Time to go back home!!

Hi there kids!

I have had a long, wonderful trip to Kyrgyzstan, but now it is time to head back home.  Did Mrs. North show you the presents I sent?  Did you like them?

I want to answer a few more of your questions before I leave!
First, Carlee wants to know: Do you have the same stop sign?
Well, actually they don't!  They spell the word Stop in their own alphabet.  Here is an example:

Remember that they use a "c" for the S sound - also they have a different symbol for the P sound!  Can you find the stop sign in this picture?  Sometimes when you go to a different country even the everyday things look totally different!  It is fun to learn about other people's countries and cultures!

Next, Chloe wants to know: What do people like to eat there?
People here eat many of the same things that you probably eat in Rock Hill, like hamburgers and pizza.  But the places that they eat are different.  There is not even one McDonalds or any other American restaurants in the whole country!

Sometimes the food is the same but it looks different.  For example, people here like to eat bread but it is baked in a different way so the traditional bread looks like this:

You can see a cup of hot tea here too- people like to drink hot tea with every meal- I think that is because it is very cold here in the wintertime!

There are also traditional foods here that are special for the Kyrgyz culture.  Here is one traditional food called monty- it is a dumpling filled with onions and meat:

It was very tasty!  Does this look like anything you have tried before?  What are traditional foods that you like to eat in your family?

People here also shop for food in a different way.  In the big cities there are supermarkets like we have in Rock Hill, but many people still shop in traditional outdoor marketplaces called bazaars.  They are places where farmers and families come to sell their food.  Dr. Appelgren and I went to visit one.  Here is a picture:

How is it different from the place that you shop for food?
Do you see anything else interesting in this picture?

Finally, Sean wants to know: What animals can you see there?
There are so many animals!  Many of them are the same as animals in Rock Hill, like sheep, goats, cows, and horses.  It is also very common for people here to have donkeys.  When I was traveling I saw many kids about your age riding donkeys and taking care of animals for their families.  Here are some of the pictures I took of animals:

This family uses a horse and wagon instead of a car.  Many people do have cars, but people in the country often travel using animals.  They usually stay to the side of the road so that fast cars and trucks can get around them.

Mrs. North- I put a video at this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgzZFiJeFNk

In the mountains, the only roads were shared by trucks, cars and herds of animals!  Here is a video that we took when a herd of animals had to pass us on the road!

I am excited to go home, but I am sorry that I didn't get the chance an answer everyone's questions.  For example, asking about the insides of houses and the insides of schools are very good questions, but I didn't get to go inside these places during my trip.  I hope that I can answer your questions on my next trip!

I can tell you a couple things that I learned on my trip.  First of all, I learned that it is a lot of fun to meet new people and learn about how their lives are different than mine.  Sometimes things seemed strange or funny to me, but then I realized that the things that make us different also make us special.  I am sure that some of the things that I have or do would seem funny to them!

Also I am very thankful for everything that we have in Rock Hill.  Here is a water pump in a village in the country:

The kids in this village have to go from their houses to this pump with buckets that they fill with water.  It must be very heavy to carry a bucket full of water all the way home!  They have to do this because there is no water in their houses.  Now when I use the sink to wash my hands I will remember that I am lucky because not all kids have water in their houses or schools!

Last, I made a lot of friends.  Here I am with Dr Appelgren and some new friends.

This is Ali and his dad.  Ali is about your age and he likes soccer, playing with his friends, and going to school!  He speaks two languages- Russian and Kyrgyz- like most of the kids here!  He likes to eat bread filled with potatoes and drink tea, like in this picture.  There are nice people to meet everywhere!

I can hardly wait to tell you about my next adventures!

Your friend,
Flat Stanley