Sun!

Spring has arrived in Bishkek, and it's glorious. The past 4 days have been sunny and cloudless, and I've spent the most part of all the days sitting in The London School courtyard reading, listening to music, and knitting. Today it was so nice that I was out in shorts and tanktop! According to one of those big temperature signs, it got up to 23 degrees Celsius today in the sun. I haven't checked a weather forecast, but I don't think it's going to get cold again- I think spring is here to stay!

The trees are all budding and the leaves look like they'll be coming out in full-beauty in a few days.

Everyone seems happier, and it's great to walk to and from the center of town in just a t-shirt!

I knit Mike a great orange and blue beanie, and knit myself a teal and orange one, with the same pig pattern as my tattoo. It's by far the coolest and most complicated thing I've ever knit, and everyone says it looks like it was store-bought. If anyone wants one, let me know! I can make it however you want :)

Nothing else is new. Saturday is Nooruz, which is Kyrgyz/Muslim New Year, so I hope that I can see some Kyrgyz men singing the Manas epic poem. Also, now that spring is here, Mike and I are going to start leaving Bishkek on the weekends again. In the near future, we're going to go to Kochkor, where they sell shyrdaks (Kyrgyz rugs). I'm going to buy a bright-colored one, which hopefully will fit into my rucksack that I will somehow pack full of all my stuff to take across land to Turkey.

Mike and I are going to Istanbul in August. If we have a job or not, we'll show up, and find a job there if we don't have one already. Should be cool!

Happy Nooruz :)