Arrival

Salam!

I am here in Kyrgyzstan and everything is going great -- lots of new people, getting the language down, learning any and everything I can get my hands on. Today is my last day before going out to my PST (pre service training) site, International Community, which is about 15-30 minutes away from our central PC hub site in Kant. I am very very excited about meeting my host family for the next 3 months today, and can't wait to immerse myself in everything and anything.

This is a bit from my journal a couple days ago:

Today was amazing. After arriving in Bishkek and settling in at the hotel (4 am in this time zone), I got about 4-5 hours of sleep. It's a pity we came in so late because we didn't get to see much other than darkness.

When I woke up, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. I immediately rushed to the balcony in my room and stood stunned -- majestic mountains, sylvan seas, homely hovels, and the clearest of skies stood testament to the beauty that is Kyrgyzstan.

The hotel we're staying at is great -- it's a relic of the Soviet 70's. Our modest quarters do nothing to belie the hidden and decaying beauty from this former empire. At face value it is the same as any other hotel (minus commodities such as cable); it's the little things, that small touch, this subtle difference, that make it awe inspiring. The different steps, large doorstops acting as speedbumps, balconies every which way, the flooring and carpeting, how this or that loos end is broken/exposed yet seems to function anyway. I am amazed, and quite ecstatic.

After my first foray into Kyrgyz cuisine: fried eggs, oatmeal, hotdog-esque meat, a yogurt drink, and, of course, some tea, I decided to explore the grounds a bit before starting the PC work for the day. A few others and myself stumbled upon a park/outdoor museum and my mind was once again blown. Different brick/metal constructs were built in a practical and clearly Soviet fashion (harkening back to some resistance art movement); perusing them I could feel the starkness of that society. In the area there was also a few yurts -- a local who works at the park took us in to see one of them. I have never seen so many vibrant colors, beautiful rugs, and tapestries. It was a lot bigger than I expected and impressed me to no end.

I keep learning more and more. As I interact with other volunteers and the staff I feel happy and content. Everything just feels so right, and I truly believe there is no place I would rather be right now than in Kyrgyzstan.

So, all is going very well, and more is yet to come!

All the best,
Chris