I spent the morning translating a document for probably the most important local ecologist in my area. His name is Azat Konurbaev. He called me this morning while I was having my coffee and asked me to help him. He has the charm of an Oxford tutor. He is constantly distracted by his 1950s rotary phone, doesn't hesitate to light up a cigarette in a room with no ventilation, and wears tweed--a lot of it. He was honored with a UNDP grant to expand a dwindling fish species' population in our lake. He has been studying some of the species in the lake for the last 25 years without a pause. He has written more books than any other ecologist on these fish species as well. He is amazing and so are his glasses, which are probably six to seven centimeters thick.
Then, I went over to the ecology center and pushed my idea for a public education project at the center. I want to host a series of seminars at the center that would be open to the public. The first would be an open house to the public with food and speakers and games for the kids. It would be mostly for publicity of the center and a time when we could introduce the center to the public. We will also talk about the lecture series at the center at this time. Over the following six to eight months, we will host talks at the center on a variety of themes that are accessible to the public on flora, fauna, conservation, ecosystem management, and personal responsibility for environmental issues. These are a few of my ideas. I talked to some people at the office today with the booklet on project management. I told them that I would return when they are ready to talk more seriously about these ideas.
I have been doing a lot better than I have been for the last month. I have been able to cook a lot more for myself. I have been studying Russian more seriously again now that I have time to sit down with my book. The sun is out; it inspires me to run and lay on the beach. Tourists have slowly begun to trickle into Cholpon-Ata mostly from Germany and other European states. At the end of the month, I will be working as a camp counselor at a youth development camp. I applied to work with the United Nations at the end of the summer for development project on the lake for the month of August.
I haven't really been inspired to write entries for my blog lately. I haven't even written letters that often lately. I have been trying the best I can to reach out and find projects and social connections in my community, a task that requires a lot of work I have found. On my off-time, I watch Russian MTV in my living room with my little brothers. We recently watched Terminator 2: Judgement Day on Russian TV. I started salivating after watching so many of the characters in the movie drink Pepsi products. I explained to the youngest brother that, if we have problems in California, Schwarzenegger will become the terminator and take care of business. For a four year old boy who believes in dragons, California became way cooler. I must say that I was glad to hear about M. Jackson's acquittal for his alleged child molestation charges. I was not, however, as glad as the woman who apparently released a white dove outside the courtroom after the decision. Jackson fans are truly vanguards.
I made Biryani rice for my family last night, which originates from Northern India. My host father loves it when I cook yoga food for everyone. Because it's always vegetarian, I can manage to feed everyone affordably. My host father shared some of his massage therapy stories, including a humorous one about an obese man who couldn't actually feel the touch of my host father's massage. I really want to post photos on my website, but the computers I use can't support the program, so I apologize for this perpetual deficency on my site. I will try to find somewhere in Bishkek where I can post photos for you all.
I am looking into taking the LSAT and GRE within the year. If anyone is interested in helping me get some of the preparation books and materials, please email me. It would be greatly appreciated. Much love. Hoorah for a free Wacko Jacko! -MJ
