near Aibek metro station, close to the The Grand Mir Hotel. Almost the city center. 4th floor (no elevator, I am on diet now, so it is not a big merda)

He took me to the "Uzdunrobita" mobile phone company to make my phone activated. (I got my phone in Bangkok 3 years ago, asked some guys in BBK center (National studium BTS station)to change it to sim lock free for 100 baht.) But actually, some people said that the tourist like me can not buy a sim card (I don't know for what reasons,,,) I listened to the guys walking around the office who said I am the mobile phone dealer. My phone came with 10000 sum(9.50dolars) free talk. I paid 15 dollars or something for this thing. Wll I got my number 340 -xxxx.


I got a room, TV, food, phone and a Taxi friend that cost 4 dollars an hour. (He drives the coolest 18 year-old 1300 c.c. brown shining DJIGLI in all Russia) On the street near Navoi, a little bird shit attacked his car while driving, he stopped his car, stepping on the break so that my hair touched the front wind shield with no harm thou, he got out and wiped it off immidiately...






What I got in the room are, oven, cooler,iron door.




Now I need to find a good Krasivaya djenshina who can take care of me while I am here… But I tell you something,,, There are so many Krasivaya djemshina I can’t believe. I can never chose one from thousand of krashivara djenshinas here…Or I just have to wait until one of them chose me…




I like the Horse Day.

The cops are everywhere right now for the preparation of the independence day on the 1st of September.
You find them 24 hours militsiya (Police) cars are running so many on the streets.

Tomorrow

I will have to wake up at 6 am tomorrow. Will I sleep tonight or not...

Oh gosh.

I really hate to see this kind of news especially when I am away home. So sorry for the dead.....
plane crash

Aug 19-Sep 15. I will be in Uzbekistan

Bought a return ticket to Tashkent in Bangkok. 24,100 Thai Baht was my damage.

At the VW bar, Sukhmvit soi 7, Bangkok

Well, 180 baht bucket cocktails, 60 Bart beer and 50 baht tequila shots.....everuthings gonna be alrite..