The New Normal

It's 7am and the rooster has been crowing for an hour.  At first it sounded like young boys screaming in unison.  I lay in bed listening to water continuing to struggle through pipes in the havlee.  Crowding my morning thoughts are new words from my language session and the growing need for an imminent venture to the outhouse.  

After breakfast I walk outside our house.

"Asalom!  Shumo chi khel?"  A voice speaks to me in the early morning light.

"Asalom...Nagz,"  I respond.  

She follows with unintelligible words.  

"Nafamnidam (I don't understand),"  I reply.

I walk out of the gate and see mountains standing firm.  The air is fresh and cool.  The cows are "mooing". 

It's a new day here in Central Asia.  

Here are some pictures of our new normal life:

The town we live in.

Joanna with the women of the host family.

Tim with the men of the host family (and little Yusuf)

Mountains.

The host family's home.

We're staying in a small house separate from their home.
We will be moving into another house across the road at the
end of the month.

Life source.  It's always on, coming down from the mountains,
though the water has gone out a couple times.

The outhouse.  Really not as bad as it looks.

The gate that enters into what they call a havlee (the space
enclosed within their gate)

Our front door for another three weeks.

Kitchen.  A separate room near our house.  And that is
Extra Virgin Olive Oil we picked up in the capital city.
Another life source. :)