valerie

November 25, 2024 - our director invited us to his house for an early Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday. I feel that with each passing Thanksgiving, I find Thanksgiving food even more meh 😂 I didn’t even try any of the turkey because I don’t really like it anyway

large plate of turkey decorated with citrus slices on a table

November 24, 2024 - there’s already a New Year’s tree up by a shopping mall in Bishkek

Christmas tree with red ornaments standing by a building

November 23, 2024 - mountains behind my school. took this picture on Nov 14, the day after the snow first fell. Of course we don’t have that much snow anymore, but I’m surprised we still have some. Seems it has been too cold for the remaining snow to melt

mountains with snow behind a school building

November 22, 2024 - my host family gave me a bowl of these huge seedless grapes to eat. No idea where they came from. I should ask. The grapes were wonderful. I am definitely more appreciative of fruit now than I was before volunteering 🙃

small white bowl with three large green grapes

November 21, 2024 - moonrise about a week ago

full moon in an evening sky, above a roof with snow on it

November 20, 2024 - bought a pack of cards with fruits/berries and the Kyrgyz, Russian, and English names on them. However, I’m not convinced that sea buckthorn (which is the berry shown) and guelder-rose are the same (I’d never even heard of the latter until I saw this card 🙃)

picture of a bunch of orange sea buckthorn berries on a branch with the Kyrgyz, Russian and (wrong?) English names underneath (чычырканак, облепиха, guelder-rose)

November 19, 2024 - cow

dark brown cow with a little snow on its back standing in front of a house and gate, in the snow

November 18, 2024 - orange flavored M&M’s. Do you have this in your country? 🤔 They were not my favorite 🙃

orange packet of orange flavored M&M's, with a green female M&M holding an orange slice

November 17, 2024 - small central park in Kochkor, Kyrgyzstan

small patio and trees with snow on and around them

November 16, 2024 - there was a fall celebration at my school yesterday in which girls showed off outfits (mostly dresses) made of any materials. My favorite (not in this picture) was a dress made of plastic plates and cutlery because fall is the season for parties in Kyrgyzstan

in a school gym, girls with interesting and colorful dresses walking in a circle with spectators on the side

November 15, 2024 - the last of this year’s apples again: part two, snow edition

red apples on a tree with snow on the branches against a light blue (almost white) sky

November 14, 2024 - took so many pictures today. I’ve never seen this much snow in my village. I like the way these crescent moons look in the light

snowy Islamic gravestones in front of snowy mountains

November 13, 2024 - wooo! The first snow of this dry pocket of Kyrgyzstan!!

looking down onto snow on a garden and driveway from the second floor

November 12, 2024 - this morning’s sunrise (sadly with power lines in the way)

orange clouds near the horizon and gray clouds above

November 11, 2024 - in front of a neighbor’s house. The last of this year’s apples

two nearly bare trees in front of a house; two red apples hanging from the top of one of the trees

November 10, 2024 - plane in the sky above the mountains

snow-capped mountains with dark clouds above; light orange sky with a plane going straight up, jet stream coming from it. around sunset

November 9, 2024 - canal in my village on a windy day (yesterday)

dark blue canal water with ripples on it from the wind; graveyard and mountains in the background

November 8, 2024 - fall colors in Bishkek

trees with green, orange, and yellow leaves in a small park

November 7, 2024 - Missing cat poster in Bishkek. “He has a name, but he only responds to ‘ks ks ks’” (this is how people call cats to them in Russian). While I am sorry about the lost cat, I thought that sentence was funny, hence taking the picture

black and white paper missing cat poster attached to a concrete pole. written in Russian

November 6, 2024 - balcony cat

looking up at a black cat in front of a 3rd floor windowsill, looking out the window with its two front paws over the sill

November 5, 2024 - We bought and played Shifting Stones (this is the English name) for my boyfriend’s birthday. It’s a quick and easy game, and good for kids (8+)

Shifting Stones game box, with a 3x3 grid of colorful stones and the name of the game written in Russian in the middle

November 4, 2024 - bowling for my boyfriend’s birthday! We went early to beat the crowd

dark and empty bowling room with cool-colored blue and purple lights

November 3, 2024 - knock-off Kumamon display (or costume?) in a knock-off Miniso store called Usupso

black cartoon bear body and head resembling Kumamon being held up by a base with two small, thin white posts

November 2, 2024 - renovated circus building in Bishkek

round, more modern-looking circus building

November 1, 2024 - continuing on the trend of Halloween gifts, I got this ring and note today, ironically from one of my host sister’s best friends (my host sister does not care about English 😅)

orange, apple-shaped sticky note with a handwritten note reading, 'for very good teacher! Happy Halloween! Trick or treat!" and a small, orange and black bead ring attached