Who will teach Uzbeks how to rest?

Undoubtedly, everyone has their own idea of how one ought to rest. For some it is a trip to the theatre, a museum or the philharmonic. For others — a couch, a book, a good film, pleasant music in headphones. For a third group — chatting with friends online. And someone rests at a laden table. Let us ask ourselves a question: Do we, Uzbeks, know how to rest? And what is the culture of leisure in general? The bustle of the city, a horde of cars racing at full speed with the sole aim of knocking you down, maiming you, or, at the very least, frightening you into a nervous tic. Then work problems, intrigues in the struggle for a job, an object of affection, the boss's kind smile. On top of everything, at home a partner displeased about something is waiting, along with the kids and a mother (or mother-in-law) with a bowl of greasy borscht and talk about your worthless life. In short, it is time for a holiday in the mountains, by the river, by the sea at last! And how do you picture it? Let us begin with the fact that for physical fatigue we often mistake mental strain and emotional exhaustion, which sometimes wear you down even more than physical labour. And most people try to "drown" it, "drink" it away, "eat" it away, "talk" it away with the help of friends, or else begin wandering alone through those same parks, museums, theatres. But in the end neither soul nor body gets any real rest. Some drive out of town to swim in the river, to drink, over kebabs, barbecue, or even a cauldron of pilaf, and to make a racket. At best there is a dacha with a sauna and that same pool, where you relaxed the body… and then? Again the ends do not meet. First, as a rule, such rest is possible only in the summer season. In winter the dachas are locked, out of town it is wet and cold, an icy stream in the frost is no option. A pool, all the more so. And, surprisingly, there is no need to reinvent the wheel, to prove that two times two is four. All over the world people long ago understood that one can rest differently — with comfort, in warmth and coziness and at the same time actively, so as to return to your affairs full of strength, both physical and spiritual. But our people cannot manage it; they were not taught. Rest can be divided into two groups: active and passive. It is just that some have not yet figured out which is better — to lounge on the couch or to go out into nature with friends. To head to a dacha, where there is a grill, groceries and half a day of cooking. Or to a comfortable recreation zone with tennis, billiards, a pool, a café and dancing. Relaxing and resting is also often hindered by the desire to keep everything under control. At work we are in high gear and mistakenly assume our resources are limitless. Without the usual bustle and workload, we feel lost. On holiday you are left to yourself, and some workaholics get a feeling of emptiness and anxiety. One more reason is built on stereotypes imposed by our imperfect system of attitude to the human resource. We do not know how to rest fully, because an attempt to take a holiday most often stirs in management and HR a dull sense of displeasure: Idler, slacker, so he wants a rest. And one more point — the roads leading to the recreation zones and the transport. At peak season, on the roads leading towards Tashmore, Charvak and Beldersay, traffic jams regularly form, which does nothing to encourage a wish for out-of-town rest. A long standstill in the heat is not very pleasant. Still less does one wish to stand idle on a cold autumn or frosty winter day. And if you have no car of your own, you have to bargain with greedy taxi drivers or be jolted about in a minibus. Also not the best choice. That is why it does not even occur to most Uzbeks to head to a comfortable recreation zone for the allotted 24 days, and in the cold season at that. So, what is needed for smart rest? 1. A desire to rest, implying physical, spiritual and psychological nourishment alike. 2. The ability to forget for a while that you are a worker, an employee, a civil servant, a businessman. To become simply a person who has said goodbye to the city and told nature: Well, hello, dear one. 3. To wave goodbye to management and HR. If they do not want you to rest — that is their problem. My problem is to find a good recreation zone with every convenience. 4. It is the roads that choose us. And here one wishes to say: Gentlemen who build roads and care about tourist conveniences! Do not discourage our citizens from resting like civilized people! Give us the chance to reach the resort zones in comfort and to be sure that, returning home from our rest, we will not spend the rest of our lives in a traffic jam, will not perish with a wheel stuck in some crevice, and will not get lost in the flow of cars after turning the wrong way. Create proper conditions on the roads! By developing domestic tourism, we not only bring benefits to the state treasury but also create conditions for spiritual and physical rest, capable of giving a new impetus to the development of our citizens. And that is exactly what all of us so lack today!