Whoa-ho-ho. Is this really the Peace Corps? I mean, I thought it was supposed to be hard or something. I'm living in a small village located at the base of a beautiful mountain range. The land is very lush and green. Apples, pears, berries, plums, melons, are sprouting up everywhere.. on the sides of the roads even.

The hardest things for me to cope with are the minimal communication I have with the "outside" world(expensive postage and no internet access), dusty roads, crazy drivers, and outhouses. Right now they are actually quite tolerable. I'm in Almaty for the day, so I'm able to quickly post this blog entry.

My host family is wonderful. Mama and Louisa take good care of me. I'll be very fat by the time I come home, because at every meal (and I get three a day) I'm having to deal with "kushat, kushat, kushat!" That means eat, eat, EAT!

I'm told that things will get harder once I'm permanently assigned. For now, I'm enjoying my lucky training assignment. This is how good I have it right now: My first night in the village I attended a Turkish wedding. I live down the street from a mosque, so every morning I wake to the Muslim call to prayer echoing from the mountains. My bedroom window faces the east, so I get a clear view of those mountains and the sun rising behind them. Amazing.

So far the people have been very welcoming. I love the children here. I'll write more when I can. Take it easy, you guys. I think of you every hour.