September 18, 2004: Headlines: COS - Kyrgyzstan: Blogs - Kyrgyzstan: Personal Web Site: On the one year anniversary of Charles' leaving the United States for his Central Asia adventure I posed these questions to him:
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September 18, 2004: Headlines: COS - Kyrgyzstan: Blogs - Kyrgyzstan: Personal Web Site: On the one year anniversary of Charles' leaving the United States for his Central Asia adventure I posed these questions to him:
On the one year anniversary of Charles' leaving the United States for his Central Asia adventure I posed these questions to him:
On the one year anniversary of Charles' leaving the United States for his Central Asia adventure I posed these questions to him:
18.9.04
On the one year anniversary of Charles' leaving the United States for his Central Asia adventure I posed these questions to him:
Congratulations! You have made it to the year marker! A year ago today you left Chicago for an amazing experience. Has it lived it up to your expectations? How many people from your group have survived? What has been the defining moment of your year? What do you miss the most about the USA? What do you miss the least? Is there something that you thought you couldn't live without that you have lived without just fine? Are there unexpected things that you wish you had?
Here is Charles' response, verbatim:
It was just a year ago that I and 61 others left Chicago. The most amazing part of it all is that 57 of the original 62 are still here. That must mean that life in Kyrgyzstan is pretty upbeat and livable. As for me: There have been moments of joy, of depression, of dissatisfaction. I've threatened twice to leave, and both times there were positive situation changes. At this point, I'm here to give it a go on the second year. There are three high points in the year: The gift from a group of students at the end of the two weeks of practice teaching (a gift that I'm sure they could ill afford); the pleasure of watching a group of hemophilia youngsters come alive when they realized that somebody outside the scope of their normal existance cared about them; the male Kyrgyz friend whom I see once a week as I work with him to prepare him for a move to the States.Paradoxically, my low points are related to the first of the highs: The realization that the English Department at Kyrgyz National University was not interested in making any change. The Department was not interested in my thoughts, my efforts to change, my working with students. Let's not disturb the status quo. For some five weeks, after I made it clear to the English Department that I would not work with them any longer, I floated in a limbo, wondering from day to day when I would pack up and leave, even writing Megan once to unpack the box she was about to send me because I was on my way home. I literally bought my food one day at a time, thinking that "tomorrow I will leave here." And then, Peace Corps rescued me, giving me a new assignment that is truly one of the best, and most challenging, jobs that I've ever had.And at this point, what do I miss from the States? Everything. What can I live without? Everything. Life here isn't always easy; little successes can be rewarding (I'm doing a pretty good job of making my own tortillas.) It is difficult conveying concepts of America that are in conflict with the re-runs of sitcoms and the movies. It is rewarding to see looks of recognition when a point finally gets through.Wondering what a trip to Central Asia might be like? (Other than an awfully long airplane ride.) Don't believe the guide books except for the scenery (spectacular) and the historic sites. All books are woefully out of date: Bishkek has made great strides toward becoming a real city. Yes, there are potholes in the streets; yes, trash collection is erratic; yes, things are done differently here (So is that unusual?)The only tragedy is that this experience is occuring toward the end of my life, rather than when I was still young and vibrant. I wonder what my life would have been like, had I been able to be in the Peace Corps at the age of 28, rather than 78.
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Story Source: Personal Web Site
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Kyrgyzstan; Blogs - Kyrgyzstan
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