We Made It!

Yes, this time I mean Kazakhstan. We’re here. After a dreadful but uneventful 19 hours from D.C. takeoff to KZ landing, we’re here. But obviously “America” beat us. English on t-shirts (ie: “My boyfriend appreciates me”). A duplicate of my Venus razor on a bathroom shelf. Cold Coca-Cola at every store. A Colgate commercial on TV. Brittany Spears on the radio. Of course, something tells me this isn’t quite like home.

In a nutshell, my (luxurious) Kazakh situation: a small apartment, living with a young Russian couple (she’s 19; he’s 25). Three rooms: kitchen, 2 bedrooms. And… drum roll please… a toilet and a tub!! Yep, unlike other trainees in this village, I’ve got both. (I wasn’t kidding about the luxurious bit. However, if you offered me a washing machine in exchange for my indoor toilet, I’d be happy to squat.) The food is tasty – hopefully I can maintain that opinion down the road. Lucky for me, I enjoy tea. I probably drink five cups every day. And the locals love bread. No meal is complete without it. My host sister (it’s hard to call her a mother when she’s years younger than me) often teams up with her mother, who lives in the neighboring building. They’re great cooks.

Six days a week, I walk about ten minutes to school. There, I face language lessons, cross-cultural lectures, technical training, and what seems to be a never-ending supply of immunizations. I’m getting used to the shots much more quickly than the language. As for how my Russian is coming along, I could tell you best in person with a deep “ugh” sigh. Some days are rough. My host family has taken me some sweet places, but they aren’t nearly as enjoyable when you have no clue what’s going on. Oh, how I hope I’ll catch on quickly. Still, going to the circus in Almaty was fantastic. I’ve also gone to Kok Tobe – Kazakh for Green Small Mountain (I think). Essentially, it’s a touristy place that reminded me of the midway at a county fair without the rides.

I’m pretty fascinated by what’s going on all around me, and after only a week in the country, I’ve already got a few stories to tell. But, without regular Internet access, relaying stories on any regular basis isn’t likely. I’ll see if I can get my hands on some envelopes – or postcards – and give snail mail a try. And, I’ll put a plug in for you sending mail! I would LOVE to hear from you, so hopefully you haven’t yet forgotten me! I’d love to hear how you’re doing and read any random U.S. headlines you think us Peace Corps trainees should know. : ) Also, I can receive calls and texts for free! On my end, sending texts is cheap; making calls is not. Paying $1 per minute on a PC trainee salary just can’t happen. If you like, call or send a text my way. (+7(777)846-3084) If I have any significant time on the Internet, I’ll see if I can figure out an application so you can send me texts from my blog… I know it can be done, if I can muster enough IT savvy. Anyway, I hope all is well, and I look forward to hearing from you!