And we're back...

So I started back at school today, and in a rare display of forethought (and effort) I actually wrote a lesson out beforehand. It went a lot smoother than my usual “show up and think of something on the spot” routine. I covered singular and plural nouns and started in on my favorite: pronouns. After teaching the same lesson to three classes, I’ve decided I hate grammar…

With the new school year I hope to break out of the lazy funk that I fell into during break. I have started running at the stadium (dilapidated yes, but safer than the pothole strewn streets surrounding my apartment.) and it’s going well despite the fact that I come from a long line of people that only run if something is chasing them. Also I’m going to start reviewing my past Kyrgyz notes, and should start tutoring next week sometime. AND, I should start teaching an after school English club next week as well. I plan on playing lots of music and showing movies to the club. Also I want to start discussions about current events and maybe start a debate club with other schools in the district. Contrary to the students in my actual classes, there are some students here that speak English very well and would benefit a lot from a advanced class.

Speaking of class. During a break I was walking back from the teachers lounge and I noticed smoke coming from a nearby classroom. I opened the door and found a group of 6th graders huddled around a student who had lit a sparkler in the classroom. He grinned and held the sparkler higher, exclaiming “New Year!” A little late kid. I should be glad it wasn’t a roman candle.

And today I got a package of Christmas cards sent to me by my former 4th grade teachers current 4th grade class. I agreed to start writing to them about my experiences here and this was the first I’ve heard from them since I left. It was so great to get the cards and hear the questions they had about Kyrgyzstan. My favorite card was signed “From Curtis, the coolest person on Earth.” Nothing wrong with that kid’s ego. I’ll try to write back as soon as I can, I promise.

Bizarre bazaar story: I went to the bazaar yesterday to get a few things and as I was leaving I noticed a large group of people gathered around the entrance where all the taxis and busses park and pick up passengers. In the middle of a large circle was a woman yelling hysterically while her friend attempted to restrain her. I couldn’t understand what she was saying, in fact I couldn’t even tell if she was speaking Kyrgyz or Uzbek, she was speaking so fast. The only word I did catch was ‘machina’ which means car. Her friend finally talked her down and she walked away. Thinking it was over, I started to leave until I saw the woman walk back to the entrance, this time carrying a large stone in each hand. She started towards a nearby minibus and threw the first rock, denting the hood, and the second, which shattered the windshield. She screamed and screamed until some guy came over and dragged her to the side of the road. Everyone stood around wondering what the hell was going on when suddenly a man, apparently the owner of the minibus, sprinted out the bazaar. He hopped in and sped off a fast as he could with the woman, who noticed his escape, in hot pursuit. I still don’t know what the whole thing was about but it was fun to watch.

In other news… It seems as though two more volunteers from my group (K12’s) are on their way home. We lost two volunteers during training, one to illness and one to a more gainful graduate program. The two leaving now are a couple and according to the PC gossip line (which despite technological disadvantages, is blazingly fast) they plan on staying together once back in the states. Either way, good luck to both of you.

Beyond that, I’m counting the days till my girlfriend Elise will come down to visit. We started dating during training but we haven’t seen each other in a month since she works at a school in Bishkek, 11 hours away. She should be here next weekend and I can’t wait to see her. I miss you, kid.

Ok, that’s it. I’ll keep everyone up to date on my progress. I hope everyone is doing well at home, and at your sites.