December was fun, on the 22nd a few of us got together and had a “party” we just watched Charlie Brown Christmas and exchanged gifts. As a warning to anyone like me who wants to spend mass amounts of time abroad…. Holidays are hard with out family! like a bum i spent most of christmas day in my house, fighting off depression by doing my nails and fixing my hair. ( O yeah I got my hair cut here, and it looks awesomely cool!). Then the fun times came, after christmas on my way out of the gym, it started to snow… again ( did I mention it’s about -20 every day here?) and *slip ..crack… bam!* I fell down the steps and twisted my ankle…. really good. O well so I spent the next few days hopping around the house and office, then it was off to Taraz for New Years fun!!!

New Years

This was my first experiance on long bus rides, as I’ve never done the whole grayhound thing. we taxied it to almaty and hung out with Jessica for a while, then Greg, Joe and I took the crazy long 8 hour buss ride to Taraz. Taraz was a blast, Cho and Zac came by for the new years party, and how would my life have been complete with out trying to fit Spry,Me,Fancy, Dave, and Joe in one bed… well actually it was 2 twin beds pushed together but o well. we watched movies… spinal tap ( I’m not a fan, i just don’t get it) and smokey and the bandit ( which spry and I quoted the whole way through, it helps to have another southerner around). About an hour in to “sleep time” I jumped ship and crawled into my awesome old army sleeping bag, so the others could have some room to breath. Next day We made Chilli, Onion rings, and made a party out of my first new years in K-stan, everyone danced and we watched the N’s speach on tv… which was in Kazak so we had to have Aisha translate it for us, then a multitude of fireworks went off outside the windows and we all huged and danced some more… fun times, fun times. Any way we are back home safe and sound with a new Internet Cafe opened!! Greg’s at work, and Joe and I are creating some of our own, as my counterpart is away till the 20th, and Joe’s org is rebooting.

To all my friends:

A late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I am having a blast, there are ups and downs, I’ve learned a lot ( milk should never be carbonated, Taxies are faster than angry marshuka drivers, and friends are comforting.) Peace

~Georgia

27        Months in Peace Corps Service

 -6        Degrees Celsius the high today

4          Volunteers in Taldy (Jason, Joe, Greg, and Georgia)

31        Times I’ve slipped the ice this week

6          Trips made to the Akimat

2          Times I’ve actually busted it (fallen)

12        English Clubs in the city that want me to help

6:45     Time I wake up every morning

20        Kids in my English club

7          Tenge to send a SMS to America, or across town      

35        Seconds it takes to load hometown news paper web page

24        OCAP Kaz-19’s and Books I’ve read since I’ve been here

3          KZ Volunteers that went to school in Atlanta  & Times I’ve watched Amy’s Season 1 of Heroes

23        Number of Months I have left

4          Level my Russian was at the end of PST