Days Off

Note: In the past few days, my internet connection has become slower than molasses in January. Many items will not load so even this post is difficult to add. Good news is that my Close of Service date is July 5th so I expect to be in Minneapolis about July 7th.

I feel like I'm writing chapters in a book called The Adventures of Mrs. Peggy. The day's adventure revolves around school, air-conditioning, and rain. Thursday May 9th is a national holiday commemorating Russia defeating Germany in WWII, so it is another school holiday. It's been a week of perfect weather – sunny and warm, not hot. I sit outside in the afternoons and have lessons with Georgie and Igbal under the trees. Wednesday I even washed and dried some clothes on the line.

But it rained overnight, so a day off from school would have to be spent indoors. Unfortunately, Thursday was also the day that father arranged to install 2 air-conditioners in the house. That meant lots of noise and commotion early in the morning.

So while the rest of the household was still dreaming, host mom came into my room and started moving the furniture away from the wall. She was getting the room ready for the masters to come and drill holes in the brick walls for an air-conditioner. By 8:30 everyone was awake due to the noise. The day before Georgie had just used future tense at his language lesson, “Tomorrow I will sleep until noon.” Ha ha!

With the rain, the marsrutkas run less regularly, so I put off going to get some school documents printed, and buying 4 straw hats for the square dancers. I will do that today Friday because it's also a school holiday. This time it's Flower Day, a fancy name for celebrating the 90th birthday of the deceased father of the current president.

While I appreciate the effort to honor the man who served as AZ's president after the demise of the USSR, the phrase that comes to mind is “Cult of Personality.” Billboards, street names, and buildings abound in his name. IMHO, countries that rely upon a particular person and not principles for governance are stuck. When that hero leader died, he arranged for his son to become the next president.

It is quite difficult to turn the corner on communism when leaders steeply schooled in central planning, control and priviledge are still in leadership positions today.

Stuff I think about on my days off.