Jamais Vu
Radio Bob Approved
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2023
- Messages
- 73
- Thread Author
- #1
Lola descends from a long line of proud, industrious spice merchants who once owned extensive estates in Khiva. Her ancestors cultivated close relationships with local nobles and influential families.
This legacy came to an abrupt end with the fall of the Emirate. The rise of Proletarian rule and the collectivization of private enterprise swept away generations of accumulated wealth. Like millions of others across Uzbekistan, Lola's family was absorbed into the new industrialized, collectivist and materialist society, leaving behind their identity as merchants.
Lola was born into an somehow upper-class household. Her father worked as an industrial engineer, and her mother was a teacher in the capitol.
Thanks to the consumer goods and souvenirs her diplomat grandfather brought back from Western Europe, Türkiye, and the Balkans, Lola developed a fascination with the outside world from an early age. She became fluent in both Russian and English while still young and quickly proved herself exceptionally organized. Skilled in bookkeeping, paperwork, and school math, she often assisted her family with financial . Although she never excelled at rural work such as silk and cotton harvesting or sheep herding like many of her peers, these shortcomings mattered little. She really wanted to be a merchant.
Unfortunately, the proletarian regime prevented citizens from becoming a merchant, and the most “money-like” job one could do was working as a clerk in the countryside or carrying goods at the local bazaar. Lola’s goal wasn’t really to make money anyway, but the tales of small-time merchants her family had told her fascinated her quite a bit. Just having the title of “merchant” was enjoyable in itself.
While a large portion of her class gravitated toward manual industrial and agricultural labor, Lola studied at Tashkent University, in economics and accounting, of course. During this time, she also had the opportunity to spend time with foreign exchange students. She laid the foundations for her “progressive,” “xenophile,” and “opportunistic” approach to life.
Lola spent her college years making memories, falling in love, crying, and thriving. Pretty typical stuff. She met Azir, who was studying in the same department as her and, like her, had only a secondhand understanding of the West. They bonded over the idea of starting their own company, or at least their own relatively small business, and after graduating, they got married and began working abroad.
Because both had done well in college, they were hired by the Ministry of Foreign Trade in a department responsible for procurement. They seized the opportunity to become trade representatives in Comintern nations like East Germany, Hungary, and Poland, and even found international business partners. Throughout this process, Lola and Azir truly saw the rest of the world for the first time. They listened to the Beatles and even ate burgers!
The idea of starting a business still seemed far-fetched to them. They chose to enjoy the quiet, luxurious life they had built together in Europe.
They continued to save what they could anyway for a future bussines anyway.
The proletarian, "anti-merchant" ideas eventually faded away, and old merchant-friendly ideologies re-emerged. They had lost their jobs at the Ministry of Trade and found themselves adrift; fortunately, thanks to years savings, they opened their first dream shop in Berlin in ’94. Keremet Chay began operating as a small cultural, which featured quite a few Central Asian motifs, and it’s fair to say they made a decent profit. Over time, they settled in Germany and even considered expanding this small family business nationwide.
This legacy came to an abrupt end with the fall of the Emirate. The rise of Proletarian rule and the collectivization of private enterprise swept away generations of accumulated wealth. Like millions of others across Uzbekistan, Lola's family was absorbed into the new industrialized, collectivist and materialist society, leaving behind their identity as merchants.
Lola was born into an somehow upper-class household. Her father worked as an industrial engineer, and her mother was a teacher in the capitol.
Thanks to the consumer goods and souvenirs her diplomat grandfather brought back from Western Europe, Türkiye, and the Balkans, Lola developed a fascination with the outside world from an early age. She became fluent in both Russian and English while still young and quickly proved herself exceptionally organized. Skilled in bookkeeping, paperwork, and school math, she often assisted her family with financial . Although she never excelled at rural work such as silk and cotton harvesting or sheep herding like many of her peers, these shortcomings mattered little. She really wanted to be a merchant.
Unfortunately, the proletarian regime prevented citizens from becoming a merchant, and the most “money-like” job one could do was working as a clerk in the countryside or carrying goods at the local bazaar. Lola’s goal wasn’t really to make money anyway, but the tales of small-time merchants her family had told her fascinated her quite a bit. Just having the title of “merchant” was enjoyable in itself.
While a large portion of her class gravitated toward manual industrial and agricultural labor, Lola studied at Tashkent University, in economics and accounting, of course. During this time, she also had the opportunity to spend time with foreign exchange students. She laid the foundations for her “progressive,” “xenophile,” and “opportunistic” approach to life.
Lola spent her college years making memories, falling in love, crying, and thriving. Pretty typical stuff. She met Azir, who was studying in the same department as her and, like her, had only a secondhand understanding of the West. They bonded over the idea of starting their own company, or at least their own relatively small business, and after graduating, they got married and began working abroad.
Because both had done well in college, they were hired by the Ministry of Foreign Trade in a department responsible for procurement. They seized the opportunity to become trade representatives in Comintern nations like East Germany, Hungary, and Poland, and even found international business partners. Throughout this process, Lola and Azir truly saw the rest of the world for the first time. They listened to the Beatles and even ate burgers!
The idea of starting a business still seemed far-fetched to them. They chose to enjoy the quiet, luxurious life they had built together in Europe.
They continued to save what they could anyway for a future bussines anyway.
The proletarian, "anti-merchant" ideas eventually faded away, and old merchant-friendly ideologies re-emerged. They had lost their jobs at the Ministry of Trade and found themselves adrift; fortunately, thanks to years savings, they opened their first dream shop in Berlin in ’94. Keremet Chay began operating as a small cultural, which featured quite a few Central Asian motifs, and it’s fair to say they made a decent profit. Over time, they settled in Germany and even considered expanding this small family business nationwide.
The arrival of the Union and a series of difficult-to-explain events led to Azir’s departure. The world’s industrial and manufacturing centers were reduced to ashes one by one, and trade once again teetered on the brink of monopolization. Grotesque war machines promised to rebuild the world with aims that were impossible to fathom.
Merchants are opportunistic. Lola knew this. Keremet Chay might not return, but a successor would surely come. The Union looked favorably upon the merchants. Lola rose through the ranks of the Union. She was relocated to City 13. With a cup of coffee and a smile, she would build yet another cultural center!
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