Where Am I?

 I have learned countless different things about myself. I am definetly appreciating life more so than in my past.  In America it seems as if things were not going a certain way it was woe is me and my life.   Now a new revalation has been instilled in my heart.  If things are not going well it is Woe is Kyrgyzstan not me.  It is where I am that is the problem.  I do not mean that physically.  It is not about the place I am I quickly realized after thinking it was the country I was serving.  It is simply an attitude of where I am in life.  I am now anxious to see where this realization will take me.  

Carolyn 

Healthy Tormenting

So, Hello

I am still in Kyrgyzstan. Now, I have arrived at permanent site. Which means I have a job and a new host family. I feel like I have been overly enthusiastic about how much I love everything. Basically, I am upset about the loss of my language right now. I am getting in the habit of not talking at all when I am at work and at home. I feel like the longer I am around native speakers of Russian, and the more I get to know them the more they want to pull apart what I thought I already knew regarding the language. So, I barely speak. I have a language tutor now. Maybe my language will improve and I can get out of this habit of being silent. Also, I have been watching many disney movies that are translated in Russian. It is great I can always hear the English right before the translation takes place.

As for nutrition education, no one listens to me in fact I am critisized. It is especially frustrating when other volunteers critisize me for what I eat or talk about concerning healthy eating. I am trying my best to fight the urge to to go back to school for research in nutrition.

The main part of my life that is fufilling right now is going to the orphanage to teach english. I like being creative and acting crazy while teaching. It is pretty interesting with only a piece of chalk and a black board as my teaching tools. I do a lot of acting to demonstrate verbs.

I miss music. I cannot believe I did not bring an ipod. I dont want to get started about the people and things that I miss in America.

However, I am meeting many interesting people. I have run into other christians here. I went to the Russian Orthodox church last Sunday. I left within 10 minutes because I was not wearing a head scarf--even the children had head scarfs on. So, I figured I would go back the next Sunday, of course, wearing my new beaded tan headscarf. Better yet, a few people from here invited me to a prayer meeting. Also, this weekend is my host sister's wedding. I am so excited to see a Kyrgyz wedding!

I have been torturing my little host brother for entertainment. Thats right not tutoring(as my host family demanded the day I arrived). Torturing. I had about enough of him tormenting me with every move I make upon my new arrival into town. So, I have been whistling in the house. Everyone here is very superstitious about this. It is said that you wont have money. So, he screams "HET DANGY,shhhhhh," in a very frantic manner. I am like what do you care if I have money or not??

Anyway, please feel free to send me emails at cgood711@gmail.com

I will keep you posted

Carolyn