It's hard to actually listen to a song objectively here, but with the help of boredom and earplugs, I've finally been successful. I attended the infamous "toi" yesterday. The word is used for any big party but mostly for weddings. The musicians consisted of an electric guitar player, a synthesizer, a singer, and someone doing something unknown to me but on stage nonetheless. The dislike of the toi music spreads pretty wide among PCVs, and even the locals admit freely that "it's just too darn loud!" The beat varies somewhat, but it almost always uses a fast beat with a 2 against 3 feel. The melodic instruments play in three but the beat always makes listeners clap in 2 (which amazingly enough, they do consistently at the right time). The melody is played by a synthesized sound much like an accordion or oboe. The melody is improvised upon, and here's where the description gets fuzzy. I'm not sure if they follow a key or set of notes or if the choice is random. They are not in a single scale, and sometimes I'm convinced the keyboardist can't hear the background he's on top of. The mode, if there is one, may be drowned out by the fact that the beat comes from a button on the synth or a taped recording. Many times on TV the instrumentalists merely play over a prerecorded song, so I have yet to learn the real intricacies of Turkmen music.
Traditional music exists here and is a far cry from the horror of the toi. The group is made of a single drum held on one's lap and played with the hands, an erhu-type violin with four strings tuned in fourths, and a dutar, which is a small pear-shaped guitar. They play melodies on both, and I've only heard a couple of songs by this type of group. The music schools teach these instruments and have cancelled most Western music programs. I look forward to learning the erhu, as Balkanabat has a music school. My hope is that the country continues their traditional music and people start either to develop past, or to regress from, synthesizer music. I know if I ever marry a Turkmen, there will be no blaring synthesizer at my wedding. :)
Nov 27, 2004
Essay #7 (Balkanabat so far)
Seeing Balkanabat through rose-colored glasses has given me a few skewed ideas. I've been in the city for exactly one week, and for the first time I took my eyes off the nearby mountains long enough to notice the number of used needles lying on the ground. Maybe it's just my block (I hear it's not), but the moment I saw my first dirty needle, I started counting. Within ten steps the count was at four. I've already noticed the broken-glass-ridden playground near my building. They evidently don't believe in woodchips here! The drug problem supposedly comes across from A-stan. We call heroin users and sellers "Narcomen", and they are easily noticed. On my first late night out my mother made sure I had someone to walk me home-- specifically because of Narcomen.
My route to school is down a main road, so I've mostly seen businesses. In a startling revelation, we now understand how illogical business is here. No one takes the time to clearly mark their stores. No one ever puts on sales. If there is low demand and high supply, no one thinks to lower their prices. The store workers couldn't care less. The end result is our depleting economy and a bunch of unhappy store owners.
I mentioned rose-colored glasses because of my family setup here. I have a great cook for a mother, easy communication, and my own floor for peace and quiet. I don't think I have as much potential for strong bonds as the people living with Turkmen families do, but I'll take the convenience for all it's worth.
Taxis here are cheap and easy. 2000 anywhere within city limits. The atmosphere is overwhelmingly Russian, which makes the school completely undisciplined, but the city life more comfortable. I can dress as I wish and most Turkmen rules of culture don't apply. I hear the city is very rough overall--it's compared to New York in that respect--but I find the people very personable after meeting them. I'll just have to keep my head down and walk with a purpose through the streets, and hopefully I won't be bothered!
My route to school is down a main road, so I've mostly seen businesses. In a startling revelation, we now understand how illogical business is here. No one takes the time to clearly mark their stores. No one ever puts on sales. If there is low demand and high supply, no one thinks to lower their prices. The store workers couldn't care less. The end result is our depleting economy and a bunch of unhappy store owners.
I mentioned rose-colored glasses because of my family setup here. I have a great cook for a mother, easy communication, and my own floor for peace and quiet. I don't think I have as much potential for strong bonds as the people living with Turkmen families do, but I'll take the convenience for all it's worth.
Taxis here are cheap and easy. 2000 anywhere within city limits. The atmosphere is overwhelmingly Russian, which makes the school completely undisciplined, but the city life more comfortable. I can dress as I wish and most Turkmen rules of culture don't apply. I hear the city is very rough overall--it's compared to New York in that respect--but I find the people very personable after meeting them. I'll just have to keep my head down and walk with a purpose through the streets, and hopefully I won't be bothered!
Hello!
It's so hard to get at a computer around here!! I was so happy to see people writing and updating!! That's the best xmas gift I can think of. I'll try to keep getting letters out! Balkanabat is great, and I'm sure you'll hear more of it in the next two years! Best wishes to all!
kari
kari
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