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!