Surviving the Crisis, Tajik Style

From a funny advertising leaflet that was passed to me as I exited the car and went around to get Anya out of her carseat just outside of sadik. (You have to understand that I have never before seen this type of advertising in Dushanbe, so that in itself already made it interesting.)

“Hooray!!! It’s finally happened!! At last, the new stock has arrived!

“Central Asia Trading”

in the form of

“The Korean Store!”

is rushing to help the irresistibly finer half of humanity, i.e. the captivatingly beautiful women of Tajikistan, survive this pervasive Economic Crisis!!!

How??!

In the first place and Especially for the ladies, we are offering a wide assortment of items from South Korea!!!

This is just what you need to live beautifully, and not just to survive but rather to CONQUER this crisis of the economy!

New arrivals:

shoes jackets dresses blouses suits suit-jackets skirts shirts
slippers fabric bags socks tops hats rings

And something else as well…

[on the flyer's other side]

Ladies bags, little bags, and little baggies:

[small images of bags are arrayed on the page with descriptive titles and sample prices inside, in the vein of a bunch of bag-shaped thought bubbles]

The “Little Red Riding-Hood” -- 35 som.

The “I love to rob BANKS!” [no price]

“Unforgettable” 40 som.

The “When is vacation coming?” model -- 35 som.

The “I take everything with me wherever I go” – 40 som.

“Village Mood” [no price]

“Dushanbe is my village!” -- 40 som.

“I love the sea” -- 40 som.

The “Let’s go on a picnic!” -- 40 som.

“Sister-suitcase” [no price]

“Maybe…” -- 20 som.

“Nothing’s better” -- 30 som.

“The ABYSS!” -- 40 som.

“Immensity” -- 40 som.

The “Bolshevik” [no price]

The “Excuse me!” -- 40 som.

“The city in the country!” -- 35 som.

The “I’m from the village!” model -- 30 som.

“Ladies’ fancy” -- 30 som.

“A girl’s dream” -- 20 som.

The best part of this to me is the fact that not one, not two, but several of these models proudly proclaim the owner’s origin in the sticks, which is actually very appropriate for the bulk of Dushanbe’s residents. (Or at least I have that impression, given where we live, in a northern neighborhood up Rudaki Prospect, and given where I was when I was handed the flyer, just down the hill from the very village-like section of town called Sari Asiyo (which I think means “the start of Asia,” but I could be wrong about that). It is true that I am constantly reminded when I leave those areas and especially when I travel out Somoni into some of the more recently built Soviet areas that not everyone looks as fresh-from-the-village as many of the people in our neighborhood.)

Although it included a rather detailed schematic map on that second side, nevertheless I have no idea where the Korean Store is located, since none of the landmarks on the map (including “Mosque”) were familiar to me. (Sure, “Sweets of the East” I know, but which of the many branches scattered around town are they talking about?)

So I guess I’ll have to settle for enjoying their ad campaign, rather than digging into the new stock and seeing whether anything at the Korean store strikes my “lady’s fancy.”