News: new city, new home, new jobs…and Doritos
It’s official. We’re now real Peace Corps volunteers! On September 21st the U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan swore us in as the 14th group of Peace Corps volunteers to serve in Kyrgyzstan. The ceremony was nice, but the reception at the Ambassador’s house was something to remember: pizza, Cool Ranch Doritos, home-made salsa, chili, Coke, Fanta…everything a new Peace Corps volunteer could ask for. So instead of taking advantage of the opportunity to mingle with the Peace Corps staff and diplomats, I chose to cling to my coveted position at the hors d’oeuvre table between the Doritos and salsa.
Moving on (now that I’ve revived my cravings for junk-food), we’ve spent the last two weeks living Doritos-free in Jalalabat and are enjoying our new indoor plumbing, flush-toilet, and hot shower! It’s definitely a treat to come home to something familiar after spending all day at our new jobs. Sarah thought she would get to observe during her first week on the job, but was surprised to find out, 15 minutes prior to the start of her first class, that that was not the case. As always, though, she rose to the occasion and taught her first university-level class in Kyrgyzstan as if she had planned it all along. Her students appear very motivated and are eager to learn English from a native speaker. She has already become quite the celebrity. I have been settling in at my job, too. My first two weeks have been spent reading the company’s reports (in English), meeting the other employees, and getting acquainted with their clients. Rural Advisory Services does an incredible job of providing assistance to rural farming citizens and women’s groups. They are one of the best NGOs in Kyrgyzstan, and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to work with them during the coming two years.
In addition to our work, we’ve also been settling in to our new community. We are still flattered by the Kyrgyz hospitality and feel very fortunate for the opportunity to learn the Kyrgyz language. Although our Kyrgyz is far from fluent, we have been asked on several occasions if we were Turkish, which is at least in the same language-family as Kyrgyz. They can’t believe Americans would choose to live in Kyrgyzstan for two years and are puzzled at the fact that we are speaking Kyrgyz and not Russian, since during the Soviet occupation of Kyrgyzstan it was considered shameful to speak Kyrgyz. Often they will offer us whatever they can, such as bread, tea, fruits, and even free taxi rides. Although many Kyrgyz people lack money, flush-toilets, hot showers, Doritos, and other material possessions we crave, they more than make up for that in culture and hospitality.
Oh, and in case you haven’t gotten the hint: SEND DORITOS!!! We are going through junk-food withdrawals. Sarah has even started having dreams of being in a candy store…help!
Life lesson of the day: Blogging on an empty stomach is a bad idea.
Moving on (now that I’ve revived my cravings for junk-food), we’ve spent the last two weeks living Doritos-free in Jalalabat and are enjoying our new indoor plumbing, flush-toilet, and hot shower! It’s definitely a treat to come home to something familiar after spending all day at our new jobs. Sarah thought she would get to observe during her first week on the job, but was surprised to find out, 15 minutes prior to the start of her first class, that that was not the case. As always, though, she rose to the occasion and taught her first university-level class in Kyrgyzstan as if she had planned it all along. Her students appear very motivated and are eager to learn English from a native speaker. She has already become quite the celebrity. I have been settling in at my job, too. My first two weeks have been spent reading the company’s reports (in English), meeting the other employees, and getting acquainted with their clients. Rural Advisory Services does an incredible job of providing assistance to rural farming citizens and women’s groups. They are one of the best NGOs in Kyrgyzstan, and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to work with them during the coming two years.
In addition to our work, we’ve also been settling in to our new community. We are still flattered by the Kyrgyz hospitality and feel very fortunate for the opportunity to learn the Kyrgyz language. Although our Kyrgyz is far from fluent, we have been asked on several occasions if we were Turkish, which is at least in the same language-family as Kyrgyz. They can’t believe Americans would choose to live in Kyrgyzstan for two years and are puzzled at the fact that we are speaking Kyrgyz and not Russian, since during the Soviet occupation of Kyrgyzstan it was considered shameful to speak Kyrgyz. Often they will offer us whatever they can, such as bread, tea, fruits, and even free taxi rides. Although many Kyrgyz people lack money, flush-toilets, hot showers, Doritos, and other material possessions we crave, they more than make up for that in culture and hospitality.
Oh, and in case you haven’t gotten the hint: SEND DORITOS!!! We are going through junk-food withdrawals. Sarah has even started having dreams of being in a candy store…help!
Life lesson of the day: Blogging on an empty stomach is a bad idea.
posted by Devin at 7:31 PM
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