valerie
February 26, 2025 - it snowed unexpectedly today. For the last week, the forecast had been back and forth on whether it would snow today or not. I decided it probably wouldn’t snow because my weather app often shows that it’s currently snowing when it actually isn’t. Today I was wrong 😁
February 25, 2025 - a new snack bar for me. It smells like a different snack bar, Fun Banan, which is to say it smells strongly of artificial banana. I still like the bar, but it’s not very filling
February 24, 2025 - yesterday was my first time walking on this road during the day (usually I run here, and in the morning). The thing on the ground is a goal for the Kyrgyz game kok boru, in which men try to grab and throw a sheep carcass inside the goal while on horseback
February 21, 2025 - a war monument in my village next to the mosque on the main road that I finally took a picture of. I’m not sure which war this is commemorating. My guess is WW2 or the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan since there are a lot of monuments for these two conflicts around Kyrgyzstan
February 18, 2025 - first day of English Olympiad. Speaking day! Here were all of this year’s topics. Each participating student picked one at random and spoke about it. Then they had to answer follow-up questions from judges (us), and we decided that each judge would be responsible for a few topics
February 17, 2025 - relatively new restaurant in Kochkor. It’s so nice! I didn’t actually eat there when I went this past weekend (because I had already eaten lunch before going in), but I want to eat there next week!
February 15, 2025 - namazkana (намазкана, prayer room) in a hall of other suites/offices Kochkor, Kyrgyzstan
February 14, 2025 - made envelopes and had students write nice messages to each other in English club yesterday. I told them they could take their envelopes home, and didn’t think to take a picture of all of them before
February 13, 2025 - Bishkek buses now accept payment by card and QR code. I heard they wouldn’t take cash, but the drivers do still accept cash. It’s just a little more expensive than paying electronically. This is a coupon you can take if you pay by cash to prove to a controller that you paid
February 12, 2025 - not exactly sure what they are planning to do here, but this part of the road from the center of Kochkor to Ormon Khan Park is a full-on construction zone (and has been since maybe last fall?). The arch in the distance is the entrance to the park
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..
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
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
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 🙃
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
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?
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)
