Last year I trekked into the Moroccan Sahara desert on a very trusty camel named Aszu. In the evening, my guide, Jusef, a sixth grade educated Berber nomad, surprisingly fluent in six languages, fixed me a tantalizing chicken tangine. All that it lacked was a glass of wine, unfortunately verboten for Muslims just days before Ramadan. At night we slept under the incredible desert night skies. Never before had I seen so many stars, stretching from one horizon to the other – the stars so bright and numerous, it was difficult to make out the constellations. That was Morocco, a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, smells, and experiences. From Morocco I traveled on through much of Europe, Russia, Mongolia, China, and finally concluding my trip in Japan. This year's trip will take me to Romania, Ukraine, Georgia, Central Asia, India, Nepal, Southwest China, and Indochina. At times I hope to report back on my experiences and observations, perhaps posting a few pictures and videos that may be of interest. I've posted below a few pictures and videos from some past trips. For my blog on my travels through East Europe check out my blog at http://tallinntovarna.blogspot.com.

I’ve been asking myself lately, is there a theme to all this? Maybe not, but one thing I can say that piques my interest, is the dangerous nexus between religion and politics that engulfs the world today. In Morocco, where the King is both the head of Mosque and State, a Muslim, during Ramadan, can end up in jail for doing nothing more than drinking a glass of water under the scorching daytime heat – his crime, the thirsty Muslim broke the fast. Imams in Morocco claim that such an abhorrent act defies the teachings of God, infringes on the religious liberties of practicing Muslims, and is deserving of serious sanction. Of course, such a violation of an individual’s personal freedom could never happen in America. Or could it? As I write this, the U.S. Catholic Bishops are ferociously attacking President Obama’s Affordable Care Act for requiring institutions to provide birth control under their insurance policies. Like the Imams, the Bishops consider it not just an affront, but an existential threat, to their religious liberties. A poor woman, without the means to support a family, let alone a brutally raped woman, should not expect any sympathy from these Catholic institutions, as they, like their Muslim brothers, are scripturally bound to impose their beliefs on others. Does it matter that no one is telling Muslims that they cannot fast or Catholics that they cannot abstain from sex?

Now that I think of it, I’d like to dedicate this blog to Americans United, a terrific nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to preserving the principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom. Before I move on though, I’d like to share with you this political satire piece I wrote a few months ago when Senator Rick Santorum had a chance of being the Republican nominee. It pretty much sums up my take on what a large segment of the American population would like to see should their wildest dreams come true. Finally, I begin this blog with three postings from last year’s trip just to give you an idea of who I am and what you may or may not come to expect as I embark on this year's trip. If you have something nice to say, I'd love to hear from you.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan

Lake Issyk-Kul
“My boy friend is the youngest male in his family, and that concerns me,” Cholpon exclaimed over tea at Lake Issyk-Kul, “because it means that I will have to live in his parents’ house until they die. It is the custom here that the youngest male in the family stays home to take care of his parents in their old age. When I’m at home and my younger brother and I get into a fight, he often says, ‘get out of my house.’ He’s been encouraged to think that his role is to remain in the house to take care of our parents. Women are expected to be virgins when they marry. This is so engrained that women who find themselves deflowered before marriage will have their hymens stitched so they can present themselves pure to their spouses. The same requirement does not apply to men and that seems right to me. I’m 23 and will probably marry someone my age or older. I would not expect my husband to be a virgin. In fact, that would be very odd. A custom that I find weird though is that once a marriage is consummated relatives and friends often come to the spouse’s parent’s home to see the bride. The parents of the spouse, proud of their daughter-in-law’s virginity at the time the marriage was consummated, will hang out the wedding bed sheet with a tell-tale stain. Now, I think that’s pretty sick, but I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Every groom must also pay to marry. The average price is two to three horses — a horse is worth one to two thousand dollars. In return, the bride must provide a beautiful dowry, consisting of expensive handicraft, kitchen pottery, and furniture, almost equal to the cost of the horses. Once married, the bride becomes a member of the spouse’s family and is expected to live in their house for at least the first month, a period in which she is tested to see if she can cook, clean, and maintain the household. This can be quite stressful for the bride, so by tradition the groom’s family arranges for an adopting family to be available in the event the bride has problems and needs someone to talk to. It’s considered a special honor to be asked to be an adopting family, and to be asked seven times, means you can expect to go straight to paradise no matter what your sins have been. My parents now have been asked to adopt a bride three times. 
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