Independence ..... Day

Today was the 4th of July. The wing commander invited local mayors from the surrounding villages out for our festivities and we even invited local Kyrgyz media out as well. I love escorting media - but it was strange having such a back seat with the language barrier. Working with us is a woman named Aigul who isn't only a translator and continuity for the public affairs office that changes its team ever six months, but she is a great communicator and is keen on getting the media what they need. All in all it was a successful day for our team. It was actually the only event we've covered that I wasn't attached at the hip to our photographer and videographer. I spend most of my day transporting media back to the visitor's center when they were ready to leave, hunting down transient soldiers willing to be interviewed by "foriegn" media and just being hospitable. We ate burgers today - my first one in country and my first bag of chips.

Two years ago JG and I spent our first and only Fourth together in New England. We had only been dating for 90 days, exactly, (the same number of days the standard Air Force deployment used to be in the 1990s, but I digress). Our families knew we were pretty serious - we had our first family vacation in May at the home of my now mother-in-law. I'm just excited and looking forward to our first Fourth of July as a married couple. Last year I tried to take the kids to the Air Force Memorial to watch fireworks, but we were walking up as the show was ending. In about twelve hours, JG will fly in a KC-135 during Spokane's celebration while the boys stay with another family we are all friends with. Maybe next year we'll all be together for the holiday.

Waxed

Breakfast is definately my biggest meal per day. Omelet, biscuit, fresh fruit, yogurt and bacon. I can eat this for six months and not get sick of it. I'm usuallly at work an hour or so before I get breakfast and carry it back to the office in styrofoam. This has now become routine.  I have very little other routine right now other then trying to catch JG and the boys when I wake up and when I got to bed.

I finally got waxed today at the little beauty salon here. The woman who waxed me did a better job than then my last two visits at a spa in Spokane. The pedicure was good considering they had to make do with an office chair and a bucket of water. I can see why people make day trips to the Hyatt downtown for their spa. The salon here is definately good for routine maintenance, but to really indulge I'll have to go downtown.

I haven't really found my groove at work yet. I attribute this to being tired. So, I'm going to call it a night while it's a reasonable 9 p.m. bedtime.

Day 10

I celebrated the end of Day 10 with a beer. A local beer that I cannot pronounce let alone spell. It has a big #9 on the front of the bottle and it's 8% alcohol. Although it's 11 p.m. here and my body is just exhausted I cannot for the life of me get to sleep. I should have had two beers.

I was able to break way from the office this morning to go to my dorm room to skype with JG. It was only Tuesday for him but a trying week in the office. I left the conversation feeling needed and wanted and appreciated just by being there for him and listening.

13 Hours

It's 1 a.m. here and I think I just screwed up my body getting used to the time change, but it was well worth it. JG and I finally got to talk for more than 10 minutes. My first week here in Kyrgyzstan has been a disappointment to us both - neither one of us feels as if our relationship/communication needs are being met. And I can't tell you how much that hurts.

His issues: trying to establish a routine with the kids while feeling I'm not respecting his time constraints at home and during the duty day, feeling anger and sadness that my first phone call home didn't come until day four and feeling burdened when I ask him to take care of something back home in every instance of communication.

Both of us were miserable this week. My feelings were also hurt, I felt like I had been wronged. When we finally talked today I was of harsh words and harsh tones. Eventually we were able to have a decent conversation. Something the both of us needed.

It was a late night for me and I realized that I had been keeping up my roommate. I feel like the worst roommate in the world right now. Partly because I forgot her name (I did warn her this would happen), partly because when we talk I have the air conditioner right in my ear and she has a really soft voice and I feel embarrassed to ask her to speak up, partly because I've not made my bed the last few days and my stuff has been scattered on the floor, and partly because I should have thought to bring my laptop to work and have the conversation with JG in my empty office.

She's also a wife, she's also a mom and she's a fellow NCO. At one point she got up out of bed and just left during my conversation with JG. About an hour or so later, when JG and I were finished I had turned out the light and started this blog entry. She popped back in to grab her PT jacket and I said "I'm so sorry about that, I didn't mean to keep you up." With the air conditioner and her trying to be considerate by not turing back on the light (not able to lip read) I caught: "no no no ..... it's okay ..... sometimes my husband and I ......." and the only thing I could think to say was "thank you."

Goats Wanted

The Bishkek International Airport and the Transit Center at Manas share a runway. And, long story short, there's birds who thrive on the insects growing in the hodge podge of weeds and some resemblence of grass. As a guest in another country we can't do more than suggest these flightline areas are mowed more often. My solution? Rig an electric fence and stick a couple goats out to pasture. They'll eat anything and in no time the birds will fly off to better pastures.

Heavy Eyes

This is me. Tired. Let's see if I can sleep tonight.

Jennifer's Day One

June 30th last year "The Sergeants Buzz" started with a quick into on Day One of JG's deployment to Southwest Asia. We're 10 days shy of that anniversary and I've reached my own Day One here at the Manas Transit Center, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.  

Yes, that is my electric blanket wrapped around me! I have one roommate - a great change from the dozen I had for the combat skills training at Fort Dix. And because we're in a building our latrine and showers are co-located with us. Even better, I have wifi in my room :)

It was great to finally meet my sponsor in person - we've been Facebook friends for months now, but it's so great to put a face with the name. I did some reading about the country on the way over and was surprised to learn that more than 75% of the country is literally frozen underneath permanent snow and glaciers. The country is relatively small - about the size of South Dakota. And livestock outnumber people 3:1. Now that I'm here, I'm anxious to become aquainted with the headlines more in-depth.

On a lighter note, the rest of the trip from Norfolk to here went smooth. Our entire office came out to greet us after our flight landed. They had already got our dorm rooms assigned and had keys-in-hand for us. The Major told us to get some rest and not worry about reporting for duty until 10 a.m.