Where he is staying, as he writes this letter, Kapchagay, has water and electricity all day, but never hot water. He says that people fill their tubs and barrels with water in case the water shuts off. He says some people warm water for showers with an electric heater, but his host family uses a black barrel that the sun is supposed to warm up. His host family uses both a washing machine and hand-washes the same clothes.

He includes three pictures with the letter: 1) a horse, 2) a Ferris wheel, and 3) him with a crumbling statue of Lenin

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