Mening Kun (My Day) I know I said that I would tell you about what my days have been full of but Im sitting here and really, it wouldn't be all that interesting to write about. But for the fam's sake, Ma, Im sure you want to know it all and thats because your my mom and moms are like that and thats why I love you, Ill sum it up for you. We have language class (which includes some time spent on cross culture) for 4 hours, either morning or afternoon sessions, Monday-Thursday and Saturday mornings. It is held in [View Full Entry]

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So, everyone knows that what I am doing in Uz for two years is teaching English right? If not, now you do. Or at least that is my main project. That and to "promote world peace and friendship," right on. So now I'll will give you a little peak into what the educational system and what an average classroom is like here. NOTE: There will be plenty more of this once I get to site, Im sure, so I will try to keep this on the short side. Right now the Uz school system is going through a change in structure. [View Full Entry]

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I'm finally writing about my trip to Samarkand, three weeks later. I think that I've hesitated because the cities attraction, it's spectacular architecture, rich with history and legend, is hard to capture in a photograph, especially in the dead of winter when the grandiose domes are half covered with snow and the sky is grey and no sun is shining on the bright blue and green mosaic tiles. I tried my best. I mostly tried to get some interesting perspectives to entertain and satisfy myself. Now, giving you a brief history about the city, what it means to Central Asia, how [View Full Entry]

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To many silly, crazy things have been talked about amongst my American friends and I lately. So all day today I have thought, God, everyone at home would get a kick outa all this. This led to me feeling a tinge homesick tonight (I refuse to let myself truly indulge on homesickness. A) I'm too busy and B) It's only been 5 weeks, lets pace ourselves, Jen.) I think you all may get a kick of of some of this. Most of these are about food. I dont know why. Let me share... Cotton oil is fuel- First of all, let [View Full Entry]

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Im still having a great time, though the novelty is starting to wear off. Yes, Im American. Yes, I like Uzbekistan. Yes, I like Osh (not really, I can only take so much. Osh, or Plov, the national rice dish that has a little bit of carrots, yellow peppers, sometimes chickpeas and is cooked in TONs of oil. Then some kind of meet is put on top. Everyone eats a TON of it. Every Friday we go to group meetings, at our hub site and we are served lunch. Last Friday one of my fellow trainees that I was sitting with, [View Full Entry]

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Last weeks adventure. We to the bazar that is in the closest town, which is 10 minutes down the main road, after we got finished an observation at a local school. On one side of the street is the food bazar and on the other is textiles. This bazar is where my host mother and father have a magazine (store/shop). They sell jeans. Designer jeans. My host mom who is a pediatrician and my host dad who is an architect, yea, they sell jeans. Why you say? Well I had a very interesting conversation the other night with my host mom [View Full Entry]

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Let me explain how the outskirts of Tashkent are laid out. At least in my direction. I am about 20 minutes out side of Tashkent, center. So even though what I describe sounds very village like (and that it is) keep in mind that, really, I haven't seen anything yet. The rural villages are miles and miles away from the next village over or closest town. But now, I'm in a suburb. I live in a village of about 150 people. It has a two small stores (very much like wild wild west general stores, to give you an idea), a [View Full Entry]

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January 30, 12:00am I have so much to say and I don't know if I can stay up to tell you all I want to tell. I will try. Yesterday our host families came to pick us up and bring us back to their homes to live with them for the next 10 weeks while we are in pc training. This is how it went down. We gathered in groups by what towns we were going to, which was determined by what language we were learning (a few are learning Russian, mainly though, we are learning Uzbek) and what our extension [View Full Entry]

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January 27, 2005 Me: Assalomu alaykum! ("hello, peace be upon you!") You; Va Akaykum assolom! ("I also wish you peace!") Me: Yah-shim-is-iz? ("how are you?") And You: Yah-shi! Siz Chi? ("Good! And you?"...is what I hope you can say) Me (unfortunately): Kasilmen. ("Im sick.") You: Af-sus. ("sorry to hear that.") Sorry to throw a curve ball in there like that but it is the truth and its all apart of playing this game called "Im a PC volunteer (rather, trainee)" they tell me. I am sitting in my room at the sanatorium when I should be at one of my Language/Cross [View Full Entry]

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January 22, 2005 Not even two days since I've written last and it seems like a week+ has gone bye. Our days have been jammed packed. Full of info sessions about Health and Safety, about Language and Cross Culture, Policy and Procedures, AND full of food, which is where I will begin... Diet- Every meal is served with nan bread. It is a round bread, that is put in the center of the table. The first person to break the bread, breaks the entire loaf into individual pieces for everyone. This Bread is very sacred to the Uzbek people. It is [View Full Entry]

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