One of the TWO mountain ranges near my house, after a night of snow.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Saturday, December 17, 2005
"Kush Keldy"
“Winter came.” These were the words of my host father when it really snowed for the first time last week. When I first arrived at site, I had a few days of warm fall weather. And then it snowed. Yes, winter has come.
I had been trying to put off wearing all my really warm clothes for as long as possible. I didn’t want to go too warm too soon, you know? But the day after it snowed, I decided it was time to go to the mattresses. Everything came out: long underwear, wool socks, hat, down jacket, gloves, scarf. It wasn’t time to mess around anymore. I find that even though it is VERY cold outside (particularly, of course, at night and in the mornings), I can stay warm enough with all my “equipment.” I’ve been particularly impressed with my down jacket. I’ve never had anything down before, and I can’t believe how warm it can keep me (at least my upper body) in such cold weather! It’s definitely my prized possession at the moment.
Since it’s so cold, I sleep on some rugs in the main house where there is heating. In my separate apartment, all I have is my Peace Corps-supplied electric heather, and while it is much better than nothing, it doesn’t quite give the room that toasty-warm feeling. But all my stuff is in there still, so I move back and forth between the two places quite regularly. My morning routine consists of the following:
Is it really 7:30 already? How can it be 7:30 and still be so dark outside? (Kyrgyzstan does not participate in daylight savings time…) It’s going to be cold when I get up. Okay, but I’ve gotta do it. 1, 2, 3, go! I turn on the light (when we have electricity), try to make my “bed”, put on my down jacket and hat, and make the trek to my other room (ok, so it’s not really a trek). It’s COLD outside! Do I really have to go to the bathroom? Oh, I wish I didn’t, but there’s no getting around it—I’ve gotta go out there. 1, 2, 3, go! Ok, back into the semi-warm room. Now for getting dressed. One at a time, I place each article of clothing over my electric heater for a minute or so before putting it on, usually starting with the bottom half. Long underwear—check. Okay, now the pants. Wool socks? Yeah, I haven’t taken those off in a few days, so no problems there. Now for the top half. Long underwear—check. Dress shirt—check. Sweater—check. It does feel great putting on warm clothes in the mornings!
Then, of course, on go the jacket, hat (doubling as a dirty-hair cover), scarf, gloves, and knee-high black snow boots. Fashion has almost completely gone out the window. Last week I wore a knee-length skirt with my black long underwear underneath. They kind of look like tights, don’t they? I wear the same thing to work 3-4 days in a row. I’m grateful it’s common in Kyrgyzstan to do so, because that’s one less thing for me to think about in the mornings. What I wore yesterday was plenty warm—why should I have to think of another warm outfit??
So yeah, after a month or so of threatening to be winter, now it really is. It’s cold, but it’s also beautiful. So here goes my first winter in Kyrgyzstan!
I had been trying to put off wearing all my really warm clothes for as long as possible. I didn’t want to go too warm too soon, you know? But the day after it snowed, I decided it was time to go to the mattresses. Everything came out: long underwear, wool socks, hat, down jacket, gloves, scarf. It wasn’t time to mess around anymore. I find that even though it is VERY cold outside (particularly, of course, at night and in the mornings), I can stay warm enough with all my “equipment.” I’ve been particularly impressed with my down jacket. I’ve never had anything down before, and I can’t believe how warm it can keep me (at least my upper body) in such cold weather! It’s definitely my prized possession at the moment.
Since it’s so cold, I sleep on some rugs in the main house where there is heating. In my separate apartment, all I have is my Peace Corps-supplied electric heather, and while it is much better than nothing, it doesn’t quite give the room that toasty-warm feeling. But all my stuff is in there still, so I move back and forth between the two places quite regularly. My morning routine consists of the following:
Is it really 7:30 already? How can it be 7:30 and still be so dark outside? (Kyrgyzstan does not participate in daylight savings time…) It’s going to be cold when I get up. Okay, but I’ve gotta do it. 1, 2, 3, go! I turn on the light (when we have electricity), try to make my “bed”, put on my down jacket and hat, and make the trek to my other room (ok, so it’s not really a trek). It’s COLD outside! Do I really have to go to the bathroom? Oh, I wish I didn’t, but there’s no getting around it—I’ve gotta go out there. 1, 2, 3, go! Ok, back into the semi-warm room. Now for getting dressed. One at a time, I place each article of clothing over my electric heater for a minute or so before putting it on, usually starting with the bottom half. Long underwear—check. Okay, now the pants. Wool socks? Yeah, I haven’t taken those off in a few days, so no problems there. Now for the top half. Long underwear—check. Dress shirt—check. Sweater—check. It does feel great putting on warm clothes in the mornings!
Then, of course, on go the jacket, hat (doubling as a dirty-hair cover), scarf, gloves, and knee-high black snow boots. Fashion has almost completely gone out the window. Last week I wore a knee-length skirt with my black long underwear underneath. They kind of look like tights, don’t they? I wear the same thing to work 3-4 days in a row. I’m grateful it’s common in Kyrgyzstan to do so, because that’s one less thing for me to think about in the mornings. What I wore yesterday was plenty warm—why should I have to think of another warm outfit??
So yeah, after a month or so of threatening to be winter, now it really is. It’s cold, but it’s also beautiful. So here goes my first winter in Kyrgyzstan!
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Zip Code!
Ok, I have discovered my zip code at my new site. It is:
722730
Not sure exactly where it should go in the address--maybe after the village name?? I think postal workers who can't read English just look for the code, so it probably doesn't really matter. Thanks for your patience on this!
722730
Not sure exactly where it should go in the address--maybe after the village name?? I think postal workers who can't read English just look for the code, so it probably doesn't really matter. Thanks for your patience on this!
The Taldy-Bulak Gang
All the trainees in my language group and our host families on swearing-in day.
Training is Over!
Yes, it’s true: I’m officially a Peace Corps Volunteer. I’ve been sworn in with the same oath the President of the United States makes (wow!), and well, gosh, I’ve got a really official-looking ID—I must be legit!
The last few days have been a whirlwind, but it’s been great. So many new experiences! The Swearing-In Ceremony was Thursday morning, December 1st, complete with the presence of the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister and the US Ambassador. That day I said goodbye to my wonderful host family, which was sad because I love them so much, and had really come to regard Taldy-Bulak as my home. Earlier that week when I was packing up my stuff, I thought, “Ugh! Do I really have to pack and move again??” But I was consoled by the fact that it was the LAST time I would have to pack until I come home! Finally, some sense of permanence is in my future. I haven’t gone 2 years without packing and moving since high school—crazily enough, I’m finding my most permanent home since then in Kyrgyzstan.
ANYWAY, after swearing in, we all headed to a hotel in Bishkek, and that night we were invited to the US Ambassador’s house! That was exciting! It was almost like being invited to the White House or something. It was a beautiful house, I got to meet the Ambassador, and eat American food! The poor servers bringing out the trays of food were nearly attacked before they even made it in the door; it was quite shameless, really :-).
The next morning, we said goodbye to friends and all headed to our sites. All the volunteers going to Talas traveled together, which was great. This time, the route we took went through Kazakhstan! That was also really exciting, because now I can add another country to my list (and, of course, the stamp and visa in my passport are pretty cool, too). By 6pm, I had arrived at my new home.
Oh, I love my house and my family and my village so much. So far, it’s just so good to be here! My new mom and dad are so great—so friendly, but not overbearing, and so happy to have me here. My dad especially is so caring and fun and jolly! AND, I met my sister this time. She is 16, but studies at a private school where she boards, so is only home for the weekends. It’s so wonderful because she speaks English really well. I like her a lot, and I think we will be fast friends; but I’m also glad she doesn’t live here all the time, for the sake of my Kyrgyz. I don’t think I’d ever learn if I always had her to fall back on. So it’s a perfect situation!
My house is also wonderful. I have my own little “apartment” separate from the main house, but only about 5 feet away. It’s a perfect setup, really. For privacy’s sake, it’s great to have my own space; and it will allow me to be much more independent, which suits my personality well. It’s a perfect balance of being a part of a family, and yet still having my own life. I think I’m going to love it.
The final step of the transition…. Teaching. I’ve had the weekend to rest, adjust, unpack, and buy some needed stuff at the bazaar. But tomorrow I’ll go to the school and see what the plan is for my classes. Now the adventure really begins! To be continued…
The last few days have been a whirlwind, but it’s been great. So many new experiences! The Swearing-In Ceremony was Thursday morning, December 1st, complete with the presence of the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister and the US Ambassador. That day I said goodbye to my wonderful host family, which was sad because I love them so much, and had really come to regard Taldy-Bulak as my home. Earlier that week when I was packing up my stuff, I thought, “Ugh! Do I really have to pack and move again??” But I was consoled by the fact that it was the LAST time I would have to pack until I come home! Finally, some sense of permanence is in my future. I haven’t gone 2 years without packing and moving since high school—crazily enough, I’m finding my most permanent home since then in Kyrgyzstan.
ANYWAY, after swearing in, we all headed to a hotel in Bishkek, and that night we were invited to the US Ambassador’s house! That was exciting! It was almost like being invited to the White House or something. It was a beautiful house, I got to meet the Ambassador, and eat American food! The poor servers bringing out the trays of food were nearly attacked before they even made it in the door; it was quite shameless, really :-).
The next morning, we said goodbye to friends and all headed to our sites. All the volunteers going to Talas traveled together, which was great. This time, the route we took went through Kazakhstan! That was also really exciting, because now I can add another country to my list (and, of course, the stamp and visa in my passport are pretty cool, too). By 6pm, I had arrived at my new home.
Oh, I love my house and my family and my village so much. So far, it’s just so good to be here! My new mom and dad are so great—so friendly, but not overbearing, and so happy to have me here. My dad especially is so caring and fun and jolly! AND, I met my sister this time. She is 16, but studies at a private school where she boards, so is only home for the weekends. It’s so wonderful because she speaks English really well. I like her a lot, and I think we will be fast friends; but I’m also glad she doesn’t live here all the time, for the sake of my Kyrgyz. I don’t think I’d ever learn if I always had her to fall back on. So it’s a perfect situation!
My house is also wonderful. I have my own little “apartment” separate from the main house, but only about 5 feet away. It’s a perfect setup, really. For privacy’s sake, it’s great to have my own space; and it will allow me to be much more independent, which suits my personality well. It’s a perfect balance of being a part of a family, and yet still having my own life. I think I’m going to love it.
The final step of the transition…. Teaching. I’ve had the weekend to rest, adjust, unpack, and buy some needed stuff at the bazaar. But tomorrow I’ll go to the school and see what the plan is for my classes. Now the adventure really begins! To be continued…
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
First Snow
This is my house (barely distinguishable behind the trees) after the first snow in Taldy-Bulak.
First Course...
This was just part of the food we ate at Thanksgiving. This only shows about half of the food we made and none of the food the Kyrgyz made!
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Preparing Thanksgiving Dinner
Michaela chopping garlic, Matt chopping butter (??), and Nick rolling pie dough.
The Best Thanksgiving Ever!
Are my posts getting longer?? Enjoy!
Thanksgiving in Kyrgyzstan—what could be more of an adventure?? If that’s what we were looking for, we were not disappointed. From the perspective of 10:30pm, I’m so thankful for what was quite possibly one of the best days of my Peace Corps experience thus far.
The day began at 9:30am, when Matt, Michaela & Nick came over to my house to prepare food for our Thanksgiving feast-extravaganza at 6pm. We’d decided to be adventurous and try to cook for the first time in Kyrgyzstan, and prepare an American Thanksgiving meal for our host families. Kyrgyz don’t have Thanksgiving, but because our families have hosted Trainees in the past, they are familiar with the holiday, and decided to combine it with a going away “toy” (feast) for us.
We started by peeling potatoes (for mashed potatoes) and apples (for apple pie), as well as baking a pumpkin (for pumpkin pie, of course). It was quite a site to see the four of us crammed inside my family’s eating room, peeling potatoes and apples with knives. I don’t think my apa was quite confident that we knew what we were doing (and to be honest, neither were we!). But by lunchtime, our apple pie (for which Nick insisted on making a “lattice” top—what a beauty) and pumpkin pie were ready to be baked! We were limited to one small convection oven, so we started the pumpkin, and it only took a mere 3 hours to bake! Everything takes just a little bit longer in Kyrgyzstan…
We took a break for lunch, eating some fabulous food at our LCF’s house. Then we returned to our work, starting to slice bread for the stuffing and make patties for hamburgers! We opted not to do a turkey because we would have had to purchase it alive, kill it, pluck its feathers, etc. Hamburgers were much easier, and oh so damduu (tasty). Around 3pm, we had just finished the initial baking of the bread cubes for the stuffing, and were right on schedule putting the apple pie in the oven, when all of a sudden: CVET JOK!! English translation: no electricity. This happens every once in a while here, and the electricity has stayed off for anywhere from 2 minutes to 24 hours. But we couldn’t think of a worse time for the electricity to go out than right in the middle of Thanksgiving baking!
But we are Peace Corps Volunteers, meaning we are trained to be resourceful. After about an hour of wondering if the lights would come back on so we could continue as we’d planned, we decided to transition to plan B. The stuffing and the beautiful lattice-topped apple pie might have to be forgone for that night. But the potatoes had been boiled and mashed already, and we could still salvage the burgers… Matt and Michaela took the 8 pounds of meat to Matt’s house, where they fried the burgers over extreme heat (fire) by flashlight. Awesome job, guys! Around 5pm, the craziest thing happened, and wind started blowing so hard the house was shaking. The sky was grey, but there was no rain, just dust. I felt like I was right in the middle of the Wizard of Oz before Dorothy’s house blew away. It seemed unlikely that we’d be getting power back anytime soon in these conditions…
At 6pm, still, svet jok, so we started taking the food we had over to Michaela’s house by flashlight, were the toy would be held. On the second trip, we decided to take the stuffing, just in case the power came on and we could bake it at Michaela’s house. Just as we were about to leave—voila! Light! Oh, we were so excited! We put the apple pie in the convection oven at my house (because it was the only oven in the village that could hold this enormous pie), grabbed the stuffing, and hurried to Michaela’s, where we started baking it. Perfect! We were so excited that everything was working out!
We started eating around 7pm, with a demonstration for our apas of how to make a hamburger. The Kyrgyz love meat, so we think they were quite pleased with the burger idea, albeit a little confused as to why you had to put it between 2 slices of bread. After the hamburger first course, Matt and I had to leave to check on the apple pie. So we took the 10 minute walk to my house in the dark, and by this time in the rain… but it was all worth it when we arrived to behold the most beautiful apple pie we’d ever seen in our lives. This was Nick’s baby, and I was so thrilled at the perfect golden-brown lattice crust and the slightly bubbling apple juice around the edges. Yes, this was a great Thanksgiving.
Upon returning to Michaela’s, we ate more burgers, mashed potatoes (also quite a hit with the Kyrgyz people), and stuffing. I was so stuffed, and then our apas brought out the entire meal they’d prepared! We should have known, but we had no idea that was coming, and it totally caught us off guard. This time it was chicken, their own mashed potatoes, and buckwheat—normally a fantastic meal, but I couldn’t eat more than a few bites (partly also because I was trying to save at least a smidgen of room for the pies…)
And then it was finally time: the pies were cut and served. What would the verdict be? Would they be as tasty as they were gorgeous? Would our attempt to bake in Kyrgyzstan—with ingredients purchased at the local bazaar, in a language we still don’t quite understand—be successful? I took the first bite of the pumpkin pie, and it was just like heaven! Quite possibly the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had in my life! The apple was right up there as well. When I finished eating my 2 huge pieces, I really thought I might explode, and I didn’t want to move from my spot at the dinner table. I think we all felt the same way… but is there any other more appropriate way to feel after Thanksgiving dinner?
Today has been great. Cooking with my friends was so much fun, and overcoming the various obstacles of not having the proper cooking utensils and not having electricity was quite an adventure. Yes, we laughed a lot today. A more Kyrgyz American holiday, I’ve never experienced. As I look back on the day, I am completely satisfied. I’m happy to be here in Kyrgyzstan. I love it here. I love my friends in my language group; I love my village; I love my host family. Of course, I miss spending the holiday with my family back home, but I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to experience a Kyrgyz Thanksgiving—and quite a success it was.
Thanksgiving in Kyrgyzstan—what could be more of an adventure?? If that’s what we were looking for, we were not disappointed. From the perspective of 10:30pm, I’m so thankful for what was quite possibly one of the best days of my Peace Corps experience thus far.
The day began at 9:30am, when Matt, Michaela & Nick came over to my house to prepare food for our Thanksgiving feast-extravaganza at 6pm. We’d decided to be adventurous and try to cook for the first time in Kyrgyzstan, and prepare an American Thanksgiving meal for our host families. Kyrgyz don’t have Thanksgiving, but because our families have hosted Trainees in the past, they are familiar with the holiday, and decided to combine it with a going away “toy” (feast) for us.
We started by peeling potatoes (for mashed potatoes) and apples (for apple pie), as well as baking a pumpkin (for pumpkin pie, of course). It was quite a site to see the four of us crammed inside my family’s eating room, peeling potatoes and apples with knives. I don’t think my apa was quite confident that we knew what we were doing (and to be honest, neither were we!). But by lunchtime, our apple pie (for which Nick insisted on making a “lattice” top—what a beauty) and pumpkin pie were ready to be baked! We were limited to one small convection oven, so we started the pumpkin, and it only took a mere 3 hours to bake! Everything takes just a little bit longer in Kyrgyzstan…
We took a break for lunch, eating some fabulous food at our LCF’s house. Then we returned to our work, starting to slice bread for the stuffing and make patties for hamburgers! We opted not to do a turkey because we would have had to purchase it alive, kill it, pluck its feathers, etc. Hamburgers were much easier, and oh so damduu (tasty). Around 3pm, we had just finished the initial baking of the bread cubes for the stuffing, and were right on schedule putting the apple pie in the oven, when all of a sudden: CVET JOK!! English translation: no electricity. This happens every once in a while here, and the electricity has stayed off for anywhere from 2 minutes to 24 hours. But we couldn’t think of a worse time for the electricity to go out than right in the middle of Thanksgiving baking!
But we are Peace Corps Volunteers, meaning we are trained to be resourceful. After about an hour of wondering if the lights would come back on so we could continue as we’d planned, we decided to transition to plan B. The stuffing and the beautiful lattice-topped apple pie might have to be forgone for that night. But the potatoes had been boiled and mashed already, and we could still salvage the burgers… Matt and Michaela took the 8 pounds of meat to Matt’s house, where they fried the burgers over extreme heat (fire) by flashlight. Awesome job, guys! Around 5pm, the craziest thing happened, and wind started blowing so hard the house was shaking. The sky was grey, but there was no rain, just dust. I felt like I was right in the middle of the Wizard of Oz before Dorothy’s house blew away. It seemed unlikely that we’d be getting power back anytime soon in these conditions…
At 6pm, still, svet jok, so we started taking the food we had over to Michaela’s house by flashlight, were the toy would be held. On the second trip, we decided to take the stuffing, just in case the power came on and we could bake it at Michaela’s house. Just as we were about to leave—voila! Light! Oh, we were so excited! We put the apple pie in the convection oven at my house (because it was the only oven in the village that could hold this enormous pie), grabbed the stuffing, and hurried to Michaela’s, where we started baking it. Perfect! We were so excited that everything was working out!
We started eating around 7pm, with a demonstration for our apas of how to make a hamburger. The Kyrgyz love meat, so we think they were quite pleased with the burger idea, albeit a little confused as to why you had to put it between 2 slices of bread. After the hamburger first course, Matt and I had to leave to check on the apple pie. So we took the 10 minute walk to my house in the dark, and by this time in the rain… but it was all worth it when we arrived to behold the most beautiful apple pie we’d ever seen in our lives. This was Nick’s baby, and I was so thrilled at the perfect golden-brown lattice crust and the slightly bubbling apple juice around the edges. Yes, this was a great Thanksgiving.
Upon returning to Michaela’s, we ate more burgers, mashed potatoes (also quite a hit with the Kyrgyz people), and stuffing. I was so stuffed, and then our apas brought out the entire meal they’d prepared! We should have known, but we had no idea that was coming, and it totally caught us off guard. This time it was chicken, their own mashed potatoes, and buckwheat—normally a fantastic meal, but I couldn’t eat more than a few bites (partly also because I was trying to save at least a smidgen of room for the pies…)
And then it was finally time: the pies were cut and served. What would the verdict be? Would they be as tasty as they were gorgeous? Would our attempt to bake in Kyrgyzstan—with ingredients purchased at the local bazaar, in a language we still don’t quite understand—be successful? I took the first bite of the pumpkin pie, and it was just like heaven! Quite possibly the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had in my life! The apple was right up there as well. When I finished eating my 2 huge pieces, I really thought I might explode, and I didn’t want to move from my spot at the dinner table. I think we all felt the same way… but is there any other more appropriate way to feel after Thanksgiving dinner?
Today has been great. Cooking with my friends was so much fun, and overcoming the various obstacles of not having the proper cooking utensils and not having electricity was quite an adventure. Yes, we laughed a lot today. A more Kyrgyz American holiday, I’ve never experienced. As I look back on the day, I am completely satisfied. I’m happy to be here in Kyrgyzstan. I love it here. I love my friends in my language group; I love my village; I love my host family. Of course, I miss spending the holiday with my family back home, but I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to experience a Kyrgyz Thanksgiving—and quite a success it was.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Permanent Site Address
I've updated my profile (on the right) to reflect my address at my permanent site, but I'll write it here as well!
Kyrgyz Republic
Talas Oblast, Talas Rayon
Jon-Aryk Village, 724104
Tuloberdiev Street
A. Nurganov School
Lisa Freeman
Also, I'm breaking down and buying a cell phone next week, so as soon as I get that, I'll post my new number. Right now the numbers at the right are for my host family in Taldy-Bulak.
Kyrgyz Republic
Talas Oblast, Talas Rayon
Jon-Aryk Village, 724104
Tuloberdiev Street
A. Nurganov School
Lisa Freeman
Also, I'm breaking down and buying a cell phone next week, so as soon as I get that, I'll post my new number. Right now the numbers at the right are for my host family in Taldy-Bulak.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Correction
It was pointed out to me (thanks Steve E.!) that I said my new village in Talas was a "small village of 5 million people." What an error! Especially considering the entire population of Kyrgyzstan is about 5 million people. Jon-Aryk is actually a small village of 5 thousand people. Sorry for the mistake! And enjoy some of the photos I've finally been able to post...
Finally, a picture of my host family! This is the whole family at dinner. Clockwise around the table, starting from the bottom left: Chong Ata (Grandfather), Adilet (my little brother), Nuriza (a cousin who doesn't actually live with us, but was visiting for a few weeks at the time), Apa (mom), Aigerim (my little sister), Aiturgan (my other little sister, otherwise known as "tentek mimal"--troublemaking monkey), and Ata (dad).
Friday, November 04, 2005
Permanent Site Announcements!
Well, after a year of waiting and unknowns associated with the Peace Corps (What will you be doing as a PCV [unknown until Nov 2004]? What country will you be serving in [unknown until May 2005]? What language will you be learning [unknown until arrival in country Sept 2005]?), the last of the major unknowns was revealed on Wednesday with permanent site announcements! Now, finally, I feel like I have a little better idea of what the next 2 years will look like…
Of course, all the volunteers have been anxious to find out where we will be living for our 2 years of our service. A few weeks ago, we had interviews with some of the staff to make known our preferences, and since then we have been waiting in eager expectation as other people seemingly determined our fates. A couple weeks ago, a peace came over my waiting when I realized there wasn’t a place I could be sent with which I would be hugely disappointment. Then I was able to look forward to Site Placement Announcements with excitement, rather than nervousness or worry. Later, last Friday, as I was praying about my placement, God spoke to me through some verses in Psalm 33 that though the placement decision was out of my control, it was completely within His:
“For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation” (v. 9-11).
I could have confidence that He was the One placing me, and was able to give Him freedom to put me in the place that would accomplish His highest for both me and for Kyrgyzstan, even if it meant learning Uzbek and not Russian!
As it turns out, that will not be the case :-). On Wednesday, at the end of a long day of training sessions, we all gathered outside around a huge map of Kyrgyzstan while staff handed out envelopes to each person containing their fate… Of course, we had to wait until each of the 61 Trainees had received his or her envelope before we could open them. Can you sense the tension?? I’ve been making you wait to find out my placement for 5 paragraphs, and you’re already going crazy, aren’t you? :-)
So where is this mystery location?? On December 2, after being sworn in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer, I’ll be moving to a village called Jon-Aryk in the oblast of Talas. Talas is the most northwestern oblast in Kyrgyzstan, bordering Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It is the birthplace of the national hero, Manas, as well another national hero, Kyrgyz writer Chinghiz Aitamov. It’s also the site of a famous battle in 751 when Arabs conquered the Chinese and brought Islam to the region, changing the course of Central Asian history. Despite the region’s claim to fame, however, Talas is one of the oblasts that most Trainees don’t want to be placed, because it has a reputation for being a bit isolated from the rest of the country. But for many various reasons, I am super excited about my placement!
First of all, Jon-Aryk is a small village of about 5 million people, but it is only 6 km (a 15 minute bus ride) from Talas City, which is the largest city in Talas. So I will be able to retain the experience of village-life (which I’ve come to love living here in Taldy-Bulak), while also having all the benefits of a city (Internet, bazaar, cafes, etc.) almost within walking-distance. I’m sure Mom was praying hard that I’d be near Internet, so I guess it worked J. Also, even though Talas itself (the oblast) is a very Kyrgyz region, Russian is used more in Talas City (as with any major city in the KR). So I think if it’s at all possible for me to learn 2 languages in 2 years, Talas City is as good a place as any! Thirdly, Jon-Aryk is a new Peace Corps site, meaning I will be the first volunteer in this village and at my school! While there are both pluses and minuses to being the first volunteer at a new site, I’m very excited about it! I will be able to blaze my own trail without being in the shadow of any previous volunteers. I’ll also be laying the foundation for this community’s perception of both Peace Corps and Americans, which is a huge task, but I’m up for it. I’m excited to break this new ground and pave the way for future Volunteers at this site.
Finally—though definitely not the least of the factors causing my excitement about my placement—my friend Michaela (the other girl in my language group and my closest friend in the Peace Corps so far) was placed in Talas also, just 50 km west of me! That means for 2 years, we will be a mere 30 minute taxi drive from each other. Just as I believe God divinely put us together in a language group, I know He has divinely placed us together in Talas. Even Michaela remarked that she just knew it was going to work out this way. I’m excited to see what God does with our friendship in the years ahead, and it’s comforting to have such a good friend nearby as we embark on the next phase of our journey!
Next week, I will visit my site for the first time with my “counterpart”—a local English teacher at my school who has been assigned to kind of mentor me throughout my service. I’ll meet my new host family, get acquainted with the layout of the village, visit my school, meet the school’s director, and even my students! This will be the first time I’ll really be kind of on my own here, but I’m eager to get on with the real thing. Training has been great, but I’m glad I only have a month left! And so, excitement builds as the adventure continues!
Of course, all the volunteers have been anxious to find out where we will be living for our 2 years of our service. A few weeks ago, we had interviews with some of the staff to make known our preferences, and since then we have been waiting in eager expectation as other people seemingly determined our fates. A couple weeks ago, a peace came over my waiting when I realized there wasn’t a place I could be sent with which I would be hugely disappointment. Then I was able to look forward to Site Placement Announcements with excitement, rather than nervousness or worry. Later, last Friday, as I was praying about my placement, God spoke to me through some verses in Psalm 33 that though the placement decision was out of my control, it was completely within His:
“For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation” (v. 9-11).
I could have confidence that He was the One placing me, and was able to give Him freedom to put me in the place that would accomplish His highest for both me and for Kyrgyzstan, even if it meant learning Uzbek and not Russian!
As it turns out, that will not be the case :-). On Wednesday, at the end of a long day of training sessions, we all gathered outside around a huge map of Kyrgyzstan while staff handed out envelopes to each person containing their fate… Of course, we had to wait until each of the 61 Trainees had received his or her envelope before we could open them. Can you sense the tension?? I’ve been making you wait to find out my placement for 5 paragraphs, and you’re already going crazy, aren’t you? :-)
So where is this mystery location?? On December 2, after being sworn in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer, I’ll be moving to a village called Jon-Aryk in the oblast of Talas. Talas is the most northwestern oblast in Kyrgyzstan, bordering Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It is the birthplace of the national hero, Manas, as well another national hero, Kyrgyz writer Chinghiz Aitamov. It’s also the site of a famous battle in 751 when Arabs conquered the Chinese and brought Islam to the region, changing the course of Central Asian history. Despite the region’s claim to fame, however, Talas is one of the oblasts that most Trainees don’t want to be placed, because it has a reputation for being a bit isolated from the rest of the country. But for many various reasons, I am super excited about my placement!
First of all, Jon-Aryk is a small village of about 5 million people, but it is only 6 km (a 15 minute bus ride) from Talas City, which is the largest city in Talas. So I will be able to retain the experience of village-life (which I’ve come to love living here in Taldy-Bulak), while also having all the benefits of a city (Internet, bazaar, cafes, etc.) almost within walking-distance. I’m sure Mom was praying hard that I’d be near Internet, so I guess it worked J. Also, even though Talas itself (the oblast) is a very Kyrgyz region, Russian is used more in Talas City (as with any major city in the KR). So I think if it’s at all possible for me to learn 2 languages in 2 years, Talas City is as good a place as any! Thirdly, Jon-Aryk is a new Peace Corps site, meaning I will be the first volunteer in this village and at my school! While there are both pluses and minuses to being the first volunteer at a new site, I’m very excited about it! I will be able to blaze my own trail without being in the shadow of any previous volunteers. I’ll also be laying the foundation for this community’s perception of both Peace Corps and Americans, which is a huge task, but I’m up for it. I’m excited to break this new ground and pave the way for future Volunteers at this site.
Finally—though definitely not the least of the factors causing my excitement about my placement—my friend Michaela (the other girl in my language group and my closest friend in the Peace Corps so far) was placed in Talas also, just 50 km west of me! That means for 2 years, we will be a mere 30 minute taxi drive from each other. Just as I believe God divinely put us together in a language group, I know He has divinely placed us together in Talas. Even Michaela remarked that she just knew it was going to work out this way. I’m excited to see what God does with our friendship in the years ahead, and it’s comforting to have such a good friend nearby as we embark on the next phase of our journey!
Next week, I will visit my site for the first time with my “counterpart”—a local English teacher at my school who has been assigned to kind of mentor me throughout my service. I’ll meet my new host family, get acquainted with the layout of the village, visit my school, meet the school’s director, and even my students! This will be the first time I’ll really be kind of on my own here, but I’m eager to get on with the real thing. Training has been great, but I’m glad I only have a month left! And so, excitement builds as the adventure continues!
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Teaching Practicum
These past two weeks all of us Trainees had our Teaching Practicums, which means teaching English 3 hours a week in a local village school. Unfortunately, our local village school doesn’t actually have English classes (students learn German), so our poor students had to come after school for extra classes! But most of them seemed to have good attitudes and were eager to learn.
I taught a small class of ninth graders, and averaged about 4 students at each of my lessons (my largest class had 8 students and my smallest had 2!). But I enjoyed the small size, and got along great with the few students I had. During the first class I taught, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed myself! I didn’t necessarily expect to have such a great time, but I found I really liked teaching! So it was an encouraging start, considering that’s what I’m going to be doing for the next 2 years J.
I also found that, even though I’d never before taught in a classroom, my experience with Campus Life and even preparing intercession times in Norway helped me immensely with teaching. In some ways, teaching is really different, but the same basic skills of leadership, the ability to prepare and plan a meeting/lesson, flexibility, and speaking in front of a group are required. So I felt much more comfortable up in front of the class than I anticipated. And I think my comfort level—which also enables me to be more enthusiastic and have more fun—has a huge impact on the students and their response to me. So yay for God preparing me in unconventional ways! J
Some of you may be wondering how it’s possible to teach English when I don’t speak Kyrgyz (well). Good question! It was certainly a bit of an adventure. Even though I enjoyed the overall experience, I found not being able to explain things in Kyrgyz to be the most difficult and frustrating part. But generally, since the students didn’t know much English, I was able to teach things that I know in Kyrgyz. Lessons included greetings, personal information Q&A (How old are you? I am 25 years old…), numbers, and basic objects (What is this? This is a book.). At the end, I decided to try my hand at teaching some simple grammar, and threw in a lesson on personal and possessive pronouns. Overall, it went well, and when all else fails, charades is very helpful (no one is going to want to go against me in a charades match when I get home—Peace Corps Volunteers are champions at charades). I think teaching a language is fun (however difficult) because you can use a lot of games and other fun activities that might not be possible in, say, a biology class. And after 7 years of Campus Life, you know I’m a pro at games!
So there’s the Practicum experience in a nutshell. Sorry again for the lack of pictures... for some reason, this computer won't allow me to post any. It's all part of the Adventures in Kyrgyzstan! Next week: permanent site placement announcements!
I taught a small class of ninth graders, and averaged about 4 students at each of my lessons (my largest class had 8 students and my smallest had 2!). But I enjoyed the small size, and got along great with the few students I had. During the first class I taught, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed myself! I didn’t necessarily expect to have such a great time, but I found I really liked teaching! So it was an encouraging start, considering that’s what I’m going to be doing for the next 2 years J.
I also found that, even though I’d never before taught in a classroom, my experience with Campus Life and even preparing intercession times in Norway helped me immensely with teaching. In some ways, teaching is really different, but the same basic skills of leadership, the ability to prepare and plan a meeting/lesson, flexibility, and speaking in front of a group are required. So I felt much more comfortable up in front of the class than I anticipated. And I think my comfort level—which also enables me to be more enthusiastic and have more fun—has a huge impact on the students and their response to me. So yay for God preparing me in unconventional ways! J
Some of you may be wondering how it’s possible to teach English when I don’t speak Kyrgyz (well). Good question! It was certainly a bit of an adventure. Even though I enjoyed the overall experience, I found not being able to explain things in Kyrgyz to be the most difficult and frustrating part. But generally, since the students didn’t know much English, I was able to teach things that I know in Kyrgyz. Lessons included greetings, personal information Q&A (How old are you? I am 25 years old…), numbers, and basic objects (What is this? This is a book.). At the end, I decided to try my hand at teaching some simple grammar, and threw in a lesson on personal and possessive pronouns. Overall, it went well, and when all else fails, charades is very helpful (no one is going to want to go against me in a charades match when I get home—Peace Corps Volunteers are champions at charades). I think teaching a language is fun (however difficult) because you can use a lot of games and other fun activities that might not be possible in, say, a biology class. And after 7 years of Campus Life, you know I’m a pro at games!
So there’s the Practicum experience in a nutshell. Sorry again for the lack of pictures... for some reason, this computer won't allow me to post any. It's all part of the Adventures in Kyrgyzstan! Next week: permanent site placement announcements!
Saturday, October 15, 2005
"Chai each! Tamak jay!"--Kyrgyz Culture & The Abundance of God
“He has brought me into his banquet hall…” (Song of Solomon 2:4).
“…Open your mouth wide and I will fill it” (Psalm 81:10).
“…I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
“Chai each! Tamak jay!” (Drink tea! Eat food!)—it’s one of the first things we learned in our language classes, and the most commonly spoken phrase of any good Kyrgyz apa (mother). Coming from the Freeman family, one would think I’d be accustomed to this incessant insistence upon eating and drinking more, yet the Kyrgyz have still blown me away with the abundance of food they offer. Have you ever been to a party with 20 other people, eaten until you were so stuffed you thought you would be sick (or in my case, actually were sick), everyone around you having eaten until they were filled to the brim, and you looked at the food on the table before you and it appeared no one had eaten at all? I think that must be the goal of every Kyrgyz host; if it looks like there was a dent in the food, they must not have made enough!
Sometimes this is certainly overwhelming as a guest who wants to please the host by eating a sufficient amount, but it has also caused me to reflect on the character of God. One of my favorite Bible verses is 2 Corinthians 9:8: “And God is able to make ALL grace ABOUND to you, so that ALWAYS having ALL sufficiency in EVERYTHING, you may have an ABUNDANCE for EVERY good deed.” Living life with God—eating at His banquet table—is like going guesting in Kyrgyzstan! No matter how much I feed myself on His goodness and His riches, I can look at all God has to offer me and see that it’s like I’ve tasted nothing at all. I’ve only scratched the surface; I’ve only just tasted. I never come to the end of what God has to offer. When I feel I’ve come to the end of myself, I take joy in remembering I serve this God of abundance!
“…Open your mouth wide and I will fill it” (Psalm 81:10).
“…I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
“Chai each! Tamak jay!” (Drink tea! Eat food!)—it’s one of the first things we learned in our language classes, and the most commonly spoken phrase of any good Kyrgyz apa (mother). Coming from the Freeman family, one would think I’d be accustomed to this incessant insistence upon eating and drinking more, yet the Kyrgyz have still blown me away with the abundance of food they offer. Have you ever been to a party with 20 other people, eaten until you were so stuffed you thought you would be sick (or in my case, actually were sick), everyone around you having eaten until they were filled to the brim, and you looked at the food on the table before you and it appeared no one had eaten at all? I think that must be the goal of every Kyrgyz host; if it looks like there was a dent in the food, they must not have made enough!
Sometimes this is certainly overwhelming as a guest who wants to please the host by eating a sufficient amount, but it has also caused me to reflect on the character of God. One of my favorite Bible verses is 2 Corinthians 9:8: “And God is able to make ALL grace ABOUND to you, so that ALWAYS having ALL sufficiency in EVERYTHING, you may have an ABUNDANCE for EVERY good deed.” Living life with God—eating at His banquet table—is like going guesting in Kyrgyzstan! No matter how much I feed myself on His goodness and His riches, I can look at all God has to offer me and see that it’s like I’ve tasted nothing at all. I’ve only scratched the surface; I’ve only just tasted. I never come to the end of what God has to offer. When I feel I’ve come to the end of myself, I take joy in remembering I serve this God of abundance!
A Post on Packages
Some people have written asking if there is anything I would like that they could send me. And my answer of course is yes!! So I wanted to post a few notes on sending packages, and a list of things you’re welcome to send at anytime :-). My current address is on this page to the right; this will be my address until December 1.
Well, the first thing to remember when sending packages is that theft is very common among post office workers. It’s unfortunate, but many packages are opened and delivered with items missing. I once heard a story of a Volunteer receiving a jar of peanut butter with a finger mark in it! So of course, please don’t send anything of great value, and certainly no money. There are a few things you can do as a precaution against theft. First of all, it’s recommended that you insure everything you send, even if it’s for a very small amount. If they see the “insured” sticker/stamp on the box, they’re less likely to rummage through it. Second, tape the package securely and excessively. Tape the items in the box, tape the inside flaps, the outside flaps, cover the whole box in tape! The more trouble it is for someone to get into it, the less likely they will. And finally, try to be very general in your description of items on the customs declaration. No need to tempt postal workers with a detailed list of all the goodies you’ve included right on the front of the package! Emphasize the boring stuff, deemphasize the good stuff.
The next tip is to not send anything Express Mail, or FedEx, or Overnight, or anything more expensive. It doesn’t matter how you send it, nothing gets here in 7-10 days. For packages, 3-4 weeks seems normal. So go ahead and save your money and just send it regular Airmail, or whatever the cheap option is :-).
Okay, this next tip isn’t about packages, but I’ll include it anyway. For those of you who are interested in calling me (Mom & Kristen have the numbers), I’ve heard that http://www.uniontelecard.com/ has super cheap phone cards from the US to Kyrgyzstan. Even as cheap as 3-4 cents a minute; I haven’t personally checked it out, but other Volunteers swear by it.
Alright, now on to the fun list of things I’ll always be happy to receive!:
Books
Sermon CDs
CDs with your voice on them
DVDs
Magazines
Gel Pens
Notecards
Stationery
Stickers
Small Spiral Notebooks (aprrox. 4”x2”)
Uno/Other Small Games
School Supplies: Construction Paper, Index Cards, Sticky Tac, Star Reward Stickers, Sharpies, Classroom-Decorating Materials
Toiletries: Body Wash, Pantene Pro-V 2 in 1 “Smooth & Sleek”, Pantene Pro-V Hydrating Comb-In Treatment “Shining Start”, Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Cream Powder Makeup “Blushing Ivory”, Maybelline Blush “Brick Rose”, Loreal or Ponds Facial Moisturizer, Brown/Black Mascara, Brown Self-Sharpening Eyeliner, Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Wet-Wipes, Body Splash
Food: Tic Tacs, Cheez-Its, Mint Oreos, Pringles, Fruit Leather, Trail Mix, Granola, Dried Cranberries, Fruit Snacks, Handi-Snax, Quaker Oat Breakfast Bars, Nutri-Grain Bars, Nature Valley Granola Bars, Milk Duds, Chocolate-Covered Coffee Beans, Crystal Light Single Packs, Gatorade Powder Mix, Sugar Free Kool-Aid Pouches, Gummy Bears, Dark Chocolate, Bite-Sized Chocolate, Chunky Peanut Butter, Tootsie Rolls, Instant Oatmeal, Hot Cocoa Mix, Apple Cider Mix, Chai Latte Mix, ANYTHING "Just Add Water", Any Other American Snacks!
Well, the first thing to remember when sending packages is that theft is very common among post office workers. It’s unfortunate, but many packages are opened and delivered with items missing. I once heard a story of a Volunteer receiving a jar of peanut butter with a finger mark in it! So of course, please don’t send anything of great value, and certainly no money. There are a few things you can do as a precaution against theft. First of all, it’s recommended that you insure everything you send, even if it’s for a very small amount. If they see the “insured” sticker/stamp on the box, they’re less likely to rummage through it. Second, tape the package securely and excessively. Tape the items in the box, tape the inside flaps, the outside flaps, cover the whole box in tape! The more trouble it is for someone to get into it, the less likely they will. And finally, try to be very general in your description of items on the customs declaration. No need to tempt postal workers with a detailed list of all the goodies you’ve included right on the front of the package! Emphasize the boring stuff, deemphasize the good stuff.
The next tip is to not send anything Express Mail, or FedEx, or Overnight, or anything more expensive. It doesn’t matter how you send it, nothing gets here in 7-10 days. For packages, 3-4 weeks seems normal. So go ahead and save your money and just send it regular Airmail, or whatever the cheap option is :-).
Okay, this next tip isn’t about packages, but I’ll include it anyway. For those of you who are interested in calling me (Mom & Kristen have the numbers), I’ve heard that http://www.uniontelecard.com/ has super cheap phone cards from the US to Kyrgyzstan. Even as cheap as 3-4 cents a minute; I haven’t personally checked it out, but other Volunteers swear by it.
Alright, now on to the fun list of things I’ll always be happy to receive!:
Books
Sermon CDs
CDs with your voice on them
DVDs
Magazines
Gel Pens
Notecards
Stationery
Stickers
Small Spiral Notebooks (aprrox. 4”x2”)
Uno/Other Small Games
School Supplies: Construction Paper, Index Cards, Sticky Tac, Star Reward Stickers, Sharpies, Classroom-Decorating Materials
Toiletries: Body Wash, Pantene Pro-V 2 in 1 “Smooth & Sleek”, Pantene Pro-V Hydrating Comb-In Treatment “Shining Start”, Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Cream Powder Makeup “Blushing Ivory”, Maybelline Blush “Brick Rose”, Loreal or Ponds Facial Moisturizer, Brown/Black Mascara, Brown Self-Sharpening Eyeliner, Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Wet-Wipes, Body Splash
Food: Tic Tacs, Cheez-Its, Mint Oreos, Pringles, Fruit Leather, Trail Mix, Granola, Dried Cranberries, Fruit Snacks, Handi-Snax, Quaker Oat Breakfast Bars, Nutri-Grain Bars, Nature Valley Granola Bars, Milk Duds, Chocolate-Covered Coffee Beans, Crystal Light Single Packs, Gatorade Powder Mix, Sugar Free Kool-Aid Pouches, Gummy Bears, Dark Chocolate, Bite-Sized Chocolate, Chunky Peanut Butter, Tootsie Rolls, Instant Oatmeal, Hot Cocoa Mix, Apple Cider Mix, Chai Latte Mix, ANYTHING "Just Add Water", Any Other American Snacks!
Friday, October 07, 2005
The Road to Jalalabad...
This week I had the adventure of travelling to Bazarkargon, a village near the major city of Jalalabad, in the south of Kyrgyzstan, to visit a current Peace Corps Volunteer. It would take about 45 minutes to fly from Bishkek to Jalalabad, but the taxi ride took about 9 hours... The drive goes through the mountains and over some unpaved roads, so it was a crazy ride! Our taxi driver was nice, but a bit reckless, as most taxi drivers are. Anyone who's driven in a foreign country knows what I'm talking about :-). But in the end, after a long day of driving, we arrived in Bazarkargon safely.
I've been having a really good time here with Sua, a fellow trainee, and Holly, the PCV we're visiting. Holly has made us some awesome American food, which has been wonderful! The first night we had pizza, then on Wednesday we had stuffing, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, and apple pie (yum!). And last night we had spaghetti, and today I ate a burrito! It doesn't exactly compare to real American food, but it tastes like heaven because it's just so much different from Kyrgyz food (which is generally very good, don't get me wrong). Just a little taste of home...
The visit has been good and very informative. The volunteer we're visiting has actually had to learn Uzbek because she is in a primarily Uzbek village and teaches at an Uzbek school. It's been fun to experience life here, but I really don't want to have to learn Uzbek like she did! We have interviews coming up in the next few weeks where we can request where we'd like to be placed, and so I have a better idea of what I'm going to say in that interview. Of course, I really want to be in a place where I can learn Russian, and it sounds like the north will be more conducive to that. So I'm going to make my preferences very clear to Peace Corps; they said that last year, most people got the place they requested, so the prospects look good. It sounds like they really take your preferences into consideration because they don't want you to ET (Early Terminate), so they want happy volunteers :-).
Just as a side note, I'm sorry I haven't really been able to post any pictures (besides that random one of us at the airport). It's kind of a hassle to do it from the Internet cafe, so I'll do my best in the future, but pictures may not be as frequent. Alright, there's the most recent experience! I head back to Tokmok tomorrow, so pray for a safe trip! :-)
I've been having a really good time here with Sua, a fellow trainee, and Holly, the PCV we're visiting. Holly has made us some awesome American food, which has been wonderful! The first night we had pizza, then on Wednesday we had stuffing, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, and apple pie (yum!). And last night we had spaghetti, and today I ate a burrito! It doesn't exactly compare to real American food, but it tastes like heaven because it's just so much different from Kyrgyz food (which is generally very good, don't get me wrong). Just a little taste of home...
The visit has been good and very informative. The volunteer we're visiting has actually had to learn Uzbek because she is in a primarily Uzbek village and teaches at an Uzbek school. It's been fun to experience life here, but I really don't want to have to learn Uzbek like she did! We have interviews coming up in the next few weeks where we can request where we'd like to be placed, and so I have a better idea of what I'm going to say in that interview. Of course, I really want to be in a place where I can learn Russian, and it sounds like the north will be more conducive to that. So I'm going to make my preferences very clear to Peace Corps; they said that last year, most people got the place they requested, so the prospects look good. It sounds like they really take your preferences into consideration because they don't want you to ET (Early Terminate), so they want happy volunteers :-).
Just as a side note, I'm sorry I haven't really been able to post any pictures (besides that random one of us at the airport). It's kind of a hassle to do it from the Internet cafe, so I'll do my best in the future, but pictures may not be as frequent. Alright, there's the most recent experience! I head back to Tokmok tomorrow, so pray for a safe trip! :-)
Monday, October 03, 2005
The Banya
My first full day with my host family (a Wednesday—the day I was deathly ill), I tried to inquire about taking a shower. A shower? What was I thinking? “shower jok,” (Shower—no) my little sister replied, “Banya Vaskricenya” (Banya Sunday). That was when I, as many others, found out about “Banya Day.” Banya Day is almost like a holiday among Trainees: “Go to Tokmok to check email? Fly to England to be knighted by the Queen? No thanks—I’m don’t want to miss my banya!”
Banya is the Kyrgyz version of bathing, and I must admit—even though it only happens once a week—it is a really awesome way to bathe! It’s kind of a cross between a sauna and a bucket bathe. Most families have an entire room set apart from the house reserved for banyas. In it, there’s a wood stove that gets cranked up every Sunday and the whole room gets hot and humid. The stove heats the room, but also serves as a kind of water heater. Out of it, a faucet produces “isik” (hot) water. There is also a huge jug of cold water you mix with the hot water to make your banya water, and that’s what you use to clean yourself! One by one, each family member takes his or her turn in the banya, usually lasting an hour or more. It’s started to cool down a bit, so it feels great on a cold day; I can only imagine how wonderful it will be in the winter with those below zero temps!
Surprisingly, it doesn’t really bother me not to bathe all week. Those of you who know me well know I think showers are highly overrated anyway :-). Perhaps my attitude will change in the summer when I’m actually sweating, but I don’t really feel dirty, and it saves so much time not having to shower in the mornings or at night! The only thing that really bothers me is having gross, greasy hair, and this last week I figured out how to convey that I want to wash my hair: “Menin chacham jewm?” (My hair I wash?). So once a week (in addition to the banya), they give me a bucket of hot water and I can wash my hair, which makes me feel clean, and I’m good to go. All in all, it’s not a bad system. Would anyone mind if I only shower once a week when I come back to the States? After two years of this banya thing, I might not want to readjust :-).
Banya is the Kyrgyz version of bathing, and I must admit—even though it only happens once a week—it is a really awesome way to bathe! It’s kind of a cross between a sauna and a bucket bathe. Most families have an entire room set apart from the house reserved for banyas. In it, there’s a wood stove that gets cranked up every Sunday and the whole room gets hot and humid. The stove heats the room, but also serves as a kind of water heater. Out of it, a faucet produces “isik” (hot) water. There is also a huge jug of cold water you mix with the hot water to make your banya water, and that’s what you use to clean yourself! One by one, each family member takes his or her turn in the banya, usually lasting an hour or more. It’s started to cool down a bit, so it feels great on a cold day; I can only imagine how wonderful it will be in the winter with those below zero temps!
Surprisingly, it doesn’t really bother me not to bathe all week. Those of you who know me well know I think showers are highly overrated anyway :-). Perhaps my attitude will change in the summer when I’m actually sweating, but I don’t really feel dirty, and it saves so much time not having to shower in the mornings or at night! The only thing that really bothers me is having gross, greasy hair, and this last week I figured out how to convey that I want to wash my hair: “Menin chacham jewm?” (My hair I wash?). So once a week (in addition to the banya), they give me a bucket of hot water and I can wash my hair, which makes me feel clean, and I’m good to go. All in all, it’s not a bad system. Would anyone mind if I only shower once a week when I come back to the States? After two years of this banya thing, I might not want to readjust :-).
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Pre-Service Training (PST): Week #1--"True Peace Corps Life" ...kinda
What a week it’s been! On Tuesday, I met my host family for the first time and moved in! I have a host mom (apa), a host dad (ata), and three younger siblings: Aigerim (F), 14; Adilet (M), 12; and Aiturgan (F), 5. They don’t speak any English, and so far I’ve had 3 Kyrgyz lessons, so you can imagine how communication goes around here! Needless to say, it can be quite humorous… I whip out the few words I know, and they jabber on to me in Kyrgyz while I shake my head and repeat “Kaycheraysis” (I’m sorry) about 50 times a day. Another favorite phrase of mine is “Bul emnay?”, which means, “What is this?” So when things get silent, I can use that to try to learn new vocabulary, which is almost hopeless unless I write it down. It is helpful that I speak some Russian because my family also speaks Russian, and just knowing the alphabet is beneficial because Kyrgyz also uses Cyrillic. So while other volunteers are often still struggling with reading, writing and pronunciation, I feel much more comfortable and have been able to focus more on actually learning words and phrases. But I’ve got a LONG way to go!
The first night with my host family, they invited me to go “guesting” with them—a popular Kyrgyz social custom, which can be most closely compared to a dinner party, I suppose. It’s a huge event, and I didn’t expect to experience it on my first night! But I accepted the invitation and went with them to my host dad’s sister’s house, where at least 25 other people were gathered. I walked into the dining area to see something straight out of a dream. There was a table about 15-20 feet long PILED with food. Cakes, breads, sweets, fruits, nuts, candies, meats, salads, and more. It was like a royal banquet! I tried to pace myself, but every time I thought we were done eating, they brought out more food! Then when I was absolutely stuffed, we went into ANOTHER room, where they brought out the sheep! Well, it was cooked and cut into pieces, but I’m pretty sure it was the whole sheep (the head was a good indicator)… So I was forced to eat even more! Around 9pm, we finally went home, and I went to bed, exhausted.
Unfortunately, my rest was short-lived. Did someone once say you’re not a true Peace Corps Volunteer until you’ve bent over a squat toilet in an outhouse throwing up in the middle of the night? Well, if they did, I guess I’m a true Peace Corps volunteer now! Needless to say, it was an uncomfortable night running back and forth between my room and the outhouse, but it was a noteworthy experience in retrospect. Although, it has made me a little wary of future guesting adventures…
Since then, things have been somewhat less eventful, but I’m definitely grateful for that! Peace Corps has broken us up into small groups of 4-6. There are four volunteers in my group (me, Michaela, Matt, & Nick), and we all live in the same village (easily within walking distance) with our “Language and Culture Facilitator (LCF).” Each LCF speaks English and the local language (in my case, Kyrgyz, but I think my LCF speaks Russian as well… most people do), and runs our language lessons and generally takes care of us. My LCF happens to live right across the street from me, which is nice. We have our language classes at her house, just the 5 of us, which is a great learning environment for me. We study language about 5 hours a day, 4 days a week. One day a week we go into Tokmok (the nearest town) with the larger group of volunteers for TEFL training, and one day a week we go to Tokmok for medical/culture/safety & security training. We finish our language lessons by about 2:30 each day, so I have a lot of free time. I often spend that time visiting with the other volunteers nearby, taking walks around the village, hanging out with my little sisters, and reading or studying in my room. I have my own room with a bed, desk, dresser, mirror, and locking door. It’s very comfortable and safe (for any of you who were worried :-) ).
I do miss home, at some times more than others. There are definitely ups and downs, but it is comforting to have other volunteers nearby. I’ve found it’s hardest for me when I start thinking about being here for 2 whole years, and how I’m just at the very beginning right now. So it’s best to just take it one day at a time. Now is the hardest time as far as adapting and learning, so I think it will only get easier as I learn to communicate, which will give me much greater freedom. So please keep the emails and/or letters & care-packages coming! I miss you all a ton, and mail is gold.
Random note in case you were wondering: the time difference from California to Kyrgyzstan is 13 hours (CA is behind). So keep that in mind for all those times you get the urge to call me at 3am :-) . Alright, this is a hefty post, so I’ll sign off for now. Blessings to you all and lots of love!
The first night with my host family, they invited me to go “guesting” with them—a popular Kyrgyz social custom, which can be most closely compared to a dinner party, I suppose. It’s a huge event, and I didn’t expect to experience it on my first night! But I accepted the invitation and went with them to my host dad’s sister’s house, where at least 25 other people were gathered. I walked into the dining area to see something straight out of a dream. There was a table about 15-20 feet long PILED with food. Cakes, breads, sweets, fruits, nuts, candies, meats, salads, and more. It was like a royal banquet! I tried to pace myself, but every time I thought we were done eating, they brought out more food! Then when I was absolutely stuffed, we went into ANOTHER room, where they brought out the sheep! Well, it was cooked and cut into pieces, but I’m pretty sure it was the whole sheep (the head was a good indicator)… So I was forced to eat even more! Around 9pm, we finally went home, and I went to bed, exhausted.
Unfortunately, my rest was short-lived. Did someone once say you’re not a true Peace Corps Volunteer until you’ve bent over a squat toilet in an outhouse throwing up in the middle of the night? Well, if they did, I guess I’m a true Peace Corps volunteer now! Needless to say, it was an uncomfortable night running back and forth between my room and the outhouse, but it was a noteworthy experience in retrospect. Although, it has made me a little wary of future guesting adventures…
Since then, things have been somewhat less eventful, but I’m definitely grateful for that! Peace Corps has broken us up into small groups of 4-6. There are four volunteers in my group (me, Michaela, Matt, & Nick), and we all live in the same village (easily within walking distance) with our “Language and Culture Facilitator (LCF).” Each LCF speaks English and the local language (in my case, Kyrgyz, but I think my LCF speaks Russian as well… most people do), and runs our language lessons and generally takes care of us. My LCF happens to live right across the street from me, which is nice. We have our language classes at her house, just the 5 of us, which is a great learning environment for me. We study language about 5 hours a day, 4 days a week. One day a week we go into Tokmok (the nearest town) with the larger group of volunteers for TEFL training, and one day a week we go to Tokmok for medical/culture/safety & security training. We finish our language lessons by about 2:30 each day, so I have a lot of free time. I often spend that time visiting with the other volunteers nearby, taking walks around the village, hanging out with my little sisters, and reading or studying in my room. I have my own room with a bed, desk, dresser, mirror, and locking door. It’s very comfortable and safe (for any of you who were worried :-) ).
I do miss home, at some times more than others. There are definitely ups and downs, but it is comforting to have other volunteers nearby. I’ve found it’s hardest for me when I start thinking about being here for 2 whole years, and how I’m just at the very beginning right now. So it’s best to just take it one day at a time. Now is the hardest time as far as adapting and learning, so I think it will only get easier as I learn to communicate, which will give me much greater freedom. So please keep the emails and/or letters & care-packages coming! I miss you all a ton, and mail is gold.
Random note in case you were wondering: the time difference from California to Kyrgyzstan is 13 hours (CA is behind). So keep that in mind for all those times you get the urge to call me at 3am :-) . Alright, this is a hefty post, so I’ll sign off for now. Blessings to you all and lots of love!
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Arrival in Kyrgyzstan!
After a 2 hour drive from Philadelphia to the JFK Airport in New York, a three hour wait in line to check in, a 10 hour flight to Turkey, a 6 hour layover in the Istanbul airport, and a 5 hour flight to Bishkek, I have finally arrived in the Kyrgyz Republic! The past few days we have been staying in a Soviet-style hotel in Bishkek, but today we will be meeting our host families and moving in with them, where we will be living for the next 3 months. I must admit that after 2.5 days in a hotel in Philly, 2.5 days of travel, and 2.5 days in the hotel here, I’m looking forward to settling in to one place for a while and unpacking my suitcases.
Before the flight out here, I felt like I was getting ready to step off the edge of a cliff into ??? (what had I gotten myself into?). I was anxious about how I’d feel upon arrival here, knowing this will be my home for the next 2+ years. But even though I was exhausted when we arrived at 1am on Sunday, I easily found my baggage, walked through customs without anyone even looking at me, much less checking any of my luggage, and exited the airport into a clear, cool, quiet night (what? Aren’t all foreign countries hot and humid when you arrive??), and on the bus ride to the hotel, I felt a peace and a rightness—this is where I am supposed to be and I am happy to be here. I definitely feel a covering of God’s grace for this adjustment so far, because I haven’t yet been unbearably homesick.
Today we began our language classes! Most of you know I was hoping & praying that I would be learning Russian. So when they made the announcement this morning that I was in a Kyrgyz group, I must admit I was a little disappointed. I’m not sure how they made the decision about who would be learning which language, since, in talking to other volunteers, it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with previous knowledge or preference. But as I asked God to open doors to allow me to learn Russian, I also knew that while the situation was out of my control, it was well within His. And I knew I could trust Him no matter the outcome. So my disappointment in the morning slowly switched to excitement as the day wore on. I realized this is an opportunity, not only to learn an obscure language and develop a highly specialized skill, but for me to return to the States in 2 years trilingual! Many volunteers learn both languages during their service, and the Peace Corps will actually pay for me to hire a Russian tutor after my 3 months of Pre-Service Training. If I had been placed in a Russian group, I know I wouldn’t have put effort into learning Kyrgyz after training, but this way, I can use my training in Kyrgyz and my motivation to learn Russian to help me learn 2 languages. I also think knowing Kyrgyz will help me to gain respect from the local people, and to assimilate into the culture. So I see the outcome here as God tabling my personal request to give me what is actually best for me, because He knows I have given Him permission to override my desires when they will not actually accomplish His highest. Now I can see the benefits of this (and the challenges!), even though it wasn’t what I would have chosen for myself. So for the next 3 months, I devote myself to Kyrgyz! J Monolingual-Lisa is about to triple her language skills…
Ok, well I think this is more than enough information for now. Sorry there are no pictures yet. I haven’t taken too many (even though this is a beautiful country), and it’s difficult to post them from another computer in the Internet café. I’ll work on figuring out how to do that… I don’t think we will have much time or freedom to email or use the Internet during training, but I will do the best I can. If you want to write me real letters, I might have more time to respond that way. But please keep in touch! Even if I can’t check my email or write back regularly, it is always so wonderful to receive notes from all of you. Alright, until next time…
Before the flight out here, I felt like I was getting ready to step off the edge of a cliff into ??? (what had I gotten myself into?). I was anxious about how I’d feel upon arrival here, knowing this will be my home for the next 2+ years. But even though I was exhausted when we arrived at 1am on Sunday, I easily found my baggage, walked through customs without anyone even looking at me, much less checking any of my luggage, and exited the airport into a clear, cool, quiet night (what? Aren’t all foreign countries hot and humid when you arrive??), and on the bus ride to the hotel, I felt a peace and a rightness—this is where I am supposed to be and I am happy to be here. I definitely feel a covering of God’s grace for this adjustment so far, because I haven’t yet been unbearably homesick.
Today we began our language classes! Most of you know I was hoping & praying that I would be learning Russian. So when they made the announcement this morning that I was in a Kyrgyz group, I must admit I was a little disappointed. I’m not sure how they made the decision about who would be learning which language, since, in talking to other volunteers, it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with previous knowledge or preference. But as I asked God to open doors to allow me to learn Russian, I also knew that while the situation was out of my control, it was well within His. And I knew I could trust Him no matter the outcome. So my disappointment in the morning slowly switched to excitement as the day wore on. I realized this is an opportunity, not only to learn an obscure language and develop a highly specialized skill, but for me to return to the States in 2 years trilingual! Many volunteers learn both languages during their service, and the Peace Corps will actually pay for me to hire a Russian tutor after my 3 months of Pre-Service Training. If I had been placed in a Russian group, I know I wouldn’t have put effort into learning Kyrgyz after training, but this way, I can use my training in Kyrgyz and my motivation to learn Russian to help me learn 2 languages. I also think knowing Kyrgyz will help me to gain respect from the local people, and to assimilate into the culture. So I see the outcome here as God tabling my personal request to give me what is actually best for me, because He knows I have given Him permission to override my desires when they will not actually accomplish His highest. Now I can see the benefits of this (and the challenges!), even though it wasn’t what I would have chosen for myself. So for the next 3 months, I devote myself to Kyrgyz! J Monolingual-Lisa is about to triple her language skills…
Ok, well I think this is more than enough information for now. Sorry there are no pictures yet. I haven’t taken too many (even though this is a beautiful country), and it’s difficult to post them from another computer in the Internet café. I’ll work on figuring out how to do that… I don’t think we will have much time or freedom to email or use the Internet during training, but I will do the best I can. If you want to write me real letters, I might have more time to respond that way. But please keep in touch! Even if I can’t check my email or write back regularly, it is always so wonderful to receive notes from all of you. Alright, until next time…
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Arrival in Philly...
Hello! Here is the first post of my Peace Corps adventure :-) I flew out of Fresno yesterday (my birthday) at 7pm, amidst many tears. I still don't think I can comprehend how long it will be until I see my friends and family again... I spent the majority of my flight to San Francisco in bouts of tears. But then I arrived in Philadelphia about 5:45am, got to my hotel room around 8:30, and got a few hours of sleep before starting "Staging" (orientation) at 1pm. Today has been a good day. There are 66 of us heading out to the Kyrgyz Republic on Friday--a larger group than I expected. It feels like I'm meeting about a million people, but everyone seems really nice and excited to be here. It's hard to imagine who among this large group will end up being a good friend...
I think it has helped the anxiety just to get started and to meet everyone. A few less unknowns :-) One piece of good news, for those of you who have joined me in praying for someone to pray with: I met a Christian couple today and we discussed praying together periodically throughout training at least. I don't know them very well at all, but this is a huge encouragement, and gives me faith that God will continue to answer my (and your) prayers.
Ok, I think I'm kind of tired, so I'm going to sign off for now. Just wanted to post a note now while I can. I have a wireless connection here at the hotel; not sure how things will be once we arrive in KR. Love and miss you all! Please keep in touch!
I think it has helped the anxiety just to get started and to meet everyone. A few less unknowns :-) One piece of good news, for those of you who have joined me in praying for someone to pray with: I met a Christian couple today and we discussed praying together periodically throughout training at least. I don't know them very well at all, but this is a huge encouragement, and gives me faith that God will continue to answer my (and your) prayers.
Ok, I think I'm kind of tired, so I'm going to sign off for now. Just wanted to post a note now while I can. I have a wireless connection here at the hotel; not sure how things will be once we arrive in KR. Love and miss you all! Please keep in touch!
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Countdown & Send-Off Party
Well, I've had a fantastic summer resting and relaxing at home, catching up with friends, and trying to stay cool :-). But now the countdown is really on with just a little over a week before my departure with the Peace Corps! I leave on September 13--which also happens to be my 25th birthday--for Philadelphia, where I will have 2 days of orientation with the Peace Corps. Then on September 16, I will fly out to Kyrgyzstan with the rest of the volunteers! It's hard to believe the time is almost here. I feel almost as if I'm in some form of denial. I've done my best to mentally prepare for this huge transition, but have come to the conclusion that I will never be able to fully grasp the magnitude of it. So basically I've stopped trying to grasp it, and have decided just to accept all the emotions as they come. Around the 3 week mark I had one of what I call my "freak-out moments," when I realized my departure was in the very near future. Since then, I feel like I have just been going with the flow of preparations with a fair level of stability. We'll see how I feel when the 13th rolls around :-)
This next week will be full of practice packing runs, final preparations, and time spent with my closest of friends and family. I feel like there is a fair amount left to do, but I'm not overwhelmed at the moment. As long as I continue managing my time well, I should be ok!
Last Saturday, my best friend Kristen and her husband Joel hosted a Send-Off (& early Birthday Party) for me at their house. It was a great time! Thanks to all the people who came; it was so good to see everyone and to say goodbye with a celebration. We had a great time together with lots of food & activities, and I was blessed to be prayed for by everyone at the end. I feel very supported and loved by some wonderful people; your love, support, and prayers will uphold me while I'm gone. You can enjoy some pictures from the party below!
Finally, I want to post my address while I am in training my first 3 months in Kyrgyzstan (September 18-December 9, 2005). I should have fairly regular internet access, but if you want to write or send packages, they can be sent to the following address:
Kyrgyz Republic
722140, Kant City
Mailbox #23
97 Linina Street, RUPS
Lisa Freeman
I hear mail takes about 6 weeks on average... Once I know where I will be living after training, I will let everyone know as well.
Ok, well, my next post may well be from Krygyzstan! I will keep this updated as much as I can while I'm away. The Next Great Adventure soon to commence....
This next week will be full of practice packing runs, final preparations, and time spent with my closest of friends and family. I feel like there is a fair amount left to do, but I'm not overwhelmed at the moment. As long as I continue managing my time well, I should be ok!
Last Saturday, my best friend Kristen and her husband Joel hosted a Send-Off (& early Birthday Party) for me at their house. It was a great time! Thanks to all the people who came; it was so good to see everyone and to say goodbye with a celebration. We had a great time together with lots of food & activities, and I was blessed to be prayed for by everyone at the end. I feel very supported and loved by some wonderful people; your love, support, and prayers will uphold me while I'm gone. You can enjoy some pictures from the party below!
Finally, I want to post my address while I am in training my first 3 months in Kyrgyzstan (September 18-December 9, 2005). I should have fairly regular internet access, but if you want to write or send packages, they can be sent to the following address:
Kyrgyz Republic
722140, Kant City
Mailbox #23
97 Linina Street, RUPS
Lisa Freeman
I hear mail takes about 6 weeks on average... Once I know where I will be living after training, I will let everyone know as well.
Ok, well, my next post may well be from Krygyzstan! I will keep this updated as much as I can while I'm away. The Next Great Adventure soon to commence....
Monday, July 11, 2005
Hawaii!
It occurred to me as I was walking down Kailua Beach on our first day in Hawaii, that I have been in Norway, Ireland, California, and Hawaii (4 of the most beautiful places in the world) all in the same month. Wow! As I looked back on my life and all the awesome experiences I've had, and all the amazing people I've met, I was overwhelmed with gratefulness to God. And I realized that I am rich. I have never had tons of cash laying around, but God has provided for me to do some amazing things in my short lifetime. I feel like I got a glimpse into the meaning of true riches, and an understanding that I have them.
Hawaii was an amazing vacation! It was great to spend a week with my mom and my sister in the Aloha State, enjoying the beaches and the sites. This is the first family vacation we've taken in a while, and also the last one we will take for another long while. We stayed at a Bed & Breakfast in Kailua, about 20 minutes from Honolulu and Waikiki. It was nice to be away from all the tourists and big city, with the ability to visit when we wanted to. We spent a lot of time at the beach, enjoying the warm ocean, boogie-boarding, and snorkeling! We also spent a lot of time driving around the island in our oh-so-cool convertible. Of course we visited Honolulu and Waikiki, and we went to a luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Luau food is the best!! Quite possibly my favorite part of visiting Hawaii :-). We took a couple hikes as well--the Diamondhead hike, which has a great view of Honolulu from the top, and also a hike to Manoa Falls, which is gorgeous and lush and green the entire way. Oh, and how could I forget the Dole Pinneapple Plantation?! Even though it was about 45 minutes from where we were staying, we had to go back a second time for the famous Dole Whip (like pineapple ice-cream, but non-dairy. yum!). We finished off our trip by spending the Fourth of July at the beach watching fireworks over the ocean. It was a great ending to a great trip. Have to give special thanks to Mom, who financed the entire thing. Thanks, Mom! You're awesome!
I must admit I'm glad to be home now... in one place... for a while at least. Although this heat is killer!! But I'm starting to research Kyrgyzstan, and put into practice the things God has taught me over the past 3-4 months. And of course, preparing to leave again! All in all, it's a good time of life. I'm enjoying being a part of what God is doing here and now.
Hawaii was an amazing vacation! It was great to spend a week with my mom and my sister in the Aloha State, enjoying the beaches and the sites. This is the first family vacation we've taken in a while, and also the last one we will take for another long while. We stayed at a Bed & Breakfast in Kailua, about 20 minutes from Honolulu and Waikiki. It was nice to be away from all the tourists and big city, with the ability to visit when we wanted to. We spent a lot of time at the beach, enjoying the warm ocean, boogie-boarding, and snorkeling! We also spent a lot of time driving around the island in our oh-so-cool convertible. Of course we visited Honolulu and Waikiki, and we went to a luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Luau food is the best!! Quite possibly my favorite part of visiting Hawaii :-). We took a couple hikes as well--the Diamondhead hike, which has a great view of Honolulu from the top, and also a hike to Manoa Falls, which is gorgeous and lush and green the entire way. Oh, and how could I forget the Dole Pinneapple Plantation?! Even though it was about 45 minutes from where we were staying, we had to go back a second time for the famous Dole Whip (like pineapple ice-cream, but non-dairy. yum!). We finished off our trip by spending the Fourth of July at the beach watching fireworks over the ocean. It was a great ending to a great trip. Have to give special thanks to Mom, who financed the entire thing. Thanks, Mom! You're awesome!
I must admit I'm glad to be home now... in one place... for a while at least. Although this heat is killer!! But I'm starting to research Kyrgyzstan, and put into practice the things God has taught me over the past 3-4 months. And of course, preparing to leave again! All in all, it's a good time of life. I'm enjoying being a part of what God is doing here and now.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
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