Hello All,
I know this is a couple of days late. Rest assured, all is well. I was in Bishkek for a conference this week, and returned to my village (and laptop) later than I expected.
Regardless, April was a good month for me here in Kyrgyzstan. I actually made three trips to Bishkek. It is 5 hours one way on the marshutka and 4 hours via taxi. I usually take the marshutka option, for several reasons. First of all, they run directly from my village on a regular schedule, at 7:30 am and 12:30 pm. I prefer the early morning one because it avoids the rush hour traffic in the city. Bishkek has grown in population recently and the traffic can be very congested. I also like the anonymity of the marshutka. The first trip to Bishkek was to complete my grant project, the second was for a medical checkup, and the third was for a conference with all the volunteers in my cohort.
A highlight of the month was spending an evening at my friend Halida's house. I first met her parents in a shared taxi last fall. They were very friendly, and encouraged me to speak to her daughter who is learning English. I have met the family a couple of times in Bishkek, but have never been to their home. I enjoyed meeting Halida's grandmother, who is my age, as well as her younger brothers. It was lovely to be welcomed by a loving family.
With all of those trips to the capital, I only taught for 2 weeks. School is closed next week for Victory Day holiday and 2 other holidays that week, so the school year is just about over. Attendance drops precipitiously after spring break and is slow to start up in the fall.
My hotel friends are back in town. They spent the winter in the capital so their elementary school aged children could attend school there. I used their address for packages from home--I actually received a Christmas card today, which was lovely!
Recently, I noticed that the most beautiful tree in my village had been chopped down. I have no idea why. My village has few trees to begin with, so this was very sad to see. But, I made the most of it and used it as part of my nature focused English club. I taught the children how to count rings to determine a tree's age. I also taught them the word 'sad'.
Thanks for reading. Until next month.

Hello All,
This has been a relatively mild winter here thus far, with the temperature rarely below 20F. We had an inch of snow yesterday, enough to cover the ground, but no big storms. The ice in Kochkor is already melting--I sadly put my skates away this week.

My family has had a two year old grandson staying with them this month. I am not sure why he is here, rather than with his parents and sister in the capital. Child-rearing is interesting here. There are no cribs, (he sleeps on the floor like everyone else), no car seats, no child locks, no high chairs. Small children are often out on the street (a dirt road with few cars) without supervision. There are very few books here, but, they do have phones! The little boy is constantly entertained with videos on a phone. He has learned how to scroll to find what he wants to watch. Sometimes, when the grandparents are busy, a ninth-grade daughter (the boy's aunt) stays home from school to watch him.

Early in the month I visited my friend and fellow volunteer Elizabeth. She lives about 5 hours west of me, north of the big lake. It took me four taxis to get to her village, as there is no direct transportation. We saw some very old petroglyphs (from 7th century BC per the accompanying sign), went to a hot springs spa, and a large outdoor museum near the lake. It was a nice change of scenery!

School is going well. I ordered some new desks and chairs for our classroom with money donated from family and friends back home. I continue to enjoy my nature journaling English clubs. We measured the thickness of the ice on the river, then had some fun sliding on the ice. Children have trouble with words like 'thick' and 'thin' (as well as my name--they call me Roza) because there is no 'th' sound in the Kyrgyz language. Today we looked at leaf buds, on the trees and up-close with magnifying glasses I purchased.

Considering what is happening politically at home, we are fortunate that thus far there have not been changes to our service. I hope that I can continue my work here until my close of service date! Thanks for reading!

Hello All,
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! December was a relatively quiet month. It started off with an English conference where the two best English speakers at my school presented on 'The Importance of Recycling". I was very impressed with their ability to speak on this topic in their third language!
My Nature Journaling English Clubs have finally taken off! Every time I go to the capital, I purchase more sketchbooks, as I want all students to have their own. I also purchased gloves for students, so their fingers don't get cold when we are outside drawing. For some reason, gloves (or mittens) are rarely worn here. But, one never goes outside without covering one's head! I usually wear a headband, which covers my ears, but this is thought to be inadequate headgear.
We had a big holiday celebration in Naryn City (the oblast capital), with 12 volunteers. There was a holiday-themed gathering at the American Corner Library. The kids loved karaoke singing Christmas songs. This library is a great source of English books for me. We had a pot-luck dinner, with a white elephant exchange. Very fun! I got to know Elizabeth, a new 60 volunteer who lives in a different oblast. We stayed up late talking like two schoolgirls!
The highlight of the month was Christmas Eve. I went to the capital and to attend a service (in English) at the International Church of Bishkek with a couple of American friends. It was wonderful to hear familiar Christmas hymns, including Silent Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing--so lovely. This was the first time I had attended an in-person church service since leaving home 18 months ago.
My sons sent a me a big care-package. They use my friend's Bishkek address, then she sent it to the hostel I stay at, then I put in a taxi to the bus station, then a marshutka to my village. It was an effort getting it to my home, but well worth the trouble. I opened it on Christmas Day, while face-timing with them--it almost felt like I was home. My host family was very impressed with the pop-up singing card they gave me!
As this year comes to an end, I reflect on the impact I am having here in Kyrgyzstan. It occurred to me today that teaching English in a remote village may be as rewarding as treating someone's high blood pressure. Different types of impacts, for sure.
Happy New Year and warm wishes for a wonderful 2025!

Hello Everyone,
As another month comes to an end, I reflect on the progress I have made at my school and in my village in the past year. Language continues to be a struggle, but I do see slow progress. It seems I do not hear verb endings well enough to correct my sentences. Everything has to be memorized, which leads to a paucity of spontaneous speech. But I know the people here appreciate my effort.

I have purchased journals to begin nature journaling with my students during our English Clubs. I hope that by combining English language with nature observations and journaling students will gain an understanding of the beautiful country they have the privilege of growing up in. On one walk we found sea buckthorn berries growing in the wild--the students were all familiar with this berry, as it is often used to make tea. We have also looked for burrs on animals and discussed how seeds have different methods of dispersal. My life has come full circle as my first degree was in Biology. If only one or two students becomes interested in conservation--protecting and enhancing their country's natural resources, my time here will be successful. Unfortunately, attendance in my English Clubs has been low at the start of the school year--I have changed the offered times so more students will (hopefully) attend.

Last month I mentioned how all the volunteers in my cohort met in the capital for our Mid-Service Training. The focus was on creating Student Friendly Schools--how to help students feel safe in their schools. My counterpart and Director brought this message home to our school by providing a seminar to all of the teachers here.

I thought August was going to be a slow month, but it wasn't. It started with English Camp, a week long camp that I organized at my school. I was fortunate that three volunteers who live fairly close to me came to help out. I continue to learn how to be a better teacher from other volunteers. Each day we had about 30 students. We made bracelets, did water coloring, played jeopardy and Jenga. All told, it was a lot of fun!

I went to Bishkek with one of my counterparts to decide which textbooks would be best to purchase (with money donated by many of you--thank you!) for our students. When in Bishkek, I often meet with friends who live there, or with other volunteers. I stay in a hostel which has a lovely courtyard (with friendly cats--very important!). I was able to visit a couple of other volunteers in other parts of this beautiful country. I went on a nice hike in the eastern part of the country. This area is so green, especially compared to my area, which is all brown. I think my area was green for a couple of months in the spring, but now it is brown again. I was excited to attend BirdFest, on Lake Issyk Kol, the largest lake in the country. This was a fantastic event! I saw how birds were 'ringed' (a tiny band placed on one of their legs, weighed and measured), and saw many beautiful cranes and other birds I have never heard of. I hope to get students in my village excited about birds in the months to come.

Summer is now over. I will now begin my second year of teaching English here in Kyrgyzstan. Every day I remind myself of how extraordinary it is that I am in this beautiful country!
Thanks for reading.

Hello All, I am posting this early because I am not sure how long the donation link will be available for my project. Please consider donating to help provide English textbooks to my students and books for the preschools in the village.

The highlight of the month was clearly the visit of my sons, Benjamin and Kevin! I have looked forward to their visit for months. We hiked, rode horses, visited my village, stayed in a yurt camp, met my host family and teaching counterpart. We stayed in hostels, or slept on the floor on a tushuk, as many Kyrgyz people sleep. They experienced Kyrgyz transportation, riding in marshutkas and shared taxis and enjoyed delicious homemade bread! They experienced the wonderful Kyrgyz hospitality. My counterpart gifted them each with a kalpak, the traditional Kyrgyz hat worn by men throughout the country. The visit was wonderful, but, too fast, of course.

On the day they left the country, I went on a hike to the Alamedin Gorge. (I didn't want to sit around and mope.) This was a pretty walk through meadows and valleys to a lovely waterfall. It is amazing that there are incredible natural areas within half an hour's drive from the capital.

I spent a week helping a fellow volunteer, Ada, with her summer camp in a nearby village. She is a natural teacher and gave me lots of ideas to use in my own summer camp in August.

The pace of life has definitely changed with the end of the school year. My project is a big focus. Please consider donating to help buy English textbooks for my students and preschoolers in my village. Here is the link to donate:

https://www.peacecorps.gov/donate/projects/pp-24-307-005/

It is still chilly here in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. I believe the snow is over, but there are likely more muddy days ahead. April highlights included a big celebration for the end of Ramadan on April 10. Although I did not participate in fasting, I was included in the Eid holiday (celebrating the end of the fasting month of Ramadan). We went house to house (to about 7 houses) in the neighborhood feasting on fruit, nuts, and meats. It was fascinating to be included in this holiday.

I participated in a English language training session for guest-house owners in my village. This was very basic language, starting with the alphabet and numbers.

One afternoon a student excitedly led me out of the classroom (I thought perhaps someone was hurt), but no, there were two tourists from France who has heard about me and wanted to meet me! This couple is spending a year bicycling through Central Asia and southeast country, spending a month in each country. There was also another French couple in town, also cycling, who stayed at the hotel in my village. They were volunteering for a week, in exchange for room and board. I was invited to a dinner that they served, including fresh lettuce and apple pie, two food items that I have not had since I left the USA.

Besides teaching my classes, I now also provide an English Club five days a week. One club is for non-English teachers at my school, and another is for parents of students. I enjoy all the clubs, because people who attend really want to learn English. Compare this to the required English classes, for grades 3-11, where it seems more than half of the students don't really want to learn English. Students who think they are going to spend their life farming in the village may not see the value in learning English.
Happy May to all!

Hello All!
I am spending this Leap Year Day in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as part of a 3-day conference. The purpose of the conference is to teach us volunteers and our local counterparts about the grant-writing process. We are each working on a major project to improve our villages. The aim of my project is to start a mother's group in my village, with a focus on obtaining books (starting a library) for preschoolers. Moms in my village are very isolated, they have no where to gather to meet each other. I recall when my children were young, I would often take them to parks, the library, museums, coffee shops, etc. Women in my village have none of these options. Additionally, they live in their husband's village, with their in-laws. Kyrgyz culture dictates that the youngest son returns to the village with his wife, to care for his parents. Details of how you can contribute will be posted soon.

I continue to go to Kochkor on Saturdays, 1.5 hours east of my village. One day was extremely windy and snowy, but we still made it to Kochkor. I continue to enjoy the beauty of winter--the snow makes the mountains beautiful. I skated a few times at a small rink of Kochkor, but I think those days are over for the year.

School is busy with classes and clubs. English clubs are fun, but challenging, as I am alone with 30 students and no Kyrgyz-speaking counterpart. Usually, an advance student helps me translate words to Kyrgyz in needed.

Happy New Year to all who read this.

We are well into winter here, but, so far, not too bad. School was closed throughout the country for 3 days earlier this month because of a cold spell. I am not sure of the exact temperature, it felt like around 0 degrees F. There is not much snow, currently less than an inch.

I spent a weekend in Naryn City, the oblast (state) capital. They host an American Corner in the library. Students come to the library for English lessons. There are a couple of American Fulbright scholars working there--it was interesting to see what they were working on. One project's aim is trying to get more books to preschool aged children. This might be something I will try to bring to my village, as I see few books in homes..

Peace Corps gives us 8000 som ($89) as 'settling in' money. We were to purchase items for our use during service, but will stay with our host family when we leave. I bought a space heater (1300 som), a clothes drying rack (1600), bed sheets (1800), a clock (400), a mirror (300), a wastebasket (300), and hangers (1000).

Christmas is not celebrated here, but New Years is a major holiday. They call the decorated evergreen trees 'New Years trees'. There are celebrations at the school, and teacher parties (a big one tonight!). On Christmas Day, I tried to go to a peer volunteer's neighboring village, as her English club was having a Christmas party, but I could not find transportation, so that was disappointing. I did make it to her village later in the week, which actually worked out better, as we were able to spend some time together.

A highlight of the month was ice skating on a large frozen lake. This was the first time I have ever skated on a frozen lake. The ice was incredibly smooth--so beautiful. There were no soft spots. I hope to do this regularly this winter, as it really brought me joy! Other highlights were Christmas Day family facetime, a large package from home, church zoom bookclub meeting, and weekly chats with my sons and brother. (Peace Corps service was much more difficult before our current technology).

I now have two weeks off for winter break. I am headed to Almaty, Kazakhstan and then to Osh City, in the south of Kyrgyzstan for a few days.
Thanks for reading!

Hello All, I have been in my village for 2 months. Fall is beautiful here, with the change in leaves and the chilly air. No snow in my village yet, nor have I been able to see my breath. It is actually quite similar to Chicago's weather. I am feeling quite integrated into my community, as people often wave and say hello and my students will run up to me and hug me on my walks. I rarely hear the T-word (tourist), more often I hear volunteer or teacher.

I am still getting used to some of the table etiquette, such as eating foods such as rice, besh barmak (translates to 5-fingers, the national dish, a noodle-based dish) and fish with one's hands. Also, they often put a salad dish in the center of the table and everyone reaches in with their forks. My favorite salad dish is grated carrots with a vinaigrette, beet salad is also popular here.

October 5th was International Teacher's Day. The 11th graders hosted a teacher's appreciation show during the lunch break. Then in the evening, the teachers from my school went to a fancy banquet-hall type place for dinner and dancing. Very nice.

A highlight of the month was meeting the proprietors of a lovely 7-room hotel in town. Azema and Uzek actually applied to host the volunteer (me), but my host-family was chosen instead; no doubt Peace Corps wanted me to be more integrated with a family, rather than tourists at the hotel. This was a good decision. But, it was weird when they showed me around and said "this would have been your room". They both speak perfect English. They invited me for dinner one night when they had guests from Dubai. I am sorry to say that the horsemeat they served was absolutely delicious. Sometimes when I have free time, I will go to the hotel and sit and read or work on lesson plans. It is a nice 'home away from home', even with a library of English books I can borrow. (I have not eaten 4-legged animals in 40 years. My host-family is aware of this. I am always appreciate of them making something for me without meat, such as monti--a ravioli type food. They will make special ones for me with potatoes and onions, but no meat. I do not refuse meat here, rationalizing that animals are treated much better--no factory farms here).

One of the trekkers in town also invited me to dinner. When I arrived to his yurt camp at the agreed time, he was not there, and he forgot to tell his wife about inviting me. Nevertheless, she was super hospitable! She called her husband, who soon appeared with a rotisserie chicken (I still don't know where he got it). She is an English teacher, but currently home with 2 small children and helping her husband with the tourist business. (One night in the yurt, dinner and breakfast: about $15).

About teaching English: I try to make it fun. I am currently talking about baseball, as the World Series is going on at home. Baseball is not popular here, but the students enjoy hearing about it. I drew a 'plate' on the blackboard and had students 'pitch' to it with a squishy ball. Peace Corps taught us to use a communicative approach, which involves using pictures and charades to teach words--not strict memorization. We start up with a warm up activity, teach the lesson, then end with application, having them use what they learned in real world situations. My 5th and 6th grade classes are my favorite. They are quite active and participate willingly. My older students, 7th and 8th graders, sometimes sit with a blank stare on their faces. I am fortunate to have wi-fi at my school, so I can show ESL short videos. My primary counterpart will be going on maternity leave starting next week. This will be a big change for me, as she is the English teacher most willing to adapt to new methods.

I continue to go to Kochkor on Saturdays in the Peace Corps provided taxi. I meet with fellow volunteers (there are 6 of us nearby), shop, go to the park. It is a nice change of pace. I have befriended an orange cat in the fruit market. Sadly, one of the vendors typed into google translate that this friendly cat "loves me" and does not have a home, and I could take him if I wanted to. I couldn't--my host family hates cats and it would not be fair to have him stuck in my room, especially if I am traveling. So I will enjoy his company when I see him on Saturdays.

I am grateful for my internet access (lots of facebook scrolling). I have Sirius XM on my phone, so I am more up-to-date in US politics than need be. I have regular phone calls with my family, for which I feel blessed. I am grateful every day for this opportunity to be working in this beautiful country, positively enhancing the lives of many of my students. I am told that this area of the country has 5 months of winter (November through March). I'm ready! How bad can it be?
Please leave your questions or comments on the FB post--I really enjoy them!

This content is mine alone and does not reflect the opinion of the US government or the Peace Corps.