After losing two very long blog posts that were on my jump drive that I lost, I’m going to try to remember what I wrote and re-do them on my back up jump drive. (I’m also saving to my hard drive as a back up now- lesson learned)
I am now settled into my PST Village. My host family is pretty awesome. I have an Ata (father) an Apa (mother) and an “eehnee” (little brother) whose name is Samat. He is 7. I feel very welcome here, but even after two weeks, I’m still in guest mode, which means my host family won’t let me do anything to help. I’m not allowed to cook or clean or help with the outside work. (we have cow, sheep, chickens, and a dog) I’m working on my Apa so hopefully she’ll let me at least help her cook soon. I’m going to attempt to wash laundry tomorrow for the first time and I refuse to let her do it for me so it is going to be a battle of wills haha. (we’ll see who’ll win- I’ll letcha know)
Oh! Tomorrow, I get to banya again. I’m super excited. One of the blogs I lost had my first banya experience in great detail. I’m gonna attempt to share it again. Our banya is a concrete building a few yards away from the house. There is an outer room, and an inner room. The outer room has a grate where you can start a fire on the inside wall, and a chair for clothes/towels, etc. The inner room has a bench like thing on the floor that we stand on, one about knee high, and one about chest high. The grate from the outer room comes into the inner room kinda like an oven. There is a big, metal tank like thing on the wall. The water in the tank is heated by the fire underneath it, and there is a spigot that you take the water from. You mix the hot water with cold in a bucket until it is the right temperature, and then take a bucket bath. The amazingness comes from putting water on the stones that surround the tank- instant sauna. I’ve never been much of a sauna fan unless you count being outside in VA from May to September haha, but the banya is fantastic. There are those of you who think a bucket bath and a sauna don’t really sound that great.. go a week with nothing more than baby wipe baths, then have a banya and come talk to me. They’re glorious.
What else is new? I’ve been trying to learn the Kyrgyz language, It is coming along slowly. I figured after learning Chinese, anything with an alphabet would be easier, but I have recently remembered why I hated learning Spanish so much- verb conjugation. Spanish has nothing on Kyrgyz. Chinese was tough, but the grammar was easier, Kyrgyz is gonna be a challenge, but I think I’m up to it.
Tech training (i.e. learning how to be a teacher) is interesting. The education system here is much different from the states, so it is a cultural/technical thing too. I start practicing team teaching very soon so I’ll letcha know how it goes.
Health wise- the “gastro intestinal roller coaster” that was predicted has thus far been more of a gastro intestinal swing set at the park haha. Not too many stomach problems to speak of (knock on wood) But- I still managed to get sick. I’ve only had strep throat ONCE since the FOURTH grade, and I wait until I get to the middle of Kyrgyzstan to get it again. Go figure. The PC medical doctors gave me amoxicillin so hopefully I’ll be in tip top shape again soon.
PC has been keeping us all really busy. It is good, I think. We have a ton to learn, plus being busy keeps me from thinking too much. I don’t know how often I’ll be able to update you all, but I posted my cell number in my last blog so feel free to use it as often as you all like (I know it can be a little expensive, but it is more expensive to call from here to there especially on my dollar a day salary haha) just try to remember the time difference. I don’t do numbers to tell you what the times are, but you all are pretty smart and I’m sure you can figure it out. I’m usually awake by 6am my time, and busy from 8-5, so if any of you do decide to call, try to keep that in mind.
I really appreciate all the emails from you- I have a ton in my inbox waiting for me that I didn’t have time to read when I posted the last short post, but you can bet I’ll be devouring them the first chance I get. News from home is great.
Also, if anyone happened to want to send a package this way, or a letter even, and could toss a few cds into it, that’d be great. The local girls here like a lot of American music that I don’t have (shakira, Enrique iglesia, puff daddy, keisha coles, pussy cat dolls, girls aloud, emimen, akon,5o cent, etc) so if you have any of those that you’ll like to burn and send my way, they make really great bonding tools. Also, Russian dubbed or subtitled movies (especially Disney ones- I’ve gotten a request for the sleeping “princess” beauty movie) would be nice. There isn’t anything yet that I’ve found that I really need and can’t get here except maybe some dry shampoo haha but seriously- my hair has reached greasiness of epic proportions. I try to through a bucket hair washing in midweek to go between the weekly banyas, but its gross. Haha
I miss you all
Love from Ivanovka Station,
Jess
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