Many know that Seattle has a park on Capitol Hill named for our sister city.
Tashkent Park was established in 1974, one year after the formation of the
Seattle-Tashkent Sister City Association.

This small neighborhood park is located on Boylston Street, between Republican and
Mercer Streets, two blocks west of Broadway.

The landscaping in the park, seating areas, and the paving stone areas need a lot of
renovation. The Seattle Parks Department is completing the renovations from
December, 2015, through February, 2016. On May 28th, the Parks Department held a
neighborhood meeting to discuss its plans and seek input. Three people represented
the STSCA (Shakhida Ismailova, Dan Peterson, and George Wright).

A new plaza will be built which will feature better the beautiful sculpture “Semurg”
(Bird of Happiness) by the Uzbek artist Jacob Shapiro. This beautiful sculpture was
a gift in 1988 from the City of Tashkent to the citizens of Seattle.

We thank the Parks Department for all their work to improve the park. For further
information, please go to this link:
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=384

We will let you know when the park renovations are complete.

Save the date for the Seattle-Tashkent Sister City Association’s annual Navruz celebration on Saturday, March 26, 2016!

Location: College Gymnasium, North Seattle College, 9600 College Way North, Seattle, WA 98103

We hold an annual meeting to focus on a topic of interest to members and to elect new members of the Board of Directors. This year, we are very excited to have as our guest Seattle-based photojournalist Steve Shelton, who will be presenting photos from his assignment to Uzbekistan for ARAMCO World magazine.

Mr. Shelton and Boston-based reporter Piney Kesting traveled to Tashkent, Samarkand, Ferghana Valley, and Bukhara for two weeks last June reporting on the vibrant and unique aspects of the culture of Uzbekistan. Their focus is on the Sister City relationship between Seattle and Tashkent. Shelton will share photos and give a sneak preview of the upcoming story to be published in the January 2016 edition of Aramco World.

When: Thursday, October 29th, 7-9 PM
Where: North Star Dining Room, North Seattle College, 9600 College Way N, Seattle, WA 98103

We hope you will attend!

Come join the Seattle-Tashkent Sister City Association for our annual summer picnic on Saturday, September 19th at 2 PM! This year, our picnic will be held at Shelter 1 in Newcastle Beach Park, located at 4400 Lake Washington Boulevard SE, Bellevue, WA 98006.

The event is a potluck, so please bring food (side dishes, salads, melons, or desserts) to share. We will provide plov, beverages, condiments, utensils and plates. The plov will be served at 4 PM.

To cover our costs, we will be asking for donations of $10 per adult.

See this flyer for more information, including a map of the park. Please note that dogs are not allowed in the park.

We look forward to seeing you there!

U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Ambassador Pamela Spratlen (pictured center above), was recently in Seattle for a personal visit and also took time to meet with STSCA Board members Dan Peterson and Diana Pearce. They discussed Embassy activities and initiatives and how these align with Sister City goals and objectives.

Ambassador Spratlen is very positive, very gracious, and very supportive of our sister-city relationship. We look forward to working together with her for many years!

Our 2015 Navruz celebration was a jam-packed, sold-out evening of fun, food, and festivities! Katta rahmat to everyone who attended and to everyone who volunteered at this year’s event!

Over 400 people enjoyed an amazing Uzbek meal of plov, somsa, naan, bo’gir’soq, salads, and drinks prepared by STSCA Board members and volunteers. Fruit and dessert were provided by attendees.

Highlights of the evening included honoring the Year of the Elder in Uzbekistan, performances by the Mystic Rose folkdance group, and our ever-popular fashion show, featuring traditional Central Asian clothing. Attendees who stayed until the end were also treated to a “diskoteka” of popular Uzbek and Central Asian tunes, with many young children dancing up on the stage.

To read more about the event, see this article on the Sister Cities International Web site.

Below are a few pictures from the event. For more pictures, please visit our Facebook page.

Dear Members and Friends of the Seattle-Tashkent Sister City Association,

Saturday, March 21^st  is our 17^th annual Navruz celebration, and as in the past, it promises to be fun and entertaining! The doors open at 4:45 PM. We will serve the meal in courses, so please arrive on time to enjoy all of it.

Now, it is time to buy your tickets! (See this flyer for details.)

We are extremely happy that Navruz has grown and grown and is so well attended.  However, we have a problem with space in the cafeteria we utilize.  We cannot exceed the room capacity and must adhere to the fire regulations and college requirements.

Thus, we have only 300 tickets to sell.

Therefore, we really want everyone to buy their tickets before the event.  By buying your tickets before the event, you will be guaranteed a space.   There will be only limited tickets at the door, if any are left after the pre-event sales.

The ticket prices are:  Adults ($20 online or by mail before the event and $30 per adult at the door.  Students (13-18 years old or college) cost $15 online or by mail before the event or $25 at the door;  and Children under 12 are free.

You may buy your tickets before the event by mail or online.  To purchase tickets by mail you must mail a check to our post office box postmarked by Saturday, February 28^th. Mail your check, made out to STSCA, to this address:  STSCA, P.O. Box 25364, Seattle, WA.  98165

To purchase tickets online, please go to Brown Paper Tickets at http://stscanavruz2015.bpt.me. The usual service fees apply.

We will begin a countdown to the event on our Facebook page and tell you how many tickets remain each week.

To provide Navruz, we need lots of help. Last year many, many volunteered to make somsas. If you are willing to cook 30 somsas, then you can get a free ticket to Navruz, by telling us in advance of your willingness to do so.  Please write to us at navruz@seattle-tashkent.org.

We also ask that as many as possible bring fruit or dessert to share, in the traditional spirit of Navruz.

We look forward to seeing you soon at Navruz!

All the best,
Dan Peterson
President
Seattle-Tashkent Sister City Association

Promote your company/organization to a large group of both Central Asian immigrants and Americans who love Central Asia! Help STSCA continue to put on great events like Navruz!

Sponsor a Navruz table today!

Sponsorship opportunities and benefits are now available at these levels:

GOLD SPONSOR
$1,000 (LIMIT OF 2)
BENEFITS INCLUDE:

• Speaking Opportunity: Entitles a representative from the sponsoring organization an opportunity to have a speaking role during the program (5 mins. or less of content)
• One table (for 10) with preferential positioning
• Two additional guests to be seated at the “Head Table” (to be shared by other participating sponsors and speakers)
• One full-page ad in the Event Program
• Listed as Diamond Sponsor in Event Program on ‘Sponsor Recognition’ page
• Recognition from the podium at the dinner program
• Recognition and logo on the Seattle Tashkent Sister City Association website and social media outlets including link to your website
• Placement of your advertising banner in the event’s venue

SILVER SPONSOR
$800 (LIMIT OF 4)
BENEFITS INCLUDE:

• One table (for 10) with preferential positioning
• One additional guest to be seated at the “Head Table” (to be shared by other participating sponsors and speakers)
• Half-page ad in the Event Program
• Listed as a Silver Level Sponsor in Event Program
• Recognition from the podium at the dinner program
• Recognition and logo on the Seattle Tashkent Sister City Association website and social media outlets including link to your website
• Placement of your advertising banner in the event’s venue

BRONZE SPONSOR
$500 (LIMITED AVAILABILITY)
BENEFITS INCLUDE:

• One complementary table (for 10) with preferential positioning
• Listed as a Table Sponsor in Event Program
• Recognition and logo on the Seattle Tashkent Sister City Association website and social media outlets including link to your website
• Placement of your advertising banner in the event’s venue

For more information, please contact sponsors@seattle-tashkent.org.

Navruz has become extremely successful, and on behalf of the STSCA board, we thank you for participating and making it so popular!

This year Navruz will be held on Saturday, March 21st, at North Seattle Community College, at 5 pm, as in the past. PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR! We will have great food, entertainment, children’s activities, and dancing!

Be watching for additional information as the date approaches. Due to space limitations in the cafeteria, this year we will be selling as many tickets as possible in advance. Please watch for announcements regarding ticket purchase options.

Navruz promises to be as wonderful as ever! We look forward to your attendance, having fun together, and renewing friendships.

These recipes–along with tasty samples–were all presented by our volunteer chefs at our Annual Meeting in November. Rahmat to everyone who prepared food–it was delicious!

Honim

Cooked and presented by Rahima Niyazova

Ingredients:

For filling:
0.5 lb ground beef
1 large onion, sliced
4-5 potatoes, peeled and sliced in thin strips
2 carrots, peeled and cut in thin strips
Salt, pepper, cumin seeds
Vegetable or olive oil for greasing

For dough:
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp. salt
Plain flour as needed

For topping:
5 Tbsp. olive oil for frying
2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Freshly chopped herbs like cilanto, basil, or green onion (optional)

Directions:
1. To make the dough, mix lukewarm water and salt. Gradually add flour to make medium hard dough. Cover it and let it stand for 30 min. While it’s resting, prepare the filling.
2. Cut all your vegetables and combine them in a big bowl. Set it aside.
3. Put water into steamer and bring it to boil.
4. Use a rolling pin to roll up your dough. Try to make a round shape and as thin as possible. Grease some oil evenly all over the surface. Cut the dough in half from the middle using a knife. Before dividing the filling, add salt, pepper, and cumin seeds as needed, and then spread it on top of the each piece. Roll the dough into itself; it should look like a long rope.
5. Place the honim in a steamer and cook for about 40 min.
6. While honim is cooking, prepare the topping. Over medium-high heat fry onions for about 5-10 minutes, then add tomatoes and stir for another 5-10 minutes. Add salt to taste.
7. When it’s ready, cut honim in pieces and place the topping on top.
8. Finish it with some fresh herbs.

Uzbek Yogurt – Qatiq                                   

Cooked and presented by Madinahon Ibragimova

Ingredients:
4 cups of milk (whole milk or low fat)
3 tbsp of plain natural yogurt

Where to get the ingredients:
The ingredients can be bought at any grocery store.

Directions:
1. Heat up the milk and check it with your finger; you must be able to hold your finger in the milk for 10 seconds.
2. Mix 3 tbsp of natural yogurt with the milk. Pour it in to glass dishes and close them tightly.
3. Wrap them with a thick towel. You might need more than one towel. Using towels helps to hold the temperature.
4. Put it in a warm place for 8 hours.

Plov

Cooked and presented by Marifat Turaeva

Ingredients:
1 lb. meat (lamb or beef)
1 lb. carrots, cut in long strips
1 large onion, sliced
1 lb. rice
4.5 oz. canola oil
2+ cups water
Salt and cumin seeds (not ground) to taste
2 heads of garlic and 8 oz. chickpeas and raisins (optional)

Where to get the ingredients:
Ingredients can be found at any grocery store. Meat is halal, and rice is #1565 from WinCo.

Directions:
1. In a big pot, heat the oil and add the meat. Fry the meat until it’s brown, then add the onion and continue frying until the onion is golden.
2. Add the carrots and fry them until they are soft. Add 2 cups of cold water. Bring it to boil, then let it simmer for 40 min. Add salt to taste.
3. Wash and add the rice to the boiled mixture. (You can also soak the rice while the ingredients are cooking.) Don’t mix the rice. If the water isn’t covering the rice, then pour in more water. Water should be only 1 inch above the rice. Let it boil uncovered and wait until the water evaporates. When all water is gone, sprinkle some cumin seeds on top. Then reduce the heat to low, cover it with a lid and cook it for 20 min or until rice is ready.
4. Serve it with a tomato salad like achchiq chuchuk (optional).

Holvaitar

Cooked and presented by Madinahon Ibragimova

Ingredients:
2 cups water
3.5 oz sugar
3 tbsp flour
1 oz butter

Where to get the ingredients:
The ingredients may be bought at any grocery store.

Directions:
1. Put water in a pot and bring it to boil. Add sugar. After all sugar is dissolved, remove it from the heat.
2. In a non-stick pan, melt the butter and add flour. Fry it until brown.
3. Take aside and start adding boiled sugary water. Add water little by little stirring it constantly. There should be no clumps left. Then add all the water and bring it to boil. Let it simmer until it thickens. When it becomes thick, pour it onto plates.
4. You can eat it hot or cold.