Let It Be

October 28, 2007


Today is T-stan Independence Day which means fun, fireworks and lotsa people. My host family and I went into Asgabat today, stopped into a café to have some cake and coffee, went to the theater (and I somewhat understood the storyline of the play, which made me extra proud of myself) and tried to watch the fireworks but by the time we got there it was too late, and it was over.

It was an awesome good time.

I was hanging out with my friend Jon today and he said he knows why RPCVs are so laid back…it’s unimaginable that any situation back home can be as bothersome as things you are confronted with here. I know I haven’t been here that long, but I believe it.

I thought of that as I cleaned up the mass grave of flies that’s been sitting in the corner of my room…and when I saw the massive crowd of people gathered around the front entrance of the theater before the ticket taker.

I wonder how ridiculous it would be to make it my goal to introduce the concept of lines to Turkmen people.

My Turkmen family says my Turkmen is getting really really good. I think I threw them off when I walked in and said, “Good morning, what’s new?” And we embarked upon a conversation about how we were all feeling very lazy and didn’t want to do anything. It was a nice, long breakfast…obviously because we didn’t feel like doing anything else. I really love my host family.

I have a big zit on my chin…probably from the excess of oil that I’m consuming in the food here. Next Saturday (Nov 3) we’re going to visit an underground lake. I can’t explain how excited I am to completely be covered in water. Not that tin cup/bucket showers aren’t satisfying, of course.

Tomorrow (Oct 29) is a big day…we’re being interviewed for permanent site placement…and I have to say that after our day camp experience with the kids I’m hoping to be placed in a new site that hasn’t had volunteers there yet. It will be kind of cool to be the first person to introduce new teaching methods and games and interactions with the kids. But anyway, all things happen for a reason; best to just let it be.

Wah Wah Haay

October 26, 2007


Independence Day weekend is here. I still love this country.

This morning I was enjoying a lovely breakfast with my family when my host dad walked in and started sharpening some knives.

“Towuk” he said, making a slicing motion with the knife.

I really thought he was joking.

“Wah wah hay,” I replied with a smile.

Then when I was brushing my teeth they brought out a metal pan where the dead chicken laid and set it on the ground in front of me, and started pouring boiling water over its lifeless body.

“Awwwwww…” I said while they laughed at the American who felt sympathy for tonight’s dinner.

I have to admit though…plov with chicken is damn good…

Hokey Pokey No More

October 24, 2007


Our three-day-long day camp adventure has finally ended today, and although it was great fun, and the kids absolutely loved it, I’m definitely glad it’s over.

The irony of this is just overwhelming. There were just three of us at Annau School #16 and we had over SIXTY kids show up today, on the last day. Over fifty came yesterday and we had around 35-40 on Monday.

Between the three of us, we spent about $8 altogether on supplies. That’s less than $3 a day to put these day camp activities together.

And the kids absolutely adored it.

We introduced them to the hokey pokey, duck duck goose, pictionary, and much much more. I have to say I’m just completely baffled by the little tiny things that make these kids so happy.

Many times after dinner I’ll go outside and play with the kids in my host family but at first I was very, very confused.

“Anjelie! Basketball! Play basketball!” they said.

“Ummm…but there’s no basket. Basket, nirede?” I asked.

“Basket yok!” they replied and just pointed to two different areas to show that those were the ‘baskets’.

And so we played basketball. And then volleyball. And we played some sort of weird version of bowling, and their version of dodgeball which I still don’t really understand.

The point is, that even with an old, half-flat soccer ball you can have the best time of your life, and if you show up somewhere, and give some kids your time and attention, they will soak it up and it will have an effect on them.

I love being here.

If You Can’t Beat Them…

October 21, 2007

Currently there are about forty-seven flies in my room.

It sounds like an exaggeration, but I assure you it’s the truth. I can count about 35 of them on my curtain right this second from where I’m sitting, and then another seven on the ceiling, and the rest are randomly buzzing about their merry way.

I honestly wouldn’t mind flies so much if it wasn’t for that damn BZZZZ noise they make…and if they didn’t fly right up into my face every ten seconds. If they were quiet and just minded their own business, it would be cool. We could co-exist happily inside my room.

But these little buggers will NOT leave me the heck alone.

So I tried the fly swatting game (thanks gratefully to Katie’s handy dandy fly swatter- seriously Katie, I don’t know what I would do without this thing. And you probably have no idea how much that going away present really ended up being a part of my life) and I have since created a mass grave in the corner of my room. I tried opening the door, and shooing out the ones that were stuck to the curtain…with no luck at all. And I tried just sitting here, waiting for them to come to me so that I could go in for the kill.

But I’m getting really sick and tired of playing attack the fly so now I’m just peacefully sitting here, typing away, with my handy dandy fly swatter by my side.

Oh well…it’s my fault anyway. I’ve now learned the hard way what happens when I leave my door, window and curtain open for two whole hours in the afternoon.

life is beautiful

I’m feeling MUCH much better. I think a lot of the reason why I was so sick was because I was dehydrated…I didn’t have my water filter up and running, and also the bathrooms at the school ridiculously lack privacy so I was purposely trying not to drink too many liquids during the day. But now I’ve stopped all that nonsense because when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and it doesn’t really matter where you go as long as you go right?

I’ve started drinking soda again because it’s like one of the all time favorites here. Apple soda, apricot sodas, orange sodas etc. I keep thinking about the times I made fun of Danielle for drinking orange soda . The Turkmen word for sweet is also the word for delicious, so my first night here when I was offered some fabulous Turkmen orange soda and I said no, “halamok, sujyk” meaning I don’t want it because it’s too sweet, but found out later I was saying no I don’t want it, it’s delicious. Pssshh!

Turkmen is coming along steadily and language classes are a ton of fun. I usually help one of my host sisters with her English homework, and today we had a lovely cross cultural experience. I said “Oh My Gosh!” over something…I forgot what exactly, and she was like “Ohh…meey…goshe?” And I tried to explain the expression, comparing it to ‘Oh My God’ and then she was like oh! “Allahjan!” Which means, Oh Allah! Hahahaha Same shit, different country. I also tried to teach her “Oh Shit” also but I don’t think she got that one.

So apparently they have a telegraph office here and on a whim we decided to go check it out. I’ve only ever seen one on a Little House on the Prarie episode, so it was pretty interesting. My fellow volunteer, Kevin, tried to send one to another volunteer in a different village and after he finally filled out the form and turned it in it took about ten minutes for them to explain that they don’t send messages in English, which was hilarious!

Tonight I went out to the washroom to take a bucket shower and was half way done rinsing out my shampoo when I realized I had forgotten my towel. I just stopped and thought ‘awwwww man…I’m retarded.” And I pulled on my clothes even though I was sopping wet, with sopping wet hair and muddled through the compound in the freezing cold rain to my room to my fabulous ‘fast drying towel.’


Alrighty I should take off now. I miss everyone! And I really really really miss your hugs. I’ve had about three hugs since I’ve been here and it’s just not the same.

See ya!

Love Angela

October 14, 2007

October 14, 2007

Today I did the dishes.

It doesn’t sound complicated, but it’s really not all that easy here. And I’m a little concerned because they don’t have any dish soap here. Maybe I’ll go buy some today.

I spent a lovely afternoon with my host family enjoying the 108^th cup of tea I’ve had since I’ve been in this country over the past 11 days. I realized that I really like sitting on the floor and I really like tea. Too bad I have no clue what anyone is saying, ever.

But I’m making sentences. I successfully explained what I did yesterday, what I’m doing today, and what I’m doing tomorrow to my host family. And that I do not have any children. I think they asked why, but I didn’t even bother to go there. In Turkmen standards, to be 26 and unmarried without children is pretty uncool.

Yesterday at lunch we watched some Turkmen music videos and it was pretty much the most hilarious thing I’ve ever seen. I’m going to have to find the Turkmen Black Eyed Peas dvd and bring it home with me after my time here is up.

Today my fellow Annau village volunteers and I are going on a quest to find a cold beer in this town…if we are successful, I will be a very, happy person. Most places don’t chill beverages here…they’re just sold warm anywhere you go. Don’t ask why, I have no clue. I have actually had two cold drinks since I’ve been in this country: one cold beer at the hotel in Asgabat, and then one cold coke at my fellow volunteer Kevin’s rich mom’s house. Yup that’s it.

I’m going to be truthful and admit that I really like it here. I can’t conjugate verbs and I miss wearing jeans and I’ve started drinking soda again but I’m content. I like walking everywhere, and I like not having a cell phone. I like the people here and I think things are going very, very well so far.

October 13, 2007

October 13, 2007

Today I fell in love with the Turkmen people.

I arrived back at home tonight shortly before 10:00 p.m. to find the gate locked. Now, I’ve been here a week so I didn’t even know they locked the gate at night, and plus I had told them I was going out and would be back between 9:30-10:00pm.

So I knocked and yelled, but nobody came. I knocked and yelled some more, and still had no answer. I tried climbing the gate on the right hand side, but my lack of upper body strength caused me to fail miserably. I tried going over the neighbor’s fence only to be met with a ferocious dog seconds away from attacking me.

So I tried crawling under the fence, but that only resulted in me completely dirtying my fresh, clean clothes.

So I knocked and yelled some more and like the dork I am, started to cry. I was so frustrated! Why had they locked the gate? Why was no one coming when I knocked and yelled?

Then a car pulled up and I thought, holy crap this is it they’re going to jump me. They’re going to take my T-stan ID and passport and dump my body outside of town by the breadmaker’s house.

But that didn’t happen.

Three guys and one girl got out of the car and smiled at me and asked me if I needed help (at least I think that’s what they said). I explained to them in broken Turkmen that I lived there and I couldn’t get in. They started all pounding on the gate together and honking their horn, and we had a good laugh about how I was stuck outside my house.

“You are an English teacher!” one of them said. I think he might have recognized me from the school. I don’t really know. I was just grateful to have someone with me.

They stayed there with me and helped me until someone finally came and opened the gate. I wanted to give them a gigantic hug, but unfortunately that’s inappropriate in Turkmen culture. I hope I see them again…they will always be my first Turkmen friends.

October 10, 2007

October 10, 2007

So tomorrow we get to go into Ashgabat and get the second round of vaccinations and a lovely tour of the Peace Corps office. Being the person who I am I naturally left all the emails I needed to write to tonight and OF COURSE the electricity just went out. Of course.

So now I’m sitting here, in the dark, in a compound full of unruly loud children who love to randomly throw open the door to see the weird American girl sitting in the dark in front of the computer that now has about 80 percent battery life left.

But nevertheless I’m going to blog until I possibly can’t anymore because Internet is a precious, precious thing that I have been looking forward to for an entire week now and I’m going to get out as much as possible.

Today I got to spend some time in the school I’ll be working in for the next three months. The second I walked in, twenty 12-year-olds jumped to their feet and yelled at the top of their lungs, “GOOD AFTERNOON, TEACHER!”

It was pretty awesome. I might even say that was the highlight of my day because it was so damn cute.

The children were so eager to learn…they were waving their hands around like crazy hoping to get called on. Every girl wears a green dress and white apron, with her hair tied in two braids and a little hat on top. Boys’ uniforms consist of black pants, white shirt, tie, jacket, cute little hat and shiny black shoes. They’re absolutely adorable!

The food thing is just taking time to get used to…I suppose it’s my body’s way of adjusting to the new bacteria in the food, or the lack of preservatives since everything here is natural. In the morning I eat eggs that are from the chickens in the yard, bread that is baked in the oven outside, etc.

Turkmenistan is known for its melons…I think there’s around 1100 different kinds here, and I’ve had about 3 of them so far which isn’t bad for a person who doesn’t really like fruit, but the desert air and the gastric calamities have caused me to be dehydrated so I’m forcing myself to eat anything that has lots of water.

I see different camels every day to and from school…either tied up in someone’s yard or just randomly wandering throughout an empty lot of dirt, grazing on random plants here and there. The first time I saw one I jumped up and down in excitement…then by the 6^th or 7^th time it started to not matter anymore.

Our country director came and had lunch with us today, and the nine of us sat around the large tablecloth on the floor of Liz’s host mom’s house and ate plov and drank tea and soda. He told us that he was standing at a bazaar one day and a kid asked him if he was American. When he responded that he was with the Peace Corps the child told him with excitement that his English teacher was with the Peace Corps and that now he is planning on going to college in America because of her.

Because of HER.

To one person, you may be the world.

In the Beginning… (Oct 9th, 2007)

In the Beginning…

We had a wonderful four days in Ashgabat when we first arrived here in T-stan but Saturday was our last day in the capital, and the serious training has now begun…for the next three months my life is going to be much more stressful, and extremely hectic. We have language and culture training six days a week, and then soon we’re going to actually start spending some time in the classrooms at the local school. All 38 volunteers have been spread out, outside of Ashgabat, in various villages. I’m in the village Annau which is about fifteen minutes south of Ashgabat. I can actually see the mountains that border Iran from my house. How many other people that you know can say that?

All is well on the north middle eastern front J.

What can I say about Ashgabat? If you’ve ever wanted to see a ton of gleaming white buildings in one place, it’s definitely where you want to be. Other than that, I don’t know much about the capital, except that you can get away wearing pretty much whatever you want (within reason) here.

Turkmenistan has a country-wide curfew of 11:00pm. If you’re out past then on the streets you will be stopped by a police officer. I received my official T-stan ID booklet last week and it’s pretty spiffy.

Every car is a cab here, and basically 5000-10,000 manat (about 20-40 cents) will get you anywhere you need to go. You just walk to the side of the road and put your hand out, and someone will stop for you. Everybody does it here, and seatbelts are pretty much never used.

Turkmenistan is a Muslim country so Christmas for us is not a holiday. We don’t get it off at all…it is just another day of work. I guess I could whine and moan about it, but I’m sure us Americans will figure out something to do to celebrate anyway.

The squatter in my house is basically a ceramic basin with a small hole at the bottom. The problem is you have to really be able to aim appropriately…the hole isn’t all that big. But it’s all good…I’m just grateful that there is a light in the bathroom….

I bought a box of Barf the other day, which is coincidentally the Iranian brand of laundry detergent. But then I found some Tide at the local bazaar so I’m thinking I might do a nice switch and bring home the barf for the friends and family that ever so want it. Who doesn’t want barf in a box?

My home life is extremely chaotic and it’s a bit unnerving at times…I have a phenomenal host family but there’s so many people that it can be pretty crazy. Tonight, for example, there were even more people over and my host mom was rushing around upset about something and people were bustling around like crazy so I decided it was best to retire early and finish emails rather than be social…something that I don’t normally do. Last night I helped my host sister with her English homework and had some help by everyone else with my Turkmen.

We’re all about the cross cultural experiences here, that’s for sure.

Especially when you’re walking to school and you see graffiti such as “Punk Not Dead” on the wall, and someone drives by bumping Enrique Iglesias in Russian.

The bizarre cross-cultural experiences keep coming…and I’m loving every minute of it. Just wait till you see the Turkmen Black Eyed Peas! No words can explain it. It’s simply the most exquisite of its kind.

Ode to Pepto Bismo (Oct 7, 2007)

Pepto Bismol you are my friend

You make my pain come to an end

Never did I ever think

I would love something so pink

I will eat you every day

Until my sickness goes away

Thank you for being here by my side

And soothing out this bumpy ride

Pepto Bismol I love you so

I will never let you go

Girls Rule Boys Drool (Oct 6, 2007)

Girls Rule Boys Drool

Never have I ever had such an amazing night like tonight. I am absolutely KICKING myself for not bringing my video camera along on this adventure because there’s no way I can capture the charisma and genuine overall beauty of tonight simply with words.

I met my host family this afternoon and like everyone else’s first meeting it was awkward and quiet because the only things I know in Turkmen are hello, how are you, how old are you, what job do you do and are you married?

Oh and I can count to 1000 also. But anyway, it was awkward. Plus my stomach was just barely feeling the effects of the mother load of Pepto Bismol and Ibuprofen I had taken due to gastric calamities, so I sat there picking at some rice and cucumbers, sipping on soda water and smiling and nodding and saying, “Gowy!” (good!) at everything that was said to me.

So we arrived at my new home (for the next three months) and it is pretty much waaaaay better than I expected. My room is on the upper level with my own private entrance and I have a fold out bed, wardrobe, table and chair. I was surprised because it’s the most furniture I’ve seen in the whole house. In Turkmen culture you sit and the floor, eat on the floor, lay on pillows on the floor, etc, so there really isn’t any furniture. Another thing that made me happy was there is a light in the squatter, as well as a lock on the door. And it doesn’t smell nearly as bad as I thought it would in there (but it’s still pretty raunchy…just gotta hold my breath).

In the washroom there are two barrels of water that are heated by gas, and a little scooper next to it so basically you just scoop up some water and pour it on yourself to wash yourself. I’m really glad I brought my flip flops.

So as soon as I got here we all sat down on the floor around a table cloth and enjoyed some lovely tea. I pointed to my stomach and made a sad face when I was offered any food…I didn’t really want to risk it. My family consists of the mother and father, their five kids and the spouses of the five kids, and then their 12 grandchildren. There are a ton of people here, and the kids are absolutely hilarious! The youngest girl is just so cute! I’ll have to start taking some photos of them soon.

Then later, after I somewhat unpacked, we all had dinner. The men were served their dinner in the other room on trays, but the women and children (and myself) all sat around the table cloth on the floor and had a fabulous dinner. I didn’t eat anything except for some bread due to my gastric calamities, but it was the most fun I’ve ever had at dinner in my life. This family is so charismatic and animated, and although the severe language barrier, it was awesome. We kept making toasts because it was one of the kids’ birthdays, and they even had me do one in English! After dinner we had cake (which I DID eat, and it was very, very good) and sang happy birthday in English to the little one while he sat there with a huge cheesy grin on his 10-year-old face.

Then came the after dinner fun…

“You like dance?” Jemel, the sixteen-year-old granddaughter said with a smile.

“Uhhh…hawa?” I responded.

I was motioned to follow her into the other room (also without furniture, except for a large entertainment center and a few pillows) with all the children and the women and I sat down on the floor. Jemel put in a cd and all the kids started dancing around like crazy. My host mom sat in a rocking chair and clapped her hands and then the other women started dancing also and motioned for me to join them.

I cannot describe how much fun it was, it was our own little dance party. We danced to Shakira, Akon, and then a bunch of Turkmen music. I just started mimicking the other women with their Turkmen dance and we were laughing so hard I was crying. My host mom said that was the best souvenir. It was so much fun that I even forgot about my gastric calamities and started to actually feel pretty awesome.

One thing is definitely for sure: This may be a male-dominated society, but it’s the girls who truly know how to have fun.