My Site

I decided not to go into work on Friday and instead upack and get settled in. I rearranged some furniture and with MacGuyver-like prowess repaired an essentially useless plastic covering over my very drafty window. [Duct tape: Never leave home without it]

This village does not have running water. Back in the days of the Soviet Union it did, but that infrastructure has gone the way of the dinosaurs. Nowadays, everyone gets their water from wells located throughout the village. They’re all about 75 feet deep and have a bucket attached to a chain with a handcrank. Everyday this is how I get my water.

I knew coming here the village was without running water, but for some reason it didn’t register with me that that also meant a low probability of finding working drains. In other words, anything you might pour down the drain – when you brush your teeth, wash dishes, do laundry, etc. – needs to be collected in a bucket of some kind and tossed outside. That made my first bucket/bowl shower a unique experience, standing in another large bowl to collect the water I poured over myself.

While were on the subject of water, take a look at the photo of the inside of my distiller after one use. There’s a lot of something in there – I think it’s lime. I showed it to my host mother and she said, “That’s why I only drink tea and not water.” Right.

I’ve started to make some friends – a few guys around my own age who were friends with Valentina’s sons, one of whom is a dentist in Moscow and the other is married with one daughter in a neighboring village.

As far as work goes, I still haven’t figured out exactly what I’ll do with my two years here. I’ve got to spend a few months just getting to know everyone and learning to speak the language better. I’ve wandered around town, poked my head into shops here and there to introduce myself, and usually greet kids on the street – and then laugh when they stare at me like I’m crazy. I don’t think people typically greet children they don’t already know, but I’m laying the groundwork for when they do know me. The other day I played the guitar at an office party, singing the one Russian song I know and a Beatles tune that I thought would at least be recognizable. Music is a great ice-breaker. For now, I’m content to finally have some time to myself – which was a rare commodity during training – and being the American celebrity in town.