Travel Tips

Culture and Customs

While Tashkent is a fairly westernized, cosmopolitan city, the rest of Uzbekistan , especially in rural areas, tends to be a rather conservative, tolerant and hospital, Muslim-based culture . This means that Americans, particularly women, should be aware of different standards of dress, behavior, and living that are the norms here.

Dress

Western business attire is appropriate for most business meetings and in Tashkent western-style clothing is appropriate. Dress for men is more or less the same throughout the country. For women, however, there are two dress codes, one for Tashkent and one everywhere else. In Tashkent it is acceptable to wear short skirts, tops with bared shoulders, and pants. Outside of Tashkent the dress is much more conservative. A dress or skirt should be below the knee; short sleeves are fine, but the shoulder and front should be fully covered. Pants are acceptable if covered by a long top, as is done in Uzbek national dress. Women do not need to cover their heads, as is the case in some Muslim countries.

Behavior

There is no question that Uzbekistan is a male-dominated society. When there are large social gatherings of mixed company, the women and men usually sit in separate groupings. Exceptions are made for "honored foreign guests", and this practice does not apply to business gatherings. Much of the local social life revolves are the chai-khonas (tea-houses). While foreign women are allowed in, the chai-khonas basically serve as a men's club where they congregate and talk. Local women do not frequent the establishments. Women should take the lead in greetings and in offering a handshake; traditional Uzbek women do not normally shake hands, and well-behaved men do not take the lead in greeting unknown women.

Business Travel Tips

If possible, make up business cards and company literature in Russian and/or Uzbek.
When preparing a video presentation to market your goods or services, keep in mind that the video should be recorded in Pal or Secam as there are few multi-system VCRs that play NTSC (the U.S. standard).
Uzbekistan is almost entirely a cash society. Credit cards are seldom used except at the major hotels and a few restaurants and shops. The most widely accepted credit cards are Visa and American Express.
There is a single standard time zone in Uzbekistan, which is +5 hours GMT; Uzbekistan does not observe daylight savings time. During U.S. daylight savings time (April-October), Uzbekistan is +9 hours Eastern Standard Time. The remainder of the year Uzbekistan is + 10 hours EST.
Dates are usually written in the following order: day, month, and year;
Businesses and state organizations usually work from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. Lunch is usually from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Weights and measurements are according to the metric system.
The voltage system is 220 V

    BEIGN A GUEST IN UZBEK HOUSE

  Lunch or Dinner

    If you are invited for lunch or dinner, please accept the invitation and arrive on time. When visiting a local family it is acceptable to bring a bottle of good wine or other drink and some kind of gifts such as chocolates, pens, books, records, videocassettes, etc. which will be enjoyed by the host's family. The greeting "ceremony" takes a long time. Handshaking is usually done by men only and with women if they are the first to offer their hand. For people who are sitting further away, gesture of greeting is made by putting your right hand on your heart, making a slight bow with your head. During the greeting "ceremony", questions are asked about the host's relatives, health, work, home, and just about everything else concerning him and his household.

    Traditionally, the shoes are left when entering the house. If the meal is served in the garden, everyone sits on a low supa (it looks like a double bed), covered with flat mattresses called korpas. In that case, you should better to take off your shoes and sit down as pointed by the host. The further you sit from the entrance to the room or garden, the more honored you are. You may stretch your legs under the table and support yourself with cushions behind you and under your elbow.

    The traditional respect for elderly people and the superiority of men is obvious. In rural areas, when entertaining guests, women do not usually share the table with men or take part in their conversation. They have a separate table. The larger cities are, however, more liberal. If you are going to visit within your girlfriend, she could sit next to you at the men's table, and the host will invite his wife to join this table as well.

    First the candies and tea will be served. Then, not before long, the table will be covered with various hot dishes, vegetables, fruit and a variety of cool drinks, and sometimes alcohol. The most popular Uzbek dish is Pilav. Pilav is served on a large dish (lagan) placed in the center of the table. Usually everybody eats from one dish, since eating from one dish is considered to make people feel intimate, like one big family. You will not offend anyone, however, if you serve some pilav onto your plate from the nearest dish. Sometimes pilav is eaten with the right hand, but eating with a spoon or fork is common.

    Be prepared to eat a lot of food! It will be very tasty, since Uzbek food developed during the time of the Great Silk Road and has combined the best ancient tastes of Asia.

    During the meal a special round bread, called non, is served. There are many traditions connected to Uzbek bread. It is never cut with a knife. At the start of the meal, it is broken into pieces by hand and placed on the table near each place setting. Try not to place bread upside down (with its flat side up), by placing it the right way up will earn you the respect of the host and those around you. Uzbek people consider bread to be holy and greatly respected.

    While being at the table, you may smoke under the host's permission or if he starts to smoke first. Smoking is usually done outside. There is a rule to thank the host for tasty meal, nice party and kind regards within his guests.

    Drinking strong alcoholic drinks is accompanied by toasts to friendship between people, mutually beneficial cooperation, the host, and his family's health. After the spoken toast, you need to drink your glass or piola (Uzbek tea cup) with all the guests and drink to the end, especially if you are the person raising the toast. If there are a number of guests present, you may drink your glass only with those around you.

    Another feature of Uzbek people is their appreciation of humor. Most Uzbeks appreciate a good joke; they also enjoy it if you combine a funny story with your toast. You will be served tea throughout the meal (coffee is not very popular in Uzbekistan, though it may be served if you request it). The host fills your piola (Uzbek tea cup) by himself for only one-third. The fewer is tea, the sooner it cools down. This is also a sign of respect in the hot Asian climate. Always take you piola from the host with your right hand, with your left hand on your heart and thank him with the key word "rakhmat" - "thank you".

    Foreigners are usually fascinated by the tea ceremony. The host first pours the tea into the piola and then, back into the teapot. It is done by 3-4 times. The reason is to stir the tea leaves, making the tea stronger. Then the host fills each piola, serving every guest with the greatest respect one at a time. Be prepared to be offered mountains of food, midnight will come and go unnoticed around an Uzbek dinner table. Uzbek people will always accompany you (where possible) to your home or try and persuade you to spend the night. This is part of Uzbek hospitality. If you need to leave early, you need to ask the host giving him a plausible excuse so as not to offend him. Don't be in too much of a hurry to leave the table. Before leaving the table, the host, usually the oldest man at the table, will say a prayer for the success of future cooperation, peace and friendship. Sometimes a prayer is also said at the beginning of a meal. If you are the oldest guest at the table, you could offer, or you might be requested to offer up a prayer yourself.

Morning Pilav

    Morning pilav is usually prepared for special celebrations such as weddings, the circumcision of a son or in respect for someone who has died. Only men attend this early morning function (osh). It is considered bad manners not to respond to an invitation. It is not necessary to bring any gifts. Dress neatly; with clothes that aren't too bright, it is not necessary to wear a tie. Morning osh starts around from 6am until 7am. Approximately 200 people are invited, depending on the family and the occasion. Guests take their seats in turn, arrive, sit and while, eat some pilav and then leave. No strong drink is served and toasting is not allowed. Smoking at the table is not recommended. If you live in Uzbekistan for a long time and make many friends, you will sometimes be expected to visit two or three families in a day for morning osh!

Wedding Ceremony

    If you are invited to take part in a wedding ceremony that starts, for example, at 7.00 pm, do not rush to he there on time. You have time to buy flowers, prepare a gift and arrive as late as, say 9.00 pm. Dress is formal. The bridegroom might be dressed in a dark European-style suit, light shirt and dark tie, and the bride will be dressed in a beautiful long white wedding dress and veil. There will be no less than 200 guests at the wedding. Music will be playing and there will always be lots of dancing. Uzbek people love to dance! You will be to a table where you and the other guests at your table will drink a few glasses of Champaign or other drinks to the health and happiness of the newlyweds. The bride and the groom arrive later. You can present your flowers and gift to the couple after they arrive.

    Every time the young couple is congratulated, they are expected to stand up. If you are asked to congratulate them, you will have to make a short speech using a microphone. It is always interesting for other guests if you tell them that you are a foreigner and that this is your first wedding party. Tell them of your impressions and at the end, congratulate them and give them your good wishes. Remember that married couples do not kiss each other in public.

    You are not expected to stay until the end. It is polite to leave at any time, just excuse yourself from the guests at your table, say thanks to the hosts and leave.