This was taken in April or so, of my mom and me in our Turkmen dresses. I gave a few presentations in Minneapolis (the third goal of Peace Corps!) when I was home for a couple of weeks.
Mar 29, 2006
In Minnesota Teaching
This was taken in April or so, of my mom and me in our Turkmen dresses. I gave a few presentations in Minneapolis (the third goal of Peace Corps!) when I was home for a couple of weeks.
Mar 28, 2006
Smiles
Everyone in America is just so darn friendly! People are excusing themselves every 10 seconds and getting gracious replies. Bump into someone and out fly two "sorries". Every service worker has been so pleasant that I feel like I've made all these friends.
Not to mention, all the stores here have tons of stuff in them! Get that! Their are rows and rows of products, and they are not all identical. I was beginning to think shelving products wouldn't be needed there until 2058, there were so many identical things on the shelves. Here you have to look through a bunch of different things to find what you're looking for, but hey, fine by me.
This computer is so fast. I used to think faster than the computer. When that web site came up, my cursor was poised and I was alredy fixing my own spelling errors in my head. Now I just stare.
My taste buds are happy too!
Not to mention, all the stores here have tons of stuff in them! Get that! Their are rows and rows of products, and they are not all identical. I was beginning to think shelving products wouldn't be needed there until 2058, there were so many identical things on the shelves. Here you have to look through a bunch of different things to find what you're looking for, but hey, fine by me.
This computer is so fast. I used to think faster than the computer. When that web site came up, my cursor was poised and I was alredy fixing my own spelling errors in my head. Now I just stare.
My taste buds are happy too!
Mar 27, 2006
Desert
So this is the desert, huh? When the wind blows harder than usual, I keep my mouth shut tight. Sunglasses help too. Washing sand out of my hair in the evening, I sometimes allow un-American thoughts to creep into my head like the practical purposes of wearing scarves and long dresses. No matter how windy or hot though, it always looks like a beautiful day in the desert, and without fail the people tell you the opposite.
"It's terribly cold and terribly windy this week, and when you come back, it'll be April, and April is already terribly hot."
So I try to enjoy the sand in my teeth.
It's Monday and I should be up already, but I slept in men's boxers I bought at the bazaar, which wildly confuses anyone who sees me in them, and my legs don't want to part with the sheets. This past year and a half I've found that I have to be woken up by something living. Today no one has called, no knock at the door, no one klinking around the kitchen, so I'm on my own. That's one reason not to live alone. There's no competition. When people live together and one is up at 8, there's a kind of automatic pressure on the second. I have to feel at least as productive as those around me, but when there's no one--why not stay in bed until 10? Having to pee helps some, and soon I'm up and around and boiling water for tea.
Bathing in my apartment happens rarely and in the evenings. It's a process that consists of using a plastic ladle and being cold. Don't get me wrong. I've got the miracle of running hot water, just no shower head. You get cold between ladles and during shampooing.
So my morning is free from that hassle. I pick an outfit based on the boss of today's activities. If it is my programs, I'm wearing jeans. If I'm going to be seen by other various bosses or workmates, I'll put on a skirt. Today it's off to School #15 first, so I'm going for a long skirt, flip-flops, and an oversized sweater. I know I look silly to someone every time I'm out. The Americans snicker at my hip russian outfits, the turkmen gasp at my immorality, and the Russians cringe at my tasteless, colorless outfits. So I give up and go for what's comfortable.
School 15 is a block away from my house which is convenient for walking purposes but means that I live next to 600 children who know both my name, and the word "Hello". Trust me--they are fluent at yelling both words.
A familiar face in a home abroad is rare and welcome oddity. Today it's Omar, a friend I helped with English practice. . . just enough attendance at Teacher's Club to get him a job at an oil company and the privilage of leaving the school for good. Since then, Anabibi (an older single woman with an angular smile) has taken the plunge as well.
Omar looks like he's from India. his nationality confuses everyone on the job too, since the most obvious words I taught him were "yep" and "nope." He loves it. Are you working this week Omar? "Nope." Oh, you have the week to relax huh? "Yep." I believe he was asked his nationality on the job after his first "yep."
Now, however, he's waiting in the teachers' room to ask about help updating his resume. Omar is one of few local men who will shake my hand. It's not done between women and men, which only bothers me when someone comes to a group of 10 and shakes the men's hands and ignores the women. He's not married and probably doesn't care to be.
Bibi sniffs us out as usual. She's so social that a social gathering happening without her is like a giant magnet. She's stylish and enjoys being so.
To be cont.
"It's terribly cold and terribly windy this week, and when you come back, it'll be April, and April is already terribly hot."
So I try to enjoy the sand in my teeth.
It's Monday and I should be up already, but I slept in men's boxers I bought at the bazaar, which wildly confuses anyone who sees me in them, and my legs don't want to part with the sheets. This past year and a half I've found that I have to be woken up by something living. Today no one has called, no knock at the door, no one klinking around the kitchen, so I'm on my own. That's one reason not to live alone. There's no competition. When people live together and one is up at 8, there's a kind of automatic pressure on the second. I have to feel at least as productive as those around me, but when there's no one--why not stay in bed until 10? Having to pee helps some, and soon I'm up and around and boiling water for tea.
Bathing in my apartment happens rarely and in the evenings. It's a process that consists of using a plastic ladle and being cold. Don't get me wrong. I've got the miracle of running hot water, just no shower head. You get cold between ladles and during shampooing.
So my morning is free from that hassle. I pick an outfit based on the boss of today's activities. If it is my programs, I'm wearing jeans. If I'm going to be seen by other various bosses or workmates, I'll put on a skirt. Today it's off to School #15 first, so I'm going for a long skirt, flip-flops, and an oversized sweater. I know I look silly to someone every time I'm out. The Americans snicker at my hip russian outfits, the turkmen gasp at my immorality, and the Russians cringe at my tasteless, colorless outfits. So I give up and go for what's comfortable.
School 15 is a block away from my house which is convenient for walking purposes but means that I live next to 600 children who know both my name, and the word "Hello". Trust me--they are fluent at yelling both words.
A familiar face in a home abroad is rare and welcome oddity. Today it's Omar, a friend I helped with English practice. . . just enough attendance at Teacher's Club to get him a job at an oil company and the privilage of leaving the school for good. Since then, Anabibi (an older single woman with an angular smile) has taken the plunge as well.
Omar looks like he's from India. his nationality confuses everyone on the job too, since the most obvious words I taught him were "yep" and "nope." He loves it. Are you working this week Omar? "Nope." Oh, you have the week to relax huh? "Yep." I believe he was asked his nationality on the job after his first "yep."
Now, however, he's waiting in the teachers' room to ask about help updating his resume. Omar is one of few local men who will shake my hand. It's not done between women and men, which only bothers me when someone comes to a group of 10 and shakes the men's hands and ignores the women. He's not married and probably doesn't care to be.
Bibi sniffs us out as usual. She's so social that a social gathering happening without her is like a giant magnet. She's stylish and enjoys being so.
To be cont.
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