DAILY LIFE….. Conversations & Inquiry

26  OCTOBER  2018 –  Friends & Colleagues ……newly formed & long-held

Most of the deeply absorbed dynamics of our life in Uzbekistan have been exchanges and conversations with Colleagues in Public Health or at the Medical Academy or in Architecture…. some recent acquaintances,  some long-held friendships.   Below is a sampling of these wonderful groups of people who have so enriched our lives and our thinking.  I am hopeful that we are able to continue these ties across the distances of time & space.

TASHKENT MEDICAL ACADEMY – SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH (below)

The impetus for our journey to Tashkent was an invitation from the current rector, Laziz Tuychiev, to Ray inviting him to continue his Public Health classes & seminars started 15 years ago during his doctoral research.   These faculty shown below are both colleagues and classroom participants in Ray’s teaching over these six weeks.

TASHKENT MEDICAL ACADEMY – ENGLISH CLUB (below)

On Wednesday and Friday mornings at 7:30am for one hour, Ray and I joined any interested students & faculty for conversations in English.  The size of the group varied on each day but a determined core arrived for each session.  The intention was not grammar but a relaxed friendly opportunity to share conversations in English and expand their vocabulary.  Ray and I were both very aware that other commitments – young children & family – made attendance an hour prior to the normal work/school day, a real scheduling challenge for each of them.  Ray and I learned much from them about individual lives and life generally in Uzbekistan. We are deeply grateful for their openness both to share and to question.  Our thanks to each of them – for their determination and for their kindness.  Their future is bright.

TASHKENT MEDICAL ACADEMY – INTERNATIONAL OFFICE (below)

This office seems to have one very committed full-time director and 2-3 part-time staff.  These young people stay BUSY with projects and appointments and visiting lecturers.  On Saturday October 20, Ray and I enjoyed a chauffeured drive into the mountains East of Tashkent.  Our two young medical student guides provided commentary about the region, offered a wonderful regional Uzbek meal in a local restaurant below the large reservoir of water from the mountains and took us to a local bazaar…all of this in one afternoon.  My thanks to them for these experiences!

TASHKENT ARCHITECTURE & CIVIL ENGINEERING INSTITUTE (below)

With an electronic introduction through the US Embassy and the International Office of this Institute, an appointment was set for me to meet with the Dean and discuss how I might share ideas & experiences from recent projects in Lexington KY with students and faculty at his Institute.  The Dean invited me to make several presentations on Monday – to Historic Preservation class and to Architecture & Design class.    Then I would participate in follow-up sessions with each group to review their current semester projects with observations and to answer questions.

For the Historic Preservation class – I shared The Lyric Theatre & Performing Arts project which has received design awards plus LEED Gold certification (Energy & Environment Design).    For the Architecture & Design class – I shared two public school projects that integrated Academic Program + Environment.  The students and the faculty of both groups were engaging, inquiring with very specific questions.  Strong interest was expressed with continuing a collaboration with the University of Kentucky College of Design, and specific areas of possible focus were discussed.  I will take these ideas to the Dean of UK’s College of Design for potential next steps.  My thanks to the students & faculty at the Architecture Institute for their positive interactions with the challenge of translation always present in these conversations.