Arriving in Central Asia!

Well, I am one week into my time living in Central Asia and it has been a blast so far!! Tiring, yes. Overwhelming, a bit. Busy, yes. But a blast nonetheless!!! We have done so many fun things just being out and about in the city! I am learning new words and phrases every day. I have my cell phone and internet set up, I visited the big bazaar in the center of the city and the "second-hand" market in another part of town. Audrey and I took a long "exercise" walk with our supervisors at a HUGE park in town. It is the place to be on a Thursday or Friday night...so many families were out and about and it was great to be seen with Dr. C and K. Good for our rep :)

We are almost settled into the house, we have the second floor of a house occupied by two other ESL teachers downstairs. They are a blessing! There will be a picnic on Friday with all of the students from the language center. The Kurds are famous for "picnicking" and we are super excited to have one so soon after arriving!!! :D We are even starting to lead a Wednesday night "chat session" at the language center.

We did not expect any responsibilities at the center to begin until November. However, when sitting in on a chat session led by the director of the LC (language center), some students asked for us to hold two per week. Dr. C volunteered the new teachers to lead this new one!! This week we will help our students have a good discussion about friendship and practice some vocabulary and idioms involving friendship.

On Monday, I had my first official Kurdish lunch at our neighbors house! She is so sweet :) It was delicious. She has two beautiful daughters who are just precious! We have learned how to tell them they are very cute and just love holding the one year old.

Audrey and I also found a "Women's Sport Club"...the only main one in the city where girls and women can come to play sports. Thankfully it is a just around the block from our house so we can walk. It is an outdoor field with lights and a tall wall around it so that nobody can watch from the street (there are fields for men all over each neighborhood, but the women's is hidden by the wall). Hoping to join in some football (soccer) and they have volleyball as well, which is more of my forte.

Please keep me in your thoughts as I begin with a language teacher this next week, Lord willing!