April 24: "You guys speak English?"

I can feel a transition taking place.

The other day, I said my goodbyes to Ester and Ivy after we had been standing on the corner talking for a while, and then crossed the main road, on my way home. Here, when I walk home by myself, I enter a world of non-verbal communication.

Since I don't understand Russian or Kyrgyz yet (though I'm getting better!), I try to blend in by reacting appropriately to the subtle little cues people subconsiously show when they pass by. Without language, I am at a disadvantage. I want to be approachable, but I also want them to know that I am not prey.

So, if they make eye contact with me, I hold it for just a second. If they smile at me, and want to shake my hand, I smile back and shake hands. If they don't look at me, I don't look at them either, but I listen to their footsteps fade away, just in case. I am very aware of the presence of strangers--since I can't speak to them, my other senses acutely buzz.

So it caught me off-guard that day when I heard someone behind me say, ''Hey, you guys speak English?''

What? English, on my street? It was actually kind of startling.

I turned around and had to think for a second whether to speak to him in Kyrgyz or English. My instinct was to speak Kyrgyz, even though I can't make the words yet. But he had just asked me a question in English. Weird.

''Yeah,'' I said. ''We're Peace Corps volunteers, teachers, here in Kyrgyzstan for two years. Men mektepte eeshtate. I work at the school.''

Like most people, he was happy to hear this, and glad to meet me. He said to call him Ray. We kept walking, past his house, so we could talk. Ray had lived in Chicago for five years, where he went to school and worked part time. He wore a baseball cap and had a gap-tooth smile, and spoke fluent American English. My gut instinct told me he would be a good ally to have.
Since I live really close to Bishkek, English-speakers are more common than they will be in the rural village I'm going to be sent to. They are still rare, though, and it felt nice to have Ray on my block.

''Well, stop by some time,'' he said.