The $2000 Mistake

So we left Almaty on Sunday morning, 22 December, headed for New York City. Thankfully our flight was not delayed as several co-workers coming from Shymkent the previous night had been delayed in a storm. The itenerary was to fly to St. Petersburg, Russia, transfer to Moscow, then fly on to New York City's JFK airport. We bought the tickets with Aeroflot Airlines because they were one of the cheapest airlines to allow Lulu to travel with us. So, out of Almaty without a hitch, headed to "Amrika."

Upon landing in St. Petersberg everyone was herded onto transport buses that took us to the terminal. When we entered the terminal there was just a lady at a desk directing people to where they needed to be. Levi fought his way through the crowd to ask where we should go. He was told to go to Passport Control. We were confused because we just needed to catch a connecting flight, but we stood in line anyway because there was no where else to go. After about 3 minutes a passport agent approached us from behind and asked about our situation. He told us that if we did not have a visa that we would be fined and sent back to Almaty. Panic began to set in for me - there is no way I wanted to go back, 5.5 hours, to Almaty to start this whole thing over again. We discussed the issue a bit and found that there is no way for Americans to apply for a transit visa right there in the airport, so we had two options. One, pay the fine and fly back to Almaty, or, two, buy tickets to fly out of St. Petersberg to another country.

We were taken back to the entrance of the passport control area to wait for an Aeroflot representative to meet with us about the issue. Neither one of us could figure out how to get internet on our phones, and free internet was not available in the area we were sitting. The rep. came by and we chatted a bit. He told us there was a flight to Paris, Nice, or Prague that we could take; we asked for prices to Paris (I figured it was closer to NYC than the other two). He gave us a quote in Rubles, which didn't help since we had no idea of the exhange. He did bad math in his head and said it would be a total of $6,600 for us to get to Paris!!! I told him that we didn't have that much money. Levi and I tried to discuss it, but after a few minutes he interupted and said he couldn't stay with us all day because he had other work to do. I fiddled around with my phone for a minute and finally got the internet to work over the network (no 3G service here, I used my minutes per MB). I pulled up Orbitz and started a search. Luckily, the representative received a phone call and had to run off. I had enough time to find a flight for $667 a person through Warsaw, Poland [with a 21 hour layover] and onto NYC. It put us a day behind schedule, but it was definetely cheaper than $6,600 for us to just get to Paris.

The original passport control agent that had approached us continued to check in to see what was happening. We were finally able to tell him we were booking the flight to Warsaw. He was awesome - really if it hadn't been for him we would have been flying back to Almaty. We gave him our baggage tags and he hunted down our bags. He came back the first time and told us my bag was lost. I kept it together until he walked away and then I broke down crying, that was the "straw that broke the camel's back." Five minutes later another agent approached to say that he had tracked down my bag and it was in the airport. He went off to retrieve it; that was a relief. So, fully contained, we trekked off with our bags to a different terminal, ready to settle in and wait the extra 4 hours until our flight to Warsaw. We flew with LOT Polish Airlines and they were so understanding and helpful through the whole process.

The terminal had free internet so we were able to do some research on whether or not we could take a dog into the country. Fortunately, their policies covered what we had on her, basically they needed her shot records and to be sure she had a rabies shot. We did a bit of research on the city to figure out some things to check out since we'd be stuck there so long.

The manager for LOT airlines came to visit us closer to check-in time to help us figure out tickets, seats, and checking our luggage. He seemed to bend over backwards for us! It was incredible and I highly recommed using LOT if you're traveling through Europe. He was sure to get us a whole row of seats on the way to Warsaw (so 4 seats to ourselves and the dog); and, to our surprise, he gave us a set of 3 seats together on the way to NYC (in a packed plane nonetheless). The service on both planes was great and the flight attendants were very friendly. Although I never wish to be stuck in Russia like that again, I am very thankful to all the players that helped us to "escape" and made it as bearable as possible.

Overall, we learned our lesson about flying through Russia - GET A VISA!!!

Almaty, Kazakhstan

Winter break at school started at 5 pm on Friday December 20th, and Levi and I had big plans. We had set up a great schedule to spend Saturday in Almaty (the former capital of Kazakhstan), then fly to New York City to spend Sunday night, Monday, and Tuesday morning, then fly home to Denver just in time for Christmas. Friday night we took the short, one-hour flight to Almaty and checked into a nice bed and breakfast we discovered on Booking.com, called the Guest House on Sadovaya. I highly recommend this place if you need somewhere to stay in Almaty!

We landed in Almaty around 11:30pm, and the owner of the Guest House picked us up at the airport and whisked us to the BNB for bed time. After a HUGE breakfast in the morning we went in search of a dog crate because Lulu, our pug, would have to fly in cargo during one of the flights home. Once that was taken care of we took a stroll through Panfilov Park.

In the center of the park is a monument to The Civil War (World War  I) and to the Patriotic War (World War II). On the left side of the above picture is a statue honoring the first and on the right is the statue honoring the latter.

This eternal flame sits among the statues as a constant reminder.

This is the main statue that pays tribute to the people that took part in both wars from all 15 of the Soviet republics. Hopefully, it's easy to see the scale of this statue based on the people standing in front. That little girl in the pink coat is only about 3 feet (1 m) tall. Once you stand underneath it, the full scale is hard to believe. Unfortunately, all of the writings around the tributes were in Kazakh or Russian so it's difficult for us to discern the true meaning of everything. But overall, it's an amazing reminder.

This man was sitting in the park (on quite a chilly day) playing for money. As we approached he started playing "Let it Be" by The Beatles, this became our theme for the day as you'll see below.

At the far end of the park there was a group of people feeding the pigeons. It was fascinating to watch them fly towards whomever had the food. One little girl was repeatedly taking bits of dry bread out of a sack, stomping on them to break them into crumbs, and bending down to try to pet the birds as they ate the crumbs. Others would stand still and then a flock would fly around them towards the next group of people with food. I don't know why but we stood staring at this scene for quite some time.

 At the far end of the park is Zenkov Cathedral. It may be the only wooden cathedral in the world and was built without using any nails. Amazingly, it survived a huge earthquake in 1911, and has been used as a museum at one point. It is an active Russian Orthodox church so we were unable to take pictures inside, which contained different areas dedicated to saints. Each saint had a candle stand in front of it and candles were available for lighting. The elaborate decorations and paintings on the walls were overwhelming. Intense scenes of hell and heaven, people waiting in line to see Jesus, small scenes of Jesus with the 12 apostles, and other various scenes from the Bible were depicted throughout. The back wall and alter were covered in pictures of Jesus and various saints framed in gold. It was a solemn and beautiful place.

Our next stop in Almaty was Kok-Tobe, a mountain-top overlooking the city. You hop into a cable car from the city center and travel upwards from there, over neighborhoods and highways. 

This is the building you go into and come out of after riding the cable car. They are ready for Christmas!

Almaty from Kok-Tobe.

The famous Apple Fountain at Kok-Tobe.

We ate at a cafe at the top of Kok-Tobe. Inside was shaped like a traditional Yurt. The seating along the wall was filled with pillows and cushions, and the decor was "fancy" looking! They are ready for Christmas here too.

The main attraction, and the whole purpose I wanted to go up Kok-Tobe was to see the statue of The Beatles!!! We were so excited (I think we took at least 20 pictures of this statue with us standing around it). John Lennon is sitting with the guitar, Paul McCartney is standing behind John and to the left. Ringo Starr is standing behind the bench, while George Harrison has his leg up on the bench. It looks as if people have spent a lot of time carving their names and phrases into the bronze bench the group is hovering around.

On our walk back from the cable cars we saw this awesome Christmas tree. The city is full of lighted scenes. As we left the airport the day before we saw a whole scene consisting of a yurt, horses, and people. I would have loved to spend time touring around at night just taking pictures of their Christmas decorations!

At the end of the day we decided to eat at a popular expat hangout - The Guns & Roses Pub. It's a rock and roll themed place, so the menu has pictures of Guns 'n' Roses, Nirvana, Ozzy Osborne, and other various rock bands. We were excited to see more "western" food offered on the menu, so we tried some nachos and hamburgers. It made a great end to an interesting day.

Independence Day is Approaching

This week at school we are celebrating Kazakhstan history. December 16 and 17 are Independence Days, so leading up to it we are treated to information about Kazakhstan and its presence in history and today. Several times a day, students come over the intercom system and give us information about Kazakhstan, in Kazakh, Russian, and, sometimes, English. One of the tidbits I remember is the fact that Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country in the world, and that English is an increasingly important language to learn.

 To kick off the week, students created a presentation in the auditorium. There was dancing, poems, informative quotes, and even dombra  playing! It was very entertaining.

I’m looking forward to seeing what Shymkent has in store as far as celebrations for Monday and Tuesday. I’ll be sure to keep you posted.

The First Real Snow Day in Shymkent!

            Today was the first real snowy day in Shymkent. We’ve had a dusting of snow that did not stick to the ground, especially the streets, for long, but last night we had an accumulation of snow. Of course, I thought that I would come here and buy boots for winter, but come to find out my feet are too big for the shoes they offer, so I’ve been stuck. It would have been handy to have those boots today because I walked through quite a bit of slushy snow to get around my building and to the street to find a taxi. Thankfully, the taxi driver we’ve been using quite frequently was there waiting for me. I walked right up and got in his toasty warm car (bonus to not having to warm up my own car!).

Those tiny dots just above the light post are people.

            The roads were thick with slushy snow and we started on our way. Along the sides of the streets is a ditch about half a meter (1.5 feet) deep. As we were driving I kept thinking, “I can’t really see that ditch and it is pretty slick out here. I wonder if anyone ever slides right into one.” The taxi driver took his time along the roads and didn’t rush up on anyone and even let someone merge from the side of the road, so I knew that I would make it to school safely. Just like at home, there is no one to shovel off sidewalks, so a lot of people were walking along side the road. Several of them looked as if they’d been splashed by the mud and snow. Also, I think this is true for most days, but there were a lot of cars just parked on the side of the road. It’s more noticeable when two lanes become one and everyone is squeezing around those parked awkwardly on the side.

            The windshield wiper on my side didn’t quite clear the whole windshield so I was left with blurry snow vision all the way, but I tried to squint out to see where we were headed. It’s still pitch black here at 7:30 am, so that was a trial too. Half way to school I saw three plows going along the other side of the road; I can only imagine those guys have been out all night!

Out the window of my office.

            As we approached one stop light the taxi slide a little bit and the driver made the classic mistake of NOT turning into the slide. He quickly corrected the wheel and by the time we were done sliding the car was still facing the right way. At the bottom of the hill from school I could see a group of people huddled around a car. Once we were close enough I could see that the front passenger wheel of the car was in one of those huge ditches, well, that answers my previous quandary! It is difficult to discern what happened but I can assume that the driver was attempting to turn from one street to the next and under estimated the location of the ditch. Bummer!

            The road in front of the school was jammed packed with cars going up and down. Two cars sat facing the same way but on opposite sides of the road and directly across from each other, thereby creating a one-way street between them. As we turned onto the road we got stuck behind a line of cars waiting to pass through the one-way. I could see the road was very slick here. Our line began to move and we crept passed the two cars and up the hill. About half-way up we had to stop again, but this time the car wasn’t having it and we were stuck. The driver tried with all his might – uh, pushing the gas pedal as hard as he could – but our tires just spun like crazy with no traction. I figured he would try to back up and start again, but he just looked at me and raised his hands and shrugged his shoulders. That means it’s time for me to get out. I paid the fare, stepped out into a snow bank, and trekked the rest of the way up the hill to school. No complaints here, at least I made it that far without incident!

The school courtyard.

            The hillside trek wasn’t too bad, even in my sneakers. There was a nice path right up the middle of the sidewalk carefully carved out by all the walkers before me. I stepped into line with several other people and tried to keep pace. I survived and have lived to tell this tale, and that’s the story of my first snow day in Kazakhstan.

(PS Through the weekend it will be in the 40s and by Monday it will be back in the 50s again, so pretty much just like Denver!)

That's a chilly jungle gym!

Doctor, doctor give me the news!

Getting sick in a country where you don’t speak the language proves it’s own challenges! Over the past 2 weeks I’ve been to the doctor twice. This is not typical for me, if fact I didn’t expect to see the doctor here at all, but things happen and plans change.

            Two weeks ago I had a terrible cold, coughing, sore throat, headache, the works; I woke one morning and could barely breathe. I decided it best to stay home and rest. By that evening I had not recovered and knew that I wouldn’t make it to work the next day. My contract states that I am required to visit the doctor and get a certificate for being sick more than one day. The next day I showed up at our provider’s door asking for services. Interteach is a health provider located in Kazakhstan, Germany, and several other Central Asian locations. The people are great, but no one seems to speak English (not surprising, just challenging).

            I went in prepared with Google Translate and screen shots already of certain phrases I knew I would need. The man at the front was a bit exasperated to begin with and once he found out that I didn’t speak English he became frustrated. He was able to use Translate to get the basics out of the way and got me set up with a new file. Then onto the doctor, who, I was told, did not speak any English either and asked if I could provide a translator (um, no?!?! I just need to talk to him I feel like crap!). I convinced them that we could communicate using Google Translate too. This seemed to satiate their needs and I was allowed into his office.

            I sat in a chair next to his desk and Levi sat on the medical bed behind me. The assistant set him up on the website and we were off. He was a great doctor, asking all the right questions and getting me what I needed. We had to wait for the certificate to be filled out so we sat chatting a bit. He was excited to use the Translate service and ask a lot of questions about America. At the end, when we stood to leave, the doctor stood up with his fist on his heart and proclaimed loudly, “viva America!” We smiled, thanked him and left the office.

            Last week I started having stomach issues and by Wednesday I was unable to stand for longer than a few minutes due to the cramping. I went back to the doctor to figure out this new problem. The man at the front recognized me right away, and tried to help those around me first and then scurried off to find my file. The filing system in the office seems a bit chaotic with folders stuck randomly in letter labeled boxes. The assistant pulls the right box with someone’s last initial but then spends five minutes scouring the pile of folders to find the right one. My file must have wandered off because I’m pretty sure the guy left the building to find it! (maybe they had it in a billing section since I had just been there?!?!). Once he had the file he led me right into the doctor’s office – no questions, no waiting, no paperwork.

            The doctor was glad to see me and immediately stopped what he was doing to talk with me. He couldn’t remember how to get to the Google Translate page, so he called someone in to help him out. Once that was up we were on a roll. I gave him my symptoms and he starting asking a lot of questions. There was no examination, no looking at my tongue or taking my temperature, just questions.  He hit the nail on the head with every question though, and easily diagnosed me with acute intestinal inflammation. I had denied a prescription the week before because there’s not much that can be done for a viral cold, but this time I knew drugs would help. He wrote out a prescription for 3 different medicines, gave me the directions for each and sent me on my way. Again with the “viva America!”

            The pharmacy is only a few blocks away and even though I was feeling like crud I made the walk. Half way there I remembered that I had hung up my coat on the coat rack inside the door and had left it there. Levi volunteered to return later and pick it up. Upon arriving at the pharmacy, we went in, handed the lady the prescription, she filled it and we were done (what? No paying?!?!? Crazy!). I spent the next 4 days in bed and by Sunday evening I was feeling better and ready to venture away from the flat.

            Even though I had to visit twice to that place I am thankful for Google Translate and the willingness of the doctor to see me. It’s been almost a week and I’m feeling so much better and I’m back at work. It’s good to know that I can get the help I need when I need it.

Taxi!!!

I took this shot because of the kid hanging out the window, but it is surrounding by several good examples of cars in Shymkent.

            Before moving to KZ we decided that we would not buy or rent a car. We had read that it’s very easy to get around town by hopping on a bus or hailing a taxi. After we arrived and spoke to several people we found this to be the best choice.

            KZ is trying hard to rid the country of all the old cars that still clog the streets. There are a lot of Soviet made cars from the ‘80s still making their way around Shymkent, which is kind of cool in a way because you only see those in the movies, right? Well, anyway, the cost of a used car is the same as buying a new car (again, they are trying to get rid of the old ones, so might as well buy a new one for the same price!), so even buying a cheap car is out of the question.  When we lived in Abu Dhabi we rented a car from Thrifty Rental for $550 a month and that seemed to work out well for us because public transport and taxis were not easy to get on the edge of town where we lived. I haven’t seen any hint of rental companies in Shymkent (that doesn’t mean they don’t exist), so the idea of renting a car has not yet crossed my mind.

            We are down to hailing a cab or riding the bus. I’m not a big fan of riding the bus but several of my co-workers claim that it’s not too bad. For the most part the buses arrive at the stops in a timely manner (I have not seen a printed schedule – maybe there’s one at the bus stop?!?!), and tend to drop them off on time near the school. Some days the bus can be overly crowed, some days there’s no one on board. It costs 50 tenge (approximately 32 cents) to ride anywhere in town. Essentially you can hop on the bus and ride it all day (as long as you don’t get off) for pennies!

            I quite enjoy riding in taxis. You never know who is going to pick you up and many of them are curious about the fact that you’re a foreigner living and working in Shymkent (they are used to people visiting on business trips or just passing through, but very rarely living here). Every one speaks Russian or Kazakh so communication becomes a little stunted, but we manage to at least get where we need to be without a lot of small talk. Also, riding in a taxi is quick – no stops every block, like on the bus.

            Hailing a taxi is an interesting experience in itself. Basically, you step to the curb and put your hand out. Any Joe-Schmoe driving his car may stop for you; not every car you get in is a taxi, per se, but it is someone’s vehicle. You just lean over into the car and tell them where you need to go. They either agree to the location or not, if so, you negotiate a price. If not, you walk away and hail a new car. Sometimes when you walk away they will tell you to come back and then accept your price. We’ve found that we can get just about anywhere in town for less than 500 tenge (approximately $3.24); this includes my school which is about 4 miles from our apartment. My co-worker and I usually share a taxi and split the costs. She’ll pay in the morning and I’ll pay in the afternoon. I was curious about the calculations and the total monthly cost for riding in a taxi everyday – is it worth it? So here’s the numbers (if you like that sort of thing!):

One day (while riding with co-worker): 500 tenge ($3.24)

One week (with co-worker): 2500 tenge ($16.20)

One month (with co-worker): 10,000 tenge ($64.80)

She was away in Europe for two and I had to pay for the ride both ways. This has doubled my cost, so for 2 weeks riding by myself I will paid 10,000 tenge ($64.80). The cost can fluctuate a bit, sometimes it will cost 600 or 700 tenge to ride to school because it’s in the middle of nowhere and the driver is afraid he won’t be able to find a fair back into town. To be safe I’ve calculated that I will spend anywhere between $70 and $135 dollars each MONTH to go to and from school. When I start to compare those numbers to what I was spending to drive in the US or in the UAE the numbers are staggering!!

I’m sure that as you read this you are trying to calculate your own costs in your head. The government standard for payout of using your own car for travel is $0.565 per gallon, so calculate how many miles you travel per day and add it up for a whole month – I used 5 day weeks with 4 weeks in a month above. Levi and I used to drive around 100 miles per day, so that total monthly cost for us would be around $1,130 (just calculating to and from work every day)!!! This means that I’m saving $1,000 a month to take a taxi everyday in a foreign country. Too crazy!

One of the more interesting things about hailing Joe Schmoe to pick you up is you never know what type of car you may ride in. Last week I had the privilege of riding in a Lada – a Soviet made car, easily from 1972. I really wanted to ask the driver if I could take a picture of the inside of the car. There was a bench seat in the back, and no seatbelts to be seen (maybe that’s partly why they want to eliminate the old cars?). The car was clean, but was a bit slow. I’ve had the chance to ride in Mercedes Benz’s and Audi’s but old ones that barely run. Most of the cars are very run down and sometimes I wonder if I’ll make it home or have to walk. But it seems that they take pride in their cars, so they are kept clean and look nice, there is a spray and wash on almost every corner. Also, I’ve only had male drivers stop to pick me up, so I’m not sure that females aren’t too inclined to be picking up strangers (good on them!).

Hailing a taxi doesn’t take too long in the mornings. After 7 weeks I’ve managed to find the “sweet spot” outside my apartment where it never fails to get a taxi in a timely manner. I’ve never waited longer than 10 minutes for someone to stop and usually am able to get the first car out. Later in the day, the area in front of our apartment building swarms with taxis. That makes it easy for Levi to grab one for weekly Russian lessons at the school or where ever else he may need to go.

We do not take taxis every where though. Not only would the cost start to add up, but it would be ridiculous to take a taxi 5 blocks to our favorite grocery store. So far, it has been easy for us to strap on our backpacks and walk over to grocery shop. We don’t need to buy a lot of things at the store because they are several smaller markets around us that supply more everyday goods. We also walk to the open air marker behind our row of apartment buildings. We walk to restaurants and to meet co-workers to get a beer or two.

Overall, transportation, whether by taxi, bus, or on foot, has been quick and easy for us. I do not foresee renting a car in our near future!

69 dude! (bus that is)

            This weekend was a great time for us to take an epic bus ride! We had the idea to just hop on a bus and ride it for the entire route, Sunday was our chance. The bus stop is right outside of our building, and we constantly hear them pulling up and yelling out their destinations. Since they yell in Kazakh it’s very difficult for us to understand where they are going, but we figured it’s an adventure and doesn’t really matter.

The front view of the bus. (I know it says 76, but the other side says 69)

            We stood on the curb watching a few buses come by that were pretty full – not our ideal situation to be squished on a bus when we’re trying to take in the view. Finally, number 69 came rolling up and we took our chance. We found a great spot to stand by the window and take in the sights. Once the bus pulled away from the curb the ‘yeller’ came through to collect the fare. It cost us $0.66 for both of us. He made small talk and asked where we were from and we explained that we are from America and that I’m there to teach. He smiled and moved on to collect other fares.

Graffiti - I have no idea what it's about.

            We’ve seen this bus pass by the big mall, Mega, so we had an idea of where we’d be off to at first. There are only 2 stops to Mega, so we know that in the winter, when it’s icy, this bus will be ideal to take for grocery shopping.

            Only a few blocks past Mega the bus took a right turn and we headed into familiar territory. Two of my co-workers live on the street, pretty far down, but we recognized it right away. So we’ve made another note of where we might take this bus if needed.

An interesting building. Love the colors!

            It followed that street pretty far before taking a left. Now we were in unknown territory. What could it behold?

            We were on the outskirts of the city, so the shops became fewer as houses started to take their place. We could see large houses with high gates and we could see smaller houses smooshed together side-by-side. I started to think that maybe this ride would be boring and uneventful, but I was wrong. The bus was caught in a slow-moving traffic jam with a lot of horn blaring. As we inched along a huge market came into view. It looks very similar to the one behind our apartment, but much larger. Both sides of the street were crammed with cars, while shops and people lined the road. There wasn’t really a bus stop, per se, but the bus just stops in a general area on the road and people run over and jump on.

            Since we were just having a look as to where the bus was going we didn’t jump off to check out the market. The bus moved on through some back streets that were part of several neighborhoods, but as we emerged from that area we found ourselves driving along the road near the airport. Although the bus only stayed on that road for a short time it gave us a better idea as to where we were. There is a huge, white mosque on the side of the road that we were unable to get pictures of, but would like to go back and check out (we can’t go inside, but to get some pictures would be nice).

            The last stop for the bus (before starting back on it’s return route), is a small market near the mosque. All of the shops are in an enclosed building and a few make-shift shops are directly across the street.

            Overall, this bus route wasn’t too bad. It can get us to some key places and some interesting markets. Next week we’ll try a different bus with a different route and hopefully discover something new.

            As we returned back towards Mega we jumped off the bus and went walking up the street. We’d heard tell that there is a fast food burger joint whose burgers are pretty similar to home. About 3 blocks up we found it. Inside was packed with people. There were only about 12 tables, each big enough for 4-6 people. Behind the counter a lady was taking orders so we placed ours and took a seat. We watched as a worker slowly carved meat off of a schwarma stand and lay it in piles on a baking sheet. On down the line they were stuffing the meat, cucumbers, tomatoes, mayonnaise into tortillas and grilling the whole bit ready for eating. It looked pretty awesome, but we’d come for burgers. Once our order was ready we realized that we should have just taken a seat and they would have taken our order at the table. Oh well! We sat with our ‘to-go’ bag at the table and they brought us proper glass plates for our food. The burgers were better than we’ve had in other places in the city, and enough to hit the spot, but there was something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on. At least I know there’s a place I can go if I feel the need for some good [sic: nasty] fast food!

A Burger Land worker preparing to cut schwarma.

            After eating we walked a bit further up the street to hunt for the bowling alley. It was only about 2 blocks up and looked just like any other bowling alley. Right next door is a 24 hour karaoke bar and on the other side is some other type of pub. Across the street was an Italian and Chinese restaurant.

            All in all, our excursion produced some good resources for a future time. Shopping, bowling, karaoke, and drinking – you can’t go wrong!

Graffiti on our walk.

A View from Home

About a week and a half ago, my mother-in-law gave a speech about Kazakhstan to her fellow townsfolk. She wrote out her whole speech to help her prepare and shared it with us. With her permission I am posting her writings about Kazakhstan and her view of it from home. Please feel free to leave comments for her and we'll be sure to pass them on:

Yearbook Theme – Seeking Growth Today – Doing the Things We Love

When we came up with that theme, I thought everyone, including me, would talk about their hobbies.   So, I thought, do I want to talk about fly fishing?—no, not really.  Golf, no, not really.   Another thing I like to do is read, and right now I am reading Apples are from Kazakhstan.  (Apples, we just love ‘em?)  It’s true, botanists have traced back the beginning of the apple tree to this Central Asian country.  Wild apple trees grow in some regions, and the fruit covers the ground in the fall.  They have an apple in KZ called the Aport which grows as big as a baby’s head and is sweet and delicious.   Tulips are also from KZ and trousers.    But KZ is a land that no one knows much about.  But I’m not really going to do a book report.  I am going to tell you WHY I am reading this obscure book about this obscure country.

You know how wonderful it is to HELP your children, grandchildren and nieces and nephews grow?   And then all of a sudden, some of them are doing things you never even dreamed of, and all of a sudden, they are helping YOU grow.    My middle son Levi—the quiet, artistic, introverted, son, and his wife April—have opened my eyes, widened my horizons, and made me seek growth. 

About five years ago, when most of us in this country were still reeling from 911 and harboring some real fears of Islamic people,  April took at job in the United Arab Emirates, in Abu Dhabi, at a charter school where her uncle was the dean.  It was an all boys school, and she mostly worked with the teachers telling them about how schools in our country teach Math.  The next year they moved to Dubai.  There Levi worked for a magazine as a graphic designer.  The UAE is pretty bilingual, so they got along ok speaking only English. This is what April wrote to me about the Middle Eastern people:

   The people I met were so incredibly nice and curious about America; I never felt any hostility from anyone (OK, maybe a bit during Ramadan on the road - but who wouldn't be cranky when they've worked a full day on an empty stomach!). The teachers I worked with were willing to let me into their classrooms, which is a feat for teachers around the world to let someone in their space.  They spoke to me with respect (which of course I returned). They wanted to teach me about their culture and their language. Many of them commented how awful the Taliban is and how they are not liked by most of the Islamic community.  From these stories and interactions I knew that I wanted to spread the word to Americans about how much we stereotype Muslims. 

So, they came back home and bought a house and a dog, and April got a job at GOAL Academy on-line school. Levi went back to his graphic design job here.  But then they got restless to do it again, so April starting looking for another international teaching job.  In July Levi called to tell me they would be moving to Kazakhstan in three weeks.  Where?  I didn’t even know where Kazakhstan WAS.  It’s there, point down, 12 hours ahead [as she stands in the USA].  And here they were going all by themselves, not knowing anyone, not knowing the language.   Getting their Visas took longer than expected, but finally they got there, about 3 weeks ago, with their little pug dog.  April’s job is at a Gifted and Talented high school, and she will be teaching Math in English.  Almost no one in KZ speaks English, most speak Russian, although many speak Kazakh, but they are teaching their brightest students in all three languages.  The government sends 3,500 students abroad to university on a full scholarship plus living expenses on the condition they will come back to work for only three years.

KZ is the 9^th largest country in the world.  Texas can fit in it 5 times, and it’s larger than all of Western Europe.  It is located West of China, South of Russia, and bordered on the west side by the Caspian Sea.  Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan border it to the South.  It is approximately the same latitude as the Northern United States.  Levi & April are in Shymkent, a city about the same climate and size as Denver.  There are only a few cities in KZ.  It is a Republic government.  President Nazarbayev was elected as the first President when the country became independent from the Soviet Union and he has been in office over 20 years.  The Kazakh people seem to like him and they keep reelecting him.  Its historic culture is that of nomads living in yurts.  Under Russian rule, the people were forced to settle and farm.  Then the Soviets in the 1900s ruled the country and built large communist-styled bloc apartment buildings and factories.  Levi & April live in one of those old style apartment buildings.   It’s big and comfortable, and they have great, fast internet service, but no dishwasher, no clothes dryer, and the refrigerator is in one of the bedrooms. 

The present Capital city Astana is 1,000 miles away with nothing but steppe in between.  Astana is a brand new, very modern city built in the middle of the country just in the last twenty years, since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Many different nationalities live in KZ now, most of whom were forced there by the Soviet regime or came as refugees from wars in their countries.  Different cultures get along and accept one another, having past hardships in common.   About half of the people are Muslim and half are Russian Orthodox, but nearly everyone is moderate, not devout or extreme in their religious traditions.  They wear western clothing.  And they love music and love to dance.  The students at April’s school flash mob and line dance during their breaks.  

Levi tells me it is not just for the adventure that they have chosen to experience other cultures.  They wanted to challenge themselves by getting out of their comfort zones.  They wanted to see people from a different angle.  It has made them appreciate what we have in the U.S., and not take it for granted.  And it has made them relate to people who don’t speak our language, to experience being on the other side of the language barrier, how to communicate with few  words.   My kids are aware that they are representing Americans, and they try to be their best and break the stereotypes many people have of Americans.  I am so proud of them because I think it takes courage to do this just as regular people, not as part of an organization with an agenda, and not with a tour guide.  I can’t imagine doing it myself.  They are meeting real folks, not just service employees in tourist destinations. 

The most surprising thing my son told me is this:  Being in a completely new place makes you focus on the details, the things you take for granted at home.  That slows down time, and makes you live longer.         Well, we can’t all travel to the other side of the world, but we can all get out of our comfort zones, and experience something new.    Dosvedania!

Presidential Ponderings

Nursultan Nazarbayev (taken from www.akorda.kz)

So I've been thinking a lot of the president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. [You may recognize the last name, the school system I'm working for is named for him] He's had an incredibly diverse life here in Kazakhstan. He grew up a farmer boy, helping his father take care of their small plot of land, and travelling everyday to stand in line for bread. When he started school he lived with an uncle, but then went on to live at a boarding school. He became interested in the Young Communist League (YCL) (even though his father did not approve). As a teen he was attracted to a job in a steel mill in central Kazakhstan, but arrived to find the mill still under construction and therefore went to the Ukraine to work, until the other location was ready. Although, he worked at the mill, he stayed involved with the YCL, which ultimately saved him from becoming a life-time steel worker.

Nazarbayez officially joined the communist party at the age of 22 and rose quickly through the ranks. It seems that he was one of the few that was bothered by the construction and corruption of the party. There was disorganization and inequality everywhere he looked. This is an excerpt from Apples are from Kazakhstan that describes the type of corruption that was abundant:

"Under the Soviet system it was essential to be on good terms with powerful Moscow officials. All the income from the factories of every region in each republic was returned to Moscow, divided up, and sent back to the republics. Kazakhstan, with its natural resources and heavy industry, was automatically the victim of such a system, for while billions of rubles flowed to Moscow, only a fraction found its way back. Anyone with a good personal relationship with the finance minister could expect a few extra million rubles in their budget, while a friend of the chairman of the State Supplies Committee might receive extra cement, metal or timber for their factories. The corrupted command system demanded that all the republics play the game, and no one considered the consequences of taking someone else's share" (p. 265).

In 1991, a failed coup in Moscow attempted to overtake the government from Mikhial Gorbachev. Things started to quickly unravel for the Soviets and their communist system. Nazarbayev, as head of the communist party in Kazakhstan, asked for equality with Russia, instead of independence like other republics. He was afraid that independence would create disaster in Kazakhstan, as all of the industry was tied to Moscow. Many talks and meetings occurred throughout the year, finally on December 21, 1991, the republics met to sign a treaty for independence. 

Nursultan Nazarbayev is the founding father of Kazakhstan. He has brought them through ups and downs, and has a passion to continue the fight. So, going back to the beginning of this blog, and why I've been thinking about him so much, relates to a few conversations I've had over the last few days about politics in the United States. Barack Obama is not our founding father, George Washington is (well, one of many anyway), and we put him on quite the pedestal. He fought for our country - out in the trenches - he put in his time and risked his life for our freedom. Washington had a heavy burden placed upon him when becoming president. Overseeing the beginning of a new government and the emergence of a new and proud nation, stumbling through the steps but overcoming many obstacles. 

Almost 250 years later, we have very little reverence for our leaders, many of whom have not fought in the trenches for our freedom. Obama has come under a lot of fire lately and it's disappointing to see our nation struggling so; it was refreshing to hear positive comments about him coming from some of my foreign colleagues. A New Zealander was gushing over him (yes, gushing!) and praising all of the foreign policy work he's done over the last few years. An Australian co-worker was confused as to the dissension among Americans over Obama's policies and could only agree that he has been one of the best things to happen to the US in a while. Even a fellow American sang his praises, a Political and Historical degree holder, he had evidence and the intelligence to back up his claims. Several of my colleagues have spent recent years in the Middle East and talked about the love those people have for Obama and all of the right and wonderful things he's doing in the US. These statements are not meant to start a fight or an intense discussion about who is right or wrong here, it is meant to show the world view about Obama and the confusion about many Americans' reactions to his policies.

I guess this is just another one of those lessons I've learned being overseas. When you have a more global perspective your eyes can be opened a little wider and you can accept that maybe things are not as bad as they seem. As Americans we have a lot of power over our government (even though sometimes it doesn't seem so), we just need to remember to exercise that power - write to your representatives if you're not happy about something - Facebook is not the way to get things done in the government, direct contact with government reps is the better way to go. Good luck!

Nazarbayev and Obama (taken from en.tengrinews.kz)

Fresh New Design for A Fresh New Place

Sassafrass has done a bang-up job keeping everyone updated with our new experiences, so now I have finally gotten around to sharing some of my first impressions.

We have been in Shymkent for almost 3 weeks now and I can't speak for Sassafrass, but I feel like I'm settling right into the groove of this place. There is still a lot of new things to discover, but we've done quite a lot of exploring so far. I also still have a lot of Russian language to learn (or remember from high school Russian class), but I feel like more and more is coming back to me every day. I'm loving the fact that I can finally put some of it to use! The people here, in general, are very patient and accommodating for those of us that can't speak the language very well yet. It's also a very humbling experience to be on the opposite side of the language barrier from what we are used to in the states.

Anyway, here are some pictures of our new apartment during the first week we were here and some of the surrounding areas I explored in those first days.

Our interior front door, there's also a sturdier
exterior door that leads to the staircase

The living room (the bus stop pictured in a previous
post was taken from the window behind the TV)

The opposite side of the living room (Pug not
originally included in the apartment :) )

Spare bedroom/Office - the couch here seems to be
able to fold out to a bed, like a futon

Kitchen w/ gas stove - the table has since been
moved to the wall under window to open
up more room

Left side of kitchen w/ clothes washer - Notice the
absence of a dryer and dishwasher. Can you
guess what else is missing? The answer
will be revealed later in the tour.

The kitchen entrance from the opposite corner

Bathroom - it does the job and it could be worse.
The picture below is the type of toilet you find in a lot
of restaurants and stores around town.

And, here's the refrigerator in the second spare room. 

Did you guess correctly? 

No room for the fridge in the kitchen? Just put it in the 

guest room. Why not? 

The master bedroom - After living out of our suitcases
for almost two months, it still took us several days
to get around to unpacking

All in all, it's a pretty nice place considering some other places Sass' co-workers are living in and I feel grateful for what we have. I may have to take another set of pictures after we get our new place set up the way we want it. For now, here are some pictures of the exterior and surrounding areas.

The exterior of our building - it's got a
lot of character, huh?

Playground in the courtyard right outside our
building. This is a nice, shady area where a lot
of kids play and people gather to socialize. It's
a lot bigger than what this picture shows. 

The mosque at the end of our street, next to the
monument below. Belts out the familiar "call to prayer"
chant at regular intervals that we got so used to hearing
in the UAE.

We haven't had a chance yet to walk around
this monument, but here it is from the opposite
street corner

This is another entrance to the giant bazaar
behind our neighborhood that was pictured in a
previous post

Around the corner from our place is this giant
appliance and electronics store

On the opposite side of our neighborhood
from the monument and mosque is a
nice, sculpture park

Oversized sculptures of jewelry are throughout
this park. Here is an ornate bracelet that you can
walk through.

Oversized ring sculpture

walkway leading up to fountain

I'm not sure what this building is, but I thought it
looks very official

This building makes me think of a giant, orange juicer.
Now, where's the giant oranges?

Well, that concludes our quick tour around our neighborhood. There's plenty more to see and plenty more to share, so don't hesitate to ask questions or make comments. Pepe is getting eager to get out and explore himself, so we may have some of his pictures to share soon as well! ;)