My mama spits on me every morning, and I'm okay with that.

Every morning there is an arguement between me and my Mama, she wants me to iron my clothes. I don't want to. She always wins. The first time I ironed I was on the floor going at it with my mama telling me well done in Russian when she got up and got a cup of water. She swireled it around took in a big gulp and "SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSPPPPPPPPPPPPTTTTTTTTT"" She SPIT all over me and my Skirt! This happened many more times. I was soaked, my skirt was soaked and I was shell shocked.
I told my Teacher about it later. I mean I was spit all over!!! She looked at me blankely. We stared. She replied, "Yeah, sometimes you have to dampen the clothes to get the wrinkles out."
"I know, BUT SHE SPIT ON ME!!!"
"Yeah."
No sympathy was going to be coming my way. I thought maybe it was a one time thing. I have now come to prepare myself. When I see my Mama get up to get a cup of water I brace myself and try to block as much as I can.

I'm not just learning Russian and how to run a classroom or block spit here. I'm learning lots of cultural things. My Teacher is Uzbek and a really good Uzbek Dancer. The dancing includes alot of hand movements and a lot of Sass. She has been teaching myelf and the other Girl Trainee, Lydia, in my village how to do traditional Uzbek Dances. I have been repaying her for this by teaching her a traditional American dance I like to call the "The Farley". Mostly clipped pieces of Farley's Chip and Dale Dance. Lydia took a picture of me showing my teacher this dance. I don't want to say she looked shocked... I feel stunned is a better word.
I have also been learning to cook. And how to go Guesting. Peace Corps asked us what we planned on doing if we ran out of sum with a few days left in the month. Lydia and I looked at each other and said, "Ya go Goosting." Goosting is more how you pronounce guesting, which is just visiting people...unannounced. See my mama, god bless her, is not a good cook. So I like to show up at other people's houses conviently around dinner time. You know just to chat. A meal will be on the table in no time. I entertain with my chut-chut poruski and they feed me. I feel it is all a fair trade. My mama has taught me to cook some things but I really want to learn how to make anything with Eggplant. Why had I never had Egg Plant? It is so good!!! Andrew's mom is Turkish so she said she would show me how to make some Eggplant dishes. I am pumped.
Today was my first time out of the village in unrelated Peace Corps official business. Lydia and I got ourselves all the way out to another one of ft; width: 200px;" alt="" src="http://media.revver.com/broadcast/32356/thumbs/thumb_default.jpg" border="0" />


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My Second Childhood

I remember when I graduated college I laughed at my friends that were still stuck in college. I laughed and declared my independence and was proving it by moving half way around the world. I apologize for my arrogance. For I am in full swing of my second childhood.
I have a new Mama, Papa, a little bother and sister named Max and Aluna.
This second childhood consists of me having to re-learn how to speak. MY parents will hav guests over and show off how I say suchimpressive words such as, "spoon", "Fork", "Table", "Chair", and if they really want to impress... "teapot". After saying these words everyone cheers and then goes about speaking about stuff they know I don't normally understand...usually me.

Also, why this is my second childhood is when I am frustrated I ahve no way of telling anyone about it and my Mama feels it can be solved by having me eat more food. Or maybe I need to use the outhouse.
On a night when I'm feeling lucky I might stay up past nine... but usually I'm out petty early. I did stay up till 10 the other day to watch Doctor Doolittle Dvah with my family. The guy ho dubbed Eddie Murphay was wonderful.

I get walked to school and diectly picked up from school. When it was cold I was not allowed to leave without my coat. The best part of this second childhood is the fact that finally I get to be apart of the cool kids and have a packed lunch. Now, I wasn't the coolest of cool... no those kids mamas packed them Fanta or a tea cup. But I do get packed several had boiled eggs... that I can't peel, half a loaf of bread, half a chicken, and some tasteless cheese. I also, get a little treat of Kompot... Sour Cherry juice. But I get to sit there and tade for Potatoes or Tomatoes... maybe evn an eggplant or two. Then I sometimes sneak aay from class or just wait till after class and buy a Coca-Cola. Those firt few hits of the bottle let me know everything is going to be alright.

so far...

Well, I'm in Kyrgyzstan... finally! When I first arrived in Philadelphia I was able to spot other trainees in the airport because they all had the heavy sicker attached to their luggage, they looked desheveled, and like they just needed someone to tell them wehre to go. I was able to ride over to the airport with two other trainees Chris and Brandon. Everyone in the group is so accomplished people have traveled to amazing places and done some amazing stuff. The staging part in Philadelphia was mostly meetings and them telling us we need to be culturally sensitve and what not. It was two straight days of traveling from Philadelphia to Kyrgyzstan. Everyone eventually lost track of what day and time it was. ONe guy accidently didn't have a ticket to Bishkek so we eneded up leaving him in London! He is here now but is a whole day behind which at this point is a lot.

When we got here they put us into two busses. They were awesome. They were total left overs from the Soviet Era. I loved them they had a T.V. on them with turn knobs and beige curtains and were painted red. And then the seats looked like the couches that everyone's Grandma's had. You knwo the orange ones they bought in the 70's and still have!

Kyrgyzstan is so beautiful. Snow capped mountains and tons of Burch trees. But then there are tons of run down factories and eveything too. The mark of a former soviet country abandoned factories and tall ugly concrete buildings. One of the othr Trainees had the perfect way of describing it. Kyrgyzstan is a National Park meets an Industrial Park.

I haven't eaten much because... well I'm going to have to suck it up and eat it once I get hungry enough. For our first breakfast they had this stuff that looks like Cottage Cheese but tastes and smells like bread. Also, there was frmented Mare's milk. I don't like Milk to begin with so that was challenging. Every meal includes about 5 coarses for lunch yesterday I was fine after soup and"salad"(The salad was 2 pieces of old lettuce any vegtable they could find and lots of meat fat). I figure there will come a point that I get so hungry I will eat anything.

We have already had one language class. I got put into the russian group. It is cool because when I'm done I can travel to 15 countries without troubles if I can speak Russian, but it will be hardr to fit into the country because forgieners always speak Russian and they respect people who learn Kyrgyz more. I will be getting picked up by my Host Family soon. I have been desperately trying to remember the formal way of say hello so they don't think I'm stupid. But I pronounce it differently every time.
strast-voo-tyah
zdraz-tvoo-tyah
zdrazt-voot-yah
I need to learn... I am desperately trying!!!
Hopefully they will like me and really help me learn the language.
I did learn how to spell my name in Russian.
кэрол
So one step at a time!
Well, I gotta go buy some flowers for my Mama.