Zeboniso’s Weblog

In Tajikistan people celebrate New Year on the 31st of December. Our country have been celebrating it since they were part of The Soviet Union. Concerning the Christmas , well the only Christians citizens celebrate it considering it a holiday.
However, The REAL Tajik new year is The “Nowrooz Persian” New Year on March 21-24th. Since my mother is Russian and my father is Tajik, we get the luxury of celebrating both holidays. It’s just spectacular, that way I get more gifts and have twice the fun anyone else has.
For the past years, my parents celebrated Christmas. THIS YEAR, I want my parents to celebrate Christmas differently, unlike all past years. Normally Every parent buys their children gifts for their good behavior. But this year, all I want for Christmas is A BOOK, about UK and ofcourse about AMERICA. I like reading books and I love learning English.
I think I deserve that because this year I participated in an International Competition; we call it “Olimpiada” in English subject. I was very enthusiastic, I went through three rounds and finally earned my international certificate. My Mother and grandmother were very surprised. They knew I spoke English but not to that extent. They didn’t believe that I was going to compete “internationally” and still win, earning the certificate.
This olimpiada changed how they see me. They thought my English is just about ABC and counting. But I proved them wrong. So, in Christmas I hope they will reward me with a gifts And I want them to be only BOOKS. I wish so because I’m planning on becoming be exchange-student and travel to USA to study there. IT IS MY DREAM! I will write this wish under our Christmas tree. I think dreams can come true if you believe in them and wish to reach them from the bottom of your heart. MY LAST WISH for this Christmas is to be a leader, a very good one.
I’d like to tell you about my best moments of 2011. The first is when my sister gave a birth to a second child. Birth of a new baby is such a joy beyond imagination. Everyone was happy that we had new addition to our family, and I become an uncle once again, it’s fantastic
My second moment is when I realized how much learned at school. You see, Internet is expensive here, no one has it at home. In fact, some of my classmates don’t have even a computer, not everyone can afford. I am very blessed that my Mother got a computer at home and internet. To learn how to use both, I participated in extra-curriculum activities. In The English club, one of our young English teacher,Zebo Murodova, taught us of what the internet is , how to blog and email. So, every one in the club made his own email logged into the Learning center and practiced. Then we had a project with Argentina. I even contributed in the blog. Oh my God, it is just amazing. We communicated with students in Argentina and Taiwan via blog. Here are our two blogs where I participated http://internationalglobalexchange.blogspot.com/ http://secondaryschooluniform.blogspot.com/
And so, I hope in 2012 that I learn new technology skills. I believe the new year will be different and I wish my dreams and my other goals to come true.
I ‘m so looking forward to Christmas and the New Year, especially THE BOOKS!

Written by : Tohir Muminov, 7th Grade Student, 13 years old.

Essay about Mother, written by Subhiddin Raupov 11th grade student. school #1, Sarband

Who is Mother?
The best and wonderful word or phrase in the world is mother. To my mind mother is the most important person in everyone’s life. Because mother is a person who give birth us she creates us and she upbringing us. I think when you will bear to the world and you are anybody for everybody but for this person you are the whole world. And also mother is a precious person, because only mother gives to us milk and only she always takes care of us. I think when we give the name of mother to our mouth and we fill us very cheerful because not every person has mother.

And as for me my mother is a whole world and the loveliest person in my life. We have to always take care of her, respect her and be always respectable and polite for her.
My mother is busy because of house-holding works and I always help her at home. And also I like usually to solve some housing problems with her because now I am elder boy at home. My father and my brother are in migration now.
My mother is very kind to family and for us too. And I like always share the happiest and the worst moments of my life. And my mother now has some plans for me and she always encourages me in my learning and for my future plans.

I think in the world every mother in her life or in her heart have her own dreams and plans for her children. And also mother is a hardworking or a thoughtful person for her children.
And every mother wants that her son or daughter first get a good education at school. At the second she wants that their children enter to the University and become educated person in future and be useful person. And at the third mother want her children get marry to the right person in the future and have the happiest life.

So as we know there is one special day for mothers and women in our country. It is the 8th of March an international Women’s Day. It is a great holiday. On that day all mothers and women are free and happy. And also on that day every mother gets presents from her children and close persons. As for me I like this day because on this my mother has a holiday and from morning till evening I help her and also I give to her flowers or some presents and wish for her a strong health and all the best on her life.

BEST WISHES FOR EVERY MOTHERS AND WOMEN

“I Just Dreamed That I Will Be Like You”

Zebo and Zuhro Murodova (U.S. Embassy Dushanbe)
Teachers Zebo (top) and Zuhro Murodova interviewed each other in Tajikistan about their shared passion for education.

By Wendy Grossman
Special Correspondent

The power and personal meaning of education is evident in the smiles on Zuhro and Zebo Murodova’s faces as they speak.

Sitting in a classroom inside a secondary school in Sarband, Tajikistan, Zuhro, a mother of three and a lifelong teacher, turns to her eldest daughter, Zebo, also now a teacher, and borrows a phrase from across the decades and miles.

“Where women will be educated, their families will be flourishing,” she says, paraphrasing Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 1995 speech at the fourth United Nations World Conference on Women. In that speech, the then-first lady said, “What we are learning around the world is that if women are healthy and educated, their families will flourish,” and went on to say, “If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights once and for all.”

Zebo, who teaches English at a secondary school in Sarband, nods. “It is true — if a woman is not educated, society does not succeed,” she says.

Her dreams for Zebo are simple, Zuhro says: that she is happy and able to fulfill her own dreams. “Because I put in you everything that I have dreamed,” Zuhro says.

The Murodovas, from the Khatlon region of Tajikistan, talked of their experiences as educators, their role models and their affection for each other as they sat amid the bustle of the busy school. All her life, Zuhro says, she dreamed of being able to educate her children, and she beams with pride as Zebo talks of her own passion for teaching.

“I am very thankful to you that you work for women’s education and you give me education,” Zebo says. “And now I take your profession and I like — I love teaching, the same as you.”

Her mother, Zebo says, was her first mentor and her role model, teaching her the value of helping others as well as giving her the ability to achieve her goals. “People come to you and ask, ‘Please educate my son.’ I see this, and I just dreamed that I will be like you,’’ Zebo says.

Any advice for when Zebo has her own son or daughter? “Be fair, be honest, and be hard-working,” Zuhro says, because those are the qualities that society needs and with them one can achieve anything.

Zuhro’s face brightens when Zebo asks her final question: Are you proud of me? “Of course, my dear, I am very proud of you,” Zuhro says, “because I see in you everything that I have planned.”

“The way I am now, it’s all thanks to you,” Zebo responds, “because without your blessings and without your prayers I couldn’t be such an energetic and experienced teacher the way I am now. Thank you very much.”

See videos and read more stories about mothers and daughters in the multimedia feature “Dreams for My Mother, Dreams for My Daughter.”

(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://www.america.gov)

How do you  celebrate New Year

We celebrate New Year on the 31^st of December. It is great holiday. We buy new clothes and new things. We put New Year tree in one corner of our house. Parents buy presents to us. We lay the tablecloth and put many tasty things on it. Such as different salads, cake fruits and prepares several foods. And person from my family wear costume of Father Frost and one wear the costume ice princess. We switch off light and shout Father Frost three times just for fun. We sing songs, play games, dance and have a lot of fun. If it snows we make snowman and put carrot on his nose or play snowballs. But usually the weather is warm and no snow. Then we watch fireworks outside and hear many loud sounds. The sound of crackers all are New Year spirit. In conclusion I want to say that we have good New Year with our family.

Zainabe 11^th grade

New year Day is a special day for our people. Markets and shops are crowded with people. Everyone is  making shopping buying tasty things and presents.We decorate our house with decoration, and new year tree. We make our dastarhan and put all things on it. We send post cards to friends and give presents to close people. In our town you can see New Year tree. And all families go in the evening and take photos there. There you can hear sounds of salutes and crackers. Some crackers are so dangerous. And to use propellant explosion in the streets is canceled because it scare people and not safe.

As New Year is not our holiday it is Christian holiday. Our new year is March 22^nd. But from Soviet times we get used to celebrate it. We just see off the old year and set table and remember all good things happened in this year.

Aziza 8^th grade

For me New Year is wonderful day. I spent it with my family. We cook and make many tasty things and eat it till the next day January 1^st. And in New Year women watch TV because many good New Year programs and concerts are shown. And children and fathers prepare the fireworks and lit it in the street and watch other fireworks through the window.

And people usually do not sleep they watch tV and go to relative and friend’s houses and congratulate each other with New year wishes. And at 12 o’clock our president delivers New Year speech and tells about country’s achievement and success. And when the clock strike 12 o’clock midnight everyone raise their cup and each other Happy New Year. And my mother says how u spend the first day of new year so it will finish. If you start quarrel all year u will have quarrel. And every one try to spend the first day of new year with smile and joy. And In New year eve people try to get rid of some old things, clothes.

I planed several activities with my Englishclub students.
I organzied postcard contest. And studenst will draw New Year poster. English clun juniors learned about Gingerbread man story and they made their own. And song about Gingerbrad man to learn. And another craft they did. To make Santa Clause and decorate classroom. And they learned Jongle Bell song and Santa. And another contest to make stocking.
English club students seniors wrote essays ” How we celebrate New Year with our family? and ” what has brought this year to you?

I just wanted to write some words about how we participated in video conference in school Uniform. It was new for us.We were very excited to participate in this project.

With English Club junior
I had activity about Gingerbread man. And students draw gingerbreadman and we hang it in the classroom. And i find from Youtube song aboout Gingerbread man and gave them to learn it.

HIP_HOP Dance in secondary school #1.
Today in our school we had two guests from the USA. The guests were hip-hop dancers. At first they talk a little about their job where it comes from and when it was founded. So after a little speaking they showed for us their dance hip-hop and we English club members were invited in this dance and we learned a little of it dance. First Michael exercised with us. He prepared us for hip-hop dance.
At first it was difficult or us because this dance was like break-dance and we also tried to do all our best and we listened what they told us. Another difficult problem for us it was to understand them because they were from Texas state and they spoke very fast. It was so very funny and interesting for us because we were dancing this dance for the first time.
The second dancer was Chris and I like his dance because his dance.His dance was very difficult and fast. There were also our Tajik hip-hop dancers from Dushanbe Era group and they showed for us their styles of this dance too.
Their leader was Fred. To my mind Fred was very good dancer and at the end he suggested that we also can learn this dance in his group in Dushanbe.
There were eight movements. We practiced a lot to use those movements. In our group some students confused what are left and right. I understand it’s not easy to learn a new thing but only practicing a lot you can master it. And thanks to Michael and Chris patience that we got information about hip-hop and now we can dance 8 movements of hip-hop. And I and English club members want on Monday morning line-up to show other students how look like hip-hop dance in America.

Thanks to US Embassy for inviting Hip-Hop dancers to our school.

Raupov Subhidin
11th grade
Sarband school #1
Teacher: Zebo Murodova