amuse me how similar some things are about human nature, regardless of
the country. My host sisters sigh when Ata changes the channel from
MTV to ESPN, and it cracks me up because it's just like when Jordan
and I watched TRL every afternoon after school and dad would come home
and want to watch the history channel or golf or the outdoor channel.
Haha The girls also put off their chores until the last minute, and
turn the TV off when they see a parent walking up to the house and
pretend to have been working diligently. I love my host sisters. My
Apa (whom I adore) is so great. My host dad's personality is too
exuberant for me sometimes and for everyone else, too. At dinner the
other day she said, "Jailoo, how many times are you going to say it?"
I could just read the "good grief" on her face. It was great. She also
has the mama eye. You know what I'm talking about. The look that makes
you quake in your seat because you know you're in for it if you don't
shape up fast. She gave it to Azeez this morning. She told him not to
open the china cabinet and he started to anyway. Then she gave him the
eye and said, "go ahead, open it." And he promptly climbed off the
stool. Love it. He will be four this year (on the fifth of august –
best birthday ever, in my opinion haha) and he's just like every other
spoiled four year old on the planet. He can be super adorable and then
make you wanna wring his neck in less than a minute. He leaves his
toys all over and several times a day you'll hear me or one of my
sisters yell "bleen" (it's like "durn" in Russian) because we've
stepped on a sharp toy. In the past day, I've stood on a car, a toy
whale, and numerous bottle caps (he is practicing chuko- the Kyrgyz
equivalent of marbles but usually played with sheep vertebrae).
Anyways, enough about the family.
I meant to go to the city and stay the night yesterday, but I didn't.
I went to the city to go to the bank and the getting there was so
frustrating it put me in a bad mood. For one, it was cloudy and gross
outside. I stood on the side of the road waiting for a taxi for about
half an hour. Under normal circumstances I would've just walked, but
it had rained so the road was super muddy and it looked like it would
rain again, so I waited. A taxi that was coming into the village and
dropping people off turned around and picked me up, so I climbed into
the back seat and waited. We drove about 200m and picked up the
Russian equivalent of our village's cat lady and then we waited. And
waited. And waited. And of course, about five cars drove past that I
could've hitched with if I hadn't already been sitting in a car.
Usually, I'm okay with the waiting. I've gotten a lot more patient.
But, I wanted to go to the bank before it closed, my Ipod was dead,
the taxi driver was too friendly, and the Russian lady smelled of
cats. And, it had started to rain. So, we finally left the village and
about 5km outside of the city…. The car breaks down. Not kidding.
After about five or ten minutes the driver gets it going again and we
get into the city. And then we stop to get gas. Gas prices have gone
up a bunch since the revolution. The lines are always super long
because so many of the gas stations have closed. Usually, drivers get
gas on the way OUT of the city. We finally got gas and got to the
center. Now, I'm sitting behind the driver in the back of a two door
car, and the Russian lady is sitting beside me with two big bags in
the floor at her feet. There's no one else in the car. We stop in the
center, and instead of the driver getting out, I'm made to climb over
the Russian lady and all her bags. And we all know that I'm not
exactly the most graceful person on the planet. The Russian lady
doesn't get out, or move her bags. She says, "astarozjna," which means
be careful. Thanks so much! Haha So, I practically fall out of the
car, and I hit my head on the door. What a way to arrive! Needless to
say, I was not in the best of moods at this point, so I just went to
the bank, and did some shopping then came back home. But don't worry.
Being in a bad mood is not code for sliding back into the "bad place."
About ten minutes after getting home, putting away my groceries and
putting on my comfy lounge clothes, my mood improved. Then I ate
strawberries, crocheted and talked to my family, and my mood was back
to normal.
The down side of not staying in the city was that I didn't get to have
my skype date with Ciara. So, I called her this morning and had a
lovely chat. What a great way to start a Saturday! She said something
that made me think, about how I won't take things for granted when I
come home. It's true. I have had an easier Peace Corps experience than
some other volunteers, and I really do appreciate what I have, but
there are definitely some things that I will relish when I come home.
For instance, I am really grateful that I get to have coffee in the
mornings. But I will really love not having to chew the grounds when I
have coffee that wasn't made in a p.o.s. coffee press. Haha I really
appreciate being able to do laundry, but I am super excited about the
prospect of dryer sheets and no static cling. I'm super grateful that
we have running water in our house (although some times it is faster
to walk to the pump and fill up a bucket and walk back because the
water pressures is so low), but I am really looking forward to being
able to wash my hair without having to use a bucket. I'm glad the
weather has warmed up, but I can't wait for my hot humid Virginia
summer. (Remind me of this if I have the nerve to complain about heat
when I'm home in July) I'm super excited to spend my summer on the
shores of beautiful Lake Issyk-Kul, but truthfully, I am really
looking forward to seeing my Lake Gaston.
I also talked to Mama, and chatted with Jordan and Dee for a bit on
Facebook. It's been a great day! Granted, it is only 9:30 and I
haven't actually done anything today, but still, the weather is
finally nice, I've got an R.E.M. playlist going, school is out, and
I've got the whole day ahead of me to do whatever I want. (within
reason, of course).
So, I think I'm gonna get to it.
Miss you
Love from Kyrgyzstan,
Jess
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