Update

Blogspot has been unavailable here for several weeks. Hence the lack of regular posts. After the 2nd chase, I enjoyed a ten day visit from my parents, moved twice, learned how to prepare and analyze walnut cores, and submitted a National Geographic Young Explorer's Grant. Now, I am enjoying a more predictable schedule. For one thing, I'm living with a German family, but the main change is that I am spending my days at Kyrgyz Agrarian University rather than chasing walnuts all over Kyrgyzstan.

I am also starting to pick up some Russian. It helps that Victor and Maria speak about as much English as I speak Russian (next to none). We have fun, though, especially Victor and I. Just today, we figured out how to tell each other in our respective mother tongues that cold soup was good, but hot soup was better!