Calam!
news from around the village....The volunteers here in Taldybulak (population 300) are slowly beginning to make our presence known. As I am getting more comfortable with the culture and the peopleI am not so concerned with trying to fade into the woodwork, but am making moreof an effort to make a life and a routine here. As a group We've started spending more time with the kids by organizing play days after school. Remember all of those horrible games that you used to play in P.E....well it's basically hours of that. We were at a slight advantage by acutally knowing how to play the games and I have to admit we use it to our full advantage. The kids get their revenge though by teaching us some of their games and I have to say ours don't have nearly the same amount of public humilation as theirs do. For instance they have one that entails jumping on one foot, singing and chasing someone else....it's just mean. Now, it's not all fun and games. We are trying whole heartedly to teach everyone we meet English with the hope that we wont have to learn Kyrgyz. So far we have the kids saying 'hey' and 'good bye', though a few of them know 'I love you American girl,' not quite sure who taught them that, but will be sure to mangle them as soon as I find out!
Orozo ended last week and it reminded me of a mix between Halloween and Thanksgiving. The kids go door to door getting treats and the grown ups spend ALL day eating...it's really the best of both holidays, maybe the Kyrgyz are on to something. Traditionally,people go to eachothers houses to eat and have tea and you have to go to at least 7 otherwise you will have an unlucky year. Folks go around to the houses in groups, so all of the grandmas will go together, then the grandpas, then the moms and so on. Everyone goes all out and try to upshow their neighbor. Ok I know that it sounds like all fun and games, but being a guest in this country is hard work, there was a point when I tried to flee, but grandma was too quick!
We finally found out where our permanent sites will be. Some folks laughed, others jumped for joy, still others cried. I dont feel too strongly either way about my site. I am going to the far North West corner of the country to a region called Talas. I dont know much about the place, except that it's pretty isolated due to all of the mountains. there are about 7 other trainees going to the same region and there are already 8 people over there now, so at least I wont be alone and that was my biggest concern. We are going on a visit soon so I will let you know how much I love/hate it. Some say that they only send the strongest volunteers to Talas and though that is most likely not the case, it's still nice to think it might be true! All I had to tell them was how my mom used to force me to weed and pick up rocks and PC said that nothing I would have to endure in KR would be as difficult as that!
There was a big party in the village ane it was basically the baby's one year birthday, but they celebrate it's first steps. There was the usual food and merriement, but then there was also a series of races that involved running after a baby who had it's feet tied together with scissors. I'm sure that was something my first grade teacher told me not to do! The deal is that whoever wins the race cuts the rope and passes on good luck and blessings to the child. The men raced first and the two volunteers were under the impression that it would be a shortersprint to the finish line....it was more like a mile! A volunteer won and received a huge rug and he is known throughout the village as the sportsman. Then it was time for the woman. We had a short sprint and I was feeling pretty confident, until my host mom left me in the dust...what makes it even worse was that she wasnt even wearing shoes!
That's all for now, hope that all is well,machalla