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Kyrgyz #3
It has been 8 weeks since I left home! Hard to believe. I have completed 8 of 11 weeks of pre-service training. I continue to live in Kenesh, a small village about 45 minutes west of the capital, Bishkek. The village has mostly dirt roads. There are very few lawns--most houses have a brick wall around the property, which helps to contain the animals. Most families in the village have some animals, either cows, sheep, goats, or chickens. Most of the dogs are 'guard dogs'--they don't receive much loving attention, which is a difficult concept to accept. My house has an indoor shower(I am lucky!) and a toilet for nighttime use (during the day I use the outhouse). The meals are very communal--everyone reaches with their fork to one salad (usually tomatoes and cucumbers) plate. Leftovers are either fed to animals or put into a communal left over pot for the next day's use. There is a microwave and a hot water heating machine--used frequently for tea.
I started my teaching practicum last week. About 25-30 kids from the village came to the school for free English lessons from American students. (That's how we advertised our classes). They are from 5-10th grade, so quite a variety of ages and abilities. We start very easy grammar and vocabulary, such as 'I play soccer' or "I like to dance". The students seem to enjoy the lessons, as they readily participate. Lesson planning can take a bit of time. Teaching English is not as easy as I thought!
I have been to the capital city, Bishkek, several times. The Peace Corp provides us with transportation there every Sunday. Tomorrow I will visit the historical museum, buy some school supplies, and find a nice airconditioned spot to read! Last week, I brought my skates to the city and went to the skating rink. At first I didn't think I'd be able to skate, as the arena was hosting the Tai Kwan Do World Championships, but someone kindly pointed me toward the rink. There were only about 10 of us on the ice--it felt great to do some laps and feel the cold air. I hope to skate again next week.....
In three weeks, my life will change dramatically, as I will move to my permanent Peace Corps location. We will have a week to explore the community before classes start on September 1. We were all interviewed about the type of village we prefer. I said a mountainous village (cooler--it has been 95 all summer here), with a smaller family. I hope to have access to a Kyrgyz teacher in the village, so I can continue to work on my language skills. (There is a large Kyrgyz community in Chicago--there is a school and a community center--perhaps I will get involved with these groups when I return...). I also asked for a part of the country that does not speak much Russian. Some parts of the country are heavy in Russian speakers--some volunteers come to this country for that very reason--to improve their Russian. I prefer a village that speaks Kyrgyz nearly exclusively. I know that my requests may lead to a very remote location with a very cold winter--I might regret what I said in a few months....Stay tuned!
This content is mine alone and does not reflect the opinion of the US government or the Peace Corps.
I started my teaching practicum last week. About 25-30 kids from the village came to the school for free English lessons from American students. (That's how we advertised our classes). They are from 5-10th grade, so quite a variety of ages and abilities. We start very easy grammar and vocabulary, such as 'I play soccer' or "I like to dance". The students seem to enjoy the lessons, as they readily participate. Lesson planning can take a bit of time. Teaching English is not as easy as I thought!
I have been to the capital city, Bishkek, several times. The Peace Corp provides us with transportation there every Sunday. Tomorrow I will visit the historical museum, buy some school supplies, and find a nice airconditioned spot to read! Last week, I brought my skates to the city and went to the skating rink. At first I didn't think I'd be able to skate, as the arena was hosting the Tai Kwan Do World Championships, but someone kindly pointed me toward the rink. There were only about 10 of us on the ice--it felt great to do some laps and feel the cold air. I hope to skate again next week.....
In three weeks, my life will change dramatically, as I will move to my permanent Peace Corps location. We will have a week to explore the community before classes start on September 1. We were all interviewed about the type of village we prefer. I said a mountainous village (cooler--it has been 95 all summer here), with a smaller family. I hope to have access to a Kyrgyz teacher in the village, so I can continue to work on my language skills. (There is a large Kyrgyz community in Chicago--there is a school and a community center--perhaps I will get involved with these groups when I return...). I also asked for a part of the country that does not speak much Russian. Some parts of the country are heavy in Russian speakers--some volunteers come to this country for that very reason--to improve their Russian. I prefer a village that speaks Kyrgyz nearly exclusively. I know that my requests may lead to a very remote location with a very cold winter--I might regret what I said in a few months....Stay tuned!
This content is mine alone and does not reflect the opinion of the US government or the Peace Corps.
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Like hearing about your impressions of daily life. What has surprised you the most? What do you think they do better than we do in the States?
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I love your comments--sorry I cannot reply more quickly. I think I was most surprised by how hot it has been this summer. One of the reasons I chose this country was because it is mountainous, and I thought it will be cooler. I am glad that I am going to a cooler part of the country tomorrow!.
The people here certainly waste less stuff than we do, especially in the villages. They rarely throw out food, leftovers are reused or fed to animals. They are also way more communal, feasting and sharing more than Americans.
I am glad you are reading my blogs--thanks for showing me this site!