Hey everyone!

It's my eighth week in country and I'm doing great! I'm making lots of new friends and picking up the language quicker than expected. I'm hoping to be fluent in both Kyrgyz and Russian by the time my service ends. I've already visited and taught an English lesson at the school I will be working at for the next two years. It's very exciting!

For anyone who's been craving to see some pictures of me in country, you shall wait no more! Here's a couple pictures of some friends and I at the local orphanage where the Peace Corps holds seminars and lectures for volunteers. It was culture day, so we're all wearing traditional Kyrgyz outfits. Pretty gnarly, huh? These clothes are worn on special occasions, but they aren't what people wear on a daily basis! Just in case you were wondering. Also, these pictures were taken four weeks ago; I've definitely lost about 15 pounds since then and I'm looking good!

To fill you in on a few things: the men's hat is called a kalpak, the robe is called a chapkan, but I forget the names for women's clothing. The names from left to right are Kimberly, Eric, Emily, Jona (she's a 66-year-old volunteer), our LCF Bakit, and Bert. Bakit is our Kyrgyz language teacher and it's no secret that he's one of the best! Anyways, enjoy the pics. Bye bye!

Hi again everyone!

After a very long delay due to technical difficulties, I am now finally able to update my blog!

There's so much to say. Where do I begin? I live in a small town outside of the capital, Bishkek, with a very loving and supportive Kyrgyz family. My host mom and teenage brother live at home but I also have another little brother and sister who live with with the Russian in-laws who visit often. My mom's Russian husband unfortunately died a few years ago, which is a sensitive topic I won't expound on.

To sum things up in one simple statement, I'll say that life here is very slow. The Kyrgyz have their own pace of life and they are pretty good at handling tough conditions, like frequent blackouts, loss of running water, etc. etc. They're really curious and even somewhat suspicious about us out-of-place Americans. However, we're gaining their trust by making friends and doing good deeds, like picking up trash piles along the sides of major roads and disposing waste properly.

PST (Pre-Service-Training) is a pretty brutal process of cultural induction, language learning, and lengthy seminars on safety and volunteer skills. There's also plenty of fun, such as playing games with kids at the local orphanage and the disco dance us volunteers are about to have tonight!

I want to say more, but unfortunately I've got to go! I'll let everyone know more about my experiences these last five weeks once I get some free time. As for now, I've got to another seminar to attend.

See you!
Eric Connor

Hello Everyone!

Hi family and friends!

I'm sitting at the JFK Airport in New York City for the time being, at the very beginning of my journey abroad. Orientation was fun and informative, and the other volunteers are great! We all went out to the bar last night to party one last time before putting on our serious faces overseas as professionals in business, health, and education. And most important of all, as official representatives of the United States of America.

I'll be flying into Istanbul, Turkey soon, and from there to the city of Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic. Training begins almost immediately, with daily 8-hour classes for drilling the Kyrgyz (or Russian) language into our heads. Sounds fun, right? Wish me luck!

Much love,
Eric Connor