Small World

Small World – July 23, 2007

Mundane guestures remind me that we are not so different. When my 3 year old host sister Eliza was given a bowl of hot soup for lunch the other day, her first reaction was to blow on it. Being the same age as Nathan, the little daily things she does like that are a constant reminder that people, no matter how differently we live, are very much alike in noticeable and not so noticeable ways.

This past weekend my host family was planning on taking me to a family party at a relative’s house about 20 minutes away – toward the mountains. I was denied permission to go, so I felt really bad when my family decided not to go on my behalf. Instead we had a small BBQ ourselves, and I met my host brother for the first time when he came home from the capital where he goes to school and works.

Saturday night 8 other volunteers and I were guested at another volunteer’s house. I couldn’t believe how much food her host mother had prepared. It was truly a feast of rice and noodle dishes, salads, bread, lots of sweets, and of course tea. Her host father presented us with a bottle of vodka and expected all the men in our group to make a toast. Culturally toasting is a major aspect of social events. It was pretty humorous watching the guys scrape together toasts with their limited language skills. I was lucky my oldest host sister came with me because by the time we left at 9 pm it was already getting dark out and we had to walk a ways without streetlights.

Sunday was great I got to sleep in – to 8 am! Sunday is usually our 1 day free every week, but our host mothers had prepared a cultural lesson Sunday night. We all met at Rob’s California style mansion (his mother is the village Doctor), and the moms had us act out a Turkish Style wedding. Picture this – 8 Turkish, Kyrgyz, and Russian mothers bossing 10 Americans around in 3 different languages (none of which English), and adorning us with veils and other costumes, then pushing us into a circle of 20 locals dancing in a circle to really load music. By 9pm a Adam and Tracy were considered married and we all went home, well prepared (or not at all) for the wedding of a host sister we all got invited to attend next month.

So to say the least, it has been interesting and funny here. No one would be able to do this without a sense of humor. The mandatory bike helmet that I’m required to wear when riding to class everyday has become the butt of a lot of jokes. I don’t think the locals have ever even heard of helmets. I get some pretty strange looks everyday.

This afternoon my group mates came over to work on a map of our village that we have to present to the other groups tomorrow. Our homework was to identify the police station, school, shops, mosques, etc. Theo, after articulately drawing out our entire village, pulled out his watercolor set, and we all almost died of laughter. Seriously, who brings an expensive water color set to the Peace Corps?! That moment made my day – and I have to admit our map came out awesome.

That’s about all I have time for tonight. If anyone really wants my address feel free to email me, just keep in mind I can only check my email once a week, so don’t worry if I don’t get back to you right away. My email is becky.johnson@mail.sit.edu or beckyj6043@hotmail.com

Once I get to my permanent site in September I will distribute my address that should be valid for the remainder of my time here.