To all Young and Old members of this website from around the world.
I am a Tajik born guy.
Most of my time up to now I have almost spent in my country Tajikistan but quite recently the unknown and unseen flowing force of the Universe and the doors of the world opened up to me.
I grew up in a traditional family yet being always unsatisfied by the way I was behaving and living. Yet being always in search of something beyong myself and my scope of understanding. Totaly lost.
Unconsciously I was going towards something far bigger and greate I had no idea about. It was febrary 2001 when just by chance I met a Danish guy in the caffe where he was just sitting and drinking his tea. Of course as a traditional guy, I am always curious and open to any kind of talk with foreigners to learn about the world out there I didn't know about yet. I was living in the world of illusions. So this short meeting of mine with this Danish guy was a turning point in my life and the day of awakening.
By his help after he moved to my house to live I somehow foudn out myself in Europe, Denmark shortly after four months or so.
The world completely unfamiliar to a young guy brought up in former Soviet (isolated country) republic.
People around, the lifestyle and the worldview of the europians if I can say so, started to unfold to me.
I had it hard to find a balance to integrate new experiences with mine. It was like two forces inner and outer were fighting.
Luxury, material satisfaction, more growth (ecnomical), depression of majority of young people were astonishing and shocking to me. Then only then I realized what I was and what i want to be. By facing another culutre and by reflecting on that I started to value and understand what I was taught and at some poing induced.
More and more I heard a word developing cuntries or Third world. It made me in a away laugh because who determines what Is development and what are the values? I agree Europe and other Westtern countries have come a long way in their Political (Power,) economical development which they envisioned in the beginging. But Unfortuantely they seperated or degrated the inner, intrinsic Human values like, natural love not search from outside, respect for oneself and others, Joy and etc. that once existed in this culuture.
I see people wealthy, but unsatsified with the life they have. One says that Life is far more than this material growth.
Here was the point I started appreciate the beliefes and values I have learned and practiced in Tajikistan.
It is not to say one culture is better than the other it is more like sharing my thoughts with how my worldview changed to the way that I see it now. We can not seperate each other with races, posessions, geographic boundaries or whatever might come to your mind because what I learned is we are All One. And we are the Universe.
Please feel free to contact me if you want to talk about this issue.
My best regards,
Shavkat