Of Frogs and Men

I went to the mosque yesterday. It’s just around the corner from our house. Beautiful mosaic walls and arches, intricately carved wooden doors, a slender minaret and colourful dome, serene and white inside; perfect for contemplation. Round the back it looks like a bombed out warehouse with bricked up windows and collapsing outbuildings. It’s about to be replaced by what will be the biggest mosque in central Asia, financed by Qatar, which indeed looks impressive in the poster on the wall. The building will be grand but elegant, with gardens and car parks and, I suspect, even its own branch of John Lewis.

  

Tajikistan is a secular country in the sense that religion is not allowed to intrude into government and public institutions. This is a legacy of soviet rule and seems to be a happy inheritance. The main religion is Islam which appears to be practiced with complete freedom and in a relaxed way. Women generally dress modestly but there are no burqas; men in shorts are a bit frowned upon but not stoned. When you see some of the sights on Britain’s High Streets in summer I would support this dress code on purely aesthetic grounds. In fact, burqas for men could be a step forward.

Alcohol is readily available without being everywhere. I was at a music festival last week and there was not a beer can in sight. Islam does seem to be becoming more popular, especially amongst younger people who don’t remember much about the soviet era and who, in a time of high youth unemployment, economic pressures and a general loss of direction in society are looking for a beacon of hope. On the flip side, there are also stories of the detention and torture of more outspoken religious figures. The outwardly calm and tolerant appearance may belie tensions and change behind. I just hope the sensible balance prevails. This is perhaps a  theme for Tajikistan generally just now.

It’s Ramadan at present. Muslims should fast – nothing at all to eat or drink – from 4 a.m. until 8 p.m. In line with this apparently tolerant society, some take it quite seriously, others less so but with respect for those who do. The canteen near our office is shut for lunch.

One big disadvantage for fasting muslims in this relatively easy-going environment, though, is having to resist so many temptations around. It’s averaging about 36°C  just now and you can get much needed cool drinks from any of a number of “pop-up cafés”- like the one below - on the streets.

Now there’s an interesting thing about Tajiks that it took me some time to realise; it is not the custom to have ice in drinks. This is probably a combination of a rather dodgy water supply and little refrigeration. My language teacher tells me she nearly collapsed in surprise and concern when she first saw one of her students with ice in a drink.

So how does the pavement vendors’ drink stay cool? Think of a sustainable source of cold in any heat. Something always cold to the touch. Something that doesn’t melt and disappear when immersed in liquid. That’s right – street wisdom is that they put cold blooded frogs in the tanks! Now there may be questions of hygiene and flavour coursing through your mind and I can’t answer them. Neither can I say that I have quaffed long at the fountain of frog cooled elixir. And you might be able to see from the picture that the top is padlocked and I couldn’t look inside. But it is ingenious isn’t it and a very good tip for your next barbecue in the current British heat wave.

If this is a tolerant society I rather hope that the frogs are rewarded for their service to man with a comfortable retirement by a shady pond after the summer. I am not wholly optimistic about this, however, and – perhaps like all of Tajikistan - things are a bit rougher under the surface. I shall be looking out for new dishes with a French flavour when our canteen reopens after Ramadan….