schools starts soon.. eep.

27 August 2009

My Kyrgyzstan 0-10
0- successful knitting projects
1- oblasts that I have yet to visit. (talas. I’m not counting batken because we’re not allowed to go there)
2- bottles of shampoo (and tubes of toothpaste and bottles of sunscreen and bottles of lotion)
3- jars of peanut butter
4- times I’ve been sunburnt while doing laundry (counting today)
5- days until school starts
6- times I’ve been swimming in Issyk-kul
7- free gigs on my 400 gig hard drive
8- loads of laundry I washed today (and loads here are considerably smaller than at home btw, but that is still A LOT.)
9- books I’ve read in country
10- times I’ve had besh barmak. (and by “had” I mean been somewhere where it has been served. I don’t actually eat it)

While I’m in a list making mood…. I started a new list: “Things Jessika Thought She’d Never Do in Kyrgyzstan… But Did” this list includes, thus far, turning down a shower… I know, right!!! I NEVER thought that would happen, but it did. I took an AWESOME shower at the hotel the night I stayed in Bishkek, and we left to head back to Karakol the next morning, but the taxi took forever and I had to stay in the city that night because it was too late to get a taxi back to my village. Katie let me stay at her place and offered let me take a shower… and… i… turned… it… down… wow. I’m sure this list will grow in the next few years…

In other news: I think I’m going to start a garden. And before you laugh, (yes I know I have a black thumb) I’m hoping to turn over a new leaf and keep a plant alive. Plus I really want the vegetables. Broccoli and collard greens! Fritz and Ginger gave me some seeds before I left Jbad, its a lot warmer down there, so it might be too late for me to start planting them here, I dunno. We’ll see. If they grow the way I want them too, I’ll have broccoli in the fall! Mmmm

I got my package from the family! I got the most adorable bag for my birthday! And adorable handmade cards courtesy of Jordan. Thanks! And I got three letters! I seriously don’t think a week has gone by that I haven’t gotten a letter. You guys seriously don’t know how much I look forward to getting mail! And emails! I’m still a little slow getting back to people, but I don’t think that’ll get better… sorry. Don’t stop writing though!

The summer has completely flown by! I can not believe that school starts so soon. I still don’t have a schedule, and I haven’t lesson planned at all with my counterpart, but aside from being completely unprepared, I am so excited! I’ve gotten a little bit of practice in the clubs, but I know actual classes will be different because I’ll have a wide variety of students, like the ones who don’t really want to be there as opposed to the overachievers I’ve had coming to clubs all summer. It’ll be a challenge, but I think I’m up for it. (I’m keeping my fingers crossed though)

I realized something while I was doing sessions at the camp in Jalalabad. While I’ve never been accused of being shy, I was never really comfortable speaking in public. Until I got to Kyrgyzstan that is… Now, I don’t really have a problem talking in front of people at all. No more shaking hands or voice, I don’t rush through because I’m nervous, no butterflies in the stomach, or feeling like I need to vomit. I’m cured! Haha

It’s taken a few days for my sinuses to readjust to being in the higher altitude, and lower temperature North. Fun stuff.

Well, it is 8:30 and I haven’t been called to dinner yet, so maybe we’re not having dinner tonight. I shall go investigate and possibly cook dinner.

Miss you all!
Love from Kyrgyzstan, (the country where the lines on the road are just a suggestion)
Jess