I almost forgot I'm American.

Wow. I’ve been such a blog slacker. But nothing seems exciting enough to write about anymore.

The highlight of my life in Kyrgyzstan has become my students. They’re so anxious to learn and don’t want to have any days off from class. They are such sweet girls (and a few boys). They want to have class during their spring break and summer break. I was floored when they asked about vacation. And they’re helping me with my Kyrgyz. I shared a bag of Jolly Ranchers with them and they LOVED them.

It’s been ridiculously warm for quite some time now. This past week it’s been in the 50’s. I’ve been walking around with a light jacket. But it makes me afraid of how hot the summer will get.

I’m leaving on Wednesday for Bishkek. We have in-service training (IST) for a week. That means I’ll have a bath every day for an entire week! Oh, I feel clean just thinking about it. Today I washed my hair in a bucket on my bedroom floor. I still feel strange doing that, but you do what you have to.

Ok, this entry is boring even me. Bottom line: I’m still alive. I’m reading a lot (finished War and Peace) and listening to music (feel free to send some burned cds). Soon, I’m going to start tilling my garden and planting my seeds indoors. But I’m waiting for you to send the seeds (they’re on my Wishlist).

I just received an email from our country director telling us there was a crime committed and the biggest bazaar in Central Asia, which is in Bishkek. At the end of the email he said as American citizens we must always be aware of our surroundings. Good thing he reminded me, because I forgot that I'm a circus show. I can't go anywhere without people shouting to me on the street. It will be a long while before I stop being aware of my surroundings. But thanks for the heads up, country director.

I’ll try to update this again soon. After IST I’ll have plenty more to tell. And I fixed up my camera, so I’ll be taking pictures and you can see the people I talk about and what my world looks like.