Friday, January 25, 2008
Let the Research Begin!
As I delve into my research I am starkly aware that my acess to resources is limited. Therefore, I am requesting your help. If anyone has any titles, or know of any books/articles that relate to Development/Central Asia/Women, Human Trafficking/Bride Kidnapping in the former Soviet Republic, National Identity, and the like, let me know! Thanks so much.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Kitten!!
Well, I got my kitten. I returned from In-Service Training Tuesday afternoon and picked the little one up Tuesday night. It’s Friday now, and in the past 3 days I managed to litter box train her. She’s so smart! She’s only 7 weeks old, but is doing very well adjusting. She’s eating and sleeping a lot, likes to play with ping-pong balls, and loves to cuddle. I tell her everyday that I’m not a tree but she climbs me anyway – from my slippers to my shoulders! When I cook dinner she likes to sleep in the hood of my sweatshirt, and when I’m sitting, she’s always sleeping in my lap. We brought her mother over today so she could nurse one more time, but it didn’t happen – she was preoccupied with wrestling and playing with momma’s tail. She has one small deformity - an ear and a half on the right side. It’s hardly noticeable, unless you really look for it. Haven’t picked a name yet, but am leaning towards Roo because she likes to cling to me like a little kangaroo. But I’ve been calling her all sorts of names: Cry Baby, Monkey, Gabby, Flappy, Flying Squirrel (you should see her jump!). I’m still taking suggestions.
Enjoy the pictures!
Enjoy the pictures!
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!
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!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Well, I just completed my In-Service-Training! That marks my 6th month of being in Kyrgyzstan. It was strange seeing everyone who is still here, whom I haven't seen since the end of Pre-Service Training. We stayed in the same hotel, just outside of the city. It was cold! Thought it would be a nice relaxing week, but it turned out to be stressful. I actually got homesick for my apartment! I'm heading back to my site tomorrow - hopefully with the snow there won't be any flight delays or cancellations.
I got a chance to visit my first host family in the village over the weekend. Wish I had planned it better so I would have had more time to spend with them. I just stayed one night. Our little puppy is now a lot bigger, and nicer (she walked me to the outhouse every time!) The girls were great. And everyone enjoyed the newspaper article I gave them (from the haverhill Gazette). My mom was a little embarassed that she wasn't more dressed up, but they thought it was really cool that their picture was in an American Newspaper. My host dad loved looking at the car ads. He just bought a new one, and was bummed to see that cars are cheaper in the U.S.
They sent me home with homemade jam and tomato sauce, which I can't wait to eat.
I'm getting the kitten tomorrow!!
I got a chance to visit my first host family in the village over the weekend. Wish I had planned it better so I would have had more time to spend with them. I just stayed one night. Our little puppy is now a lot bigger, and nicer (she walked me to the outhouse every time!) The girls were great. And everyone enjoyed the newspaper article I gave them (from the haverhill Gazette). My mom was a little embarassed that she wasn't more dressed up, but they thought it was really cool that their picture was in an American Newspaper. My host dad loved looking at the car ads. He just bought a new one, and was bummed to see that cars are cheaper in the U.S.
They sent me home with homemade jam and tomato sauce, which I can't wait to eat.
I'm getting the kitten tomorrow!!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
The Last Day of The Year…
As I sit in my cozy apartment, watching melted snow and ice drip off the roof, past my window outside I hear an old woman bellowing from the sidewalk below, “TVORGG, SIIR…TVORGG, SIIR, CMETANA.” Her voice is high pitched, almost mournful sounding. I don’t have to look to know she’s walking around the apartment buildings selling homemade cottage cheese, cheese, and a thick cream cheese out of plastic buckets. Her calling is as daily and as steady as the Muslim call to prayer that I hear every morning, pre-dawn.
In stark contrast I think of the giant flat screen TV they recently erected on one corner of the busiest intersections in the city. I think it was put up to display advertisements, but every time I have passed it – usually on my way to work or back from friends’ houses – it’s blaring old American rap music videos.
Out front of the oblast’s administration building, where I work, is Lenin Square. It is here, the tallest statue of Lenin in all of Kyrgyzstan, resides over the city – one hand clutching his jacket’s lapel, the other raised in a wave-like salute. Posed here, surrounded by flags and a “New Year’s Tree” almost as tall as he, he looks benevolent; happy almost, to be in the center of the city’s festivity.
The bazaar is now more dangerous than ever. There’s another layer to it now: ice. The once muddy ground is now a pure, uneven sheath of ice. Un-phased local women continue to walk confidently in heels arm in arm, while tourists slip and slide all over the place falling and bruising their unaccustomed bodies.
As the week, and now the day wears on, with the New Year on the cusp of the day – the interruption of fireworks becomes more frequent. Outside children ignite and throw “poppers” at each other – usually landing within inches of tiny toes and cracking like gunshots. In the stores, sparklers and rockets are sold beside displays of champagne – and sell in higher volume.
New Year’s Eve was very interesting. Ed invited a few of us over for dinner – in his new apartment (which is pretty much the same as mine, but with sparkly wallpaper instead of paint. We have the same landlord). He cooked us spaghetti and homemade sauce. It was delicious. For dessert we ate rice crispy treats! (Thanks Meg’s Mom for sending the ingredients!)
After dinner, we went over to a former PCV and his (beautiful) Uzbek wife’s apartment just across the way. Her parents, sister, and niece and nephew were there too, as well as another volunteer. We watched a live Russian New Year’s show on TV, broadcasted from Moscow. It was strange to watch TV because I haven’t done so in 4 months, but cool because during each singing performance the lyrics were shown on the bottom of the screen like karaoke. Good language practice. We toasted with champagne at midnight then went outside to experience the fireworks extravaganza. It was so insane. It seemed like every household bought and ignited their own supply. Meg and I were so overwhelmed we stood against the wall of the apartment building, to avoid getting hit. I’ve never seen so many fireworks at such close range before. The show ranged from sparklers to these giant Roman Candles. For about 45 minutes after midnight it seemed as if the whole city was under siege. The noise was deafening. So that was my first Kyrgyz New Year.
On another note, I believe it’s earthquake season. Last week we had a huge one. It was pretty scary. I was sitting alone in my office – on the 4th floor when it hit. I didn’t know what to do so I just shut my computer and sat frozen at my desk. It was over in less than a minute, but this time stuff fell. When I got home from work later that day, my apartment was covered in plaster dust and chunks. My cement walls and ceiling cracked in multiple places – leaving quite a mess for me to clean up. Someone told us the epicenter was just 20 miles away!
New Year’s after I got home from guesting and was about to fall asleep there was another earthquake. This one was significantly smaller and quicker. And then yesterday (Jan 1st), as I was washing dishes a medium size one hit. I shut off the water and braced myself against my dish cabinet in the kitchen. It wasn’t as big as the earthquake that caused damage, but it still freaked me out a bit, especially with the after-tremor that rocked the building seconds later.
As I sit in my cozy apartment, watching melted snow and ice drip off the roof, past my window outside I hear an old woman bellowing from the sidewalk below, “TVORGG, SIIR…TVORGG, SIIR, CMETANA.” Her voice is high pitched, almost mournful sounding. I don’t have to look to know she’s walking around the apartment buildings selling homemade cottage cheese, cheese, and a thick cream cheese out of plastic buckets. Her calling is as daily and as steady as the Muslim call to prayer that I hear every morning, pre-dawn.
In stark contrast I think of the giant flat screen TV they recently erected on one corner of the busiest intersections in the city. I think it was put up to display advertisements, but every time I have passed it – usually on my way to work or back from friends’ houses – it’s blaring old American rap music videos.
Out front of the oblast’s administration building, where I work, is Lenin Square. It is here, the tallest statue of Lenin in all of Kyrgyzstan, resides over the city – one hand clutching his jacket’s lapel, the other raised in a wave-like salute. Posed here, surrounded by flags and a “New Year’s Tree” almost as tall as he, he looks benevolent; happy almost, to be in the center of the city’s festivity.
The bazaar is now more dangerous than ever. There’s another layer to it now: ice. The once muddy ground is now a pure, uneven sheath of ice. Un-phased local women continue to walk confidently in heels arm in arm, while tourists slip and slide all over the place falling and bruising their unaccustomed bodies.
As the week, and now the day wears on, with the New Year on the cusp of the day – the interruption of fireworks becomes more frequent. Outside children ignite and throw “poppers” at each other – usually landing within inches of tiny toes and cracking like gunshots. In the stores, sparklers and rockets are sold beside displays of champagne – and sell in higher volume.
New Year’s Eve was very interesting. Ed invited a few of us over for dinner – in his new apartment (which is pretty much the same as mine, but with sparkly wallpaper instead of paint. We have the same landlord). He cooked us spaghetti and homemade sauce. It was delicious. For dessert we ate rice crispy treats! (Thanks Meg’s Mom for sending the ingredients!)
After dinner, we went over to a former PCV and his (beautiful) Uzbek wife’s apartment just across the way. Her parents, sister, and niece and nephew were there too, as well as another volunteer. We watched a live Russian New Year’s show on TV, broadcasted from Moscow. It was strange to watch TV because I haven’t done so in 4 months, but cool because during each singing performance the lyrics were shown on the bottom of the screen like karaoke. Good language practice. We toasted with champagne at midnight then went outside to experience the fireworks extravaganza. It was so insane. It seemed like every household bought and ignited their own supply. Meg and I were so overwhelmed we stood against the wall of the apartment building, to avoid getting hit. I’ve never seen so many fireworks at such close range before. The show ranged from sparklers to these giant Roman Candles. For about 45 minutes after midnight it seemed as if the whole city was under siege. The noise was deafening. So that was my first Kyrgyz New Year.
On another note, I believe it’s earthquake season. Last week we had a huge one. It was pretty scary. I was sitting alone in my office – on the 4th floor when it hit. I didn’t know what to do so I just shut my computer and sat frozen at my desk. It was over in less than a minute, but this time stuff fell. When I got home from work later that day, my apartment was covered in plaster dust and chunks. My cement walls and ceiling cracked in multiple places – leaving quite a mess for me to clean up. Someone told us the epicenter was just 20 miles away!
New Year’s after I got home from guesting and was about to fall asleep there was another earthquake. This one was significantly smaller and quicker. And then yesterday (Jan 1st), as I was washing dishes a medium size one hit. I shut off the water and braced myself against my dish cabinet in the kitchen. It wasn’t as big as the earthquake that caused damage, but it still freaked me out a bit, especially with the after-tremor that rocked the building seconds later.
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