Transitions
As my one-year anniversary approaches, David Bowie is running tape-loop in my mind belting out, “Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes”. How is this year different? I can actually communicate, for one. It’s hard to notice any progress in language acquisition until you’re put in a similar situation in which you knew previously knew nothing. In my case it’s school and now my students actually understand what I’m talking about rather than me flailing my arms wildly about hoping they get the picture from context clues and/or charades.
I’m teaching an entire school year, whereas last year I just started in December. The first week seemed daunting at first, just getting into the swing of things again but then I remembered that I have 6 months of experience and lesson plans that I can incorporate into this year.
Everything in general just seems easier; my sisters are now used to my kooky habits like eating dinner at 6 pm instead of 11 pm and me reading for hours at a time instead of watching television. They’re not offended if I don’t drink tea with them and they know when I just need to have my “alone time” and aren’t alarmed if my door doesn’t open for an entire day. Sometimes there are those days.
The K-14s are coming to site near the end of September and the K-12s have already started filing out. It’s weird that I don’t know my service without the K-12s- they don’t really effect my life on a daily basis but it’s odd knowing that we met in Kyrgyzstan and it’s highly likely that I’ll never see most of them ever again. It’s hard to believe that the K-13s are the so-called experts now, it seems like I just started figuring out everything for myself.
(Side note: luckily I am in on the K-14 gossip and I have NOT been nicknamed as the “diarrhea girl”- Phew, what a relief! Unfortunately, I don’t know if my new moniker is any better as “the girl who almost died.” Then again, at least it’s not as bad as on of the K-12s we named as “that guy who ate pigeon hearts”. True story.)
Our official attrition rate is 30%. I think we lost around 10 volunteers this summer alone and 19 in total. We’ve lost volunteers to an assortment of reasons, medical and personal mostly but we really suffered a blow when we lost 4 to administrative reasons. We came here as a group expecting to stay as a group and I think we all felt a blow in morale when we lost these particularly dedicated volunteers. Hopefully we can retain the 48 of us who are left for the next 15 months.
I don’t think it’s feasible that this year could possibly get any worse than my last year, let’s to a quick year-in-review with some of the highlights: I.Vs, a herniated disc, parasites, being detained at the Kazak border, worms, my wallet stolen- twice, torn ligaments, almost dying (according to the K-14s) on top of all the standard struggles that go along with being integrated into another culture. Knock on wood. To all the nonbelievers who said I wouldn’t make it past a month, I have one question for you (a la Ben Affleck from Good Will Hunting): how do you like me now?
Quick Shout Outs- Thanks for my birthday packages!
Otter and Susie- I wanted to read the book before I watched Pride and Prejudice but I couldn’t contain myself and I loved it. The goodies were perfect but who knew Lip Smackers would make me miss home… oh well, at least my lips are moisturized and shiny now!
Pam and Jill- The wedding pictures made it this time! I don’t know why postal office workers love stealing photographs (kind of creepy) but they were a good reminder of great memories. My host sister looked at the pictures for 30 minutes and said you’re the most beautiful girl she’s ever seen. My reply: Ya soglacna. I agree.
I’m teaching an entire school year, whereas last year I just started in December. The first week seemed daunting at first, just getting into the swing of things again but then I remembered that I have 6 months of experience and lesson plans that I can incorporate into this year.
Everything in general just seems easier; my sisters are now used to my kooky habits like eating dinner at 6 pm instead of 11 pm and me reading for hours at a time instead of watching television. They’re not offended if I don’t drink tea with them and they know when I just need to have my “alone time” and aren’t alarmed if my door doesn’t open for an entire day. Sometimes there are those days.
The K-14s are coming to site near the end of September and the K-12s have already started filing out. It’s weird that I don’t know my service without the K-12s- they don’t really effect my life on a daily basis but it’s odd knowing that we met in Kyrgyzstan and it’s highly likely that I’ll never see most of them ever again. It’s hard to believe that the K-13s are the so-called experts now, it seems like I just started figuring out everything for myself.
(Side note: luckily I am in on the K-14 gossip and I have NOT been nicknamed as the “diarrhea girl”- Phew, what a relief! Unfortunately, I don’t know if my new moniker is any better as “the girl who almost died.” Then again, at least it’s not as bad as on of the K-12s we named as “that guy who ate pigeon hearts”. True story.)
Our official attrition rate is 30%. I think we lost around 10 volunteers this summer alone and 19 in total. We’ve lost volunteers to an assortment of reasons, medical and personal mostly but we really suffered a blow when we lost 4 to administrative reasons. We came here as a group expecting to stay as a group and I think we all felt a blow in morale when we lost these particularly dedicated volunteers. Hopefully we can retain the 48 of us who are left for the next 15 months.
I don’t think it’s feasible that this year could possibly get any worse than my last year, let’s to a quick year-in-review with some of the highlights: I.Vs, a herniated disc, parasites, being detained at the Kazak border, worms, my wallet stolen- twice, torn ligaments, almost dying (according to the K-14s) on top of all the standard struggles that go along with being integrated into another culture. Knock on wood. To all the nonbelievers who said I wouldn’t make it past a month, I have one question for you (a la Ben Affleck from Good Will Hunting): how do you like me now?
Quick Shout Outs- Thanks for my birthday packages!
Otter and Susie- I wanted to read the book before I watched Pride and Prejudice but I couldn’t contain myself and I loved it. The goodies were perfect but who knew Lip Smackers would make me miss home… oh well, at least my lips are moisturized and shiny now!
Pam and Jill- The wedding pictures made it this time! I don’t know why postal office workers love stealing photographs (kind of creepy) but they were a good reminder of great memories. My host sister looked at the pictures for 30 minutes and said you’re the most beautiful girl she’s ever seen. My reply: Ya soglacna. I agree.
posted by Katie P. at 10:07 PM
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