The Teacher’s Lounge
The teacher’s lounge turned out to be a narrow room in the back of Room 46. Long and narrow, with windows at one short end, it was the size of the coatroom in my fourth-grade class at … Read More
Difficult conversations
In the Peace Corps, my official job was Teacher Trainer: I taught English at a teacher’s college. A few of my classes were taught in concert with a local teacher. Over my two years I team-taught with five different teachers. One … Read More
Gift Giving
Here’s another of my many Deleted Scenes (they are growing weekly, as I continue to fine tune my manuscript). This one features two of my colleagues, Gulzhahan and Gulzhan. Their names are so similar, my readers often get confused. … Read More
“Ya hachoo Pasha”
Embarrassing moments. How they make us laugh — eventually. Such was the following scene that happened during my first few months in Kazakhstan, long before the language took root. This story — written for my memoir, At Home On the … Read More
Disappointment
“Wherever we go,” I’d declared to Woody at the start of our Peace Corps application process, “I want a nice beach, friendly bugs, and a good mattress.” I figured I could make friends for America without having to suffer. … Read More
My Gutsy Story Guest Post
Just a quick note to let you know I’ve got a guest blog out on Sonia Marsh’s Gutsy Living website http://soniamarsh.com/home/blog Called, Leaving A Life I Loved: When the Peace Corps Beckoned, it gives a bit more … Read More
My Bubble Bath
Survey results are in and most respondents want more deleted scenes from my book, At Home On the Kazakh Steppe. Many also want more substantive information on Kazakhstan. A few mentioned photos, and one suggested I post more regularly. Thanks … Read More