Having lived in the United Arab Emirates for eight years before the birth of their daughter in the late 1990s took them to Canada, teachers Zora and Dave Keffer were no strangers to exploring the world.
And so, after growing up and graduating college, the couple came across an educational opportunity in Central Asia, and decided to set out again on an adventure that would take them first to Kazakhstan and later to a small town in Uzbekistan.
Despite initially fearing they were in an austere-looking former Soviet backwater, prone to power cuts and unbearable heat waves, the couple say the move there was an incredible experience that brought positives no longer found in the West.
According to Zora, originally from the former Czechoslovakia, they “felt it was time to resume our nomadic existence” after their daughter left home. When they discovered that Kazakhstan was looking for teachers, the couple thought it “sounded like an interesting project” and signed up, where they spent almost five years.
“I don’t think most people are aware of how big the country is geographically and how many minorities live there,” she says.
New adventure
Once they landed in Kazakhstan, the Keffers accepted a work contract in Kuwait, only to find themselves “stuck” in the Middle Eastern country during the Covid-19 pandemic. When border restrictions started to be lifted, they were ready for something new again.
“It’s sometimes hard to live a normal life again,” Zora says of their desire to keep moving from one place to another.
“You become acquainted with this sometimes very unpredictable existence. It’s frustrating sometimes. But it is exciting.”
In March 2020, Zora and Dave were offered a job at a school for “gifted children” in Uzbekistan, and started thinking about the possibility of moving there.
Although they were less than enthusiastic when they looked up where they would live – Nukus, Uzbekistan’s sixth largest city – and found the description uninspiring, they finally decided to give it a try.
When they arrived in Uzbekistan in 2020, Zora was struck by the country’s architecture. She described it as “a mixture of unflattering, utilitarian Soviet-era buildings next to modern high-rises.”
While the country was still ‘under the Covid cloud’, Zora and Dave, who were both on multi-entry work visas, were able to settle in with relative ease and were warmly welcomed.
“The locals are extremely polite and friendly,” says Zora. “And Dave and I have been fortunate to participate in and enjoy many of the traditions that such a colorful society has to offer.”
Cultural differences
While it can be difficult for newcomers to adjust to life in a country like Uzbekistan, Zora explains that their time in Kazakhstan meant it wasn’t too much of an adjustment for either of them.
“It’s all Central Asia,” she says. “They are both ex-Soviet republics. Very similar cultures. So Uzbekistan was not a culture shock.”
And while the Keffers initially had reservations about Nukus, which has an estimated population of about 329,000, they loved living there and felt comfortable within the community.
“People love to practice English,” says Zora. “It’s actually very funny. They stop you all the time, and they want to chat (in English).”
Since neither Zora nor her husband speak Uzbek, they often relied on Google Translate when it came to communicating with locals.
“Google Translate is your best friend here,” she adds.
One of the things Zora liked most about Uzbekistan was that she was always having new experiences.
“It’s never boring,” she says. “It’s never boring here.”
However, there was one thing she could never get used to: the frequent power outages that happened around the time Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
“It’s warm here,” she says. “So if you can’t get the air conditioning to work, it’s no fun. I can tell you this much.
“You have to be very flexible, because you just don’t know what’s going to happen. Flexibility is number one. This is not a place for rigid people.”
Although Zora and her husband have adapted to life in Uzbekistan with ease, she points out that being able to lean on each other made a big difference, and says it’s probably much harder for those moving alone.
“It’s a small community,” she says of Nukus. “You definitely don’t have the same kind of expats as the capital Tashkent.”
“You don’t have that here, because it’s a small town. So you have to work a little harder to meet people.”
Sense of community
Zora says she was encouraged by the strength of the local community and its members, who were willing to do anything for their neighbors.
“The community is much stronger here,” she says. “Families are closer. We’ve lost that a bit in the West, if you know what I mean.
“People here are still so dependent on each other to some extent. Because you don’t have the same social safety net. So it is really a necessity. If something goes wrong, you have your family.”
While they spent most of their time in Nukus, Zora and Dave traveled to the capital Tashkent about every six weeks “for a fun getaway weekend.”
In 2021, the couple took some time off to explore the cities of the ancient Silk Road: Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva.
“I can’t imagine actually leaving Uzbekistan without seeing these legendary cities,” she says.
“They are really great. It’s like going back in time. And get caught up in one of those stories like ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ (a collection of Middle Eastern folktales). It’s magical.”
According to Zora, she and Dave were impressed by Khiva, a small town in southeastern Uzbekistan.
“People don’t know much about Khiva because it is not in the region where Samarkand and Bukhara are,” she says, before describing the “scary experience” of climbing the Islam Khodja minaret, which is 45 meters high.
“So many people miss it. But it is also a beautiful city with beautiful architecture.”
When Zora is asked about what she likes most about living in Uzbekistan, she says that it was undoubtedly her students.
“The kids here are so nice,” she says. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s actually the biggest plus as a teacher, because we don’t have any discipline problems.”
Zora is also a big fan of the food in Uzbekistan and describes the fruits and vegetables as “out of this world.”
“They are so good compared to, say, Canada or North America because of the weather,” she says.
‘You always have sun here. And the taste is really great compared to the supermarket products in Canada.”
Developing country
Although they found Uzbekistan to be very affordable, Zora notes that this is “all relative” as they earned a “decent salary.”
“If we earned a local salary, it obviously wouldn’t be much cheaper,” she says.
When asked what she missed about living in Canada, Zora admits that seeing blockbusters that weren’t dubbed was high on the list.
However, the couple did manage to watch some live ballet and modern dance performances in Tashkent.
“That’s a big plus,” she says. “Because the tickets are very cheap for us. And those pieces were beautiful.
“So you have to focus on that. No films, but wonderful dance.”
The couple was able to take part in traditional celebrations, including Nowruz, a festival marking the Persian New Year, an official holiday in Uzbekistan on March 21 every year.
“Cooking a pudding in a huge cauldron for ten hours is a big part of that,” Zora explains.
One of the downsides of living in a place like Uzbekistan was that the couple had few visitors from home, mainly because “it’s very far.”
“That’s (the distance) one thing,” she says. “And the other thing, more importantly, is that we don’t get any time off (from work).”
The couple returned to Canada every summer to catch up with their friends and family.
“It’s nice to just reconnect,” she says. “Just to see it’s still there.”
Zora says she would advise anyone considering a move to Uzbekistan to bear in mind that it is “still a developing country” and they are unlikely to have access to the same amenities and lifestyle as before.
“You shouldn’t expect the same level of comfort and efficiency,” she adds. “It would really help to be very flexible and have a great sense of humor…
“I have become much more open-minded and even flexible than before this experience.”
After four years in Uzbekistan, Zora and Dave decided to say goodbye to their hometown and seek a new adventure.
Now retired, they plan to “travel extensively” over the next year before figuring out their next move.
Although they will return to Canada briefly, Zora says she has no plans to stay there permanently.
“We love Canada, but that doesn’t mean we plan to stay here,” she says. “I hope we never lose our wanderlust.”
When asked which destination is next on their list, Zora emphasizes that they are still figuring everything out.
“The future is opaque,” she says.
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