We have officially passed the 6 month mark...

October is on it's way and the winds have gotten cold here in Bakai-ata. School is starting (again) after the apple/potato/bean harvest break and we are finished with most of our canning! Right now we are making chutneys and kim-chee to add some flavor to the winter. Thanks to our families we have a nice array of spices to work with and our food is starting to get spicy again. We've also stocked up on a lot of dry ingredients for the winter which has been interesting. Its strange to see 50 kilograms of anything in a place other than Costco.

Last week we had our in-service training for Peace Corps. A lot was review, but we had some really great language lessons. We also had a chance to meet with some of the US Embassy staff as the visited the American corner (resource center in Talas city). They have asked me to start a monthly club for some Talas city students about volunteerism and community service; I think it will be really interesting. In other work related new, I am going to start teaching a yoga class in our village and am working on a grant to buy textbooks for our village schools and do a two day teacher training for the English teachers. Finally, Alex and I are are working with 4 other volunteers to conduct reproductive health trainings for students all over the oblast. What I am saying is, I am finally starting to feel productive!

Alex and I have been doing quite well over all. We are settled into our home and now have a regular work schedule. We've been watching the show “The Wire” which, as everyone has been telling me for years, is amazing. We both are really looking forward to seeing our families in Italy (I cannot wait to taste red wine again!) Right now we are in Bishkek for a few days, after we head back to the village to start school again.

Well, I know the next thing I normally attach are pictures but---I didn't take any! I've been obsessed with trying to get a picture of this super pretty woodpecker and have failed to take other pictures. I promise extra picture s next time I update.

We moved!

I have just begun my 6^th month in Peace Corps Kyrgyzstan, can you believe it? It's September and the weather is starting to get cooler. The trees are full of apples and plums and a strange vine with wispy flowers that seem to belong underwater has appeared on all the bushes. Alex and I have finally moved into our new home! It is a little house right next to our families home and is absolutely wonderful. The last few days have been spent moving in and getting comfortable. We have some great old wooden furniture that our host family is letting us use and a functioning mini-kitchen. I am attaching a few pictures of the house to this post. I think Claire explained its aura the best---it feels sort of like being on the frontier. Not that life is all that hard, we have stores and live behind a post office; but its quiet, we haul our own water, and our heating is a huge coal stove. When you look out the window you see kids herding cows and donkeys pulling carts and at night it's truly dark out. On the other hand, every once in awhile you hear Lady Gaga (or that ridiculous song that goes “I'm sorry I don't mean to be rude, but tonight..” well you know) wafting out of someones car. It's a strange world.

On to interested events. In mid-August we had a rayon wide teachers meeting at which I taught a lesson on lesson planning to the English teachers and mostly followed the rest of the seminar (yay for improving Kyrgyz). August 30^th was a big day in Bakai Ata; it was the 75^th anniversary of our village, Ayt, and the 200^th anniversary of the death , or birth—I'm not quite sure, of Kurmanjian Jatka (not sure if I spelled that correctly). She is a national hero that lived in the Alai Mountains and became an Islamic tribal leader, as a woman!, and united many tribes under her against several invasions. She has a really interesting story, Wikipedia her if you have time. Anyway, there was a big parade on the main street in which the schools, local government staff, fire fighters, police officers, etc were represented. Alex and I marched with our schools. Everyone got dressed up in fancy clothing or Krygyz national dress. Alex and I got there on time and ended up waiting two hours for everyone to trickle in only to find out that the parade walked one block! It was quite silly. Afterward, there was a concert and wrestling match in the park. Families who own yurts set them up as well and served food to the village elders. It was a pretty fun event. After the event we celebrated Ayt which is the end of Ramadan. Every household serves food and tea in a staggered fashion. Families visit 5-10 houses on their streets and celebrate their completion of Ramadan and, presumably, the ability to eat while the sun is still out.

Additionally, school has started. I am officially a teacher—crazy. On the 1^st my school has a ceremony in which all the students come in, register, and watch the first ringing of the school bell. Classes started the next day. In my school there are two shifts, during first shift 5^th through 11^th grades have four classes from 8am to noon. All of my classes will be during this morning shift. So far, I know I am teaching 12 hours M-F but the full schedule is still being created. I was super scared, but everything has been going well so far. I've also successfully purchased some teacherly clothing which, as you all know, is an accomplishment with my shopping skills.

Adora---two of them items I bought at a second hand store and they ended up being from H&M; I'm way to predictable. Also, I made apple pie.

Well, I thinks thats all for now. Time to make some Kampot (canned juice).

Current banka count: 23

(Banka=2 litre jar for winter)