Is there ever Simple Past?

Well, the fallout from the departmental elections has started to kick in. Things are changing a lot at work, which is really unsettling--I had just started to get used to everything! This week two of my good friends from the semester were fired for their "incompetence" by our new boss. The really sad thing for me to see was that these were some of the same people whose votes she had bought before the election; basically it was some really nasty double-crossing! It's a good lesson for me in the cruelty of the world; if "good lessons" in such a subject really exist. Also; to put it all in context, really it's just symptomatic of economic problems and (what I would call) often unhealthy business culture in Russia. I've seen a lot of crazy things in this country; my first time here I was almost run over by a runaway military truck on the side of a volcano. When I worked on the Black Sea human corpses sometimes washed up on the beach. I've seen ancient cemeteries and ruins in Crimea and burned out churches where the Nazis exterminated whole towns in one fiery blaze. I've seen a whole lot of sleaziness and bad things in Russia--but I find this whole situation to be one of the most depressing; because I've formed meaningful relationships with the people involved.

Another slightly interesting feature of the past few weeks is that my role at the university is under scrutiny by the FSB (like the Russian CIA). The experience has defied my Hollywood-influenced stereotypes about what such an experience would be like (in a good way--no dark alleys or water boarding thank God). The whole thing started because one of the students in one of the English classes I've been teaching was actually a secret agent. He was understandably intrigued to find out that the English teacher would be a native speaker--foreigners are rare birds out here (and the FSB are bird-watching enthusiasts). So there started to be some inquiries into who exactly I was... there was some difficulty for the FSB comprehending what exactly a "Fulbright" grant is... not surprisingly, word about all the good things the US Government does hasn't really reached the provinces yet. They fixated on the fact that I don't get a salary or pay taxes and accused the university of "Exploiting Foreigners." Really nice of them to be taking such good care of me! But they also found a series of paper-work violations in the documentation that people at the department were doing about the hours I was teaching, and then the lady who just won the election has started using the whole situation as a way to get revenge on the people who's jobs she just stole (shouldn't it be the other way around??). So, basically, all my friends are getting fired because of a situation that arose because of my presence here in Tuva. It's a little hard to swallow, but there's nothing really to do, except feel really awful about the things that are happening and get frustrated with the system that lets this happen.

Anyways. That's the story of my recent escapades with the FSB. I hope I don't get in trouble for writing this on my blog... but it's not really secret information anyways! Everybody here knows this (the phrase "большой скандал"-big scandal-has been popular lately). From what I can understand of the situation the real scandal has to do with the selfish/lazy people whose ineptitude created the problem, and then their dexterity at pinning the consequences on other people. Really Not Cool in the Great Book of Not Cool...

But anyways. Namdolmaa and I have talked about it and decided that we're not going to let it get in the way of enjoying the remaining two months :-) And there is plenty of stuff to look forward to... traditional haircutting parties, mountains to climb, yurts to visit, lakes to swim in, and friends to drink beer with! Plus, it's good to remember to see things long picture. I think that in the long run, it's good that I've been here this year. I have learned a ton, and I've been repping the USA hardcore. A whole bunch of people who never met a real-live American before have had the chance. I feel like there's probably some glib Russian proverb to cover this situation... if I find it I will let you all know!

Anyways. Spring is starting to win the war against winter. Parts of the Yenisei are getting sloppy and there are public commercials now telling people to stop walking on the river. It's been sunny and warmer lately--last weekend we even had a rainstorm (though the next day it snowed 5 inches). But even that late windfall of snow melted quickly, making puddles and more puddles.

In community news, next weekend 10 Nigerians are moving to Kyzyl--the first Africans ever to live here! The community is abuzz with anticipation... the Dean of our department is organizing a special envoy on a bus to greet the Nigerians at the airport in Abakan (I am supposed to be one of the official translators, but I don't know if I can go). People are really excited... and also worried; superstitions about people who look different from "normal" abound, and I have heard people worrying that the Nigerians will be attacked, spit on, etc. Who knows. It will be interesting to see the cultural interaction at any rate, and I will help the Nigerians if they need help. I would say that in general the situation in Tuva is only opening up--with devastating results for traditional Tuvan culture of course. I have been reading lately about Tuvan folklore epics; how the epic storytellers are dying out. It seems, at least for my students, that most of their eyes are looking hopefully to the West (which in large part oblivious to their existence). Such is life in a globalized world... The exception to this is the large segment of Tuvans who are obsessed entirely with Japanese TV Serials--they are looking enthusiastically to the East. I can't tell you how many times this year proactive Russian mommies have corralled me into meeting with their teenagers to practice English... and lo and behold all the kid wants to talk about is anime and Japanese TV Serials! Even Namdolmaa loves to talk about Japanese Serials! I could have prepared for this year much better had I spent last summer watching anime... But in a more serious vein, it makes a lot of sense that people here would look to Japan for an example of a prosperous, modern Asian country. There's a lot to admire about Japan, and in many ways Japanese culture is much closer to Tuvan culture than Western culture is.

There is one more thing that I really should share, and this seems like a good place in all this blogging to share it. It has to do with past and future and how Tuvans conceive of these things. I guess typical Americans and people in most parts of the world picture the future as something BEFORE them; as in "the future is ahead of us" "on to the future" etc etc. Similarly, we picture the past as BEHIND us... famously Pumba in the Lion King says "You have to put your behind in the past..."

Well, the Tuvan concept of past and future is opposite; in Tuvan psychology, the past is IN FRONT of us, because it is made of with the things we can/have seen with our eyes. The future, on the other hand, is located BEHIND US--because we can't see it and have no idea what it will look like.

So I guess that's the final word on the future of Tuva: who knows what this place will look like in the future (it's behind us). I'm glad and proud to have shared in one year in the life of the Republic regardless of the sorrows.

That's all for now, keep it real, yokels!

Love,
Riley