valerie
September 12, 2025 - another stray cat I sometimes see, usually after work on my way home from the bus stop. This one will eat my snacks but is skittish about sudden movements, and in general any movements made toward it (so I don’t get to pet it)
September 11, 2025 - I have always seen this (coal?) plant from a distance, but this was my first time being there up close
September 10, 2025 - one of my students bought the chocolate thing and dropped it in the hall outside our classroom. It broke and there was a pile of chocolate sauce on the floor π at least it was on the side of the hall and not in the middle, but still, no one told me…I just found it there π
September 9, 2025 - I try to feed this cat snacks on the way to school, but it always rejects them. I guess that means it is fed enough, which is good
September 8, 2025 - when we went to Ala Archa Park at the end of August, four horses without any people attending to them passed us quickly at a particularly narrow part of the trail. It was a little scary because we were going up and they were going down to the river for water
September 6, 2025 - sign: no parking
car: well, I’m not directly in front of the sign or behind it, so must be okay
September 5, 2025 - Georgian restaurant. This tarhun tasted so different from the bottled, carbonated stuff in stores (in a good way!). And the khinkali salt and pepper shakers were very cute. The ambience of the place was cool, and the food was good, too
September 4, 2025 - there’s a little park with sculptures like this around, though mostly of people. This one was called something like “relaxing”
September 1, 2025 - I’m so glad my fridge can hold 175 L of milk, said the lactose intolerant woman
(yes, I know it doesn’t have to be milk in a carton, or the milk could be lactose free! I’m just trying to be funny π I have no other interesting pictures because of school)
August 30, 2025 - got one last hike in at Ala Archa Park to see this waterfall before the school year gets into full swing
August 28, 2025 - a student randomly brought slices of cake to school today for my teaching assistant and me
August 27, 2025 - one student stayed inside during recess to paint: “my mom doesn’t let me paint at home because she says I will make a mess”
later:
(to be clear, I thought the situation was funny. This student is so sweet and well-behaved, and I don’t want to get in the way of her creativity!)
August 26, 2025 - I used a foot mask for the first time ever yesterday, and I was quite amused by how it looked and felt π I want to buy another pack
August 25, 2025 - 2/4 of today’s bouquet haul. It’s nice, but it also feels weird – why bring a bouquet for a teacher you don’t even know yet? Who knows, maybe I will end up being the worst teacher of your child’s life! (I really hope not, but you never know π€·ββοΈ)
August 24, 2025 - the new Kochkor animal bazaar location. I went on my birthday earlier this month before I moved back to Bishkek. I just wanted to at least see it before leaving. The blue words on the fence say “cattle bazaar” in Kyrgyz
August 23, 2025 - first time eating Kyrgyz food (manty) since leaving my village…I don’t miss it π actually, it was not bad, but I just can’t stand eating it anymore. Seems like this restaurant is trying hard to preserve the use of Kyrgyz though, which is cool. (It says “eat!” all over the plate)
August 21, 2025 - it’s not in the picture, but I got a smartboard in my new classroom (the old school counselor’s office)!
August 20, 2025 - how many hours of waiting over three days do you think it took for me to get all these signatures and stamps?
