I'm a slacker

July 27, 2009

Sorry I have been slacking on the blog posts. No real reason other than I haven't had a lot of new adventures to report. When school starts I'll probably have more enlightening things to say. I started tutoring one of our family's relatives (a cousin I think). His mom found out I was an English teacher and asked if I could tutor him. I had to say yes because she is our relative and our family would be embarrased if I didn't. But this kid has no desire to learn English, which is ok, it's just a bit of a waste of my time. I did have a talk with him about him atleast "trying" to learn. I also started creating more games to play with him, that seems to engage him a lot more than repetition and conversation. We'll see how it goes today! My sister has been getting pretty good with her English. Last night we had a whole conversation about her family. How many brothers and sisters? How old they were? What they did? Where they lived? Pretty cool that she's catching on fast. And she really wants to learn to. She created these themed lists of phrases. Like she has one for meal related conversation that says things like "this food is delicious" and " I am finished with food and tea." She taped it to the wall next to the dinner table so she can practice while we are eating. She wants to create lists for several different activities so she can tape them around the house. She's pretty cool.

I learned a kyrgyz card game. It's called "Crazy". I can't wait to blow the socks off some Kyrgyz guys next time they bust out the card deck. I'm actually pretty good at it too.

Friday I am going to Chui oblast to visit my first host family and another volunteer who lived in my training village. I'm going with one of the other new volunteers who live in Talas. Hopefully it will be a good chance to get to know each other better. We plan on heading out early Friday morniong so we can make it to the Peace Corps office before they close to turn in some forms and pick up the other volunteers passports. Then we will head to my training village and hang out with my family. On saturday we are hoping to get a ride into Bishkek with my host dad, since he goes everyday to drive a taxi. And then try and find the vet's office we have been in touch with and talk to them about getting my puppy spayed and her kittens neutered. Then we're going to head to this awesome Chinese resturaunt to eat with my Kyrgyz teachers from training. Then off to the Beta Store and Osh bazaar to buy things we can't get in Talas. Things like Peanut Butter, spices, dove chocolate, BBQ Sauce, parmesan cheese, popcorn, brown sugar, etc. Then saturday night at Alysons house. I''m excited to get out of Talas for a little while and to see Alyson. I haven't seen her since we moved to Talas.

We got a fridge!! Woohoo for butter and mean and yogurt and milk and juice! And for food not sitting in the kitchen swarming with flies! Woohooo! It's an awesome fridge too. Full size with an ice cube tray. Heck yea!

I gotta call Peace Corps today and try to work out my leave dates for next summer. Trying to make it to Stephanie's wedding. As long as Peace Corps says yes I'm pretty sure Thomas and I can both go. We've had a few awesome people offer to help us out with plane tickets. We'll probably have a month of leave built up by that time so tentatively mark your calenders for seeing us next May! I can't wait to steal my kitty for a month!!

My puppy has turned into a bit of a terror lately. She is teething and therefor wants to chew on everything. Shoes, clothes, hands, toes. She has also taken up chasing the little kids down the street and nipping at their heels. No idea how to stop this behavior. It's driving me crazy. She is such a sweet dog as long as no one she doesn't know is around. If a stranger walks down the street she goes nuts. But when I take her out with me like to the store or for a walk, she is totally fine with strangers. I think she has extended the boundary of our home into the road and now feels like she has to protect it. Hmmm... Anybody got any ideas. My family wants to chain her up during the day if she keeps it up, especially since she's getting pretty big.

Anyways that's all for now