It's been about one week since I moved and things are going well in my new apartment. My first night there I was "kidnapped" by my landlord and her family who insisted that I eat and drink tea with them because we are neighbors now, and, in their words, we are family. It was a nice little welcoming and, though I was anxious to start cooking my own meals, I was grateful for their attitude and look forward to having many meals with them in the future. Everyone has been very helpful in ensuring I get settled in and I have had many people tell me that if I need anything, or any help, that I should call them immediately.
I even had my first guesting experience this week! Well, not exactly.. Guesting is a huge part of Kyrgyz culture and I have done it many times, but I've never been the host before, so it was definitely a new experience. My host mom from training was in my village one night because someone that she knew in the village had died, so she went to their house to do the traditional reading of the Koran. After the ceremony she called and told me that she, and three of her friends, were coming over to see my new place. I raced around trying to tidy everything up before they got there and nervously anticipated their reactions to the fact that I only have two chairs, and tea, but no sugar. When they arrived I tried to give a disclaimer by explaining that I just moved in, not everything is ready, I don't have a lot of furniture, and they should not be offended. They were far from it, and happy to make the best of what I had.
After setting up some blankets and a milk crate to make sure that everyone was comfortably seated around the table, they (of course!) whipped out a bottle of vodka. It was a school night and I was tired, but who am I to refuse vodka from my guests? We ended up getting a bit tipsy and, as a result, my Kyrgyz seemed to get ten times better! (or at least I thought it did..) Imagine that! I was cracking jokes and telling stories, and, the best part, they were understanding! During training we were told that our language progress will show itself in slow and random leaps, where one day you will just be like, "Wow, I'm really improving!" This was definitely one of those times. It was a very successful first experience of being guested and I was very proud. Unfortunately there have been guesting situations in the past where I have felt incredibly awkward and out of place and just wanted to go home and hide. At times of extreme frustration I've even come to look at guesting as a chore.. but there are always redeeming experiences that make me rethink that conclusion and this was definitely one of them. I had a very good time and look forward to hosting/guesting more people in the future!
I wish I could say things at school were proceeding equally successfully, but I seem to be in quite a team-teaching rut. I haven't taught a real lesson in over a month, and my presence in the classroom seems to be utilized only when my counterpart needs help with pronunciation or at times when she is not in the classroom so I end up leading an activity by myself. Part of me is slowly giving up on classroom teaching.. which is a very depressing realization, as it is supposed to be the reason I am here. I find myself focusing more on secondary projects, like the grant we are in the process of writing to get new teaching materials for the school. I have mentioned previously that most of our classes don't even have textbooks, which can make teaching very difficult. Recently, at times when teaching seems utterly hopeless, I find myself thinking, "Well, just wait the rest of this year out.. There's only a month or two left and then you can start fresh next year, with new materials and renewed energy!" Part of me thinks this is a great idea, but the other part of me feels like a failure for not being able to make it work with the materials that are available to me. But are materials really the issue? The overlying problem seems to be attitude and motivation.. But I've convinced myself that having better/more teaching supplies will encourage students to study more and increase motivation. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Until then, everyday at school is a struggle..
On the note of secondary projects, I've been talking with another volunteer in my area about teaming up and planning a fine arts summer camp for the students in our region. Schools here put little to no emphasis on arts so we thought it would be a good idea to organize a project that encourages creativity and individuality. The camp would focus on music, performing arts, painting/drawing, and, of course, cultural exchange. I'm also part of an organization called WIDGAD (Women In Development, Gender And Development), which is doing a 'take your daughters to work day' type of project at the end of this month. I invited three female students from my school to come into Bishkek with us for a day to shadow some successful professional women working in the city. They will get a chance to see what it's like to be a career woman in Kyrgyzstan, talk with them, and ask them questions. I think it will go well. Many girls in this country are forced to choose between being a wife and being a professional, but many of the working women they will meet have thriving marriages/families, as well as successful jobs, and I think it will be good for them to see that they don't have to choose between the two.
Anyway, it is little projects like these that really keep me going here. Even if I am completely useless as an English teacher, at least I can say that I did some stuff on the side..
