Zaripovs' Blog

January 12, 2025 — Reflection of the day!

Today was one of those days that feels impossible to put into words. Around 9:30 a.m., Abdulaziz called me to say he and Azizbek had landed in Bukhara. While Mr. Mukhammadali—known as the first IELTS niner and a four-time achiever—drove them to Ad Astra LC, I made my way there to meet up with them.

We decided to grab breakfast together, even though it was already close to 11 a.m. The four of us—Abdulaziz, Azizbek, Mr. Mukhammadali, and I—sat down at Shafran. While waiting for our food, we had a long chat, mostly about philosophy. It was one of those deep conversations that makes you see people in a new way. I feel like I learned so much from Mr. Mukhammadali just by listening to him.

After breakfast, he dropped us off near Lyabi-Havuz, and we spent some time exploring the old parts of the city. I’m not exactly a history expert, but I shared whatever I knew about the buildings from what I’d been taught. We walked around, took some pictures, joked around, and stopped for snacks—it was simple, but it made the whole experience really enjoyable.

Later, we went back to Shafran for a quick snack and another chat before heading to Ad Astra to record a podcast. The podcast lasted over two hours, and honestly, I enjoyed every second of it. Listening to Abdulaziz and Mr. Mukhammadali share their thoughts gave me a fresh perspective on so many things.

To wrap up the day, we grabbed desserts at Shafran again where Abdulaziz and I had some fun and serious topics sharing stories only two of us knew. Finally, we went back to Ad Astra for a bit before taking Abdulaziz to the train station so he could head back to the capital.

I really want to thank Mr. Mukhammadali for hosting us and taking the time to do the podcast. A big thank you to Abdulaziz and Azizbek as well for coming to Bukhara. Days like this don’t happen often, and I’m so glad I got to be part of it.