Thursday, April 21, 2016

Six Months In, Lookalikes and Rumors

January 3, 2009

Hi All,

Life is a bit slower in January as we have no school.  We might not have any in February if it gets real cold, but so far it's been pleasant as mountain winters go.  Pretty amazing, one month and I'm an expert of mountain winters.

PC meetings and a drama workshop at AUCA will help January fly by.

Gotta run (not really, but I want to sound busy)

Michael

A Milestone of Sorts

Tuesday, January 7th marks six months in Kyrgyzstan. (December 20th was my 3 month anniversary as a volunteer.)  Of the 63 trainees that landed in Bishkek on July 7th, 54 of us are still here.  We lost 6 during training and only three since swearing in. Granted we don't live in the middle of nowhere in thatched roof huts with no electricity—actually the no electricity thing we do have—but, still, there are difficulties and adjustments have to be made.  Health, both physical and mental, is the key to survival in my opinion.  I'm not discounting homesickness, less than ideal work environments or any of the many other valid reasons for leaving, but if you're not healthy you're not going to be able to work through any of those other issues.


The next month will be a real test as the weather will likely be very cold and there is no school.  That means lots of down time that must be spent indoors.  Keeping myself busy with writing, extra classes for my students and a drama workshop at American University in Bishkek will help me navigate my way to February when it's rumored school will resume.  If not, we'll have another month of even less to keep us busy.  It would be easy to fall into a depressed state and/or drink more than usual.  That could result in more volunteers going home.  Let's pray that doesn't happen.

In the book I talk more about what I did to avoid getting too depressed, a good decision, and how my background helped as well.

January 3, 2009

Bits & Pieces

Throughout my life I've had people tell me I remind them of somebody, none of whom I would have chosen.  There was an actor in the 70s named Bradford Dillman and a basketball player named Brian Winters; I was told I resembled both and they look nothing alike.  Not to mention no one knows who the hell they are.  But, during my recent meetings in Bishkek, I realized I'm definitely moving up, prestige-wise, on the “You look like” ladder.  On successive days I was told I looked like Kevin Kline and Robert DeNiro.  While I was flattered I could make no sense of the choices. 

Winter in Kyrgyzstan 

On Christmas morning, just another Thursday for most Kyrgyzstonians, I awoke to a foot of snow. Gorgeous as it was, I was mildly cursing the heavenly powder as I had to shovel a hundred feet of it to get to the outhouse. Yesterday, it was warm enough that some of the Xmas snow was beginning to melt.  Then today it snowed again.  I'm thinking we might have snow on the ground until the spring thaw because of our elevation (4000 ft.); that every time some starts to melt it will snow again.  Not sure what's worse, all that sloppy slush or ice hidden under the snow.  Either way, walking has been quite an adventure in itself the past ten days.

In the book: details on the fall and how fortunate I was not to suffer a serious injury.


New Year’s in Kyrgyzstan

New Year's Eve in Kyrgyzstan fairly resembles the States with a couple of variations.  We have Christmas trees, they have New Year's trees.  Both are decorated and presents are exchanged in some houses.  I didn't see that in ours, but maybe they did it when I wasn't looking.  House parties are the norm with lots of food and plenty of champagne and vodka.  At midnight people revel outside and there are fireworks.  The major differences are 1) Most of the house parties involve only the family.  Friends and neighbors gather earlier in the day or on New Year's Day.  We had people over at 3pm on the Eve.  2) Fireworks are legal as they are sold at the bazaar and I'm not talking fire crackers and sparklers.  Everybody shoots off smaller versions of the kind you see in major displays.  It's colorful, loud and fun to watch, but I gotta think it's dangerous.  My host brothers, 9 and 11, were firing away and even though my host parents were watching, something could have gone wrong.

Rumors

A fellow volunteer overheard me talking on the phone to a Peace Corps staff member and the next thing I hear is that we are an item.  I had heard the Volunteer rumor mill was creative but this was a stretch even for them.  Today I was going to visit a fellow volunteer in his village, but my body decided I needed some exercise instead and had me running to the outhouse all morning. In a text message he said his host family knew a little about me from a family friend or member.  According to him, I said I have a wife and children in America.  I have declared myself the Center for Misinformation in Kyrgyzstan.  

In the book: the same rumor under different circumstances in China.