valerie

February 11, 2025 - when my host sister is more interested in Korean than English 🥲

Korean letters and phrases written and transcribed and or translated into Russian on a notebook page in colorful marker

February 10, 2025 - my digestive system was distressed yesterday afternoon and a bit this morning, so I bought some crackers after school. This was all I could find in the one shop I went to (was too lazy to try others). They’re essentially thick, bland Goldfish. And it’s a pretty big bag, too..

small, fish shaped crackers in a saran-wrap-like plastic bag

February 9, 2025 - my sister painted her wardrobe recently. I have no idea if she asked her parents (or even had to ask her parents) for permission or not. I think it’s cool

wardrobe with a cartoon-ish looking tree painted on it

February 8, 2025 - I’m not sure why there is a Kyrgyz language and culture display set up in the lobby of our school, but it gave me a little whiplash when the display suddenly changed from celebrating the Russian language to the Kyrgyz language. It could be here bc Feb 21 is Mother Language Day

typed Cyrillic letters printed out and taped to the arch of a hall in the main school entrance

February 7, 2025 - I read the Sadako and 1000 paper cranes story in school, but can’t remember when…I think after 2nd grade. I’m reading the 2nd grade Kyrgyz language textbook and found these lovely pictures that show the background for Sadako’s story. a small atomic bomb on the next page, too 🙃

two paragraph Kyrgyz text with two illustrations underneath. the first of an airplace dropping atomic bombs, and the second of an explosion in a city that already looks like ruins

February 6, 2025 - mountains south of my village

mountains in the background, two houses in the foreground

February 5, 2025 - old bus stop in my village that is no longer used, at least not by an actual bus. The village taxi drivers usually congregate around here

small, old bus stop with low, wooden benches, two tin walls and a tin roof

February 4, 2025 - back of a Kyrgyz book I read whose publication was sponsored by Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Education and USAID. There’s a small collection of these books in the library and I often see younger students carrying them around school. This is what you want to stop?

back of a paperback book with reading levels listed on it, one highlighted (this and other info in Kyrgyz)

February 3, 2025 - taken from my favorite road to walk down lately because it has fewer cars than the main roads. This is facing west, but this road goes to the east, so farther away from the mountains pictured (though it gets closer to other mountains)

a brown field and a mountain at the end of the field. other snowy mountains in the distance

February 2, 2025 - two young horses I saw on yesterday’s walk. I think the shadow of the black horse looks funny 😁

two young horses, one black and one dark brown, standing on a dirt road

February 1, 2025 - arm wrestling table at my school. It’s usually here in the hall just outside the gym, but I have seen it used during at least one student ‘performance’ event (I think it was during Nooruz last year?)

a tall table with two short, green poles jutting out of the top

January 31, 2025 - a real guard dog this time. This dog likes to chase cars when they drive by, so I’m scared to get close to it

dog lying on gravel street in front of a house and fence

January 30, 2025 - “sausage shop buying cow and horse meat”. The sign on top seems to be an updated version of the one below since the phone number is the same
Interesting example of Krussian (Kyrgyz and Russian). колбасный цех = sausage shop (Ru), but with a Kyrgyz ending “ке”, to/for the shop

two paper signs with typed Kyrgyz text posted on a tall, concrete pole

January 29, 2025 - found this while looking for moisturizer. The ‘Avocardio’ pun is cute, but the ‘коррекция фигуры’ (figure correction) description is odd. Maybe it just means a ‘slimming cream’, but it sounds harsh to my English ears
(Google says ‘body shaping’, so maybe it sounds ok in Russian)

Organic Kitchen brand plastic containers of cream on a shelf, one with an avocado on it

January 28, 2025 - someone in my village has a Spar truck? (Spar is here in Kyrgyzstan, but it arrived not long ago, maybe 2023? And as far as I know, the closest Spar to me is ~80 km away)

view down a village street, with several houses on the right. spar truck visible inside the fence of one of the houses

January 27, 2025 - sign for a ясо shop. Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
(ok I’m just being silly, it’s мясо but with the м mostly faded. мясо = meat, in Russian)

ясо sign in a small, snowy alley

January 26, 2025 - Cheetos for her (для неё) and Cheetos for him (для него). A Valentine’s Day promotion? Either way, I don’t understand why this is necessary

pink and purple Cheeto bags side by side, the first with "Cheetos for her" and the second with "Cheetos for him" written on the bags in Russian

January 25, 2025 - on a cloudy day

road going towards mountains. clouds in the sky

January 24, 2025 - grandma and grandpa’s room when they are here. But as my host mom said, “they are nomads” (they often stay with different relatives, sometimes for weeks or months). Most Kyrgyz houses have at least one room like this with a large stack of tushuks (sleeping pads) for guests

room with white walls, a rug on the floor. against the wall straight ahead - coat rack in the left corner, stack of sleeping pads and blankets above a large chest

January 23, 2025 - winter pictures displayed in the school lobby. The picture on the left was made by one of my students. He brought it to our classroom today and said he wanted to put it on the wall and give it to us 😂 I don’t know why, maybe because I try to decorate the wall with student work?

two posters on a wooden frame. left - a wintry winter scene with trees. on the right - a picture of the Grinch

January 22, 2025 - yes, I am comfy, thank you for asking. That doesn’t give you permission to take a picture of me!

big, cream colored dog sitting on yellow hay in a yard

January 21, 2025 - a smartboard was installed in my classroom yesterday. I didn’t know until I walked in today and was mad because they removed part of the chalkboard. Also, I worry about sustainability, will teachers learn how to use it and continue to do so? But gotta say… it’s pretty cool 😂

giant smartboard at the front of a classroom, between a smaller TV and a green chalkboard

January 20, 2025 - a bag that I received a gift in some time ago. At this point, I don’t remember what the gift was or from whom 😅

pastel colored bag with text: MISS YOU! Put the blessing into the wind, blows a petals, each petal, into my deep thoughts, all is me in wishing you a happy every day

January 19, 2025 - rugged Naryn oblast 🙂 on the road between Naryn City and Kochkor

small rugged and rocky hill covered with snow and with some trees

January 18, 2025 - a seller’s spot in the center after going home. Kochkor, Kyrgyzstan

stacks of crates next to a pedestrian path for displaying fruit and vegetables