Follow-up post: 2 of 4

As promised, I'm returning to post another list and photo album. Photos first!

Kyrgyzstan, Volume II

This album, Kyrgyzstan: Volume II (again, also available on Facebook), consists of photos taken during AIESEC KG's social development project, which I've talked about several times in previous posts. The idea of the project is to take two groups of kids, 9 orphans and 9 school children, and have them attend a week's worth of training sessions, designed and lead by me, which are intended to help them build professional skills. The project began with an opening conference, then there were four days of trainings (each day's lesson focusing on a different topic), and finishied with a closing conference. At closing conference, all of our sponsors came together and watched the two groups of kids demonstrate what they'd learned by presenting a proposed solution to a particular social problem we asked them to hypothetically work on. Not only do the kids get to see first-hand that young people are capable of promoting change (because the project itself was completely planned and executed by university students), but the students and sponsors alike are able to see that no matter what your background is, all young people have the potential to learn and be successful.

The second half of the photos are various sights, buildings and monuments around Bishkek.

As for the list part, I'd like to introduce...

What I learned in KG
-how to make friends despite language barriers
-how to make the Kyrgyz national bread, borshok
-how to just close my eyes and eat it
-how to teach someone who doesn't fully understand English a new card game
-how to count in Russian
-how to gracefully decline more food or tea
-how to wash my clothes by hand
-how to navigate around the city by minibus
-how to read and write in the cyrrilic alphabet
-how to draw a picture of just about any concept
-how to dress like a local
-how to tell the difference between chinese-made products, and those of quality at the bazar
-how to make salad
-how to pick a bone completely clean of meat
-how to fix my shoes with superglue
-how to use European cell phones
-how to buy food from street vendors
-how to respectfully pretend that I'm praying too
-how to distinguish other travelers from locals I see on the street
-how to appreciate hip hop/R&M music, and MTV hits
-how to explain complicated things using very simple language
-how to not be intimidated by students who are older than me
-how to make a joke across language barriers
-how to try on clothes behind a blanket while shopping at the bazar
-how to tolerate peoples' habitual tardiness
-how to do something that wasn't necessarily planned out beforehand
-how to take a cold spit bath without even thinking to complain
-how to plan and deliver sessions on Team Building, Critical Thinking, CV Writing and Public Speaking
-how to give a speech with almost no forewarning
-how to provide encouragement, even when I myself am not feeling too optimistic
-how to lay-off Facebook a bit
-how to make a phone call from overseas
-how to quicly and efficiently determine a new student's speaking level for English
-how to serve tea
-how to cook on a gas stove that only has two settings, on or off
-how to deal with last-minute changes in plans, without being phased
-how to cross the street anywhere, any time, without being anxious or afraid
-how to use power adapters
-how to pee standing up (you guys can't imagine what public toilets here are like, even if I try to explain them)
-how to charm gamburger vendors into putting more meat on my sandwich
-when do take advantage of a good deal, and how to tell if somebody's trying to gouge me
-how to not feel guilty about not tipping a waiter
-how to let people to out of their way to help me
-how to make a good impression on somebody, even if they can't understand me
-how to tolerate extreme heat and no A/C
-how to walk long distances in uncomfortable shoes

It's a lot of small everyday things, but at one point or another they all presented a challenge for me. Next time I won't have to sweat the smal stuff.

Tune in later amigos.

Follow-up post: 1 of 4

Well I've been home for a few days, and I think it's about time I posted some of the materials I promised you earlier. Today it's a photo album called "Kyrgyzstan, Volume 1" (also available on Facebook, if you use Facebook).

Kyrgyzstan, Volume I

Just click on the picture and it ought to lead you to one of my Picasa albums (complete with captions!). Let me know if this is easy to use. Personally, I never could figure out how to post photos directly to the blog, but I'll think of something better than this if you guys have a tough time viewing the pictures. This first album (there will be three) contains photos of:
A) my host home
B) the American Courses school where I taught
C) a day trip I took into the mountains with some of the other teachers and students from American Courses
D) my friend Marat's house, and
E) pictures from various AIESEC get-togethers

The second part of today's post is a list I like to call, "Irritating Things About Kyrgyzstan". I started keeping this list after a friend of mine, Rebecca (who lovingly refers to this country as 'Krapistan') asked me to record all the little things that get me down every day. That way when I come home she and I could lounge around by the pool and talk about them, and she'd feel better about having to spend a summer without seeing me, knowing that it wasn't a paradise full of sunshine and daisies on my end. In general I don't like to dwell on negative stuff (especially since most of these things stopped bothering me after about three weeks). BUT I think this list provides an interesting collection of tidbits about Kyrgyzstan that I wouldn't have otherwise thought to mention. So without further ado, I give you:

Irritating Things About Kyrgyzstan
-there is no chap stick
-the internet is sloooooow
-if you spend more than 20 minutes outdoors, you end up getting really dirty
-there is a lot of dust in the air
-most people have no air conditioning, despite the hot weather
-Kyrgyz food is sort of plain
-I have to eat a lot of the same dishes over and over
-I can't drive
-all coffee is instant coffee
-the phones work differently, dial tones sound funny and phone numbers consist of 10 digits
-I'm the tallest girl I know
-I'm also taller than quite a few men I know
-I feel like everyone is thinner than I am
-my feet are always dirty
-I have to watch where I step because roads are sidewalks are full of bumps and potholes
-drivers don't follow traffic rules
-people never wear their seat belts
-most people have no washing machine, and you have to wash your clothes by hand
-even those who DO have a washing machine don't have a dryer
-Diet Coke is called Coka-Cola Light
-toilet paper is exactly like brown crepe paper
-the government in corrupt
-people are really flighty
-nothing ever goes as planned
-bribing cops, teachers, and other official people is commonplace, and even expected
-it is impossible to find tampons

That's about as far as I got. Hopefully though, you found this list interesting, and the photos too. If there's anything you want to comment on or ask a particular question about, just respond back to the post and I'll do my best to explain in more detail, or to tell a story that relates to your question.

Tune in later Amigos.

Goodness how time flies

Here I am again. Day after tomorrow my Kyrgyz Adventures are officially over (for now, anyway). This summer went by fast. I guess everything adds up quickly when you're counting. Today Yulya and Olia invited me to a networking event for AIESEC at the American University of Central Asia. It was some kind of conference organized by Opera (the net browser people), and a bunch of local student organizations and businesses were invited. That's where I met Chee, a new member of the AIESEC Kyrgyzstan MC (national staff). Chee is from Malaysia, and she's been in Bishkek for about a week, so I offered to show her around the city a bit.

Chee is in culture shock mode right now; she isn't all too fond of this place yet. She reminds me a lot of me two months ago. Was I that whiney though, when I was new? I can't really be too hard on her - after all she's just adjusting. But it's strange for me to look back and remember how angsty and uncertain everything was at first. Now I feel like I belong here – I’m getting ready to leave, and wondering how long it will be before I can come back.

And I will come back. Why? Because if I don't then it will be like this was just some vacation. And to me it was more than that. Why else? Well because they asked me to. My host mother and my friends in AIESEC, and my students and the other teachers I worked with... They all want to know the same thing: "Will you come back to Kyrgyzstan?" And to each person my answer is the same, "Yes, I think I will. I like this place. Maybe next summer or fall, after I graduate. It all depends on if and when I can afford a plane ticket, but I promise you will know when I'm in town."

I had a good summer. I can't pretend though that I'm not ready to leave. I'm at a good stopping point, because I’m beginning to outgrow my place here. At this moment I play a few different roles: That of a traveler, that of a teacher, that of a guest... As a guest, I think I'm ready to move out. While I'm hugely grateful to my host family for all they’ve taught me, next time I come to KG I will probably rent a flat with friends - for all the same reasons that I prefer to live away from home in Texas. I'd rather not have to answer to anybody about where I'm going and when I'll be back, or whether my behavior will affect some sort of family unit. I like the freedom of being young and unattached, and I like taking responsibility for myself.

Mama, Aida, Kanykei and Akmaral have shown me a more traditional Kyrgyz life, the kind that most travelers never get to experience first-hand. I've eaten all the national Kyrgyz foods, and even had the chance to entertain guests the way real Kyrgyz people do. They've shown me how to feed myself and how to cook a little. They've helped me learn some of the nuances of cleaning that would have baffled me before (like how to sweep the carpet, since there’s no vacuum cleaner). I would not have been able to learn these things as easily if I'd lived with students this summer. So again, I’m grateful for my living situation this summer. And most importantly, I've gained a family. Another one. I think now I’m up to three?

As a teacher, I’m anxious to get home and get trained up. Most people study theory then do their practice. For me things happened the other way around. I've been running out of lessons for my talking clubs lately, and I want an opportunity to study and practice English in another capacity. I want to talk to other teachers, read websites, build my repertoire. I want to learn things in other contexts that I might one day apply back to this one.

I’m also ready to go home and start working on recruitment for English teaching internships in Bishkek. I want to get started on the assignment Kanybek and Jeff have given me: find us more American interns. I'll essentially be building up my own mini exchange program, or else figuring out how to do this through AIESEC without letting it drag everything down. Recruiting through AIESEC would make the entire process slower, more expensive, and more frustrating for everyone involved (versus just recruiting directly for American Courses). But having the backing of an international organization will boost my credibility AND that of MK International. Either way I’ll have to get to work talking to the International Studies Department, Study Abroad Office, Russian Language Department, Student Life… I'd like to try my hand at networking and selling.

As a traveler? I need to move on to a more realistic lifestyle. For example, if I’m going to work and live in a foreign city, I need to speak the language. When I came here I thought I would just absorb Russian like fresh air or something. But it’s turned out to be a lot tougher than that, and it's starting to get embarrassing that I can't communicate in the local language. I mean I've picked up a lot of vocabulary here and there, and I can now read and spell with the cyrrylic alphabet, but that's about it. In order to gain some understanding of grammar, and how to make this language functional in my life, I need some sort of structure – I need a teacher who knows what they’re doing, and books, and stuff like that. At home I’ll have easier access to that kind of thing. Or if not, then the Peace Corps will teach me Russian…

Also, I need to start seriously considering how to budget myself. This summer I didn’t have to worry about money at all. Living in a host home meant I didn’t have to pay rent, and I hardly ever had to buy food. I made money from my job, but not enough to actually support myself if I needed to. So all my earnings, plus the money I brought with me, went directly to shopping, souvenirs, hanging out at cafes and clubs, and other frivolities. For a summer that’s fine, but if I ever plan to spend more than three months in Kyrgyzstan I’ll have to consider my financial options.

Oy, so much to think about! And HOLY CRAP will this be a cool year, after I do get back to the States. I’m gonna graduate next spring – soon I’ll be a real grown-up. It’s exciting, thinking about what comes next. I have a good solid group of friends in College Station, and a good solid set of interests and activities. I’m well connected in both Houston and Austin, I have decent grades, I will get my Aggie ring, I’ll be turning 21 soon. Everything is in place for me to make this year really count. And I’ve got a plan, I’ve got options. I have so many directions I can go with my life, and this summer has only focused my sights.

All in all, I’m thinking positive. My next several posts will include pictures (I’ve taken somewhere close to 400), and lists (‘irritating things about Kyrgyzstan’, ‘what I’ve learned’, and ‘memorable moments’). I realize that towards the second half of this summer I kinda quit talking about specific experiences, and tended to take a more reflective tone with these posts. That’s why I want to give you guys photos and lists. You’ll have the opportunity to take a scan and say, “That. What happened there? Tell me the story with that?”. Then I can fill you in :)

I can’t wait to see all you guys! I can’t wait to eat hamburgers again! I can’t wait to drive a car and go to the mall! BAH I’m so excited!

Tune in later amigos.

Sleeping is for losers

Sunday - July 20

It's the middle of the night and I can't sleep. This happens sometimes, so I do what I always do when I find myself with a minute of peace, quiet and privacy: put the kettle on and settle down for some instant coffee (in KG, all coffee is instant coffee - that's why people drink tea, duh). These moments are nice, you know? I mean I don't often find myself wishing for more peace and quiet, or for more coffee for that matter, but when they come along and the timing is right I appreciate it a lot. This is somewhat reflective of my personal/emotional state in this stage of my travels. I don't feel at odds with the lifestyle I have here, but at the same time, I'm glad it's not permanent. Despite the respect and fondness I've developed for this culture and the people of this city, I'm still enormously attached to my home. My city, my my culture, my way of doing things.

It's been a comfort to know that my time here is just for the summer. Don't get me wrong - I could be happy here for longer than just ten weeks, much longer. In fact, I've recently been experiencing pangs of dread about leaving. After all, how can I possibly say goodbye to these people? How can I possibly express my gratitude to them for being a constant, accepting, supportive part of my life? They've done nothing but look out for me, help me, and if nothing else put up with me for these many weeks. How can I tell them that I'll see them again someday, and that I will absolutely do the same for them, somehow, what they've done for me? And will I? Can I?

But I can feel that the time has also come for me to be asking other questions. Is this an experience I will have again? Can I picture myself coming pack to Bishkek, not just for the summer but for 27 months? What about somewhere else? Could I do this all over again, start from scratch with a different job, different city, different culture, different people, different purpose? Can I put my entire life on hold for more than two years?

The reason I bring this up is because of the Peace Corps. Peace Corps has been part of my plan now for a while. It's just right for me. I don't really know what to do with myself after graduation, and the Peace Corps can offer me many of the things I want, all rolled into one package:
- A steady paying job WITH benefits, WITH vacation, WITH adequate job training
- Various perks such as one year of non-competetive status when applying for other government jobs, and a $6000 "readjustment allowance" (i.e. severance package)
- An unusual lifestyle that allows me the freedom to grow and explore in extreme ways
- A humanitarian cause
I realize that PC is not a perfect organization. Nothing is. I've been there and done that before with TAMS and AIESEC. And although both were difficult and very frustrating at times, I never for a moment second guess what I gained from those experiences. Peace Corps will be no different.

But plans change - people change. The crossroads I find myself at right now (or in the next year or so, anyway) is A) do I move further along the path of a traveler, or B) do I say to myself, "Well that was fun. Now for some sustained normalcy,"? Some people are nomads. Some people are perfectly happy to go frome place to place, pursuing either pleasure or adventure, calling wherever they rest their head 'home'. That's not me though. At a time I thought it would be... that that was destined to be my future. But back then I had no experience with moving or changing. All I knew was the relatively homogenous sixteen years I'd seen up to that point - same house, same settings, more or less the same people... All I knew was that I wanted something different for myself later in life.

I've learned a lot in the last four years. Since then I've successfully resettled myself in three different cities. Since then I've successfully built up three very different, although not entirely mutually exclusive, support networks. I've learned that I can do this - but I don't necessarily HAVE to. Having a home is important to me too. At sixteen I wanted variety, flexability, adventure! Now on the other hand, I have a greater appreciation for consistency. It's really important to me that I feel situated, wherever I am. I like to know where things are, where they belong, where I belong. I like the complexities that come only with a lifestyle that you've invested significant time and energy into. In short, I know now that I can tolerate change without having to seek it out just for the hell of it.

If only I could have the best of both worlds. Wouldn't it be nice if I won the lottery? Then I wouldn't need to think twice about signing up for twenty-seven months of good-deedism in some godforsaken location on the other side of the planet. I could have all the awesomeness of turning things up-side down, and still afford to fly home every few months and spend a couple weeks attending to important relationships and drawing strength from established securities. That way there wouldn't be any irreversible consequences to leaving - I could live one life without neglecting the other.

Do you think that's possible?

Tune in later amigos.

Hello nice to meet you

First of all, I want to apologize for going so long without a post. It's been what, two, three weeks? More? I can't count. A lot has happened since the last update, and maybe if I have time later I'll go back and tell some stories. But for now I have something else to say. There are a handful of people whom I've become quite fond of over the last six weeks. With or without language barriers, it's tough to spend 45 days around the same people without coming to regard some of them as sincere friends. So I want to take a moment to introduce you all to the main players in my Kyrgyz life:

[AT HOME]

Aida

Aida is my fifteen year-old host sister. When I first got here she was somewhat shy with her English. Since then she's either come out of her shell, or her speaking has just improved, but I'm glad for her company. She cooks most of the family meals and is usually the one who makes sure Akmaral eats her food and cleans up her toys. She hangs out with me when I don't have anything to do. Sometimes we walk around, or go to the park or sauna together, or go out for ice cream. Inside the house she's my most constant companion and closest confidante.

Akmaral

This is my seven year-old host sister. She is young and enthusiastic and she reminds me of a puppy, because she is CONSTANTLY soliciting my attention. "Alicia!" she always says - then the moment I look up from what I'm doing she holds up a picture she drew, or makes a funny face that I'm supposed to laugh at. I get this all day long. It's only cute when I'm not busy. Right now one of Akmaral's front teeth is loose, and she very stubbornly refuses to touch or use it at all because she doesn't want the tooth to come out. It's sort of funny, because since there's no root left it sits in her mouth kinda crooked, and it gives her one of those funny crooked-loose-tooth smiles that only seven year-olds have.

Kanykei

Kanykei is the oldest daughter, and she is out and about the most often. When she is in the house though she's nice to be around. She likes to look at my photos and the souviniers I've bought to bring home. Kanykei always laughs and teases me when I try to speak Russian, and although she hasn't any English and we don't share much in the way of conversation, she is the most affectionate of my host sisters.

Gulia

My host mother has pretty much adopted me into the family. When I told her my flight home was scheduled for August 8th, she responded, "Why so soon?" You'd think that having a guest in the house for three months would get annoying, but she treats me just like a daughter. One of the last things I do before I go to bed each night is have tea with her, usually after everyone else is asleep. We sit and talk about our jobs and what we did that day. She sometimes reminisces about when she was in America, and she tells me about Kyrgyz politics or history. It's really nice. She keeps asking me when I'm coming back to Kyrgyzstan (after this summer)

[AT WORK]

Kanybek

Kanybek is the director of "American Courses", the MK International branch that I work for. He has sort of taken responsibility for me. When I first came here it was he who took me out and showed me around. He's the one who helped me renew my visa, and he always makes a point to ask how I'm doing and if everything is okay with my host family. I think Kanybek is about 26.

Artom

He is the secretary/administrator at the main office. He doesn't say much, but I like him. He's pretty good friends with Jeff and Kanybek, so he hangs out with us whenever I drop by to say hello, or to make copies from the teacher file for my classes.

Jeff

Jeff is really a cool guy. He goes to the American University of Central Asia, which I guess is where he got such good English. When I talk to Jeff I forget I’m in another country. We chat, we laugh, we talk about movies… and on occasion he and I will have dinner together at a café, or go walking. He’s a genuinely cool guy, and it’s a shame we don’t spend time together more than once or twice every couple weeks.

Marat

He's a lot of fun. This guy has never had any formal English education but somehow he's picked up quite a lot of words here and there, perhaps from Kanybek and the other people at work. Marat's grammar is terrible but he's not at all shy to use English. He just talks and talks, making jokes or telling stories or explaining things to me about Kyrgyzstan. Marat handles all of the documents and finances for American Courses, and he drives me to and from work every day. I love Marat, he's got a lot of personality and he's a very cool guy.

Rosa

Rosa is Marat's wife, and she's probably about the cutest thing ever. She's one or two years younger than I am, and extremely pregnant. Rosa works as an administrator/secretary for the MK International office I teach at (there are two in Bishkek, the one where I work and the main office in the center of the city). Sometimes she and I walk down to Orto Sai Bazaar together after classes while Marat does paperwork. Rosa’s a really good shopping buddy.

Nordika

Nordi is the the new guy who was hired to take over for Rosa when she has her baby. I think Marat is rubbing off on him, because he didn't talk to me hardly at all at first, but now he doesn't hesitate to chat about this or that in his half English/half Russian. He’s plugged himself into the clique of Me/Marat/Rosa really well, and when there’s a break between classes we all walk down to the supermarket and buy snacks for eachother. Then we sit around and eat for a few minutes, passing a bottle of coke between us.

Bermet

This is the grammar teacher at my school. Each day the students alternate between grammar and talking club, one day with Bermet, one day with me. Bermet is a FLEX alumnus, so she has a unique understanding of American culture. She is one of the only people I know here who understands stuff like alternative music, and chapstick, and other things that just aren’t too common in this culture.

[AIESEC]

Begaiym

Bega is the link between AIESEC and my home life. I live with her aunt and cousins, you see, so I see her around even when I’m not doing AIESEC related stuff. She’s done a lot to make sure that I’m doing okay here. When I was still new and didn’t know how to get around the city, she always made sure to come pick me up for @ meetings and social activities. Bega was also the OCP (organizing committee president) for the childrens’ human rights project I was brought here to help work on – until, that is, she started having some health/personal problems that forced her to reinquish involvement.

Yulia

Yulia is another member of the Save the Future OC team. She’s got sort of a firm, down-to-business way about her that I really appreciate in meetings. She’s also one of the very few people I’ve met here who has a good command of the word ‘Fuck’. I enjoy working with Yulia because I always know she’s serious about what she’s doing in AIESEC.

Vadim

Vadim is a somewhat strange dude, but I like him. He’s made a real effort to help me out with simple challenges like going to the post office. Vadim has been in AIESEC for a few years and many from the current generation don’t know him that well, which I think is too bad. He has a lot of AIESEC knowledge and experience that the others could benefit from if only they’d ask.

Anisa

She’s a very sweet girl who I also know from the Save the Future project. She and her boyfriend, Asiem, are one of those really great couples – the kind that are somewhat affectionate and obviousy enjoy each other’s company, but they aren’t sickening to be around, and they don’t completely ignore everyone else while the other is nearby. One time when I commented on one of her skirts, Anisa took me shopping at a department store called Sela. She ran all around the store picking things out for me and looking for stuff in my size while I was in the dressing room. Anisa is good to talk to, and she always makes me smile.

Of course there are many, many people that I haven't mentioned– more kids from AIESEC, other teachers and students from work, plus family friends and frequent guests in my host home... But these are all the important ones who I see on a regular basis.

It was somewhat strange to realize recently that I’ve been here for six weeks now, and that there are only four to go. I missed the halfway mark completely – I suppose I just quit counting after week three or four. I do still think about Texas and the people at home, but I’m also starting to mediate on the things in Bishkek that I’ll miss after I leave. Like sitting down to drink tea four or five times a day, or running down to the corner underground to buy notebooks and samsa (imagine a hot pocket crossed with chicken pot-pie), or even (gasp!) cramming myself into a minibus with God knows how many other strangers in order to get around the city. Without a doubt though, I’ll miss the people the most; and I sincerely hope I’m able to see them again after this summer.

Tune in later amigos :)

Work work work, and some fun too

June 19 - Thursday

My classes are going okay. Most of them consist of 4-6 students, and normally we just sit around and talk about whatever comes up. Sometimes I bring worksheets and exercises for the pre-intermediate groups, to add a bit of direction and structure to what are otehrwise relatively laid-back lessons. For example, one of the worksheets asked them to choose a person from their friends and family, and describe them in detail. How long have you known this person - what do they look like - what is their occupation - do you get along well - what sort of things do you have in common... that sort of thing. Then we all talk about the person we chose. Sometimes we play games like 20 Questions, where each student has to pick a person, place, food, animal or object and the others have to ask a series of descriptive yes or no questions in order to figure out what they are thinking of. Or occasionally I'll ask the students about a movie they've seen or a book they've read recently, and they have describe the characters and the plot of the story.

One game that I'm particularly proud of is something I came up with for my elementary level students. I show them a simple picture (which I got from the teacher file) and it might show, say, two men sitting near a ladder with paint buckets, and there are also other small details that add interest to the photo. One of the men is scared or anxious looking - one of the paint buckets has tipped over - maybe there is a mouse in the corner of the room - or a light switch on the wall. Then I ask the students to name every English word they recognize from the picture while I write them under the apprpriate category of Adjective, Verb or Noun. (I don't think any of the other teachers realize the tables are actually a lot more dry-erase compatible than the old worn-out white boards, but kudos to me for THAT discovery).

Anyways, they list off as much as they can from looking at this one simple picture: man, two, blue, sit, angry, paint, light, on, scared, mouse, fall, tall, hair, shoes, be - and I supply words that they don't aready know - ladder, light switch, finished, rest. Then I ask them to look at our word lists and create as many sentances as they can to describe the picture. Then we move on to the next picture and do it all again. To finish the lesson on a lighter note I erased all the word lists, set out each of the pictures for them to look at, and had them play hang man from the day's vocabulary.

Each day I learn new tricks and ideas for how to run my lessons, and how to keep the students involved. Of course there are always one or two kids who would obviously rather be somewhere else, and they don't participate much. I still haven't exactly decided what my policy is on such students. On the one hand I think, "What a terrible shame that these kids' parents have paid for English courses, only to have them sit in classes and tune out." I want to find some way to require that they participate. But then again the structure of this English school is not nearly as strict as regular school. There is no formal attendance policy and students are not graded on homework or assignments. They are only tested once at the end of the course to make sure they're advanced enough to move on to the next level. And honestly, these students are between the ages of 16 and 18; I feel like they are mature enough to know that they won't learn squat unless they take an active part in their own education. I can't help but think that if they want to waste this experience, it's up to them, and I can't really force them to do otherwise. Oh well. I suppose for now I'll just keep trying different things and hope that something piques their interest.


June 22 - Sunday

Well It's been a confusing and somewhat stressful couple of weeks. Two weekends ago should have been the opening conference for AIESEC's Save the Future Project. Back then I was getting all frantic trying to prepare the training materials for the sessions I'll be leading, but I found out at the last minute that the whole thing was moved to the next Sunday. Then this weekend it was the same story. I scrambled to get everything together only to find out that once agian, the project had been pushed back a week. I suppose I shouldn't be too upset about this because it really only allows me more time to prepare everything, but it's still a little frustrating when things get down to the wire and then change unexpectedly.

I've been working with a girl named Cholpon, who is my interperiter for this project. The students I'll be teaching don't know English, so will translate for me during the event itself. She and I make a point to meet up every few days to discuss the presentation materials and go over the concepts I plan to present. I'm really glad to have her around, because I'm not really able to meet with the AIESEC kids about these things. They meet while I'm at work. Cholpon offers me valuable input and ideas here and there, which helps me feel like I'm not doing this all alone.

I'm not actually sure if Cholpon gets paid to do this. If AIESEC here is anything like AIESEC at home, then there probably isn't exactly extra cash laying around to employ interperiters. But she studies English at University, and I've found that people in this city are often eager to spend time with a foreigner from an English-speaking country. They want the opportunity to practice their conversation skills. I have a theory that this has something to do with why I'm still struggling so much to learn Russian. Almost every person I know here is somehow connected to AIESEC, and organization whose official language is English, or my job, an English-teaching school that has a policy to avoid using Russian at work.


June 24 - Tuesday

Tomorrow I'm starting a new class to prepare students for the FLEX program. FLEX is sponsored by the US Department of State, and it stands for Future Leaders EXchange. FLEX consists of a series of applications, essays, interviews, Eglish aptitude tests and other activities. The winners will be chosen to spend a year in the United States as high school exchange students. The idea is to take motivated, proactive teenagers from former USSR countries and show them what it's like to live in a democratic society. Then hopefully they will bring that vision back home with them, and become active change agents within their own communities.

The other teacher who is doing it with me, Bermet, is a FLEX Alumnus, and she spent a year with a host family in Arkansas during her senior year of high school. Bermet is a really cool chick, and I'm glad to be teaching with her. For the next six weeks she will be coaching the students on the structure of the competition, while I'll be working with them to increase their vocabulary. After that, she and another teacher (because I'll be back in The States by then) will help get the kids psychologically ready to become all-around strong applicants. They will have practice interveiws and assign sample essay questions and the like. I really think it's a cool program; it reminds me a little of TAMS. I hope one of my students are selected, even though none of that will be decided for months to come.


June 26 - Thursday

So the other day I'm with Cholpon, my translator for the upcoming AIESEC project, and she is helping me buy some more minutes for my cell phone. Another guy was there trying to fix some phone problem of his own, and when I heard him speaking I had to ask, "Where are you from?" He obviously was a foriegner, and my guess would have been that he's British, judging from his accent. Turns out that this guy, Stephon, is Swiss, and he's been cycling around Central Asia for the last two months. Once we got to talking about what brought each of us to Bishkek and what we were doing here in the city, I come to realize that not only had I found a fellow traveler, but an AIESEC Alumnus to boot. We exchanged emails and agreed to have dinner together at some point later in the week.

This is not something I often do in the States. Meeting strangers on the street? Being friendly? Offering to hang out later at some cafe, chatting over beer and mutton? I'm glad I did though. This is one of those things that I think all travelers must do at some point. I mean after all, how else are you supposed to make friends in a foreign city? Last night Stephon and I met for dinner at a restraunt very near where I'm living, and it he absolutely lived up to my own prejudice that travelers tend to be intriguing people. He told me about how he spent six months working in Slovakia on an AIESEC internship after college, then stayed for another nine months after that to teach German. He said he'd spent the last six years of his life working in an office, and then suddenly snapped and said, "I quit. I'm going to take all the money I've saved and wander the continent for a few months." Heh, cool. So that's what he's been doing since April - hopping trains all along the silk road, taking pictures, eating the local foods and generally just living the nomadic lifestyle.

We talked about other things too. He and I exchanged tips on where to go in the city, good places to eat, nice parks we've seen, et cetera. We talked about the culture differences between our home countries and Kyrgyzstan, and discussed stereotypes we each had about the other person's country (America vs. Switzerland). This is about the time things got really interesting. You see, I had noticed a man sitting alone at a table across the way who was listening to our conversation. This guy looks just like one of the Beetles, except that he's Kyrgyz, and he lives in my building. He's got a reputation for being a lush. "That man, he drink many alcohol," noted my host mother the first time I saw him stumbling across the street by our building. I'd never spoken to him before because I just assumed this dude was a sketchy character. But anyways, at this point in my conversation with Stephon he decided to speak up, and I couldn't have hidden the look of surprise on my face if I tried. This man had the most sophistocated English I'd ever heard a Kyrgyz person use, INCLUDING the English teachers I work with. And what's more, he went off into this deep, complicated monologue about the current social and political situation of Kyrgyzstan, and the future of this country. It would have been a very interesting discussion if Stephon and I hadn't been so flabbergasted. Haha. But yeah, the guy had definitely had quite enough to drink and by the time he finally finished talking, Stephon and I decided it was time to ask for the bill. Unexpected things happen to me every day here, but I never cease to be amazed when they do.


Tune in later amigos.

Sim cards and dating

June 12 - Thursday

People here are not very religious. Officially, Kyrgyzstan is a Muslim country, but so far it doesn't seem like many people go to Mosque or talk about their beliefs or anything (at least not to me). As far as I can tell, a majority of the people here lead a basically secular life, but with a few traditions thrown in here and there. For example, when you are finished eating but before you get up from the table, you make a gesture with your hands like you're washing your face, then bring them down into a prayre shape and say "Omin", which is similar in meaning to "Amen". Other than that sort of thing, I haven't seen a whole lot of religious activity.

A very famous Kyrgyz writer died this week. His name is Chingiz Aitmatov, and apparently his books are known all around the world. I can't believe I'd never heard of him before. Some of his titles (translated into English) are White Ship, Jimila, Mother's Field and Plaha (among many others). But anyways, this guy was very well loved by the Kyrgyz people, because not only was he a famous writer, but he was also involved in the government and social organizations. He did a lot to improve the city, and now that he's gone, everybody mourns together. On the news I saw the traditional mourning ceremony, which takes place out in the country inside a Yurta, or circular hut thing that is lined and decorated with traditional Kyrgyz carpets. When a person dies, they are taken to a Yurta, where their family may visit them and say goodbye. Then after three days the person is moved and a funeral ceremony is held, after which he is buried.

Aitmatov's funeral took place in the center of the city, at the Philharmonia. So I had a front-row view of it right out my window. The music they play on the street is very interesting and sad, it sounds like a cross between singing and crying, accompanied by a traditional Kyrgyz stringed instrument which I can't remember the name for. Although I'm sad for this country's loss, I also feel lucky to have been able to witness such a tradition; perhaps I will also get to see a Kyrgyz wedding before I go home.


June 14 - Sunday

I bought a cell phone today. I guess the time has finally come when I'm popular enough to need one. Before, only Begaiym and Kanybek ever had any reason to call me, and they both knew my home number. If I wasn't at home, they each knew that I must have been with the other one, and they had one another's cell phone numbers as well. Over the last two weeks though, a handful of other people have asked for my number, but I never got any calls. Turns out that people have been trying to get in touch with me, but I just haven't been getting the messages, coz my host family has no answering machine, and my host sisters keep forgetting to pass along my messages.

Anyways, I'm tired of missed connections, and I'm tired of having to sit at home and wait when I'm expecting a call. So now I have a little Nokia friend :). The phone, sim card, charger and a hundred minutes all cost me 1600 Soms (about $40). I realize now that I could have just brought the phone I already had, and then bought a new sim card from a local service provider in Bishkek for only 150 Soms, but I didn't really understand any of this stuff before I left. I just went with the advice of a more experienced friend: "When I go to Japan every summer, I usually just buy a phone while I'm there and sell it before I leave." I suppose that when I leave Bishkek, I'll take the phone with me and keep it as a back-up for when my current cell phone breaks. Done deal.

But yeah. Today's post is not about cell phones. It's about NEEDING a cell phone. Last weekend I went out with AIESEC kids, but other than Saturday night I sort of just bummed around the house all weekend. This weekend I got invited to so many things that I actually had to turn 3 or 4 people down. Marat invited me to his wife's Birthday party, and he also invited me to his nephew's circumcision (which is apparently a traditional Kyrgyz ceremony that all boys go through when they start walking). Williams and one other dude whose name escapes me at the moment, who are both talking club teachers like me, each asked if I wanted to do something Sunday, and Jeff offered to show me around the city. On top of that, this Sunday should have been opening conference for AIESEC's "Save the Future" project. So I had to write a speech and meet with an interperiter who could translate for me during the event.

I'm sure you can imagine then, my disappiontment when one by one, each of my plans either fell through or were postponed. And worse still, I didn't have any way to contact the people who I'd turned down because of my "busy schedule". I don't really know what to think. Either I'm repeatedly misunderstanding everybody when they try to make plans with me, or the Kyrgyz people are just flighty. Oh well. At least now I have a phone, so either way I'm sure communication problems will be less frequent in the future.


June 16 - Monday

One thing I really like about this culture is the fact that people wear the same clothes over and over again. At home if you wear the same otufit two days in a row, people will tend to assume that you are either poor or in the middle of doing laundry, and you have nothing else to wear. But that's not at all the case in Kyrgyzstan.

In this culture it is perfectly acceptable to wear the same outift, or variations on the same outfit, for several days in a row. Even for really nice, dressy clothes, you just keep wearing them, or alternate with other clothes, until they are dirty. I really like this. As someone who is not hugely interested in fashion or mixing and matching, I find that this is a huge relief, especially considering the limited amount of clothes and accessories I brought with me on this trip.

I've also noticed that social scripts for when it's apropriate to wear certain types of clothes to this or that occasion are completely different than what you see in the United States. There are people here who dress like they are going out to the night club, even if they're only walking down the street to buy groceries. Yet other people will wear much more casual stuff to what I normally would have assumed is a formal environment, like at work for example. Many people wear boring, unattractive clothes, while others mix pieces that I myself would never think to wear together. Like track pants and heels, for example.

And get this: I've seen more pairs of bright yellow heels i this city than I have ever seen in my life. I can't decide if it's because yellow shoes are stylish right now, or if they are simply more popular here. I don't understand fashion rules in this country, if there are any. Which is a huge load of my mind, because it effectively gives me the freedom to wear whatever the heck I want, when I want, and for as long as I like (or don't like). It's nice. People never seem to comment on each other's clothes at all. They don't even compliment one another if somebody is wearing especially fancy clothes, because some people dress like that all the time. You don't stand out much when you're especially dressy.


April 19 - Thursday

How do you know for sure when a date is a date? There are a few tell-tale signs, right? The other person dresses up, or they keep popping mints or gum. Or perhaps they offer to buy your meal, or open doors. Or maybe you go on a walk afterwards, just talking, and at the end the guy will walk you do your door instead of dropping you off with a casual, "See you later." But what about in other countries? What if the person you're having dinner with would pay for your meal even if the two of you were the same sex? What if walking is a common social activity, and opening doors is customary?

People here have all been very nice to me. Usually when I meet somebody that I'm likely to see again, whether it's somebody from AIESEC or work, or a friend of a friend, they very often offer to take me out and show me around. But lately I'm noticing that I get a lot more invitations like these from guys than from girls. I can't figure out if they are just being hospitable, or if they are asking me out on a date. At home if a guy asks me for my number, I can safely assume that he intends to ask me out. But here I'm not so sure.

The reason I bring this up is because a few nights ago I had a really good time at a cafe with somebody I know from work. He picked me up, we went and had a couple drinks, we laughed, we talked, he paid for me and then we went for a really long walk. I got home at 2 in the morning, and I woke up the next day with a big grin on my face. Was this a date? Hah, I really have no idea. He didn't try to make any moves on me, but that could mean anything. Maybe he was just a gengleman. Maybe people don't kiss on the first date around here. Maybe the evening was just a friendly get-together, and nothing romantic at all. It just makes me reflect on the whole ritual of courtship, and I can't help but laugh at all the silly little signs people look for, rather than just being open and honest about their feelings. The little signs make it easy to avoid being direct, but all the rules change when you're courting across culture barriers. I suppose either way I'll find out soon enough, but all the same. It's an interesting puzzle.


Tune in later amigos :)