Bovines and Slumber Parties

This morning I opened my balcony door to get a good whiff of cold air and determine how many layers of clothes I needed to wear today, when I noticed a man with an ax, a large chopping block and what looked suspiciously like blood spatters across the snow. Then imagine my horror when he and his son proceeded to drag over a cow carcass and chop off the cows head. Now granted I am in Peace Corps but please understand I live in a city with most modern conveniences, I even carry a cell phone, and yet there is a man butchering a bovine outside of my apartment. Did you also know that this procedure is accompanied by sickeningly loud sounds of bones shattering? Well, it does, and it is not a pleasant sound on a Saturday morning, or really any morning for that matter. Once they had deemed the cow sufficiently chopped into "pot-sized" pieces they then carried it up the stairs to their apartment where I am sure, the family will serve this cow with great honor at their New Years day celebration (they don't celebrate Christmas here.) Although I do ask you...What pot would fit a cows head?

Hope everyone has a great Christmas!! The EKZ is having a slumber party this year. Everyone is cramming into my and Heathers apartments (they are next door to each other) and we will be making soups for Christmas Eve and French toast on Christmas morning. I think it should be a fun time for us to party and hang out! Have a wonderful Christmas, it will probably be next year when I blog again. (Please note 2 blogs in one month, it must be a record:)

Kendo and Pumpkin Pie

Blogger has been blocked from public computers since November here, and unfortunately it is the only way I have access to it, hence the reason why no blogs for two months. Another PCV threatened to use her Kendo on me if I didn't update, so I this is going to be a short entry:)

Tons of things have been happening here. I moved into my own apartment:) YEAH!!! I also went to Pavlodar for 10 days for a language camp and Thanksgiving. I have begun working with an Ecotourism firm here in Ust in addition to working at the hospital. It is also officially winter here which means we will not see the ground again until May. All in all some pretty eventful and fun times.

My apartment is perfect. It is actually right next door to another PCV so we pretty much feel as though we are living in a dorm. It has been really fun, resulting in several late night movies, snacking and just all around hanging out. It also gives a great meeting place for everyone before we go out. It also came with a microwave (gasp) and get this a washing machine!!! When everyone came over we just gawked at it. It isn't even one of the old school Soviet ones you put in the tub, it is a brand new LG and better yet it is permanently hooked up!! How exciting:)

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and this one took the cake. We were able to spend a whole week together as the Pavlodar PCVs arranged to have a language camp. We rented apartments, hung out and gorged all week. It was fabulous. I was able to see people from my group again which was great as we were able to catch up and live together for 10 days. For Thanksgiving dinner Ian managed to scrounge up turkeys, and we even made a pumpkin pie from scratch. We fulfilled all of the Thanksgiving requirements: tons of food, tons of friends, and tons of Amerikanski football. Can't wait for next year:)