“All the Single Legs!”

Салам! That means ‘hello’ in Kygryz. It is pronounced salam. I hope this post finds you all in high spirits and doing well. I am doing great over here in the mountains. When the days are clear and the mountains are in perfect view I cannot get over how glorious they are. Whenever I see them I comment on their beauty. I am fearful that my camera will not capture their justice.

I have been taking many pictures with my new camera. THANK YOU MOM!! The package was excellent! My host family and their friends all enjoyed the jelly beans. They were gone within a couple hours. I was also able to get out my American spices and introduce them to the family. They were a tad skeptical but tried them out the next day and enjoyed it. Now, at every meal, the spices are used.

I continue to enjoy the food. The radish salad with cabbage is one of my favorites and I enjoy it on the special occasions that we have it. One thing about Kyrgyz food is that they use a lot of oil. I have now turned to scooping the oil into another bowl and drain each bite I take. One thing about the food here, lots of potatoes and bread. I am on carbohydrate overload. Everyone in my village is feeling rather sluggish due to our diet. We have been forewarned that the women will gain about ten pounds in pre-service training. However, the men will lose about ten pounds. We try to counter it by walking or running in the soccer field. It works most of the time. However, we all know how I love to nap…

Language classes have been going decent. It is tricky for me to grasp the concept of Kyrgyz language. The structure of a sentence is different from English and even the words used are different. If I were to say that I am going to school it would translate in Kyrgyz as I school go. Each day I feel progression. I do know that when I get to my permanent site I will get an instructor and get lessons several times a week to keep working on my Kyrgyz. When trying to learn another language in depth it is clear how tricky learning English would be! The notion of the way the Kyrgyz speaks is fairly simple; it’s just learning it from a language that doesn’t make much sense.

You may be wondering about the title of this particular blog. Today when several of the volunteers were at the field walking and playing soccer with the kids, some of them started singing Beyonce. I’m sure most of you have heard the song, “All the Single Ladies!” Well, when the kids were singing it, it sounded like they were saying, “All the Single Legs!” It was very cute. They were also naming off rap artists such as Xhibit, 50 cent, Akon, etc… Of course, I knew them all. See Daniel, my taste in music has come in handy so do not ever make fun of me again!

When the volunteers were together for a couple days we had the opportunity to really get to know everyone in our training group. There are 68 of us, equally split between males and females. We are spread out in seven different villages. Two of the villages are learning Russian and will be placed in a Russian speaking city or town. There are approximately 8-15 volunteers in each village working with one another. I must say, I am with a vast array of people from all over the country. Everyone definitely feels like family. We are all in this together. It is nice to know that we are there for one another when the times get rough. Human relationships still cease to amaze me. I am in awe watching everyone grow and become close. All the volunteers will now see each other once a week until we swear in (sometime in June). After that we will be separated all over the country. I am especially grateful for the other nine volunteers in my village. We all spend time together outside of classes and are really getting to know one another. The other day we went on a couple hour hike towards the mountains. It was absolutely beautiful.

Within the next few weeks we will be told where we will be sent and to do what. Within Kyrgyzstan there are oblasts (like states in America). Each oblast has it’s pro’s and con’s (like everything else).

The Chui Oblast is where I am right now. Bishkek, the capital and the Peace Corps office are located in this region. This oblast is in the northern part of the country and has weather similar to the Midwest in the United States. Many volunteers travel to Bishkek on the weekends to do shopping or catch up with other volunteers. Most people will expect me to speak fluent Russian here. It is not rare to hear a Kyrgyz person address another Kyrgyz speaker in Russian. Therefore, I doubt I will be placed here.

Issyk-Kul is another oblast. Issyk-Kul translates to hot lake. This is the oblast where there is a lot of tourism. Many people come here from Russia and Kazakhstan. The weather is temperate all year round and the winters are similar to the Northeast in America. The snow is also light and powdery. The summer is hot enough for a beach but nothing compared to other parts of the country. This part of the area is more accustomed to foreigners than other parts of the country. As the name implies there is a huge lake here, you should look it up!

Naryn is another oblast. I have been told that this is the most beautiful area to be in. However, it is also the coldest. Other volunteers have been horse trekking amongst yaks in the mountains, watched nomadic games or go camping in the mountains. If I get placed here I will experience something from another world.

Talas oblast is located in the Northwest part of the country. People here are known for their hospitality and generosity. Talas city is not as large as the other main cities in Kyrgyzstan but one can still get whatever they need. Also, if placed in Talas, you can go to Kazakhstan! It is just an hour or so away from the border. The city called Taraz is amazing and rivals the other large cities in Kyrgyzstan. Talas is also known for its clean air and mountains. In fact, to get here, you have to go through mountain passes!

Osh is the last oblast to be listed. Many volunteers in my group want to be placed here. Life here is influenced by Uzbek Culture. This is noticed through many of the words and phrases that are used. In fact, several TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) volunteers will be placed in an Uzbek village where they will learn to speak Uzbek! How neat! The south is much more conservative in regards to Islam. Also, it is HOT! Fruits and vegetables are available all year round.
There are two other oblasts but volunteers will not be placed there.

I gathered this information from one of my culture books the Peace Corps has given me. I did the best I could but I know I missed a lot. Hopefully when I tell you where I am placed or where I have visited you will have a small image in your mind about where I am. I will update you more on where I will be placed as soon as I know.

I did have my site interview and requested to work in an orphanage or with teenagers. Hopefully my wish will be granted. I told my program manager that I don’t care where I am placed in the country as long as I have a job I will enjoy. I even offered to go to Naryn.

Nothing else is new on this end. I milked a cow the other day. I also had something similar to frosted flakes with fresh cow’s milk. It was delicious! This coming weekend all the volunteers will be going to the orphanage where we meet every week to do repairs and play with the kids. It should be a blast. I will take pictures and let you all know how it went!

Cheryl - I am hoping that the girls have been able to read this blog! I am still trying to be placed in an orphanage. I will let you know as soon as I do! School life here is much different than in the States. It is required to go to school until grade ten. The kids are all dressed in suits, ties and dresses. School is also only for half a day. Whenever we walk in a room everyone stands up and gives us a very formal greeting. One thing that isn’t different between cultures: games and laughter. I just love it!

I love getting emails and facebook messages from you all. I miss you dearly but am enjoying my time here immensely. If you have any questions about anything let me know :) Love you!