valerie

November 9, 2023 - got a little snow in my village today!

in front of a house, thin layer of snow on the ground

November 8, 2023 - a travel day usually means posting a nature picture.
Just before crossing the Naryn River and entering Naryn City (taken yesterday)

brown mountains next to a blue river bend

November 7, 2023 - my first time exploring Naryn city!

a standing, illuminated sign with a red heart surrounding white text which says, "My Naryn" in Kyrgyz in a small city in the evening

November 6, 2023 - went for my first jog with my Kyrgyz teacher this morning! went to the sign of a neighboring village, and then turned back home

a sign at sunrise which says "welcome to Shamshy village" in Kyrgyz

November 5, 2023 - mountains

tall mountains with a bit of snow cover and shorter, brown mountains

November 4, 2023 - my first Kyrgyz Ρ‚ΠΎΠΉ (pronounced ‘toy’, basically a big Kyrgyz party for any number of things but usually weddings) as a volunteer

big, fancy banquet hall with round tables and people sitting around them

November 3, 2023 - the most social/friendliest of the sheep friends. but when I try to give her food from my hands, she always tries to nibble my fingers. I have no nickname for her. open to suggestions 😁😜

dark brown sheep with brown wool

November 2, 2023 - yesterday’s sunset

pink, blue, and slightly purple skies behind tall, thin tree silhouettes; behind the trees snowy mountains in the distance

November 1, 2023 - my calf friend eating some hay

close-up shot of a brown calf with a rope bridle with hay in its mouth

October 31, 2023 - it rained, snowed for 5 minutes, then rained again

looking down at the yard and street from a second floor window, snow on the grassy parts of the ground

October 30, 2023 - seen in Kochkor over the weekend. I’m sure that the cheese flavored corn balls are good, but the mascot is frightening

cheese ball bags on a store shelf with a cheese ball mascot who has eyes, a round nose, and a smile with teeth

October 29, 2023 - finally tried Central Asia’s newest (at least Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan) Lays flavor: beshbarmak, a Kazakh and Kyrgyz traditional dish made with boiled meat and noodles. The chips are not bad, but not good enough for me to want to buy again. Still better than the shashlik flavor

bag of Lay's beshbarmak chips, with Kazakh on it

October 28, 2023 - I got so excited when I saw this truck transporting a camel in Kochkor πŸͺ (actually, there was a second one too, but it was sitting down)

small transporting truck for livestock on the road in a town with a camel visible standing in the truck bed

October 27, 2023 - the sauna room in my neighbor’s banya. It was my second time using their banya, but I didnt realize they had a sauna room the first time

small room with wooden walls and a tiled ledge to sit on

October 26, 2023 - ‘food craft’ exhibition at school in celebration of fall, because harvest season means extra food? Idk, but it’s fun that the kids have a chance to be creative, even if it seems a bit wasteful.. πŸ˜… also, these are some of my students and their creations!

animals made out of fruits and vegetables on a table

October 25, 2023 - sunrise

orange/purple sky/clouds and mountains in the background; trees and powerlines in the foreground

October 24, 2023 - grandma had milk in a pot. was confused about what exactly it was. I thought she said airan but the Kyrgyz airan Wikipedia page says that airan is food and chalap is the drink. Idunno. I’ve lived in this country for 2 years and still don’t understand. also I’m lactose intolerant πŸ˜…

milk in a big pot, gray inside and red outside, on the stove

October 23, 2023 - it was so windy when I walked home today, dust was flying everywhere

down a dirt road in a neighborhood, air looks gray-ish and the sky is not clear because of all the dust

October 22, 2023 - now we have cows!

dark brown cow and a dark brown cafe both tied to two separate, but somewhat close, trees

October 21, 2023 - pizza night! wasn’t a fan of the ingredients my sister used, but it’s hard to mess up dough baked with cheese..

freshly baked pizza with tomatoes, sausage and cheese on an oven shelf

October 20, 2023 - one of the roads out of my village

dirt road with a car on it in the distance; mountains closer to the foreground on the left but also in the background

October 19, 2023 - you know winter is on its way when we’ve started using this heater at night

furnace for heating a house in a room

October 18, 2023 - this evening’s sky

mountains and a crescent moon in the evening

October 17, 2023 - my host mom, who is not home, texted, “aren’t you cold at night?” I forgot the Kyrgyz word for blanket, went to ask my sister, and then ended up talking to her and her cousins for an hour. afterwards I had messages from my host mom saying, “sorry if I wrote it wrong” (in Kyrgyz) πŸ₯Ί

messages from my host mom on WhatsApp, mostly in Kyrgyz: Good; How about yourself?; How are you?; Aren't you cold at night? (in English); :) ; don't fully understand this one; Sorry if I wrote it wrong; voice message; Sorry :( ; praying hand emojis; :( ; My response: No, I have a good blanket from you :)

October 16, 2023 - enjoying the warm sun during the day before temperatures go back down to near freezing during the night

field (probably for potatoes) with a wheelbarrow, dirt pile, and hay pile, surrounded by trees, mountains in the background, and a bright sun in the sky