Livelihoods and Livestock Husbandry in Shimshal
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When it snowed a lot, we used to go to a place called Chakor where we remained for 2-3 days and came back afterwards to Shimshal where it [normally] does not snow. Our parents and grandparents were very worried about our yaks and sheep to die under such harsh conditions.
Nowadays my children and the people who are at my house attend school and are not interested in my [old] stories. In the old days there was no concept of a school, instead yaks and cows were good for us and when they gave birth, our children took care of them. We then got milk from them to make yogurt or lassi Pai from it. We also made butter (ghee) for margichi [also locally referred to as mirgechigh] and wilyo, thereafter for ourselves. At that time, we forced ourselves to get things done whereas now, we don't even go to [the high altitude pastures of] Pamir. Now the [young] people go to study and don't get time for these [traditional] things. We used to come barefoot to the school like our grandparents used to walk, and slept on the roof of the school, with our school bag under us. But now, times have greatly changed and are peaceful.
In the old times we use [the smoke of] supandar [also called esfand, espand or harmala] because our grand-parents told us that its use killed bed germs which made our grandparents happy as this saved our homes from evil and from bad spirits [jinns]. For the same purpose we also used the smoke of a juniper yarz. Our father-in-laws and my forefathers believed that we should bring yarz home and make smoke tumtang out of it.
not here
2.1.6.1
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