I meant to post this before IST but it didn’t happen…
January 5, 2008
After warnings from the Peace Corps about possible severe earthquakes hitting my vicinity, and subsequent days/nights of heightened anxiety, I’m happy about the fact that I’m leaving for In-Service Training tomorrow. I want to be as far away from earthquakes as possible, though, without leaving the country – that’s difficult to do. I recently learned that the winter months mark earthquake season here.

Big good news: I’m getting an aristone!! I talked to my landlord (coolly but sternly) using my finest Russian and convinced him to finally buy me a hot water heater – so I can actually shower in my own apartment! This is so exciting, as the bucket bath routine is getting old.

So on my walk to work every morning I pass a large compound of buildings, set back from the main road – blocked by a chain and sometimes a guard. I had been so confused because I thought from the signage that this place was the local hospital, but all the Doctor-looking people were wearing big chef hats: the kind of paper ones that stand up tall. Sometimes they wear the white lab-coats…or butcher coats. Thankfully, the older volunteers are much wiser than I and they assured me it was a hospital. Don’t know how I feel about their attire, but at least I know where to go now in case of an emergency.

Meg and I got our first Kyrgyz haircuts last week. What an experience! Meg’s husband, Theo had one of his female co-workers show us which salon she uses, and introduced us to her hairstylist. We made appointments and returned the following day. The whole routine is basically the same: first a shampoo, then a nice chat about what you want you hair to look like, then the cut, then the blow dry. The most shocking difference is that they shampoo your hair standing up. You stand facing this big sink and flip your hair forward, bending down so you’re looking at your toes. There are not enough towels to cover your shoulders so the water trickles down your face and into your shirt. On me, Maya used “Head and Shoulders, 2-in-1.” The 'what I want my hair to look like' conversation was interesting, having not studied hairstyle vocabulary. We supplemented our convo with hand gestures and pictures. In the end, it was a little shorter than I wanted, but healthy looking and feeling. Definitely 150 soms well spent (about 4 dollars).

Okay, lots to do and pack today. I probably won’t have a chance to write while I’m away, but I’ll fill you in on all the details upon my return!