PST

May 2, 2011

Since our arrival in country, just over a month ago we have been going through PST, Pre-Service Training. Typically a three month training in language, culture, logistics, medical, and other topic relating to our 24 month service, ours has unfortunately been cut to two months. Although I generally go home with a headache from over use, it has been wonderful! As of right now, our job is to do no more than learn the language and culture, living expenses are covered by Peace Corps and food is taken care of by host families. Rough life, let me tell you! My language group is amazing and we have all gotten to be good friends. We will often hang out after class and on our one free day, Sunday.

However, learning the language has been, ah, challenging. Although its generally accepted that Kyrgyz is easier than Russian, I still speak like a 2 year old, when, on the off hand that I say something intelligible. The Kyrgyz language has a case system and a different verb conjugation for just about every imaginable situation. Which I imagine will be easy enough as soon as I can remember the 30 different word endings. We have been having language every day except Wednesday (and there are rumors of cutting our Saturday classes too) and Sunday. Language class usually goes from 8:30 to 5:00, like I said after the sponge is full, the headache usually ensues.

Wednesdays are our hub day, all 42 of us get together at an orphanage in a nearby village to do culture, medical, other trainings, and hand out paperwork, passports, etc. The pictures on Seth's picassa page entitled 'culture day' (link of my FB) are all at the orphanage. Tuesday and Thursday are split between language and technical sessions. Tyler, myself, and the rest of the SOCD (sustainable organization and community development) volunteers have been meeting at the First School, (not to be confused with either the second or third schools- gotta love those soviets!) for instruction on basic business principals, economic situations, facilitation trainings, training trainings, and other plans to make plans. We have taken several trips into Bishkek to meet NGOs and even a visit to the embassy to discuss other grant opportunities offered.

This is the start of the famed week 7, the week in which we find out our permanent sites as well! It has been a huge mystery for all of us. Until last Friday not even the Country Director knew where we were going to be placed. We had a site placement interview in week 4 to discuss where we wanted to live for the duration of service. Not that we really know anything about the any of the oblasts (states) here, we still had a little say in what climate and what kind of organization we want to work with. Which ever site we have been given, we will make it work, I have been much more concerned with who I will be living with, family and other volunteers. I have seriously been having nightmares about the permanent site placement. During my site placement I had requested a smaller village, near a city, and preferably in the Naryn or Issyk-Kul oblasts. My thoughts were, that as long as I'm in the 'Switzerland of Central Asia' I want to be right in the middle of the mountains! Well only 2 days until the unveiling I'll keep you posted!