Tajik, male, 38 years old, hostel owner
1. What’s the average earnings and basic living costs of food?
| Average salary | 1 500 – 1 800 somoni/month | $160-190 |
| Milk, 1 liter | 4 somoni | $0.4 |
| Rice, 1 kg | 5 – 15 somoni | $0.5-1.6 |
| Chicken, 1 kg | 18 – 25 somoni | $2-2.7 |
| Beef, 1 kg | 40 somoni | $4.2 |
| Lamb, 1 kg | 40 somoni | $4.2 |
| Egg, 1 piece | 0.8 somoni | $0.1 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | 1 somoni | $1 |
| Apples, 1 kg | 3-10 somoni | $0.3-1 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | 15 somoni | $1.6 |
| Watermelon, 10 kg | 25 somoni | $2.7 |
| Melon, 10 kg | 30 somoni | $3.2 |
2. What celebrations and festivals do you have in your country?
| Nauryz | 21 March |
| Independence Day | 9 September |
| New Year | 1 January |
| Kurban Bayram | 21 August |
| Ramadan | 15 July |
| Victory Day | 9 May |
| Defender of the Fatherland Day | 23 February |
| Women’s Day | 8 March |
| Sada festival | End of September |
3. What’s the weather like in your country?
| October – March | +10°C day time, -10°C..-1°C night time |
| March – May | +15°C..+20°C |
| May – September | +30°C..+40°C |
4. What’s the local cuisine and the dish of the day?
National Tajik food:
- Pilau
- Chorba
- Qurutob
- Shakarob
Everyday food:
- Pilau
- Chorba
- Fried potatoes
- Samsa
- Meat pies
- Pumpkin manti
5. What expectations do you have for your grandchildren?
Happiness. I want peace, not war. I want them to have everything they want. I want our country to be prosperous so people won’t leave Tajikistan.
6. How did you furnish and design your place? Is your house big/small?
Big house/hostel. 350 m². 16 bedrooms, 2 kitchens, 4 shower rooms, 3 toilets.
7. Is there anything unique created with people’s hands in this country?
Clay and wooden plates. Dresses, bedspreads, skull caps. Carpets.
8. What pension are you entitled to in this country?
Females (60 years old) and males (63 years old) get 300 somoni ($32). Military gets 1 000 – 1 500 somoni ($106-160).
9. How much would I be expected to pay for the following: land, house, apartment?
| House in Dushanbe (70 m²) | 658 000 somoni | $70 000 |
| Apartment in Dushanbe (2 bedrooms) | 141 000 – 1 410 000 somoni | $15 000 – 150 000 |
10. How much would I be expected to pay for an apartment + energy bills + internet + other utilities monthly?
House in Dushanbe (16 bedrooms)
| House taxes | 1 000 somoni/year | $106 |
| Electricity | 300 somoni/month | $32 |
| Water | Free | Free |
| Internet | 500 somoni/month | $53 |
11. What expectations do you hope to achieve for the future?
I want all my children to get married. I want them to work and buy me a car. I’ll drive it in Tajikistan and then I’ll go traveling in Middle Asia. I also want to see Moscow. I want to go to America, work there for 20 years and come back to Tajikistan. Afterwards I want to buy a small house around 200 km far from Dushanbe and die there.
12. How do you want to die?
It is the God’s will. My life and my destiny is in his hands. We are the property of God.