Spring!!

Well, faithful blog reader(s), spring has finally sprung here in Kochkor and it is amazing. I don’t think I have ever enjoyed the end of that cold thing we call winter as much as I have this season. The winter is a point of pride for the Kyrgyz. Though they hate the cold like you cannot imagine, they are quite proud of their ability to withstand everything that is thrown at them from late November to late March. A few cultural and personal observations now that I have 6 months without ice on my windows:

· The Kyrgyz fear the cold. It isn’t a respect thing, it is a fear thing. Winter here is more like Darth Vader than a season. It is constantly the topic of conversation in households and among strangers. My family routinely questioned me about the warmth of my room and strongly encouraged that I use my Peace Corps issued heater, even though it cost them money. I admit that I usually fell asleep right next to it.

· Consumption or exposure leads to illness. This is not a winter only thing, but it was at the center of many discussions. When I first arrived at site, I got had a bit of a stomach issue for a few days. The first question to deduce the cause of my sickness was whether I had drank anything cold, since that is the natural progression of such things. During Pre-Service Training, I had a headache one day (it was routinely above 100 degrees and we had no air conditioning) and my host mother knew it was because my shower the previous day at not been hot enough. Sitting on the ground is believed to cause infertility in women, since it can make their eggs freeze.

· It is the conveniences of America that make the winters seem less harsh. The winter here really was not that bad. I would argue that Nebraska winters are actually colder and harsher. The reason it felt so terrible was the lack of central heating, the power constantly turning off, and never being able to truly escape the cold. Walking to work in near 0 degree weather is not especially fun, but that is the only choice one has. Waking up and your breath being the first thing you see is not a motivator for the rest of the day.

· I ate things that kept me warm. Animal fat is considered a natural cure to being cold here. I was told on a regular basis that eating it would keep me warm. On a practical note, however, we did eat a lot of soups at extremely high temperatures and I do have to admit that they would definitely warm you up. One cannot underestimate the value of a hot bowl of borscht or cup of tea in the dead of winter. On a related note, I was fed a glass of bozo (a carbonated wheat drink which is delicious) everyday to help me from having to go to the bathroom as often, thus saving me exposure to the cold of the outhouse.

· We didn’t have much snow. Kochkor is known for not having much snow, though we actually received record amounts of it this year (almost 5 inches). I am perfectly fine with not having much snow, since it turns the dirt roads into nothing but mud when it melts. The lack of snow did make it seem colder than it actually was, but I will gladly take the tradeoff. Clean shoes are an important thing.

· I seriously ate only 7 different things all winter: meat/fat, potatoes, noodles, carrots, cabbage, beats, and turnips. I guess I had the occasional apple and candy from home, but really that was my diet. It really makes you appreciate the variety in your diet that you have back in America. I couldn’t find a tomato at any price in February. I guess I’ve grown used to it now.

But now it’s all over. Spring is here, vegetables are in the market place, and I no longer sleep in a sleeping bag under a quilt next to my heater. I am really looking forward to this spring more than I think any spring I have ever experienced. It is really interesting how the whole “going without” thing can make you appreciate the little things life offers you. Like fruit.