PST in full swing!

PST training is coming to a close. 8 long weeks of language, culture and technical trainings have given me the tools to start working.

We found out our permanent sites a few weeks ago. Everyone had their envelopes, opened them at the same time and, to my surprise, mine read:

Oblast-Chui

Village-International

It turns out the village I have been living in will be my home for the next two years! I’m glad I haven’t embarrassed myself too much yet. My host family was so happy that I will be staying near them, though I will be moving in with a different family. I have already met my counterpart, an English teacher at the local school named Meerim. I will be leading a summer English Club for the students to continue their skills and create some kind of relationship before the school year starts. The village is larger, and very close to the county center, a city named Kant. I’m lucky to have a lot of recourses close by and the capitol city is only an hour away. I can probably get coffee, clothes and chicken burgers once a month. I already feel spoiled.

All the other volunteers in my village now are leaving for different parts of the country, so my goal is to see each Oblast at least once. Travel around Kyrgyzstan for the next two years sounds pretty amazing, I must say.

Last weekend was Culture Day, where we dress in traditional Kyrgyz clothing and either dance, sing or act out pieces of their culture. I have a feeling it’s more fun for our host families than it is for us. At the end, my Apa asked me if we “won” culture day, and she didn’t quite understand that it was just for fun.

Next stop: Language Test and Swearing in!!

Pre-Service Training (PST) has been intense! Daylong language classes, culture classes and technical training make me exhausted and we are only in the third week! We have one free day and that is usually spent sleeping.

I live with a host family in International Village, full of sheep, cows, chickens, donkeys and horses. My host family has a cow, a calf and 5 sheep. So far none of them have gone missing into our dinners, which is comforting. The calf and I have become great friends, I must say. Every morning and evening I spend some time with him, scratching his neck and head, usually where the rough rope lays. Though I eat meat here (out of convenience more than anything), I will absolutely be a vegetarian once back in the states. These animals may be dim, but after spending time with them it’s clear they have emotions and desires. Even if those desires are as simple as “you have grass in your hand and I desire for it to be in my mouth”.  But I digress…

I am my host family’s 8^th volunteer. They have been showing me the ropes of the language, customs and village life. My Apa (mom) and Ata (dad) have 5 of their grandkids living with them. The older three, Simik (10), Azalea (8) and Bilik (8) have been helping me practice my Kyrgyz every night, quickly followed by several games of Spoons. They are so much fun and incredibly smart, winning chess competitions constantly, making Apa and Ata extremely proud. I recently found out that their parents live and work in Russia and have since they were little. Their whole lives they have been raised by their grandparents, only seeing their parents twice a year. This reality is common here but would be close to tragic in the states. I feel for their parents, who I will luckily get to meet this month. Not being able to see your children for months at a time, sacrificing raising them to provide for them, it seems extreme but I have discovered many families live like this. It’s a reality with village life because there aren't job opportunities near. If you are a skilled worker you may be able to find work in the capitol, but very few choices when it comes to labor. Kyrgyzstan doesn't have the natural resources of the Middle East or Kazakhstan, and so they receive their Russian work visas and move on up. 

Although there are problems within the country, I am excited to make small changes with my students. I currently was told that without Peace Corps Volunteers, many students would not have the English skills to get into University and continue their education. Hearing this was incredibly encouraging. We are very respected and welcomed into the community, not only because families and children want to learn English, but also because the local English teachers usually only have basic language skills. With the team-teaching approach, we are helping both the students and teachers increase their knowledge of the language. And, though slow moving, it really has made a difference.

I’m already exhausted and excited for the next few weeks of PST. 

Simik & Bilik

Azalea

Playing Cards!

Azalea's Wall at her school!

Osh Bazzar

Soviet Statue!

Manas Statue!

Salamatsyzby!

After 48 hours of travel and 4 cities, we arrived in Bishkek at 3am Sunday morning. We promptly took a bus from Bishkek to Issyk-Kul, only a 5-hour ride. As unwelcomed as that was, seeing the landscape as the sun slowly rose was pretty incredible.

Kyrgyzstan is absolutely beautiful. The mountain ranges are astounding and Issyk-Kul Lake is unlike any other I have seen. A few PCT were brave enough to jump in after our arrival (I was not one of them). The hotel we are staying at is pretty westernized. The food, while not like home, has variety, veggies and flavor. We have been told to expect mostly tea and bread in the winter so I am definitely savoring these past few days.

We had very little time to succumb to our jet lag and began orientation. I can already tell Pre Service Training (PST) will go by extremely fast. We have training classes from 9-5 6 days a week, and as luck would have it, I will be living in one of the furthest villages. My commute will probably be close to 30-40 minuets. Silver lining: I will be a pro at the mini buses (murshutkas) by the end of these 8 weeks.

We have just begun our language training, and as difficult as it is, seeing current volunteers speaking to locals with ease is encouraging. I hope to be at that level within my first year! Living with my host family for the 8 weeks of training, and probably at my permanent site, will be invaluable practice. We meet our host families this Wednesday and have been told they are very excited to meet us, which is very reassuring. I suppose if they did not want us, they wouldn’t open their homes to us. I have only heard wonderful things of the Kyrgyz hospitality, filling up their PCTs will tea, bread and honey (music to my ears).

I won't have access to the internet for some time, but will update when I can!

Kyrgyz Republic!

Alright everyone, I leave bright and early tomorrow morning for the KR. After an exhausting day of orientation, I look forward to about 30 hours of travel (DC to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Istanbul, Istanbul to Bishkek).

Due to my fatigue, this will not be an extensive post. However, I am more excited now than I was a year ago when I applied. Being able to listen to returned volunteers from Kyrgyzstan and other parts of the world only affirmed my passion and drive for this project. My co-workers in the Peace Corps have given me the enthusiasm needed to embrace my fear of the unknown! We have all committed to this project and we will be each others support systems for the next few years.

I cannot wait to see what the next few years have in store.

My bags are packed...

After a year of anticipation, and several goodbyes, I am officially leaving for the Kyrgyz Republic this week!

2013 was definitely a trial of different cities and moving to all corners of the country (Seattle, New York, Orange County). Living so nomadically made me want to settle a bit and try to stay in one spot for longer than a few months!  I am ready to leave that year behind and find my own home for the next 27 months. 

Though I am used to living on my own and abroad, this is a whole other beast. Going to university in London when I was 18 was scary, but knowing I would be visiting for summers and winters help ease the worry. As a Peace Corps Trainee and Volunteer, I will have little access to visit my life stateside. It will be a challenge, like none I have faced before, but one I am ready to tackle! 

With only 48 hours left with my family and friends, I will be spending most of the time face first in burgers, donuts and pizza. Then I am off to Washington DC for brief orientation and quickly leaving for Bishkek on Friday. I have a feeling this week will go by in a meteoric flash. I am so excited and terrified to leave everything I have ever known, meet my new K-22 friends and embark on this new journey and chapter in my story. 

So here we go, me, myself and a tub of peanut butter are moving on up!

Kalynn and I, 2014

Eric and I, 2014