Still on the dongle in my room so no pics, but can get internet elsewhere in the Ashu, but the Ashu is full tonight with a seminar. I am pleased to say that the owners wife and their son are back too, I was worried I might not see them before I left. Although only 8 months old their son is definitely making talking sounds.
Last night at 12 there were other sounds. Someone banged on my window waking me up, looking out without my glasses on, I thought it was the owners mum complaining that I had the song I am trying to learn on too loud, I turned it down and was just thinking hang on why is she knocking on the window not the door, when a gentler tap on the window came, I opened it and ,someone, who I vaguely recognised, explained in English that they were builders. Having seen the panels that will be slotted onto the new building arrive by big lorry earlier that day, this seemed likely despite the time of night. . I therefore went to take them to the room in which I had seen other builders sleeping, the stars looked amazing as I walked them over, but he said he had already looked there so that was no good so that meant waking someone other than me up. Just in case I suggested the grandfather as I know that he can defend the property if it turned out I was helping these people improperly,but he was not in the sort of lean too cupboard in which he usually sleeps, so I had to stand outside all the doors (the family swop the rooms they sleep in according to need) until I worked out where she was and woke her up. I left them to sort it out but at 5 this morning the noise of a cow bellowing woke me up again. Shows me how much double glazing protects me round here as I have never heard the morning cacophony before, but I had left the window open by accident.
I felt very rough this morning, have dragged myself through the day and although I knew there was a ton to do for the fundraiser we are having on Friday just left as soon as I could. I have a sore throat and my voice sounds dreadful so hope it improves before I have to sing. It is cold again here too, which does not help. However, the rest of the school are all singing and dancing and moving. Furniture is coming in for the first summer school and apparently someone English will be helping at it so a new guard is arriving and apparently after summer more than one new year will be added to the school, they will recruit for further classes of a higher age than our current students. As per usual all change. I do not quite know how my head manages it all. She is looking tired and stressed to be honest but not too bad under the circumstances.
I found out who the young woman was, She was not to do with the Foundation as I suspected, but the head of the Foundation is also her boss, and apparently she is involved in yet more charities that he runs, is there no end to the number of ventures he is involved.
Had a nice days teaching. I explained to the children about how to do a lucky dip and they are very excited about the idea. I am not quite sure how I will manage it and the how many in the jar sweets and try and sing I am trying to resist making more films as my camera really is on its last legs. I have donated the presents for the two games so if the idea does not catch on there will be no loss. Judging by the kids reaction though they will want to have a go.
A couple of days ago going through my luggage ready for going home I found a blow up globe I had brought with me, interestingly it has the capital as Frunze, not Bishkek. Frunze was the previous name and it is why Bishkek is Fru for the airport. I have been using the globe, just to throw at the kids individual questions, it is harder for the others to shout out the answers in that context and fun for the kids, what was nice today was before I used if for class, 2B's teacher showed them Kyrgyzstan, and how small it was and then a quarter of the way round the world they found where I live, even smaller. Gasps at both the distance and the sizes. And on Friday when the women from the States came the children who met them were blown away by the fact that they would travel half way round the world to get home and take 24 hours to do it. I often forget where I am in some ways, I am just here in my little bubble. If the school were round the corner it would be easy of course I would stay.
Anyway, only 2 more days teaching, I am desperately trying to get all the children's books as complete as possible, they will need to go over the same ground next year for a while but at least chunks of work on paper will have been done,and I am desperately trying to get the year 1 children as close to reading as possible, Today one group were so quick with the activity (picture of chicken and rice - use letters to spell both words) that they had finished it before I had explained what to do. Two tables managed the task relatively easily and then swapped words so spelled four words in the time two tables managed to spell one of their two words, so a gap in ability seems to be developing. And yesterday I managed to very calmly read to the year 0, most of whom listened, then for the second time, they watched quite nicely as I showed them sort of how to play snap and some of them went away and did it. I realise how much they have grown in this last year. Not little kids anymore. Some of them know most of the alphabet and are ready to move on to year 1.
My taxi is booked. I am not looking forward to managing my two bags in Istanbul in between Bishkek and getting home, but I am hoping I can leave one bag at the airport. Then back to the UK at the beginning of June. I definitely cannot regret having this year, I have been very lucky, despite some niggles and if I could only become more Kyrgyz in temperament then these niggles would not exist.
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