29 june 09

26 June 09

Man vs. Wasp

Over a month ago I first came to my village on site visit. Within the relatively nice outhouse a wasp nest on the ceiling could be found. Sometimes the protective (mother?) wasp was perched right on the nest as well. There is certainly a different cultural attitude toward six/eight legged creatures here. Part of that is my coming from the city, though it be a dry barren city. Though there is a different acceptance of such beings in places such as West Virginia where I spent many summers, I remember making attacks on nests there as well. My first instinct would be to destroy, but there it was, it plain sight, allowed to exist.

Now I live here. It lives here. I face a staring contest with a wasp every time I need to use the outhouse. I respect that it’s there, and it respects the fact that I could destroy its nest at any moment, but the situation at the front has deteriorated. Now some of the wasps have emerged from the nest, and the same understanding between us is not established. Furthermore, there are now some large honeybee type insects that regularly fly into what should be a room of rest. I have to guide them to their exit while being ever mindful of the wasps above. The fact that I enter at all is perhaps different than the me that existed back home. What will be the outcome of this situation? Will I escape without being stung --I’ve already been bitten more than 28 times in the last several days by ants (maybe this is the real story?). Stay tuned for more Man vs. Wasp.

29 June 09

Yesterday was a successful day in the city. I usually go in just to break up city and village time, but I accomplished much on this last visit. I live in the south and it’s pretty warm in the summer time. It’s almost 80 degrees in my room every morning when I wake up. I bought a fan. My thermometer on my clock says it doesn’t make much different, but it feels like a different room. Of course, it stormed last night and the power went out, therefore my fan blades were no longer spinning and I could not ask it yes or no questions to which it normally would always respond in the negative. About 7 am the power was back, and I was once again cooled. Other city accomplishments include a shirt from the bazaar, being confused for a Turkish tourist as opposed to an English speaking one no less than three times, and tape to hang up my map on my wall. I also ran into some volunteers from other oblasts, and I handed off a form I needed to get to Bishkek. I hung up my map, turned on my fan, and continued my Disney movie week when I returned home feeling quite accomplished.