Honeymoon's Over...Or is it???

So it's been 53 days since I've driven a car, seen a McDonalds, or drank anything but instant coffee (coffeepots and ground coffee are quite difficult to find here). At first everything was interesting and endearing: the rooster crowing incessantly at dawn, waking up to the rhythmic scratch of the old woman's witch-broom on the sidewalks, being surrounded by apple, orange, and eggplant pyramids in the outdoor markets. But then I started work, teaching kids at an American school where embassies pay near $20K per child to educate the diplomat's offspring. Now I leave my flat and prepare myself to make like a sardine on the "marshutka" before the rooster even begins to crow. I realize that the ancient women have to sweep the sidewalks daily because people here have no concept of waste management. If there were no besom broom carrying women, the streets would be filled with candy wrappers, cigarettes, and other unmentionables. Now I realize that every time I go to the markets to buy produce, the vendors figure I'm a westerner and proceed to insist I pay double or triple what the locals pay. Honestly, with $1 being equivalent to 37 com, I feel like I'm spending monopoly money. Yet with all of its flaws, Bishkek is still intriguing and I am still thrilled to be here.
I have finally gotten through the adjustment period. I can use the public transportation to get around. I have bravely bought and cooked "fresh killed meat" (as one local friend likes to call it) from the outdoor bazaars. At home I wouldn't use the same fork to put the meat on the grill as I would to take it off, and now I'm eating unrefrigerated meat that has probably been touched by several flies. And, I finally got internet in my flat. It's a bit expensive, but reliable and pretty fast. With my impetuous decision to accept a teaching job in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and start work 3 weeks later, there are many people I did not get to speak to prior to moving. I am hoping that I will keep up this blog so I can stay in touch with those people living half a day before me drinking a cup of joe from McDonalds while driving themselves to work.