make like a computer and get with the program

We have a weekly hub meeting, where all language groups meet at a central location for meetings, technical and medical sessions. We were at our session last week when a supervisor broke the news that there was large scale protesting across the country, and that we had to return to our villages and stay in our homes for the evening. A bit panicked, we quickly got our 4 shots (ow!) and headed home. Once home, our LCFs called and told us that we were to stay home the next day. I was a bit feverish and delirious from my shots, so this was all seemed very scary to me. The first night we were on standfast (i.e. staying in our houses), I heard men shouting in the village (probably unrelated) and my mom was receiving a lot of phone calls. I was delirious in my sleeping bag, alternating between calm and severe adrenaline! We were in a language class Friday when our teacher got a phone call from Peaec Corps. She told us to pack our laptops, passports, and clothing for 2 days in a bag and to be back at her house at 1 to leave the village. There was a lot of speculation among volunteers, as some had seen news, some had called home, some had talked to their host families. Walking back to the classroom, I felt a tension in the village, which may have been my imagination. Some people seemed sad, some scared, some indifferent. I am sure it is a very complicated time for everyone. We left the village feeling very tense and eventually arrived at an unnamed central location, where we have spent the last 24 hours. Most PCVs, PC staff, and all PSTs are here. We receive information on the political situation periodically throughout the day. The rest of the time, we have language and culture classes. Most of us are too exhausted to take much away from the classes, but it is good to have some kind of schedule. Last night was awful cold where I slept, and all I had was a single comforter. I went to bed in my underwear, then woke up around 3 because it was so cold. I got fully dressed, wrapped my fleece around my legs, a towel around my chest, then wrapped up in a burrito in the comforter, and curled up in a ball. I was warm, but horribly uncomfortable! 8 o clock definitely came very early this morning. At this point, we are remaining at this undisclosed location (I feel so important!) until further notice. There is a slight chance that we may be sent back to the USA (there is a 4 step system, and we are on the 3rd step, 4th being evacuation). Our tentative plan is to return to our villages on Monday, but nothing is certain. I was sad packing my bags again, and my host mom seemed sad to see me go. My brothers were at school, so I didn't get to say goodbye to them. I really hope that I will get to see them again soon!

For the time being, the situation seems stable, although I confess that I am receiving limited information. I am safe, eating well, sleeping poorly, and listening to constant rotation of Danzig and Aesop Rock. That means I am doing AWESOME! This is a fun experiment! I really had to feel as though I were packing my essentials in a backpack, the bare items that I would take with me if I could. Ready for the breakdown?

Camera
Watercolor paints (and brushes!)
Journals (sketch and regular)
Walden by Thoreau
Patchouli oil, so I smell nice
no change of clothes

The worst part of this whole process was when we had an emergency situation where we were potentially being evacuated, and we weren't allowed to return for our bags. Long story short, pick the most important objects in your life, put them in a bag, and then say goodbye to it!

I will post more updates when I am capable. I will not be writing any personal judgments, critiques, or opinions of what is going on. I will also be intentionally minimal in describing what I see going on around me. In these upcoming days, my blog will mostly serve as information for the wellbeing and current situation of the Peace Corps program in Kyrgyzstan.