December 2016

THE JONOLOGUE – THE BEST TEAM MEETING EVER

We have finally made it to Khorog! It has been four long years since Marie was here and it is the first time for me and the boys. Tonight was team meeting, and as it was our first, it was a social get-to-know-you. We went down to KFC and picked up pizzas!

MARIE’S CORNER

Our washing machine is working, yay! I’m very glad to be back in my old home with my host family. I’ll write something more next month.

THE AIR UP HERE

Travelling to Khorog must be experienced to be understood. The first part was amazing driving through mountains covered in snow, a couple of long tunnels and some coffee table book landscapes. Eventually we wind down to the River Panj and follow a long course on one side of a narrow valley. Across the river is Afghanistan and it was great to see the villages and various roadworks and other happenings as we twist and bend our way through our own villages dodging other fourwheel drives and potholes.

The mountains here to the north and south tower above you with jagged skylines. There are amazing views of mountains east and west also. Come and see it for yourself.

JONNY PEACE’S PIECE

This is my month. I can finally stop telling everyone “almost two” because now I am two. We are having cake and lots of friends over in the chiid. Mama or Daddy can explain what a chiid is another time, but I sure love running and going up and down the big steps in it. Here’s a few things I have been up to lately:

· I turn off the light and yell “svet nest” and then turn it back on and say “yast”.

· After a big shopping trip, Daddy told me when we got home it would be nap time. So when I got in the door I put myself to bed in the cot. Daddy didn’t know where I was.

· Ladies in the street come up to me and pinch my cheeks and kiss me all the time, but the other day someone came up and took a selfie with me.

· I can go to the restaurant with Daddy and drink green tea with him from the same teapot.

· I hold my brother’s hand in the taxi and loudly commentate in English everything I see, “lady getting in the car, lady getting out of the car”.

· I also thought it was fun to pull my hat over my eyes and run around the house, until I ran into the door, then it wasn’t so fun. I tell everyone, “Jonny is crying a little bit”.

· I learned the hard way not to eat crayons.

· Sometimes I make up new words and then say, “Daddy don’t understand Jonny”.

That’s enough for now, time to go and eat some Happy Birthday Cake!

WILLIAM KIND’S COMMENTS

Sleep. I am still learning the meaning of that word. I don’t get the fuss people make about me waking up all the time. 45 minutes at a time is more than enough. I have learned to crawl and get about the place. I can stand up holding on to things. It’s ok if you land on your bottom but landing on your head is not so much fun. I like rice and carrot and sometimes mashed up fruit. I also like making my mouth a moving target for whoever is feeding me. My brother loves me and cuddles and kisses me. He is not allowed to tackle me but that doesn’t stop me tackling him. We have a lot of toys but my favourite one is always the one Jonny is playing with right now. Jonny likes to remind me that “Will can’t talk yet”.

PERSIAN PRODUCTIONS

Here is a link to a 7-minute collection of roughly edited footage of our road trip in Dropbox. Warning! Watching this footage may induce car sickness.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5nxf6f5191ru50q/the%20Pamir%20highway%20roadtrip%20nov%202016.mp4?dl=0

THANKS

Thanks to the Js for helping us leave Dushanbe and the Vs for helping us arrive in Khorog.

Love from

Jono, Marie, Jonny and Will Miller