8-15-12
11:30 PM
(1:30 PM EST)
My only
access to the internet is through a 3-computer internet café in town that
closes by 5 PM, so my posts may be more erratic, and I might have to wait to
upload pictures. Still, I hope you enjoy hearing about this travel!
Today we went to the bassin! We
drove about 15 minutes out of town, and surprisingly closer to the mountains.
Dark clouds were spreading closer and closer to us, and the light rain made a
DOUBLE RAINBOW within the mountains. Like pretty much anything else in
Kyrgyzstan, it made an incredible sight. The bassin was a swimming pool filled
with water from a tube linked to the hot spring below the site. Bitterly cold
wind started by the time we parked the cars, so we scurried into the warm
water. I wished I could sleep in the water! I was told that the hot spring has
great health benefits. All the girls in the group pet each other’s’ arms to
feel how soft the water made our skin, so I think it’s true!
The past few days have been crazy
and busy and “wow!” We drove from
Bishkek to Ananievo, and it took about 5 hours (instead of 3 or 4) because of
construction in the mountains and Kyrgyz promptness (hehehe). We stopped at a
roadside yurta, a traditional national symbol, which was blasting American
clubbing music. Very surreal… The drive didn’t feel so long, though, because
literally every minute of looking out the window was breathtaking. I don’t know
any words that give justice to the natural beauty of Kyrgyzstan. There are
layers of mountains, almost like a 3D movie in real time – but so so so better.
The closer mountains are softer and brown, with much fewer trees than the
Appalachians that I’m used to. Behind those mountains are wildly high,
jagged-edged, snow-capped mountains. The pictures I’ll upload won’t give you
even 10% of the awe that seeing the places in person would give you. So, lesson
of this post: Go to Kyrgyzstan.
I’ve realized that tea time
(Chai!!) is an essential, more-extravagant-than-I-expected daily event. We
drink black tea out of small bowls. I like to stir in jam – there are fresh
currant, peach, raspberry, and strawberry jams ready on the table at all
meals. There is specially toasted bread
for the tea. You are supposed to take a small piece, maybe add butter and jam,
and drop it in your tea to soak before you scoop it out with your spoon. I
didn’t realize this at first, so I took a piece of rock-solid bread and tried
to bite on it. I loud crack sounded, and everybody at the table turned to me,
the wide-eyed foreigner. We all laughed together, and it wasn’t the last time I
made a silly mistake at the table. I’m very clumsy, but the people I am with
are pretty kind.
Except for Sang Nam (who will
arrive here on Sunday), we have all of our volunteers together. We have Aidai,
Jawad, and I from KG, France, the US, and Maryville College altogether. Then we
have Shoko from Japan, Eva from China, Dinara from Kyrgyzstan, Dinara from
Kazakhstan, and Indira from Kazakhstan. It’s a good & pretty funny group.
We now have 27 extraordinary children in our class. I’m not just being nice – these
kids are amazing. Everybody participates and is eager to learn. They study
vocabulary at home even though it’s summer time. Almost every question a
volunteer asks the class is answered with a room full of hands in the air, and
bright, excited eyes. They all care, and so many put a great deal of effort
into learning. They all arrive at the school early, and all the girls rush up
to the volunteers to hold our hands. “Hello!” “Hallo!” “Goo’ Mo’ning!” It’s
truly heartwarming.