28 September 2009
I swore when I graduated that I would never take another math or science class as long as I could help it. Anyone who knows me knows that me and numbers don’t really get along. So can someone please tell me why I just spent the last hour discussing Newton’s laws and Einstein’s formula’s and converting from the metric system…. in KRYGYZ? Sheesh My host just had to get his degree in Physics, my worst subject. Ever.
Things have really settled down into a routine here. A.K.A. I have a lot of free time on my hands. A.K.A. I’m bored out of my mind. Things I’ve done this week: cut letters out of magazines and newspapers and put together the names of all the volunteers in my group separated by oblast and taped them to my wall, wrote a few emails, gave up knitting (temporarily) after destroying a half a skein of yarn and reverted to crocheting and destroyed another half a skein of yard before remembering how to do it and made half a scarf and showed my host sisters how to make bracelets. Things I’ve managed to avoid this week by doing other things: laundry (give me a break, it’s been raining every day) writing in my journal, and vacuuming my floor. Lovely.
I’ll be starting the elective English classes next week with 3rd through 11th grades. It’ll add four more hours of classes to my schedule, which will put me at 20 and that is the maximum that the PC wants me to teach. I might do additional clubs if my students want them. They all say that they want to have clubs, but whether or not they want it bad enough to actually come, we’ll see. I had a pretty steady turnout over the summer, so I think I might have a big enough core group to make it worth it. I only taught one class today, but wrote lesson plans for most of the week. I think the teaching staff is conspiring to make me 500lbs before I leave. We have a tea break every day and I swear if I don’t have my cup to my mouth or some form of food in my hand they’re telling me to drink and eat more. I’m getting better at faking it and drinking really really slowly to avoid drinking 15 cups of tea a day.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
"i'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints"
25 September 2009
The title of this is just the songs lyrics that are playing right now.
It is Friday, almost 9pm, and I’m settling in for the night. How drastically my life has changed in the past year! I’d just be starting ready to go out a year ago. Alas, here I am… in Kyrgyzstan, at 9 on a Friday; I just had my nightly battle with the humongous spider that guards our outhouse, while wearing my headlamp, with my pants tucked into my socks… could I get more sexy? Haha Now I’m sitting in bed under my snuggie (amallie told me they came out with designer patterned snuggies?!?!?! Sweeeeet), writing this, and trying to decide if I’m gonna get up early and go the city to the internet café so I can attempt to chat with some people before coming back here to do laundry. What an exciting weekend!
I made dinner for my host family tonight. I made vegetarian taco pasta casserole, with soy meat. Mmmm I thought it was good. My host parents and two host sisters liked it, the other two, not so much. It wasn’t as good as the chili, but it was okay. I need ideas for other American food to make. I also made carrot cake for the first time, and if I may say so, I make really good carrot cake, from scratch. It was about as popular as the actual meal. Most Kyrgyz people don’t like food with cinnamon, because they think it is spicy. Oh well, more for me! Haha
Everything has gone topsy-turvy again. I feel like that has happened every three to six months for the past few years, though. And by everything, I mean my outlook on life here, my opinions, etc. When I first came to site to visit, I wasn’t sure if I was gonna like it (understatement of the century). When I moved here, it was rough at first, and I wanted to spend a lot of time with other volunteers, I stayed the night in the city almost every weekend. I’ve only spend the night in the city one weekend this month, and that was because I couldn’t get into my room. Don’t get me wrong, I still like the other volunteers and like getting to hang out with other Americans, but I could take it or leave it. I don’t miss it as much as I thought I would. (I still miss all of you loads, though, don’t worry) I also was unsure if my counterpart and I would get along when I first started, and now I feel like we understand each other a lot better. We went to a teacher training today in the rayon center, and we went to lunch afterward. It was the first time that we’ve done anything together that wasn’t Peace Corps or teaching related, the lunch, I mean. It was nice to get to talk to her about non-school related things. Granted our conversations can’t get very deep because my Kyrgyz and her English make communicating a bit difficult, but we’re learning how to. I’m not sure that we’ll ever be best friends, because our lifestyles and priorities are so different, (she’s a married, mother of three,) but we are definitely getting closer.
And now for something completely different:
My random thoughts of the today:
My hypothetical children that I’ll most likely never have (at least not in the next five to ten years) will never play with toy guns, and not because I’m anti-guns, but because I find it immensely irritating to be “killed” by a three year old fifty eleven times a day.
Food tastes better made from scratch
My music collection has doubled since coming to country.
I’m having a hard time deciding which I hate more- geese or chickens
Tomorrow (today) will be six months since I left Kentucky
My random cravings of the week: carrot cake (check) and tuna casserole
We heard that some of the K-18s got their invitations and you have no idea how excited I am for them!
I’m saving up to buy: a rice cooker and an awesome Kyrgyz winter coat
Three cups of coffee is my minimum requirement to be awake enough to go to school every mornin’. And that’s bad instant coffee, too, so you know I’m desperate. haha
Alright, well, I’m gonna try to finish up some letters and such,
Miss you loads,
Love from Kyrgyzstan, six months in,
Jess
The title of this is just the songs lyrics that are playing right now.
It is Friday, almost 9pm, and I’m settling in for the night. How drastically my life has changed in the past year! I’d just be starting ready to go out a year ago. Alas, here I am… in Kyrgyzstan, at 9 on a Friday; I just had my nightly battle with the humongous spider that guards our outhouse, while wearing my headlamp, with my pants tucked into my socks… could I get more sexy? Haha Now I’m sitting in bed under my snuggie (amallie told me they came out with designer patterned snuggies?!?!?! Sweeeeet), writing this, and trying to decide if I’m gonna get up early and go the city to the internet café so I can attempt to chat with some people before coming back here to do laundry. What an exciting weekend!
I made dinner for my host family tonight. I made vegetarian taco pasta casserole, with soy meat. Mmmm I thought it was good. My host parents and two host sisters liked it, the other two, not so much. It wasn’t as good as the chili, but it was okay. I need ideas for other American food to make. I also made carrot cake for the first time, and if I may say so, I make really good carrot cake, from scratch. It was about as popular as the actual meal. Most Kyrgyz people don’t like food with cinnamon, because they think it is spicy. Oh well, more for me! Haha
Everything has gone topsy-turvy again. I feel like that has happened every three to six months for the past few years, though. And by everything, I mean my outlook on life here, my opinions, etc. When I first came to site to visit, I wasn’t sure if I was gonna like it (understatement of the century). When I moved here, it was rough at first, and I wanted to spend a lot of time with other volunteers, I stayed the night in the city almost every weekend. I’ve only spend the night in the city one weekend this month, and that was because I couldn’t get into my room. Don’t get me wrong, I still like the other volunteers and like getting to hang out with other Americans, but I could take it or leave it. I don’t miss it as much as I thought I would. (I still miss all of you loads, though, don’t worry) I also was unsure if my counterpart and I would get along when I first started, and now I feel like we understand each other a lot better. We went to a teacher training today in the rayon center, and we went to lunch afterward. It was the first time that we’ve done anything together that wasn’t Peace Corps or teaching related, the lunch, I mean. It was nice to get to talk to her about non-school related things. Granted our conversations can’t get very deep because my Kyrgyz and her English make communicating a bit difficult, but we’re learning how to. I’m not sure that we’ll ever be best friends, because our lifestyles and priorities are so different, (she’s a married, mother of three,) but we are definitely getting closer.
And now for something completely different:
My random thoughts of the today:
My hypothetical children that I’ll most likely never have (at least not in the next five to ten years) will never play with toy guns, and not because I’m anti-guns, but because I find it immensely irritating to be “killed” by a three year old fifty eleven times a day.
Food tastes better made from scratch
My music collection has doubled since coming to country.
I’m having a hard time deciding which I hate more- geese or chickens
Tomorrow (today) will be six months since I left Kentucky
My random cravings of the week: carrot cake (check) and tuna casserole
We heard that some of the K-18s got their invitations and you have no idea how excited I am for them!
I’m saving up to buy: a rice cooker and an awesome Kyrgyz winter coat
Three cups of coffee is my minimum requirement to be awake enough to go to school every mornin’. And that’s bad instant coffee, too, so you know I’m desperate. haha
Alright, well, I’m gonna try to finish up some letters and such,
Miss you loads,
Love from Kyrgyzstan, six months in,
Jess
Friday, September 18, 2009
i'm happy. мен бактылумен
I got temporarily evicted from my house. Haha. My family is cementing the steps to my room so i can't get in it for three or four days, so i'm visiting a friend and going back on monday.
Monday is a holiday, it is the end of Ramadan, so my apa told me we'll be going big time guesting. I'm excited about it. No Class! Yay! haha
Other random news: I got my first apple from a student today! haha
This is really short, but i just posted a really long one, so it'll balance out.
miss you!
love from kyrgyzstan,
jess
Monday is a holiday, it is the end of Ramadan, so my apa told me we'll be going big time guesting. I'm excited about it. No Class! Yay! haha
Other random news: I got my first apple from a student today! haha
This is really short, but i just posted a really long one, so it'll balance out.
miss you!
love from kyrgyzstan,
jess
a long day, and a long post
14 September 2009
Happy Birthday Camden! Today is my only nephew’s first birthday and I’m not there to help celebrate. I hate it. The drawback of being here is missing so many things like that back home. It seems so weird to think that a year ago I was just about getting my hand broken by my darling sister while she was in labor. Haha the year has flown by!
And, I got my flu shot today. What a day.
I also waged war on the spiders in my room… with the vacuum cleaner. I sucked ‘em up. No more creepy crawlies in here. Jessika: 1 Spiders: 0. haha (although, if I’m being honest, its is probably more Jessika: 1 Spiders: 3, because they’ve scared me half to death several times)
I had the thought today about how my tastes have changed since coming here. For example, the newest list: “Things Jessika didn’t like at home, but likes now,” includes things like: honey, beets, eggplant, cabbage, beer, raspberries, peaches, singing (I’m still not very good), and flossing her teeth haha. And “things Jessika liked at home, and really, really likes now,” includes: beans, hummus (home made is SO much better), apples, tea, peppers, peanuts, peanut butter, raisins, reading books, and going for walks. Of course, some things don’t change. “Things Jessika didn’t like at home, and hates here,” encompasses vodka, meat, and doing laundry. And “Things Jessika loved at home, and still loves,” contains chocolate, giving herself manicures, and cooking (although the last two are both more difficult here). (Yes, I realize I wrote that in third person. Haha)
Speaking of cooking, I think I may have mentioned that after making it for myself, I was attempting chili for the family, too, but don’t think I mentioned how it went over. For the most part, my family loved it. 5/7 is pretty good odds. 6/8 is better, if I include myself. My host dad and the guy who is helping with the construction on our house had two servings. My mom and two oldest sisters finished their bowls, which is more than they would’ve eaten if they were just being polite. My two younger sisters didn’t care for it, I don’t think. The youngest barely ate any, but she doesn’t like vegetables that much, and considering that it was vegetarian chili… I wasn’t surprised.
I posted my last blogs when I was in the city skipping school, a.k.a. chaperoning my three students who took the FLEX test. The first round was a 16 question multiple choice test, and they took the top ~35% on to the second round which is supposed to have a listening portion and an essay. The test started at 9am. I was told that the FLEX program people were expecting about 200 kids. 410 took the test. They did it in groups of 100, and my girls were in the third group, so they finished about 11:45. We were expecting results in the early afternoon, but the sheer number of test-takers meant that the results weren’t going to be posted until 6. So, I had the conundrum of keeping three ninth graders busy for six hours. (Truthfully, I feel that they kept me busy instead of the other way around) I took them to the American Corner, and they poured over some American Magazines. I showed them Virginia and Kentucky in the big photo atlas. They liked the pictures. They looked up cities that they had heard of, like Chicago, New York, and L.A. and were amazed at the population numbers. (The entire country of Kyrgyzstan has between 5-6 million, so having a single city with double that blew their minds) I took them to an internet café, and showed them email, my blog, facebook, and they helped me find a copy of the US constitution in Russian, because I couldn’t find it when I searched in English and I can’t read the Russian. (It blew my mind to be with ninth years who had never been on the internet!) I treated them to lunch, then we went to the big store, zum, and they bought some dvds. I found the sixth Harry Potter, but it was only in Russian, not English, so I didn’t buy it. I want to understand it the first time I watch it, haha. They bought me a pen that is made of a wooden carving since I treated them to lunch, and we looked at some of the cool stuff in the store. I bought cake pans, and hopefully I’ll put them to good use soon. After zum, we went to the Karakol Museum (I didn’t even know there was a museum). I was pretty cool. The room with the animals kinda creeped me out, though. The stuffed boar that stood almost to my waist (Its tusks were huge!) was intimidating, but the classic clothing and wool portrait of Stalin was cool. I also learned a little bit of history, because there were some English captions. My village’s old name was named after a Russian explorer. We walked from the museum to a park, which was really pretty. It had some old carnival rides, swings, and a mini roller coaster, and a ferris wheel. I don’t think they work anymore, and you couldn’t pay me to ride them if they did, but it was cool to imagine how nice of a place it was during its peak. From the park, we went to the zoo, and I use that in the loosest term possible. It was kinda sad. The zoo here is just animals in cages, none of the “natural habitat” stuff that we attempt in the states. (PETA would have a hissy fit, I imagine) I did manage to turn the zoo in to a lesson. I taught the girls the English names for animals and they taught me the Kyrgyz and Russian. I met up with Holo, another volunteer, who just moved up here, and we caught up while the girls ate ice cream, then my students and I headed back to the school to wait for the results. We got there at 6, and then waited til 7:45 for them to be posted. None of my students made it past the first round. I wasn’t really surprised, but it was still disappointing for them, I think. We talked about how it was good practice, because now they know what the test is like, and they can take it again next year after more preparation. Getting home was sort of a fiasco because it is next to impossible to get a taxi after 6, but we made it back home okay, eventually. It was so bizarre for me to be the one in charge. I had an image of what would happen if a teacher took three students out of school for a day, without permission slips, and kept them out until 10pm in the states... The girls’ parents did know where they were, and I made them call home and tell them that we’d be later than expected, in my defense. Also, since I’m only about 5 years older than my students, and have the language skills of about a six year old, it seemed really weird for me to be the responsible one.
Well, it is almost 11, so I’d better start getting ready for bed. (I’m turning into such an old lady…)
Miss you!
Love from Kyrgyzstan, (the country where I wear wool socks in September)
Jess
Happy Birthday Camden! Today is my only nephew’s first birthday and I’m not there to help celebrate. I hate it. The drawback of being here is missing so many things like that back home. It seems so weird to think that a year ago I was just about getting my hand broken by my darling sister while she was in labor. Haha the year has flown by!
And, I got my flu shot today. What a day.
I also waged war on the spiders in my room… with the vacuum cleaner. I sucked ‘em up. No more creepy crawlies in here. Jessika: 1 Spiders: 0. haha (although, if I’m being honest, its is probably more Jessika: 1 Spiders: 3, because they’ve scared me half to death several times)
I had the thought today about how my tastes have changed since coming here. For example, the newest list: “Things Jessika didn’t like at home, but likes now,” includes things like: honey, beets, eggplant, cabbage, beer, raspberries, peaches, singing (I’m still not very good), and flossing her teeth haha. And “things Jessika liked at home, and really, really likes now,” includes: beans, hummus (home made is SO much better), apples, tea, peppers, peanuts, peanut butter, raisins, reading books, and going for walks. Of course, some things don’t change. “Things Jessika didn’t like at home, and hates here,” encompasses vodka, meat, and doing laundry. And “Things Jessika loved at home, and still loves,” contains chocolate, giving herself manicures, and cooking (although the last two are both more difficult here). (Yes, I realize I wrote that in third person. Haha)
Speaking of cooking, I think I may have mentioned that after making it for myself, I was attempting chili for the family, too, but don’t think I mentioned how it went over. For the most part, my family loved it. 5/7 is pretty good odds. 6/8 is better, if I include myself. My host dad and the guy who is helping with the construction on our house had two servings. My mom and two oldest sisters finished their bowls, which is more than they would’ve eaten if they were just being polite. My two younger sisters didn’t care for it, I don’t think. The youngest barely ate any, but she doesn’t like vegetables that much, and considering that it was vegetarian chili… I wasn’t surprised.
I posted my last blogs when I was in the city skipping school, a.k.a. chaperoning my three students who took the FLEX test. The first round was a 16 question multiple choice test, and they took the top ~35% on to the second round which is supposed to have a listening portion and an essay. The test started at 9am. I was told that the FLEX program people were expecting about 200 kids. 410 took the test. They did it in groups of 100, and my girls were in the third group, so they finished about 11:45. We were expecting results in the early afternoon, but the sheer number of test-takers meant that the results weren’t going to be posted until 6. So, I had the conundrum of keeping three ninth graders busy for six hours. (Truthfully, I feel that they kept me busy instead of the other way around) I took them to the American Corner, and they poured over some American Magazines. I showed them Virginia and Kentucky in the big photo atlas. They liked the pictures. They looked up cities that they had heard of, like Chicago, New York, and L.A. and were amazed at the population numbers. (The entire country of Kyrgyzstan has between 5-6 million, so having a single city with double that blew their minds) I took them to an internet café, and showed them email, my blog, facebook, and they helped me find a copy of the US constitution in Russian, because I couldn’t find it when I searched in English and I can’t read the Russian. (It blew my mind to be with ninth years who had never been on the internet!) I treated them to lunch, then we went to the big store, zum, and they bought some dvds. I found the sixth Harry Potter, but it was only in Russian, not English, so I didn’t buy it. I want to understand it the first time I watch it, haha. They bought me a pen that is made of a wooden carving since I treated them to lunch, and we looked at some of the cool stuff in the store. I bought cake pans, and hopefully I’ll put them to good use soon. After zum, we went to the Karakol Museum (I didn’t even know there was a museum). I was pretty cool. The room with the animals kinda creeped me out, though. The stuffed boar that stood almost to my waist (Its tusks were huge!) was intimidating, but the classic clothing and wool portrait of Stalin was cool. I also learned a little bit of history, because there were some English captions. My village’s old name was named after a Russian explorer. We walked from the museum to a park, which was really pretty. It had some old carnival rides, swings, and a mini roller coaster, and a ferris wheel. I don’t think they work anymore, and you couldn’t pay me to ride them if they did, but it was cool to imagine how nice of a place it was during its peak. From the park, we went to the zoo, and I use that in the loosest term possible. It was kinda sad. The zoo here is just animals in cages, none of the “natural habitat” stuff that we attempt in the states. (PETA would have a hissy fit, I imagine) I did manage to turn the zoo in to a lesson. I taught the girls the English names for animals and they taught me the Kyrgyz and Russian. I met up with Holo, another volunteer, who just moved up here, and we caught up while the girls ate ice cream, then my students and I headed back to the school to wait for the results. We got there at 6, and then waited til 7:45 for them to be posted. None of my students made it past the first round. I wasn’t really surprised, but it was still disappointing for them, I think. We talked about how it was good practice, because now they know what the test is like, and they can take it again next year after more preparation. Getting home was sort of a fiasco because it is next to impossible to get a taxi after 6, but we made it back home okay, eventually. It was so bizarre for me to be the one in charge. I had an image of what would happen if a teacher took three students out of school for a day, without permission slips, and kept them out until 10pm in the states... The girls’ parents did know where they were, and I made them call home and tell them that we’d be later than expected, in my defense. Also, since I’m only about 5 years older than my students, and have the language skills of about a six year old, it seemed really weird for me to be the responsible one.
Well, it is almost 11, so I’d better start getting ready for bed. (I’m turning into such an old lady…)
Miss you!
Love from Kyrgyzstan, (the country where I wear wool socks in September)
Jess
Friday, September 11, 2009
8 September 2009
I experienced the first frost of the season today. Truthfully, I like the frost here about as much as I like the frost at home, which is… not at all. Being 1500meteres above sea level (according to my Ata) sucks. Haha Suffice it to say, if… scratch that… when I make it through this winter, I’ll be just about unstoppable.
My “sinus infection” has turned into bronchitis according to the PCMO, so I’m picking up another antibiotic and inhaler today so I can get over this junk in my lungs and feel better! It is the strangest feeling. I kinda had the symptoms of a sinus infection, but it’s different. I don’t understand how my nose can be congested, runny, and so dry that it bleeds all in the same day. The direct correlation between me feeling like this and me teaching has not gone unnoticed. My philosophy: If this new antibiotic doesn’t get rid of my “bronchitis,” then it isn’t bronchitis at all. I have a sneaking suspicion that the chalk here doesn’t agree with me, my nose, or my lungs. That or I’m just allergic to school.
I’m still not 100% sure that teaching is the right choice for me. I lack the patience to be a good teacher, but I’m trying, and classes seem to be going well. I told off my tenth form because they didn’t do their homework. It was pretty great. I asked them why they didn’t do it. They didn’t answer, so I asked again. They said it was because they didn’t all have books, which is total b.s., and I told them so because the homework I assigned didn’t need the book. I asked them if they wanted to or like to get 5s. (a 5 is the equivalent of an A in the American Grading system) They all said “of course!” And me, being the lovely, charming, sympathetic person that I am, said “oh well, because if you don’t do your homework, you will not get 5s.” It felt good, although I don’t know if it sunk in. I have that class again tomorrow, so we’ll see.
After class when my counterpart and I were planning for tomorrow’s lesson, she told some of the other teachers about what I said, and they all kinda shared this knowing smirk, that seemed to be part “yeah right” and part “hmmm” and part “huh?” I’m not 100% sure what that means.
So, today my classes started at 8:00am, and I had five 45 minute classes back to back, finished at 12:15, made lunch (a.k.a. salad) met with my counterpart at 3 to lesson plan, taught another class at 5, then had a pseudo club / tutor session with some of the girls in my village who are going to try for the FLEX program. I’m tired.
The FLEX program is a student exchange program where 9-11th graders can go to America for a year during high school. It is really competitive, so I hope they do well on the first round, which is an English test.
Oh I almost forgot- from the last blog- the vegetarian chili- foodgasmic! I haven’t attempted the eggplant parmesan yet, and might just use my last eggplant to make another batch of chili instead, it was that good. There is absolutely nothing better than a bowl of chili on a cold day, especially since I don’t feel that great.
I’m waiting on my Apa to come and get me when it is my turn for the banya. I can’t wait! It is only my second banya since coming to site in June, and a banya is so much better that the bucket baths I’ve been having. Granted, a banya is a bucket bath, but the additional sauna part makes it wonderful. Especially now that it’s cold. The banya is the only place I’m really warm!
Alright, well I’m gonna save this to post tomorrow.
Miss you!
Love from Kyrgyzstan,
Jess
I experienced the first frost of the season today. Truthfully, I like the frost here about as much as I like the frost at home, which is… not at all. Being 1500meteres above sea level (according to my Ata) sucks. Haha Suffice it to say, if… scratch that… when I make it through this winter, I’ll be just about unstoppable.
My “sinus infection” has turned into bronchitis according to the PCMO, so I’m picking up another antibiotic and inhaler today so I can get over this junk in my lungs and feel better! It is the strangest feeling. I kinda had the symptoms of a sinus infection, but it’s different. I don’t understand how my nose can be congested, runny, and so dry that it bleeds all in the same day. The direct correlation between me feeling like this and me teaching has not gone unnoticed. My philosophy: If this new antibiotic doesn’t get rid of my “bronchitis,” then it isn’t bronchitis at all. I have a sneaking suspicion that the chalk here doesn’t agree with me, my nose, or my lungs. That or I’m just allergic to school.
I’m still not 100% sure that teaching is the right choice for me. I lack the patience to be a good teacher, but I’m trying, and classes seem to be going well. I told off my tenth form because they didn’t do their homework. It was pretty great. I asked them why they didn’t do it. They didn’t answer, so I asked again. They said it was because they didn’t all have books, which is total b.s., and I told them so because the homework I assigned didn’t need the book. I asked them if they wanted to or like to get 5s. (a 5 is the equivalent of an A in the American Grading system) They all said “of course!” And me, being the lovely, charming, sympathetic person that I am, said “oh well, because if you don’t do your homework, you will not get 5s.” It felt good, although I don’t know if it sunk in. I have that class again tomorrow, so we’ll see.
After class when my counterpart and I were planning for tomorrow’s lesson, she told some of the other teachers about what I said, and they all kinda shared this knowing smirk, that seemed to be part “yeah right” and part “hmmm” and part “huh?” I’m not 100% sure what that means.
So, today my classes started at 8:00am, and I had five 45 minute classes back to back, finished at 12:15, made lunch (a.k.a. salad) met with my counterpart at 3 to lesson plan, taught another class at 5, then had a pseudo club / tutor session with some of the girls in my village who are going to try for the FLEX program. I’m tired.
The FLEX program is a student exchange program where 9-11th graders can go to America for a year during high school. It is really competitive, so I hope they do well on the first round, which is an English test.
Oh I almost forgot- from the last blog- the vegetarian chili- foodgasmic! I haven’t attempted the eggplant parmesan yet, and might just use my last eggplant to make another batch of chili instead, it was that good. There is absolutely nothing better than a bowl of chili on a cold day, especially since I don’t feel that great.
I’m waiting on my Apa to come and get me when it is my turn for the banya. I can’t wait! It is only my second banya since coming to site in June, and a banya is so much better that the bucket baths I’ve been having. Granted, a banya is a bucket bath, but the additional sauna part makes it wonderful. Especially now that it’s cold. The banya is the only place I’m really warm!
Alright, well I’m gonna save this to post tomorrow.
Miss you!
Love from Kyrgyzstan,
Jess
today
4 September 4, 2009
Today I:
Got stood up for a phone date by dad Haha just kidding. Love you
Washed my hair
Taught two classes
Got paid
Successfully navigated a Kyrgyz school supplies store- nothing like Staples btw
Got a couple of really great long emails! They were awesome (those of you who aren’t writing- hint hint haha)
Bought groceries- vegetarian chili and eggplant parmesan are on this week’s menu
Found GREEN BEANS!!!
Got rained on
Saw my mountains get their first dusting of snow at the very top
Sent my first Russian text message
Started my second round of amoxicillin in country
It was a good day.
Today I:
Got stood up for a phone date by dad Haha just kidding. Love you
Washed my hair
Taught two classes
Got paid
Successfully navigated a Kyrgyz school supplies store- nothing like Staples btw
Got a couple of really great long emails! They were awesome (those of you who aren’t writing- hint hint haha)
Bought groceries- vegetarian chili and eggplant parmesan are on this week’s menu
Found GREEN BEANS!!!
Got rained on
Saw my mountains get their first dusting of snow at the very top
Sent my first Russian text message
Started my second round of amoxicillin in country
It was a good day.
Friday, September 4, 2009
and so it begins...
1 September 20099
Okay, I know I wrote a really long blog yesterday, but… seeing as how the power is probably gonna go out soon because of this monstrous storm we’re having, I accidentally clicked “deal” instead of “undo” on my 7348932744th game of solitaire… today and didn’t feel like restarting, the benadryl won’t kick in for another few minutes (not that I’ll sleep the whole night through, anyway…), I figured I’d write another blog.
I just had a cup of….i guess the best American equivalent is gravy… for dinner, I’m embarrassed to think of what I’d do for a bottle of Nyquil, I’m getting a cold sore (It’s not herpes, Jordan, so shuddup), It’s cold and rainy, and I just tried to make my last outhouse run of the evening and couldn’t go in because there is a spider the size of my face in there. Okay, maybe not quite that big, but close. We’re talking so big that it makes noise when it moves. Ew. So, I’ll be holding it all night. What a lovely day. *all sarcasm intended*
Actually, in spite of all of that, it was actually a pretty good day. I went to the first bell ceremony, got flowers to welcome me as a new teacher, was able to opt out of giving a speech (cut me a break, my Kyrgyz still sucks), finished my first quarter plan for all my classes, and managed to avoid getting tipsy with my teaching staff, (though I was coerced into having a few shot glasses of wine.)
My director and some of the older teachers and I were sitting around toward the end of our day (it was about 2:30 I think) and they said something really sweet: In Kyrgyzstan, I first belong to my family, then to my teaching staff, my school, my village, my rayon, and then the oblast. They called me “beezdeen” Which translates as “ours.” Several teachers also called me their “kizim” Which means daughter. Considering most of them are old enough to be my mother, or grandmother in some cases, it was cool.
I might go into more details about the first day of school later, but right now my eyelids are starting to get heavy from the benadryl, and we all know what happens when you fight a lovely medicine induced sleep… bad things.
So, I’m gonna wrap it up for today.
Miss you,
Love from Kyrgyzstan,
Jess
Okay, I know I wrote a really long blog yesterday, but… seeing as how the power is probably gonna go out soon because of this monstrous storm we’re having, I accidentally clicked “deal” instead of “undo” on my 7348932744th game of solitaire… today and didn’t feel like restarting, the benadryl won’t kick in for another few minutes (not that I’ll sleep the whole night through, anyway…), I figured I’d write another blog.
I just had a cup of….i guess the best American equivalent is gravy… for dinner, I’m embarrassed to think of what I’d do for a bottle of Nyquil, I’m getting a cold sore (It’s not herpes, Jordan, so shuddup), It’s cold and rainy, and I just tried to make my last outhouse run of the evening and couldn’t go in because there is a spider the size of my face in there. Okay, maybe not quite that big, but close. We’re talking so big that it makes noise when it moves. Ew. So, I’ll be holding it all night. What a lovely day. *all sarcasm intended*
Actually, in spite of all of that, it was actually a pretty good day. I went to the first bell ceremony, got flowers to welcome me as a new teacher, was able to opt out of giving a speech (cut me a break, my Kyrgyz still sucks), finished my first quarter plan for all my classes, and managed to avoid getting tipsy with my teaching staff, (though I was coerced into having a few shot glasses of wine.)
My director and some of the older teachers and I were sitting around toward the end of our day (it was about 2:30 I think) and they said something really sweet: In Kyrgyzstan, I first belong to my family, then to my teaching staff, my school, my village, my rayon, and then the oblast. They called me “beezdeen” Which translates as “ours.” Several teachers also called me their “kizim” Which means daughter. Considering most of them are old enough to be my mother, or grandmother in some cases, it was cool.
I might go into more details about the first day of school later, but right now my eyelids are starting to get heavy from the benadryl, and we all know what happens when you fight a lovely medicine induced sleep… bad things.
So, I’m gonna wrap it up for today.
Miss you,
Love from Kyrgyzstan,
Jess
31 August 2009
I can’t believe tomorrow is September. 5 months ago tomorrow, I moved into my PST host family. This summer flew by! If the rest of my service goes this fast; two years will be up before I know it!
I’m kinda sick again, just a little bit of a cold. I think it is a combination of the weather change from the south to the north, or the succession of rainy, chilly days we’ve had this week. (sidenote- momma, remember the little knitted sock/boot thingies we got right before I left?- awesome) Or, it could just be strep again, but I’m using the power or positive thing to make it go away. Its not like antibiotics would work anyway. Haha I did the Kyrgyz treatment of drinking warm milk and milk in my tea to make it feel better, partly just to appease my Apa, and partly because I’m hoping it’ll work. Apa is kinda sick, too, so we sat and drank our warm milk with honey together and chatted. It was nice.
My host family is great. I’ve gotten more used to being a part of a bigger family, and it has only been a few months (and I was gone for half of that time.) My naughty little brother is still a trial at times, but he’s three, so what else would you expect. It is strange that some days I feel so very far from home and so out of my element, and some days, nothing could make this place feel more normal. My family here is such… a family. haha For example, a friend of mine came to visit my village because he’s getting a site transfer to the south and I won’t see him again for a few months. I made sure it was okay with the family for him to come. Ata gave me the third degree- who is he? Why is he coming? Etc, etc. Apa told me to make sure my room was clean. Just what would’ve expected from momma and daddy. I still miss home, but gradually, my village is feeling more like home. Site visit was a rough time, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to come back, but now when I’m gone, I miss it. I’m taking that to be a great sign.
Tomorrow is the start of the school year, but it’s also like a holiday, so classes don’t actually start until the second, but we don’t actually get the school schedule til the 5th or something like that… It’ll work out eventually. I’m not sure how much actual teaching I’ll do the first few weeks, but I’m really not that worried about it, truthfully. Just learning the other 20 teachers’ name is going to be a challenge, not to mention my three hundred students. Eep!
I met with my counterpart on Saturday to start writing our calendar plan for the year. It is different from what I’m used to, needless to say there aren’t really standardized test in school here, at least not from what I’ve seen. So the calendar plan is basically an overview of what the teacher plans on teaching. Every class. All year. I also have to plan every single lesson with my counterpart, but that will come later. My confusion with the calendar plan was that, say, for example, that we will teach articles the first lesson of the second week of October, and then move on. What if the students don’t understand articles? Do we have to move on anyway? Can we spend more time? Will we have to push the entire calendar plan back or redo it if we get off track? So, I talked to my counterpart, who talked to the zauvuch, (like a vice principal) who said that we could plan one quarter at a time instead. I also had a few hang-ups about our books. Okay, so basically, they suck. Maybe that’s a little harsh. Outdated might be a better word. And the typical teaching method here is having the students read a text and answer questions about it. The first entire unit is about Canada. Now, I have nothing against Canada, except… nevermind…. I have nothing against Canada. ;-) Haha I just don’t see the point of reading for a month about Canada when I’m not sure that basic greetings are understood. So, I talked to my counterpart and we established that we can use the book as a resource, but teach other, more conversational topics. We worked for about two hours and got and outline for September and October… for one class.
When I left the school Saturday morning, I was so disheartened and disappointed. I felt like I should have accomplished more than what I did, or at least understood more than what I did. Then, I thought about it and talked to some other volunteers and realized I was thinking about it all wrong. I didn’t just get one quarter planned for one class. I GOT ONE QUARTER PLANNED FOR A CLASS! That is an accomplishment, especially considering the language barrier between my counterpart and me. Also, I wasn’t just able to negotiate planning one quarter at a time. I WAS ABLE TO NEGOTIATE PLANNING ONLY ONE QUARTER AT A TIME! There may not seem like a huge difference between the two to you (except for the all caps, that was for emphasis haha) but it is a matter of mindset and the realization that I was able to overcome decades of teaching styles and make a minor change, hopefully for the better! That’s HUGE!!!!
So, it’s the night before school starts (technically) and for the first time in about.. what… seventeen years, I’m not “going back to school.” It’s funny. I graduated college early because I don’t like school, and where do I go, but halfway around the world to go to school, but this time, I’ll be on the other side of the desk. I’ve been doing clubs all summer, but actually class will be different. We’ll see if the teaching blood running in the family got to me too. Wish me luck!
Miss you
Love from Kyrgyzstan, land of vicious geese, (don’t even get me started)
Jess
I can’t believe tomorrow is September. 5 months ago tomorrow, I moved into my PST host family. This summer flew by! If the rest of my service goes this fast; two years will be up before I know it!
I’m kinda sick again, just a little bit of a cold. I think it is a combination of the weather change from the south to the north, or the succession of rainy, chilly days we’ve had this week. (sidenote- momma, remember the little knitted sock/boot thingies we got right before I left?- awesome) Or, it could just be strep again, but I’m using the power or positive thing to make it go away. Its not like antibiotics would work anyway. Haha I did the Kyrgyz treatment of drinking warm milk and milk in my tea to make it feel better, partly just to appease my Apa, and partly because I’m hoping it’ll work. Apa is kinda sick, too, so we sat and drank our warm milk with honey together and chatted. It was nice.
My host family is great. I’ve gotten more used to being a part of a bigger family, and it has only been a few months (and I was gone for half of that time.) My naughty little brother is still a trial at times, but he’s three, so what else would you expect. It is strange that some days I feel so very far from home and so out of my element, and some days, nothing could make this place feel more normal. My family here is such… a family. haha For example, a friend of mine came to visit my village because he’s getting a site transfer to the south and I won’t see him again for a few months. I made sure it was okay with the family for him to come. Ata gave me the third degree- who is he? Why is he coming? Etc, etc. Apa told me to make sure my room was clean. Just what would’ve expected from momma and daddy. I still miss home, but gradually, my village is feeling more like home. Site visit was a rough time, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to come back, but now when I’m gone, I miss it. I’m taking that to be a great sign.
Tomorrow is the start of the school year, but it’s also like a holiday, so classes don’t actually start until the second, but we don’t actually get the school schedule til the 5th or something like that… It’ll work out eventually. I’m not sure how much actual teaching I’ll do the first few weeks, but I’m really not that worried about it, truthfully. Just learning the other 20 teachers’ name is going to be a challenge, not to mention my three hundred students. Eep!
I met with my counterpart on Saturday to start writing our calendar plan for the year. It is different from what I’m used to, needless to say there aren’t really standardized test in school here, at least not from what I’ve seen. So the calendar plan is basically an overview of what the teacher plans on teaching. Every class. All year. I also have to plan every single lesson with my counterpart, but that will come later. My confusion with the calendar plan was that, say, for example, that we will teach articles the first lesson of the second week of October, and then move on. What if the students don’t understand articles? Do we have to move on anyway? Can we spend more time? Will we have to push the entire calendar plan back or redo it if we get off track? So, I talked to my counterpart, who talked to the zauvuch, (like a vice principal) who said that we could plan one quarter at a time instead. I also had a few hang-ups about our books. Okay, so basically, they suck. Maybe that’s a little harsh. Outdated might be a better word. And the typical teaching method here is having the students read a text and answer questions about it. The first entire unit is about Canada. Now, I have nothing against Canada, except… nevermind…. I have nothing against Canada. ;-) Haha I just don’t see the point of reading for a month about Canada when I’m not sure that basic greetings are understood. So, I talked to my counterpart and we established that we can use the book as a resource, but teach other, more conversational topics. We worked for about two hours and got and outline for September and October… for one class.
When I left the school Saturday morning, I was so disheartened and disappointed. I felt like I should have accomplished more than what I did, or at least understood more than what I did. Then, I thought about it and talked to some other volunteers and realized I was thinking about it all wrong. I didn’t just get one quarter planned for one class. I GOT ONE QUARTER PLANNED FOR A CLASS! That is an accomplishment, especially considering the language barrier between my counterpart and me. Also, I wasn’t just able to negotiate planning one quarter at a time. I WAS ABLE TO NEGOTIATE PLANNING ONLY ONE QUARTER AT A TIME! There may not seem like a huge difference between the two to you (except for the all caps, that was for emphasis haha) but it is a matter of mindset and the realization that I was able to overcome decades of teaching styles and make a minor change, hopefully for the better! That’s HUGE!!!!
So, it’s the night before school starts (technically) and for the first time in about.. what… seventeen years, I’m not “going back to school.” It’s funny. I graduated college early because I don’t like school, and where do I go, but halfway around the world to go to school, but this time, I’ll be on the other side of the desk. I’ve been doing clubs all summer, but actually class will be different. We’ll see if the teaching blood running in the family got to me too. Wish me luck!
Miss you
Love from Kyrgyzstan, land of vicious geese, (don’t even get me started)
Jess
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)