The Amazing Adventures of Kyrgyzstan and Col

Chapter Fourteen: 'Keking It.

This is me reporting from the capital city. Like the weather, things are clear. It's been a nice, calm few days filled with medical appointments, dental exams and administrative meetings, oh my.

I'm milking my stay with another PCV. Now that school is out for summer, I might just have to stay and do program research till the end of the week. I have to swing by the US embassy and get information on textbooks or something.

Anyway, the weather is amazing. We're basically on the same latitudinal plane as Chicago, so we've got the whole four season thing going on. I'm planning on hitting up the valleys for some summer hiking, but that would require walking, and PCMO told me to limit that, if at all possible.

So I made this list of summer goals because I'm still a huge nerd and write down both short-term and long-term goals. This so-called list of mine was discovered last night and read aloud for a good laugh. Apparently, I actually put swimming and hiking and fishing on the list, and because I have already accomplished 2 out of the 3, a black pen was taken to the page and the tasks crossed off. I think that's normal though. As is writing myself post-it notes, encouraging me to "keep reading" and "speak slower."

Eh, if others get one laugh out of my silly ways, I'll keep doing it. Slowly, I'm losing my mind. Sadly, I'm OK with that.

And get this. In the span of one month, my laptop, iPod and digital camera all failed on me and had to be sent back to the US. I got a call at the crack of dawn this morning, telling me that Apple has agreed to mail me a brand new, updated Powerbook because it was "lost in transit." Until then, I am sans technology.

Oh, so without revealing too much information about my summer whereabouts, I admit to finally purchasing my summer travel flights to Sofia, Bulgaria, and Vienna, Austria. I'm really, really excited. I just hope the people I'm visiting don't ditch me and leave me to fend off the European villains. I may have been raised on Chicago's northshore, but I'm a little village girl now, and big, scary cities frighten me.

Here's me and a bunch of cows on my way fishing. I'm on the phone with She-She Marshall.

posted by C @ 1:08 PM 4 comments

Chapter Thirteen: 13 going on 23

I'm in the city for 2.2 this morning, doing things.

I just went to the post office and mailed two very odd packages to two very odd friends. And it was kimbat... that's expensive in Kyrgyz.

Even if the post office lady was trying to rip me off, I still heart the Kyrgyz.





...and these lovely, Asian-Americans.

posted by C @ 10:13 AM 3 comments

Chapter Twelve: Oh, hi, Oh

So other PCVs are getting hits on their blogs from soon to be K-14 volunteers. I can't believe the next group is already coming in. I know it's three months earlier than our group actually came to country, but still.

In case you wanted to know, time here does go by really fast. And I mean that in a really slow, fast way.

All deliberate speed- Lately you've been comtemplating.
Is this real or is this fading?
What brought you here in the first place?
Everyone around us screams
It's got to be and it's got to hit you.
Well, you and me, well we can change the world.

Mae "All Deliberate Speed"

posted by C @ 4:39 PM 1 comments