So far, so good...

It's hard to believe that I'm already in my third week of teaching at the London School in Bishkek... as both Monica and I commented on Skype this morning, it feels simultaneously like a really long time since I was at home and like almost no time at all. 

Teaching is going okay, though I don't find it all that enjoyable most days.  Once I get the first class over with, the rest of the day goes fairly quickly, but my favorite time is still 8:20, when all the students leave and I can go get some food with the other teachers.  Once I get more used to making lesson plans etc. etc., I hope I like the actual teaching part a bit better, but I don't know if that's going to happen or not.  I certainly know that I don't want to do this as a career!  In the meantime, though, it's my job and I'll try not to complain about it too much.  It's given me the chance to come to a new place, meet new people, and see some gorgeous scenery, so I guess I can endure it for a few months. 

I enjoy living in Bishkek, for the most part.  We have a pretty nice teaching schedule (2:30-8:20, with Wednesdays and weekends off), so I have a fair amount of free time.  I like taking walks around the neighborhood-- Bishkek has lots of trees, parks, and shady lanes to wander around in.  You have to be careful of loose tiles, uneven sidewalks, and manholes without covers, but it's a pleasant place to take a stroll most days.  I do get a bit tired of being stared at, but I'm also kind of used to it by now.  I just ignore the looks and keep walking.  I'm also thankful for the American-style grocery store just down the street, since I can just pull things off the shelves and pay at the register, rather than having to use sign language to ask for what I want!  It's a bit more expensive than other stores here, but the convenience and selection more than make up for it. 

I'm thankful, too, for some new friendships with several of the other teachers.  They've been kind enough to let me tag along with them for the evening meal most nights-- eating at cafes by myself would be no fun, even if I knew the language.  Plus, a single woman eating alone here would be pretty odd.  So, I'm very grateful to have some dinner dates to hang out with after class!

There are already a few things that I know I'll always associate with Kyrgyzstan.  I think the one that will stick with me the longest is the distinctive smell of the shashlyk fires at every little cafe you pass.  I really like eating at the cafes in the evening-- you can get a really nice, filling plate of plov (rice pilaf with some pieces of meat), lagman (noodle stew), koordak (potatoes and mutton), shashlyk, or several other standard local dishes, plus some bread and a pot of chai for about 100 som, which comes to approximately $2.50 in American dollars!  It ends up being cheaper to eat out than eat in.

I'm looking forward to this weekend, when the school is taking us on another excursion.  I'm hoping to see some more beautiful mountains, and maybe some autumn colors too.  The trees here in the city are pretty, but not all that colorful yet.  I've seen some yellow leaves, but no reds or oranges, so I'm curious to see if there's more color in the countryside.

Well, this is getting a bit lengthy, so I'll wrap it up... I'm doing well, though I still miss my family very much.  It was wonderful to speak to them on Skype this week, and I hope to contact them regularly now that we've gotten connected.  I look forward to the day when I start to feel really comfortable here, both in terms of culture and my job.  I have faith that it will come in time!  Russian lessons should help with the comfort level a lot, and I'm starting them in November, according to the office staff. 

As always, I love you all!  I'll talk to you soon...

Where is that, again?

So here I am in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan!  How did I get here, you may ask?  It's a long story.  And I haven't updated this blog in a really, really long time... my apologies.  But here's a nutshell version of how I came to be in Central Asia.

After working as a bank teller for several years, I decided it wasn't the career for me, and began to cast around for other job options.  About this time I became interested in Turkish culture (see any number of my blog entries for more on that), and heard that there were lots of English-teaching jobs in that part of the world.  Also, quite a lot of my relatives have done volunteer/service work and English teaching overseas, so I thought I might like to try it too.  I took an English-teaching course in NYC, then began to search for jobs in Turkey.  I had little luck, mostly due to my lack of experience, so I prayed about it and asked the Lord if maybe he wanted me to look a little farther afield.  That very night, I came across a listing on tefl.com for a job in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.  I was intrigued, and decided to look into it.  About a month later, I was hired!  That was just after Easter.  Since the job didn't start until September, I had some time to prepare for my trip, study a bit of Russian, etc.  Not that the Russian studies helped overmuch... I understand little of what's said to, about, or around me!  However, the school offers Russian lessons for a very reasonable price, so I plan to take advantage of that soon.

I left the US on September 9th, and stopped in Istanbul for about a week.  I had a wonderful time exploring the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, etc. etc.  It was a bit lonely being on my own, but thankfully the staff at the Sur Hotel were very friendly and full of advice and directions.  Also, a nice couple who was also staying at the hotel offered to accompany me to Topkapi Palace one day, and we had a great time together.  I'll write a separate blog about my experiences there, I think, but let me say that (1) the Sur Hotel is a lovely, affordable little place to stay, (2) watch out for the ultra-persistent carpet salesmen, especially around the Blue Mosque, and (3) don't miss the Harem tour at Topkapi, even though it costs extra lira.  Definitely worth it.

I bid a reluctant goodbye to Istanbul on September 16th, and landed in Bishkek at 4 AM the next day.  I was grateful to have no problems with customs or my baggage, and was even more grateful to be met at the airport by Nargiza, one of the several very sweet and helpful office staff at the London School.  She took me to my apartment, which is right on the school grounds (no commute for me!), and left me to rest for a while before I met the school manager and director of studies later that day.

Natalia (the director of studies) and Kendje (owner/manager) went over my contract and talked about some of the cultural differences I would experience here.  They both are very kind, and I immediately had a good feeling about the organization and quality of education here at the school.  I've spent the last week observing classes, participating in the weekly "talking club" for higher-level students, and getting to know my fellow teachers.  There are eight native speakers on staff at the moment-- 4 men, 4 women.  Of the 8, 6 are Brits!  Jaime and I are the lone American girls.    Don't be surprised if I come home with a slight accent, or at the very least having consciously or unconsciously adopted some British-isms. 

I was also privileged to arrive just in time to go on a weekend excursion to Lake Issyk-Kul with the other teachers.  Kendje, her husband, and various other family members hosted us at her spacious lake house for the weekend.  We were fed enormous amounts of wonderful food (I especially love the crusty Kyrgyz bread, which is divine dipped into syrupy jam full of apricots...), and taken on side-trips to some lovely spots.  Most of Saturday was spent in the mountains, where we hiked to a waterfall and had a picnic lunch.  The lunch featured the classic Central Asian dish shashlyk, which is meat roasted on skewers over a fire.  Yum.  That evening, Kendje took some of us to a nearby "banya" (bath) for a soak in hot saltwater.  It was quite relaxing after a long day of driving and hiking!  Later, I sat under the stars with some of the other teachers and had a nice chat.

On the way back to Bishkek, we stopped at Burana Tower for a quick tour.  The tower is actually a reconstruction, since the 11th-century original was destroyed in an earthquake, but it was still an adventure to climb up the steep, winding steps in the dark!  We also saw some interesting stone figures/ statues in the tower courtyard.  I have pictures of all of this, but unfortunately haven't been able to upload them yet, due to a slow connection.  One of these days...

Well, this is getting quite lengthy, so I'd better wrap it up.  I'll be updating when I can, so stay tuned for more stories!  I start my actual teaching on Monday afternoon--wish me luck!  I'm trying not to be too nervous about it.  I know I'll be OK, but I'm still adjusting to many new things at once.  I appreciate all of your prayers and good wishes!  I love all of you, and I'll be in touch.

Currently Watching Little Women (Collector's Edition) By Winona Ryder, Gabriel Byrne, Trini Alvarado, Samantha Mathis, Kirsten Dunst see related

Here's a cool Halloween-y video from a Swedish singer named Lykke Li.  Enjoy.

The song is called "I'm Good, I'm Gone."

Currently Listening Donia By Sawt el Atlas see related

Lately everyone and her brother (and second cousin and aunt and next-door-neighbor) has been asking me what I'm up to, when I'm leaving for parts unknown, if I found a teaching job yet, etc. and so on.  I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry, but I certainly can't complain about it, since I brought it on myself.  Purposely.  Yeah, there's a good reason I told everyone exactly what I want to do and where I want to go--so they would keep after me and make sure that I actually DO something about my dreams this time.  So, thank you everybody.  Now go away.  (Just kidding....I think.)

Last week my main project was writing up a résumé, which still needs some polishing before it's ready to make its way to potential employers.  It was more difficult than I anticipated to condense my life into a page or so.  I think I may send it to one or both of my CELTA tutors for critiques and advice. 

In other news, my fellow Turkophile and facebook friend Jolanta posted this video, which I find completely mesmerizing.  I've always thought that time-lapse photography was kind of awesome, and here's a stellar example.  The video is made up of 7500 photographs taken by Veysel Gencten since 2002.

Currently Listening Karma By Tarkan see related

5 Really Excellent Reasons Why I Haven't Posted in a Month

1.  I was at the Jig Jamboree, canoeing, playing with fire, and generally having a fabulous time. 

Witness how I cleverly conned my cousins into rowing while Emmi and I collected the "leaf-iz" that floated by.  "Look, a p'incess one!"  (photo stolen from Monica's facebook page)

2.  I was at the beach, getting sunburned, sitting around the campfire in the drizzle, and generally having another fabulous time.

Me, my brothers Matt and Tim (aka The Brown One and The White One), my niece Emmaline, and my sister-in-law Vicki.  (My other sister-in-law Monica was taking this pic, which I also stole from her facebook.)

3.  I was teaching ESL classes in Reading.  Not too bad so far, though I feel a bit disorganized (or maybe that's just the somewhat slapdash structure of the whole program).  Now that I've kind of figured out what level my students are, I think I might be able to find the proper curriculum.  Wish me luck.  And more students.  Only 3 showed up for the first two sessions, and CELTA got me used to larger classes and lots of pair-work.  But learning how to adapt material for varying class situations is a useful skill, or so I keep reminding myself.

4.  I was reading.  Most recently, a thick book by Antonia Fraser entitled The Wives of Henry VIII.  Fascinating stuff.  "Divorced, beheaded, died.  Divorced, beheaded, survived..."  One question I still have after reading it:  Why on earth would any woman after his first two wives agree to marry the man, knowing quite well that he'd divorced Catherine of Aragon after more than 20 years of marriage and then had Anne Boleyn beheaded a few years later on trumped-up charges?  Not to mention the fact that he became grossly fat and developed nasty leg ulcers while still in his 40's.  Ew.

5.  I was making friendship bracelets.  Emmi ordered one in "pink...'n wed...'n yel-yow..." which I worked on for a few hours today.  Almost finished!  I also entered my 10-color flame-pattern masterpiece in the Oley Fair this afternoon.  I can hardly wait until Thursday so I can rush over and see if it won a ribbon.  I haven't entered anything in the Fair for ages.