By Mark Clemons, PWI Reporter Oklahoma

Oklahoma, USA - Take in two strangers from Uzbekistan who do not speak English? I was not prepared for that question when Bob Lieser from Tulsa Global Alliance called to ask me to do just that. My wife, Peggy, and I had hosted Germans, since I speak fluent German. And we had attended dinner parties with Russians and Nigerians. But they all spoke at least limited English. We have traveled widely throughout Europe, often in areas where no one spoke either English or German, and gotten along OK so after some thought and discussion we said yes.

The Community Connections Program, a Project of USAID, coordinated by World Learning and of Tulsa Global alliance is promoting good relations between people of different countries. My wife and I have enjoyed getting to know people from around the globe. So we agreed to host Mr. Abduakhat Djuraev, from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Chief Narcologist, who was part of a group of ten Uzbek doctors visiting the United States to study Health Care Management in Prisons.

At a dinner with the group, three interpreters, and other host families we got acquainted with our guest. At dinner another Uzbek guest from Tashkent, Abdurakhman Abdukadirov, Specialist on HIV/AIDS, announced that he and Dr. Djuraev, who were to stay together the first week, were good friends and would really like to stay together. Even after we explained that we only had one guest room with one queen sized bed they pleaded for us to take them both. They said that they really liked us and felt that we could work it out, saying that if necessary one would sleep on the floor.  Somewhat reluctantly we and TGA agreed to try it and see how things went.

After the first week with another host family we picked them up at the University of Tulsa each day.  They seemed friendly but communication was strained between people who did not understand each other’s language. Their Bios stated no smoking, no pork, and no alcohol but we learned that Abduakhat did smoke. So we arranged an area outside on the patio of our home as a smoking area. We got them settled into their room and they slept in the bed together that first night. 

Later the next day after we had dropped them off at TU we got a phone call relating that all was not so great. They had not slept well under the circumstances and wished to return to their host of the first week. After being told that he was out of town they agreed to try it another night. After offering them a pull out bed, a blow up mattress and other options Abdurakhman said to simply give him another blanket and he would sleep on the floor.  That sounded pretty inhospitable to us but after much discussion we agreed. And that is where he slept the rest of their stay; telling us that the carpet was quite comfortable. (To be continued)

Contact: oklahoma@peoplewebinternational.com
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