Adjusting to things
Life in Uzbekistan is nice, yet there are things that I am readjusting to:
*Bazaar shopping is the hardest part. I have to do everything in Russian. I am finding that I understand a lot, but can't really speak as well as I would like. But the Russian numbers are driving me nuts! Especially since all the numbers are in hundreds and thousands. But the fresh fruits are great!
* Carrying a huge wad of money around to pay for everything. They only have 100, 200, 500, 1000 bills available. Lets just say everytime I go to a larger store where I buy those things that are harder to get in the bazaar I spend about 100,000 s'um - imagine counting it out.... (that is the equivalent of about 80 dollars/40lats)
* Just hearing Russian everywhere, all the time.
* Having to plan ahead for shopping trips and the rest of the week's food.
* The driving is crazy! If you think that Riga is nuts wait until you come here. I don't worry about terrorism, but instead am concerned about crossing streets, and having my driver take left turns!
*Everyone has a driver, a housekeeper, a cook, a nanny, a personal shopper... I can't quite get used to the driver and housekeeper. My driver's name is Ženja and I speak half Russian, half English, and throw a spattering of Latvian words in if he doesn't understand. :-)
* Meeting new parents at school.
* A new group of colleagues with their own cultures and idiosyncracies - I honestly miss the people I worked with at ISR.
* New rules, policies and lack of policies, developing roles at work. I have been asked to co-chair the special events committee, and participate in too many committees to mention for CIS and PYP authorizations - I had hoped I wouldn't be noticed.
* Work is officially over at 4:30.
* I can get up later, and I have actually been doing reading just for fun...
* The kids are not doing their homework as efficiently as in Latvia - it just seems to take forever.....
* We are still struggling to make Latvian the home language - although they are starting to see that it is cool to speak another language that few people understand. Didzis does have a Latvian classmate though. :-)
This weekend Didzis and Namejs will begin working on their Latvian assignment to describe their new school, and how they are feeling in Latvian. I need to take some pics at school tomorrow.
Tomorrow I pay for our tickets to Latvia. We leave on October 21, and are back on the 26th. Anyone want to meet for drinks???
*Bazaar shopping is the hardest part. I have to do everything in Russian. I am finding that I understand a lot, but can't really speak as well as I would like. But the Russian numbers are driving me nuts! Especially since all the numbers are in hundreds and thousands. But the fresh fruits are great!
* Carrying a huge wad of money around to pay for everything. They only have 100, 200, 500, 1000 bills available. Lets just say everytime I go to a larger store where I buy those things that are harder to get in the bazaar I spend about 100,000 s'um - imagine counting it out.... (that is the equivalent of about 80 dollars/40lats)
* Just hearing Russian everywhere, all the time.
* Having to plan ahead for shopping trips and the rest of the week's food.
* The driving is crazy! If you think that Riga is nuts wait until you come here. I don't worry about terrorism, but instead am concerned about crossing streets, and having my driver take left turns!
*Everyone has a driver, a housekeeper, a cook, a nanny, a personal shopper... I can't quite get used to the driver and housekeeper. My driver's name is Ženja and I speak half Russian, half English, and throw a spattering of Latvian words in if he doesn't understand. :-)
* Meeting new parents at school.
* A new group of colleagues with their own cultures and idiosyncracies - I honestly miss the people I worked with at ISR.
* New rules, policies and lack of policies, developing roles at work. I have been asked to co-chair the special events committee, and participate in too many committees to mention for CIS and PYP authorizations - I had hoped I wouldn't be noticed.
* Work is officially over at 4:30.
* I can get up later, and I have actually been doing reading just for fun...
* The kids are not doing their homework as efficiently as in Latvia - it just seems to take forever.....
* We are still struggling to make Latvian the home language - although they are starting to see that it is cool to speak another language that few people understand. Didzis does have a Latvian classmate though. :-)
This weekend Didzis and Namejs will begin working on their Latvian assignment to describe their new school, and how they are feeling in Latvian. I need to take some pics at school tomorrow.
Tomorrow I pay for our tickets to Latvia. We leave on October 21, and are back on the 26th. Anyone want to meet for drinks???
Comments
Kas par piedzivojumu! Tu esi loti drosmiga un stipra.
Vija