WHAAAAT??

I know, I know, this blog and the last one I wrote are really close to each other in date, and that might freak you out. Dont worry. I just found a quick moment in the internet place. First of all, the internet we found in our town is amazing. Yes, we pay for it, but the place is flat out perfect. It's halfway in a basement, so its dark, secluded, discouraging any activity that is not internet related.

I just finished teaching for the second time ever, and it was an experiance. First of all, it's sort of field day at my school... so all but one of my students was outside playing when my class was supposed to happen. So to make sure that I had the opportunity to teach, the teachers cancelled art class so that they could learn ENGLISH. Lets think about that... What class does every kid love? Oh, that's art class. So lets take it away and make them learn English? I apprecieated the gesture, but the kids were less than pleased. We survived. And maybe they even learned a bit about the past simple, I don't know. Maybe.

ANGELA! You win 50 points for sending me my first letter in Kazakhstan. Michelle, you get 45 because I got it the day after. Mail is amazing.

I've been having really rollercoaster-type days. I don't think my host family realizes just how much we are doing now. I've been here a month, and my personal assesment of my russian learning is "not to bad" scattered with "moments of brillance" but last night, they basically asked me why I don't know more... Hmmm, lets see, I've been learning for a month, lets start there. Then add the fact that I teach in english, so my technical training is in English. On top of all that, Kazakh is what they speak most of the time at home, so actually it's sort of miraculious that I know what I do. Really, it's a lack of vocabulary that really plagues me right now. I understand the grammar. I understand the cases. But what is *that* pa ruski? I have no idea. Anyway, that was frustrating, to explain that my russian is actually not that bad for the amount of time I've been here. Also, when our families speak to other PCTs they ask all the generic questions, like "how are you" "where are you from" "what is your familiy like?" and of course we know how to answer these questions accurately and with fluidity. So our families think that our friends speak "really good" russian, when in reality, they only think that because they only spent 30 seconds speaking to them. If it were any longer, they would realize that 30 seconds exhausts every once of russian we can muster. I think all our families have this fantasy that every other American here speaks better Russian than the one living in their house. I can't express this in russian, so I just said, "my russian is not that bad", finished my meal, then went and cried. We are doing everything we can! Give us a break!

Speaking of "giving a break" Kit-Kat bars here are just one huge bar. No breaks involved.

And kicking...

So we've been here almost a month and I'm starting to get a feel of what is expected of me and how to get by in this new/exciting/sometimes strange place. However, I shouldn't get too comfortable because according to everything I've read, I am adjusting to training life and my life as a sworn-in Volunteer will be completely (well, very) different. For example, I have 11 other Americans in my town to keep me company. Sure, we live in families who speak only Russian (my family speaks Russian, but chooses to speak Kazakh more) and that is stressful sometimes, but really we have it pretty easy right now. We are constantly busy doing something which is nice because I honestly dont feel like I have TIME to be homesick.

Right now it is the month of Ramadan, and as my family is Muslum, some of them are observing the fast. They aren't asking that I join them, but Friday night after sundown we had the biggest feast EVER. AND included in that feast was... you guessed it, my first animal head! Ta Da! So we were eating bishpamark - it means five fingers in Kazakh because that's what you use to eat it... your own five fingers, so I'm digging in, and I see that the head is being passed along, and then before I knew it, the lady sitting next to me took a bit of meat and placed it into my hand. Based on the texture alone, I knew it was going to be a challenge... so I mixed a small portion of my chunk with giant noodle and tried not to think about it... Maybe in two years I'll learn how to eat without thinking about exactly where the meat comes from.

Anyway, that was a success. Tomorrow we teach a real class for the first time which is nervewracking... My lesson is on the Present Simple Tense and I just hope that I don't confuse anyone. Really, I just don't want to be misunderstood. Russian is Russian... It is absolutely amazing that a modern language has actually maintained a case system. And the more I think about it, I like it. In Russian, we don't need a lot of the frilly words we do in English. Like "I am a Peace Corps Volunteer" is simply "I Volunteer Peace Corps" Decline "Peace Corps" and Bam! That's all it takes. It hurts my head a lot, but I like it. The language, not the head hurt.

My host family is really amazing. They are so nice and patient with me (well, my 10-year-old host brother gets frustrated with me, and I'm pretty sure he's saying something to the effect of "you're no fun anymore" to me almost daily, but he'll get over it) and even Babushka who only speaks Kazakh tries to incorporate me into her life. Ok, that's all for now, everything is still going well! Angela, I'm super excited for your letter!

I'm alive!!

Hello! Ok, I don't have much time, and so much to tell you. Everything here has been just super so far. I mean, I couldn't have asked for a better three weeks. Even the times when I feel stressed out, I feel like it's managable. My host family is really nice, and I love being in their house. I haven't eaten anything sketchy (yet) and although I did get sick once, I am pretty sure it was not because of the food. The sickness was not fun, but I got through it, and I can do it again (it will happen again, I've accepted that).

We begin teaching next week, which is so cool, and so bizarre. Who would have thought? Me? A teacher! Oh boy! Russian is coming along slowly, but I think I like it. I like languages.

Ok, I've gotta get going, but everything here is going so well. Everyone I've met has been so nice and welcoming, and our trainers have been just amazing and helpful. Hopefully next time I write I can say more, but until then... Just know that things here are going really well.