18:30 2 February 2009
As typical of weekends in the city, I had a lot of fun and actually got a lot of work done. My Winter Camp is fast approaching and I had a very important meeting with my co-director finalizing aspects of the schedule and discussing our upcoming plans. We are holding an Arts- focused camp which incorporates of course Health themes as well as Sports, and Life Skills topics. It should be both a lot of fun for us and the children and also will hopefully have a positive impact on their lives.
In addition to our hours long meeting, we also went ice-skating, but the unseasonably warm weather meant the ice was in terrible and our skates would unexpectedly fall through the ice and onto the grassy field below- yuck. Anyhow, it was still a fun time and was enjoyable to horse around on the ice.
08 February 2009
Gratefully Guesting?
18:45 31 January 2009
Yesterday, as I came into Karakol to use internet and have an important meeting about my upcoming Winter Camp, I had the most bizarre taxi ride of my life. It is not an unusual or unsafe practice here to hitch rides- many Kyrgyz are happy to have the extra passenger and a little extra income on their commutes to an forth. Also, at certain times, marshrutkas and taxis become unavailable so it leaves one with little choice in transportation. On this particular transit, I got a ride in a very nice Honda minivan and the family there was very interesting- the son spoke excellent English and I was really enjoying my ride (it’s usually about a 30-45 minute ride into the city from my village). About halfway there, the mother of the family in the car asks if I minded if they stopped for five to drop something off at a relatives’ house. As I was not in a hurry and enjoyed their company, I assented and said it would not be a problem.
Of course, in a spit of remarkable naivety, I forgot the Kyrgyz guesting traditions. Therefore, as a 15 minute acquaintance, I was ordered to come in, drink tea, eat salads, and was offered vodka that I had to decline. Then tea turned into dinner and so I had to wait for them to prepare a dish with meat and potatoes. All the while the son who spoke English kept apologizing for the delay but I assured him that I didn’t mind- hey at least I got a free dinner. Finally, we got back on our way again, and I realized that the five minute stop had turned into a completely unexpected two and a half hour guesting. I got into the city later than I hoped, but with no real harm and a good story to my credit.
Yesterday, as I came into Karakol to use internet and have an important meeting about my upcoming Winter Camp, I had the most bizarre taxi ride of my life. It is not an unusual or unsafe practice here to hitch rides- many Kyrgyz are happy to have the extra passenger and a little extra income on their commutes to an forth. Also, at certain times, marshrutkas and taxis become unavailable so it leaves one with little choice in transportation. On this particular transit, I got a ride in a very nice Honda minivan and the family there was very interesting- the son spoke excellent English and I was really enjoying my ride (it’s usually about a 30-45 minute ride into the city from my village). About halfway there, the mother of the family in the car asks if I minded if they stopped for five to drop something off at a relatives’ house. As I was not in a hurry and enjoyed their company, I assented and said it would not be a problem.
Of course, in a spit of remarkable naivety, I forgot the Kyrgyz guesting traditions. Therefore, as a 15 minute acquaintance, I was ordered to come in, drink tea, eat salads, and was offered vodka that I had to decline. Then tea turned into dinner and so I had to wait for them to prepare a dish with meat and potatoes. All the while the son who spoke English kept apologizing for the delay but I assured him that I didn’t mind- hey at least I got a free dinner. Finally, we got back on our way again, and I realized that the five minute stop had turned into a completely unexpected two and a half hour guesting. I got into the city later than I hoped, but with no real harm and a good story to my credit.
A Solemn Occasion
22:15 28 January 2009
I forgot to mention the reason for the previously reported slaughter that I took part in. The man who would have been my host father died two years ago today. On account of this, I got to experience first-hand the Muslim side of Kyrgyzstan. My entire immediate host family returned back to the village for the memorial, and a large number of friends, extended family, and other people who knew him came for an elaborate guesting. This meant that I assisted my family for several hours the night before and today I got up early to help them prepare the table and prepare.
The ceremony began with an imam who came and recited the longest Koran passage I have ever heard. My host sister's middle daughter, two year old Al-Suu, plopped into my lap and sat like an angle for the twenty minutes he took. The clear nasal tenor of the imam pierced the still silence of the room and created an incredibly beautiful and haunting ambience for the most contemplative moments of the day. As the imam continued on, the entire room slowed with quiet reverence and I saw some of the most poignant displays of emotion in Kyrgyz people that I have experienced in country. My host sisters' and mothers’ eyes were red and pregnant with tears as they sat listening to the passage; and many of the other ejes (older women) were openly crying. The men sat stoically, but it was obvious that the emotion of the day overtook even some of them. Despite the sadness of the day, the feeling and honesty of it left me feeling that it was a beautiful experience.
Following the recitation, the typical Kyrgyz practices of eating, drinking, and beshbarmaking (the ritual surrounding the consumption of the national mutton and noodle dish by hand) began. While I was unable to attend the latter portion of it due to work and a new English Club I started for adults, I was really glad that I was able to attend the religious side of the day and witness the chilling but beautiful ceremony.
Silence of the lamb
11:35 28 January 2009
Warning: This entry contains graphic descriptions of slaughter in the first paragraph, read at your own risk- the rest of the entry should be fine for all.
For the first time in country, and indeed in my life, I witnessed the slaughter of a sheep. While it was certainly a somewhat traumatic experience, especially since earlier in the day I had chopped the head off my third chicken (I thought it might get easier the second time around but I was wrong- the immense feelings of guilt, queasiness, and horror at my own action remain and I was left trembling for a good ten minutes afterwards- the habits of a decade long vegetarian die hard I suppose) it was also in some ways an oddly beautiful sight. There are relatively few reminders that I live in a Muslim country on a daily basis, I can’t hear the mosque from my house, alcohol consumption is common and widespread (a legacy of the Russians), and Kyrgyzstan is a quite secular country; however, when it comes to slaughter, it is seeped in the Islamic tradition which is actually somewhat similar to the way kosher slaughter takes place. It began with my family and the neighbors who would slaughter standing around praying, the Muslim way asks God for the meat, the role of the slaughter is merely to cut the sheep (linguistically interesting you don’t kill an animal, you cut or chop it- God is the one who allows the blood to spill and the animal to die). After some Koran recitation, it ends in the Omin- Muslim Amen which includes an elongated sweeping gesture over the face, and the sheep’s feet were bound together. The throat of the sheep was then slit and immediately copious amounts of blood spilled like red velvet from the neck and the two men continued to cut until the head was nearly completely severed. While the sheep continued to bleed, it struggled despite the head’s near unattached status in a way that reminded me of the death throes of the chickens I have killed. Because there were two grown men restraining it and the sheep’s legs were bound, it wasn’t as active as the chicken had been, but it still was pretty jarring. Perhaps the most scarring moments were the sheep’s last three or four breaths which consisted of horribly ragged sounds and a bloody spray coming from the newly detached windpipe. After about two minutes, but what felt like four hours, the sheep stopped struggling and resigned itself to death as its neck wound was cleaned with warm water and our neighbors backed off to finish the spiritual side of the slaughter.
What followed this was the most beautiful part of the process. Our neighbor backed off and began to recite lengthily from the Koran, his hands warm and moist from the previous actions held cupped reverently in front of him and steaming from the heat of his and the sheep’s body. Seeing my family and neighbors circled around the fresh slaughter, thanking Allah for providing them for sustenance in the midst of cows lowing, chickens clucking, lambs bleating, and geese… honking? was a haunting but beautiful sight. Nevertheless, as I said before it was pretty jarring and the sounds, smells, and sights are ones that I will never forget.
Warning: This entry contains graphic descriptions of slaughter in the first paragraph, read at your own risk- the rest of the entry should be fine for all.
For the first time in country, and indeed in my life, I witnessed the slaughter of a sheep. While it was certainly a somewhat traumatic experience, especially since earlier in the day I had chopped the head off my third chicken (I thought it might get easier the second time around but I was wrong- the immense feelings of guilt, queasiness, and horror at my own action remain and I was left trembling for a good ten minutes afterwards- the habits of a decade long vegetarian die hard I suppose) it was also in some ways an oddly beautiful sight. There are relatively few reminders that I live in a Muslim country on a daily basis, I can’t hear the mosque from my house, alcohol consumption is common and widespread (a legacy of the Russians), and Kyrgyzstan is a quite secular country; however, when it comes to slaughter, it is seeped in the Islamic tradition which is actually somewhat similar to the way kosher slaughter takes place. It began with my family and the neighbors who would slaughter standing around praying, the Muslim way asks God for the meat, the role of the slaughter is merely to cut the sheep (linguistically interesting you don’t kill an animal, you cut or chop it- God is the one who allows the blood to spill and the animal to die). After some Koran recitation, it ends in the Omin- Muslim Amen which includes an elongated sweeping gesture over the face, and the sheep’s feet were bound together. The throat of the sheep was then slit and immediately copious amounts of blood spilled like red velvet from the neck and the two men continued to cut until the head was nearly completely severed. While the sheep continued to bleed, it struggled despite the head’s near unattached status in a way that reminded me of the death throes of the chickens I have killed. Because there were two grown men restraining it and the sheep’s legs were bound, it wasn’t as active as the chicken had been, but it still was pretty jarring. Perhaps the most scarring moments were the sheep’s last three or four breaths which consisted of horribly ragged sounds and a bloody spray coming from the newly detached windpipe. After about two minutes, but what felt like four hours, the sheep stopped struggling and resigned itself to death as its neck wound was cleaned with warm water and our neighbors backed off to finish the spiritual side of the slaughter.
What followed this was the most beautiful part of the process. Our neighbor backed off and began to recite lengthily from the Koran, his hands warm and moist from the previous actions held cupped reverently in front of him and steaming from the heat of his and the sheep’s body. Seeing my family and neighbors circled around the fresh slaughter, thanking Allah for providing them for sustenance in the midst of cows lowing, chickens clucking, lambs bleating, and geese… honking? was a haunting but beautiful sight. Nevertheless, as I said before it was pretty jarring and the sounds, smells, and sights are ones that I will never forget.
Star Light, Stars are Bright!
22:00 23 January 2009
Never before have I been able to see with such clarity the reason our forefathers looked up at the night sky and saw grand apparitions of battles, animals, and the gods. Nights in this country, ostensibly due to the altitude, the crisp winter air, and the near total lack of light pollution, offer me unprecedented views of the stars. The familiar constellations like Orion took on new dimensions (did you know he had a bow?) and formations I knew about only from the Horoscopes were recognizable even without a guide. Indeed, if it was difficult for me to find constellations, it was because of so many stars that it was easy to make my own. The past several nights in particular have been incredibly clear and I have gone outside to stargaze, despite the chilly temperature. Really, it is amazing to see the incredibly clarity of the thousands of stars visible to the naked eye
In more humorous news, the inherent stupidity of barnyard animals continues to amaze me. In addition to ever-foolish sheep, I watched with amazement several geese repeatedly try to eat a shadow. The shadow of a chain link fence was cast onto one of the walls of our compound and the gaggle (I don’t think I’ve ever actually used that word before) that we own approach the wall and then futilely try and eat it. Unfortunately, given that our walls are made of mud, this was a destructive in addition to humorous practice. There are now several divots on the wall where our intelligent geese tried to eat the absence of light. Great.
Never before have I been able to see with such clarity the reason our forefathers looked up at the night sky and saw grand apparitions of battles, animals, and the gods. Nights in this country, ostensibly due to the altitude, the crisp winter air, and the near total lack of light pollution, offer me unprecedented views of the stars. The familiar constellations like Orion took on new dimensions (did you know he had a bow?) and formations I knew about only from the Horoscopes were recognizable even without a guide. Indeed, if it was difficult for me to find constellations, it was because of so many stars that it was easy to make my own. The past several nights in particular have been incredibly clear and I have gone outside to stargaze, despite the chilly temperature. Really, it is amazing to see the incredibly clarity of the thousands of stars visible to the naked eye
In more humorous news, the inherent stupidity of barnyard animals continues to amaze me. In addition to ever-foolish sheep, I watched with amazement several geese repeatedly try to eat a shadow. The shadow of a chain link fence was cast onto one of the walls of our compound and the gaggle (I don’t think I’ve ever actually used that word before) that we own approach the wall and then futilely try and eat it. Unfortunately, given that our walls are made of mud, this was a destructive in addition to humorous practice. There are now several divots on the wall where our intelligent geese tried to eat the absence of light. Great.
Terrific TEFL Times
22:30 20 January 2009
After the last day of the IST conference, which ended in a somewhat disappointingly low-key get together- I think we were all exhausted from an entire week of late nights followed by way to early mornings (breakfast at 7:15), I find it a good opportunity to reflect on some of the changes in my work environment already. If these aren’t just temporary changes, which I desperately am hoping they are not, then I think my service over the next 20 months will be more successful than my original expectations over the first four months of service.
In the first few days following this conference, I have found my relationship with my counterpart incredibly improved. The goal of the TEFL Program in Kyrgyzstan is to introduce a sustainable component by having its volunteers team teach in the classroom, work with the other English educators in the classroom, and introduce skills transfer. We are taught to teach in the communicative method, a method that stresses the learning of the ability to express oneself and understand others in the language above grammatical accuracy, writing, and reading. In general, communicative method can be said to emphasize fluency over perfection and is vastly different from the Soviet-era translation focused method in use in most schools here. While many of the English teachers in Kyrgyzstan have a better understanding of English grammar rules than I do, I often can speak better in Russian than they can English. Hopefully, with my presence in the school and the skills-transfer this brings in working with my counterpart and the other teachers in the school, this will begin to change. In the wake of the conference I am incredibly hopeful of this potentiality. As I began earlier, my relationship with my counterpart has improved to such a degree that we are now lesson planning together several times a week, our lessons are truly being team-taught, and I think the students are learning more successfully. Hooray!
After the last day of the IST conference, which ended in a somewhat disappointingly low-key get together- I think we were all exhausted from an entire week of late nights followed by way to early mornings (breakfast at 7:15), I find it a good opportunity to reflect on some of the changes in my work environment already. If these aren’t just temporary changes, which I desperately am hoping they are not, then I think my service over the next 20 months will be more successful than my original expectations over the first four months of service.
In the first few days following this conference, I have found my relationship with my counterpart incredibly improved. The goal of the TEFL Program in Kyrgyzstan is to introduce a sustainable component by having its volunteers team teach in the classroom, work with the other English educators in the classroom, and introduce skills transfer. We are taught to teach in the communicative method, a method that stresses the learning of the ability to express oneself and understand others in the language above grammatical accuracy, writing, and reading. In general, communicative method can be said to emphasize fluency over perfection and is vastly different from the Soviet-era translation focused method in use in most schools here. While many of the English teachers in Kyrgyzstan have a better understanding of English grammar rules than I do, I often can speak better in Russian than they can English. Hopefully, with my presence in the school and the skills-transfer this brings in working with my counterpart and the other teachers in the school, this will begin to change. In the wake of the conference I am incredibly hopeful of this potentiality. As I began earlier, my relationship with my counterpart has improved to such a degree that we are now lesson planning together several times a week, our lessons are truly being team-taught, and I think the students are learning more successfully. Hooray!
Conferencin'
21:00 16 January 2009
It is the last day of our In-Service Training Conference today. It has gone by in a huge blur and has, in my mind, really been a success overall. While, as large conferences tend to have them, it did contain dull moments, the vast majority of the information I was provided with I found useful I think that overall it will make me a better volunteer. At the beginning of the conference was a three day session where we worked in conjunction with our counterparts. In addition to merely giving us an opportunity to better our relationships with our counterparts, it also allowed us to really focus in on the goals of team-teaching (namely making the TEFL English teaching program more sustainable). Since it is a new program, it is difficult for some counterparts to work with their Volunteers in the classroom. I hope and have faith that the workshops of this conference will better my and most volunteers’ work in the classroom.
In addition to being a good experience from a professional standpoint, it was also an incredible opportunity for the K-16 Volunteers who live all over the country, some days from others, to get back together again and socialize as a group with other Americans. Through this experience, I got reunited with many of my close friends, had a great time, and realized to what extent I could become uncomfortable when surrounded exclusively by Americans. I have always considered myself as somewhat of an introvert, but my service has actually revealed to a large extent how deeply I value human contact. However, despite this value, my introvert tendencies towards the end of the week seemed to exert greater influence on me as the some of the stereotypes of Americans began to become too strong.
Nevertheless I consider the past week a big success, both on a volunteer, psychological, and work level. It was a great opportunity to learn more language, more culture, more about ourselves, how to work with counterparts, and the experiences of other volunteers.
It is the last day of our In-Service Training Conference today. It has gone by in a huge blur and has, in my mind, really been a success overall. While, as large conferences tend to have them, it did contain dull moments, the vast majority of the information I was provided with I found useful I think that overall it will make me a better volunteer. At the beginning of the conference was a three day session where we worked in conjunction with our counterparts. In addition to merely giving us an opportunity to better our relationships with our counterparts, it also allowed us to really focus in on the goals of team-teaching (namely making the TEFL English teaching program more sustainable). Since it is a new program, it is difficult for some counterparts to work with their Volunteers in the classroom. I hope and have faith that the workshops of this conference will better my and most volunteers’ work in the classroom.
In addition to being a good experience from a professional standpoint, it was also an incredible opportunity for the K-16 Volunteers who live all over the country, some days from others, to get back together again and socialize as a group with other Americans. Through this experience, I got reunited with many of my close friends, had a great time, and realized to what extent I could become uncomfortable when surrounded exclusively by Americans. I have always considered myself as somewhat of an introvert, but my service has actually revealed to a large extent how deeply I value human contact. However, despite this value, my introvert tendencies towards the end of the week seemed to exert greater influence on me as the some of the stereotypes of Americans began to become too strong.
Nevertheless I consider the past week a big success, both on a volunteer, psychological, and work level. It was a great opportunity to learn more language, more culture, more about ourselves, how to work with counterparts, and the experiences of other volunteers.
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