Smile

Nov. 29. 2010



I applied for the Uzbekistan visa today, and I'm going to get the one in next week. The Uzbekistan Embassy in Kyrgyzstan is generally told as the most unfriendly embassy in Central Asia between back packers. Someone online said "I think they do smile,,, once a year."


"Okay, I don't know who they are yet, but I will make them smile  no matter who they are!!" I was so exited to bring my smile in front of the people at the embassy.


Put a piece of paper and a pen in my left pocket to write name of people,
Put my iPod to show them pictures I have taken in this travel,
Put a Silk Road map in my backpack to explain the rout I have passed.
And I bought a porn card to catch their heart on my way to the embassy.


After waiting in line for a while, finally my turn came, and I had to open two doors to get in the building. A guy, who is like super Mario, was sitting just the end of the floor over a heavy glazed wall.


"Hi!!"

...


"How are you?"


so so...


"Are you a Kyrgyz?"


Uzbek...


"What is your name?"


"Muzaffar"


He still has no smile.




I showed the porn card, the map, and the pictures to get close to him.


He smiled a little bit.


I showed my passport then.


I had put a crane origami between this passport as a surprise present for him.




"Did you like this? I made this for you because I thought you would like this Muzaffar!! haha... And... I would be so happy if you discounted my visa fee my friend..."


I didn't lose the moment when he showed me his front teeth, and I was very sure he would discount me only at that moment when he smiled.


"Chuji, you are a good boy. Your visa is only $15 and just 3 days from today."


Good job Muzaffar!!


I would hug him if there was no glazed wall between us.





Stamps I can get on my passport are only one in a country. Sightseeing spots and famous buildings don't change their shape. But I learned that even a person I meet in the travel shows me a number of expressions if I tried to make the one smile.



People, who I could meet in this travel in the other side of the world, and I met almost by a stroke of fate. I just decided to face these folks with as much effort as I can make.



"Chuji....I will practice your name's pronunciation by the time you come here next" Muzaffar said with his smile.



Who said people here smile only once a year?


He gave me his wonderful smile twice today.




Go for it!! Chuji,