Hi again from Kyrgyzstan!

Hi kids!

I got messages with your questions.  They were very good questions!

First, some of you asked about the yurts.  You asked about the pipe sticking out of the yurt- that is the chimney!  They have to have fires in the yurts to stay warm at night because there is no electricity.  There is no bathroom in the yurts, either.  The people go to a separate outhouse to go to the bathroom.  An outhouse is a small building with a hole underneath.  People use the bathroom there.  You might have seen one if you have gone camping.

Next, some people asked about water.  Clean water is very important, and in many places in the world it is hard to get.  We are very lucky to have clean water in our homes!  In the city, people in Kyrgyzstan have sinks and faucets like us.  But the people who live in the country have to go to a community pump to fill buckets and then carry the water home.  Many times this is a chore that the kids in the house do.  Do you have chores that you do at home, too?  Here is a picture of some kids at the water pump:

Some of you also asked about the clothes.  Some people wear clothes a lot like what we wear in Rock Hill, like these boys.  Many women keep their hair covered with a handkerchief or cloth.  I met a very nice lady who wore her hair this way and we took a picture together!!  Look:

I saw a man wearing a kalpak, which is a traditional tall hat worn by men and boys in Kyrgyzstan.  Here he is:

I am going to come home soon so that I can have another adventure, but let me tell you a few more things that I have learned about Kyrgyzstan while I was here.

First, they do not use the same alphabet we do!  They use another alphabet and I tried to learn how to read it since I love to read so much!  It was very different though, look at these street signs!  Some of the letters look like ours and some do not.  Can you see letters that look the same and different?

I also got to see some beautiful artwork like this wonderful, colorful blanket.  This is a very traditional pattern that they use in their art:

Finally, I got to be there on Independence Day in Kyrgyzstan!  It is August 31st.

Do you know when Independence Day is in the United States?  What did your family do that day?  I saw families watching fireworks in the city!  Here is a picture I took:

Well that's it for now!  It is a long plane ride home from here, but I will see you soon!
Your friend,
Flat Stanley

Hi Kids!

Hi Kids!!!

Welcome to the first grade! 

My name is Flat Stanley.  Have you read the book about me?  I am flat so people can send me in envelopes and suitcases all over the world.  I love to travel and I want to tell you all about the new places I go and the people that I meet this year!

Right now I am with my friend Dr. Appelgren.  She is Mrs. North's daughter.  Do you know Mrs. North?  She is my friend too!

Dr. Appelgren put me in her suitcase and took me to a country called Kyrgyzstan!  Kyrgyzstan is a small country, but it is near some big countries that you might have heard of.  Can you find Kyrgyzstan on a map?

I like to take pictures when I am travelling.  Would you like to see my pictures?



I have learned that most people in Kyrgyzstan live in houses and apartments just like people in Rock Hill.  But, some people live in a special kind of house called a yurt.  Families who have a lot of animals need to bring their animals to the countryside in the summer so that the animals can eat a lot of grass.  But, their houses are far away so they need a place to live.  They bring all the things with them to make their yurt, which is a temporary home.  It gets very cold in the winter, so when it starts to snow they will take their yurt apart and go back to their regular house with their animals. 

Can you see kids in the picture who live in a yurt?  How do you think their days are different from yours?  Do you see the animals?  What kinds of animals do you see?

It used to be that many people in Kyrgyzstan lived in yurts and they had to move around a lot.  Have you seen their flag?  Here is a picture of it that I took in the capital city of Kyrgystan, Bishkek:

The design in the middle of the flag is the same pattern that you would see if you stood in the middle of the yurt and looked up.  So yurts are very important to this country. 

Do you know what the capital city of the United States is?  Do you know what the things on our flag mean to our country?

I am having a great time meeting new people and learning about Kyrgyzstan.  I will tell you more soon!
Your friend,
Flat Stanley