Плов с Тажиками (Plov with the Tajikis)

Last night my roommate Anton got a call on his cell phone that the neighbors across the street had made plov. Plov is a rice and meat mixture that is eaten with bread, vegetables, and keffir. We went over to their house which is just one room behind a bigger house. And we all sat on their beds with a table in the middle. I love watching people of different cultures prepare food that they take such pride in, it is somewhat like watching an artist paint a picture, they have such a concentration. They know the more they put into the food, the more people will enjoy it. 

                                     

THIS IS THE PILE OF PLOV (RICE,MEAT, VEGGIES) ON LIKE A TORTILLA LOOKING TYPE OF BREAD. IT WAS REALLY DELICIOUS.

The Tajiki people in Russia have similar situations to other minorities in certain foreign countries. They come to Russia because their is no money in their country, however they have hard work here (mostly construction) and the pay is very little compared to what a Russian would receive, however it is still more than they would receive in Tajikistan so they don't really seem to have a choice. So these men I ate with last night are all brothers living in the same room earning enough money to last them and their families through the winter back in their home country.

THIS IS ME,ANTON,AND RAJELEL IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR AWESOME MEAL.

YOU CAN SEE THAT THEIR BEDS DOUBLE AS THEIR CHAIRS, THEY HAVE SO LITTLE MATERIAL POSSESSIONS, BUT THEY HAVE SO MUCH CHARACTER.

As we sat in their room and ate plov, I couldn't help but notice they were all watching me to see if I enjoyed it. It is really strange to be an American in such strange places. Most of the places I go I think to myself "I must be the only American who has done this, or at least the first in a long time." These guys were so nice and we sat around and talked for such a long time. It was the first time for me that I have been in a conversation where both of us were speaking our second language which was really fun for me. All in all these guys were super cool, the food was super good, and I'm going to go play futbol with them tomorrow. 

THE MAN ON THE RIGHT IS THE OLDEST BROTHER SO HE IS THE MOST RESPECTED. EVERYONE JUST CALLS HIM "OLDER" WHICH IS A SIGN OF RESPECT.