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Hello again, and my apologies for not updating sooner. I planned on it, but I am a busy man. This last post has been in my notebook for a little more than three weeks now waiting for me to get motivated enough to type up and post. This documents one of my darkest experiences in Ukraine, literally, and as it has already been written, I am transcribing it verbatim, and not changing tenses because we are three weeks past the point:

It is Saturday morning (January 8^th) 11:30. I have been without power for the last 22 hours. The reason? There is none I can think of. It is only my building and the small shop next to us which are without power. I have, since last night, gone to my window many times to look enviously at all the other buildings with their bright lights shining through the mist. Perhaps they are lighted just to spite me. The trouble is my difficulty deciding what to do.

Last night I went to the internet café. I was able to download my favorite NPR shows. I was also able to download a plethora of interesting articles from Foreign Policy and the Economist. I was expecting perhaps a few hours without power, but it had to be back on by 10:00 PM, right? Needless to say I was sorely disappointed. I am still sitting here completely powered off. Again, for a second time I am pre-writing by hand. Again it is unplanned. When I am finished at the internet café I listen and read what I have downloaded back at home, on my computer. Unfortunately my computer battery has been completely and totally exhausted.

To make matters worse my cell phone has no juice, my short-wave radio is out of gas, and I have maybe 5-10 more minutes until I am in complete silence with just my thoughts – a scary proposition. I would easily be able to survive without these luxuries, don’t get me wrong. But, when usually I can use them, and then I have expansive periods where I can see them just not use them: oh, woe is me.

So this leaves me in a “what do I do?” state. I could go to the internet café, but I really do not enjoy spending time there with kids I may soon teach playing killing games, it is disconcerting, and as a true American I don’t like the lack of privacy. I could walk through town, but a gray mist is thick in the air, and I can no longer see more than 10 or 20 yards out of my window, plus the ground is covered with a filthy gray slush that drenches the bottom of the legs on my pants, and gets in my shoes, too. I can’t go to a café and sit and drink coffee, because its all instant coffee here, so that would be just awful. Bars are not an option either. Not only is it considered inappropriate for a teacher to be in a bar here, but bars are a bit different. There is not a bar-scene where people go for a drink. To go to a bar means an attempt at erasing the previous week from memory, so it is really a poor look for me, especially in my town.

This is where I stopped writing. I started reading by flashlight which was okay, but I didn’t even really enjoy the book. It turned out to be an entire 2 and a half days without power. And there was just no reason for it! No big storm, or anything of that sort. But I did learn the importance of keeping cell phone, iPod, and short-wave radio completely charged in case I go through this again. The minute the lights turned on, was however pretty amazing, especially considering how long I had been without. It was just about the time that I would have to start using the flashlight as well.

In discussing this with a fellow “Turkmen Reject” (the name we have so affectionately given ourselves; if you ever feel bad about anything just think about the fact that Turkmenistan decided I wasn’t good enough for it; that should put any self-doubts into perspective.) we were talking about how embarrassing it was to be complaining about this as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Especially as a PCV that was prepared to go to Turkmenistan. The difference, however, is that at least if we were in a more rustic country we would be well prepared for this sort of situation. We would have such outlandish things as candles, and camping lanterns, and things like that. Needless to say I am not looking forward to rolling black-outs if, and I have heard it is more accurately when, they come.

But, I suppose we all have our crosses to bear, and mine was a prolonged period without power. It would have been a lot better if I hadn’t had to read a bad book during the meantime. I did, however, make it through, and maybe I’m even better for it, but I sincerely doubt that.

I know it has been three weeks since my last post, and I do have plenty to write about so look for a few updates this week. That’s all I know about this, for now, though.

Goodnight, and Go Friars,

Pete