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Published: September 21st 2009
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Day 20, July 15, 2009, Wednesday, Sharshembi: I awoke a little late again this morning. It affects getting any writing done or any reflection. It is one of the difficulties when one is doing home stays. Getting some time alone to write was easier in Bishkek because everybody slept until at least 8 or 9 am and they left me alone. Here in Osh, the family actually keeps normal hours and are up by 7:30 am or by 8 at the latest and wants to feed me, or have a conversation. Marat is watching the part of “I Am Legend,” the Will Smith film, that we did not see yesterday before we went to his Great Aunt's house. I am having some coffee before heading off to some other village experience with the brother-in-law of Faruh. We are supposed to be heading to a village of Aidarken where the wife's family lives and where I am to be a guest for a late lunch or dinner. Hopefully, I am returning to Osh and Gulbara and Marat's by the end of the evening.
Yesterday evening we went to the Great Aunt Elmira's house for the afternoon and evening. She lives
a ways out of town in a small village. It was a very nice house among other nice houses. We had arpus in the shade of a grape arbor with large white jyzum bunches hanging from it. They were not ready to pick but would mature in about a month. The most interesting feature of the evening were the three daughters who were all between 18 and 21 years old. Each incredibly beautiful and with real spirit. The two youngest of the three and I were left alone for a period of time while the older people went to the market to pickup something. The girls brought out the English text books and we attempted to learn something from each other. The one who is studying English in order to become a translator had created her own English study guide with a great dictionary of English and Kyrgyz words. I would like to get a copy of it. She said she had printed it from a computer and put the book together herself. It looked to me like it was an old textbook source. I am now wondering if there are used bookstores where we might find such resources. I
will try to get someone to listen well enough to hear that we need to take care of some business for me and a bookstore, internet cassa and more telephone time are absolutely necessary.
We were served a lovely meal of osh (pronouced differently than the city) without the grease that has been so prevalent in other people's cooking. The rice pilaf was really lovely. And the time with the girls was fascinating. One of them, the youngest has a real relationship with Marat. And it is clear that each of them sizes him up as a possible husband, though he denies any interest.
We came home late. I went to bed quickly. Woke up about 3 am and began to try to solve the discharged battery in every device with the various methods I have to recharge them. I have decided that one of the real difficulties in traveling for me these days is all the technology that I carry with me has to be charged up. This time the situation is complicated by the fact that Emil decided that I should bring his older Nokia N 95 as my phone for Kyrgyzstan. It is a great phone, good camera, mp3 music player, etc. Bluetooth technology that allows me to move things from this computer into the phone with ease, including photos and music, as well as files. It has an Adobe reader application and word capability. But the battery needs to be replaced and Emil refused to let me buy a new battery in time to have it shipped in before the trip. The phone is okay, unless you use the camera, music player, etc and make a few calls, then it needs to be recharged daily. Normally, the battery would hold for about 48 hours with minimal use. So, at times, it just dies and I am without the ability to call or receive calls. It creates problems from time to time. But I can hold it until after Emil arrives when I will convince him that all these Nokia batteries are made in China.
I was told that they would pick me up around 9 am, it is 9:30 am now. As my friend Ulan in Bishkek said, punctuality is not an operative concept in Kyrgyzstan. I am now watching Pokeman videos with Kuba and Marat. So, I think I will give in and not try to compete mentally for attention. More about today's adventures later.
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