policemen and "Vaghney" (thats Russian for important person)

As taxis are my main mode of transportation, I spend a lot of time in the backseat of cars- looking out the window and observing the ways of the road here. Let me clarify what a taxi is first. It is merely a car that you flag down and bargain with for a ride. Let me give you a little insight into driving in KZ. For those of you who have been overseas, you will have some basis for understanding this, but even then, there will be some confusion!

There are no lanes here. There is one street in town that has a center lane. It gets repainted once a year and it is only lined because the President often drives down that road. Guess why they dont paint the roads... Because they need the paint to paint the bottoms of the trees. Oh yes my friend, this is only the beginning. Since there are no lanes, people drive where they want to. Gone are the days of lines of cars- if you want to go somewhere, and you see even an inch of open pavement, you manuever your car into that space. So some days, you will find 7 lanes of cars on a road made for 3-4. If you cant find your way on the street, you just drive on the sidewalk. The most important part of all of this is your horn. You must blow it incessantly, jsut because. This is a basic form of communication here. I'm still not sure what they are communicating, but it seems important.

This takes me to my next thought- it is about the Vaghney. These are the important people. You know they are important two ways. First, they drive the nicest cars- Mercedes, BMW, Hummer- and second, because they somehow have the rule of the road. Dont get in their way- they get very angry. It is quite a thing to take notice of.

Now to the policemen. This is a man that feels quite impowered by the bright orange stick that he uses to direct and impede traffic. They dont fight crime here, they just pull you over. This is a funny sight. Instead of chasing you with their cars, they shake their orange stick at you and bang it on your car. Once that happens, you are to pull over. Sometimes you will see 5 or 6 cars all stopped at once. Now, in the states, a pull over mean a ticket, but here, it means a bribe. This process in itself is interesting. You, I've never had to do this- not yet at least-, get out of the car and shake the policemans hand. As you shake, you slip some money into his hand. If its enough, he pats you on the back, the universal symbol that all is well, and lets you go on your way. If its not as much as he would like, this greeting ritual continues until a proper amount is reached.

All of this to say- its humbling to live here. I'm not important- not even a little bit. I dont drive a nice car, no one knows me, and no one really cares to know. As I learn a little more about what it means to take up one's cross and follow him, I think about the lack of status that many of the Disciples had. If they did have status, it was the wrong kind. Dad's not really concerned with my ability to drive a Mercedes and control the road. He is way more interested in the speed and fervor with which I am seeking after Him. I dont think I have this down yet- sometimes I want to feel important. But Praise Him that I am still a work in progress- and that He hasnt given up on me!

These next pictures are a tour of my block. I have grown quite fond of the Soviet style buildings, the potholes, and the endless policemen that patrol the main street. I hope this gives you a glimpse of what I see every day. Its an adventure! Stay tuned next time for my nieghborhood grocery store, the "meat market", and some of my new friends!

around the block!

This is my street corner. Isnt it lovely? It is quite reminiscent of 1970's America. Notice the fun little policeman. He is always there, directing traffic and beating people's cars with his little orange stick!
Ahh!! Home sweet Home. Look at the balcony on the top floor- that is my home. It gives me a nice view of the neighborhood and also of the mountains. The stairs are a killer though!
I just think these are funny. They cut the trees to make them look nice, but they dont cut them in the same shapes or sizes, so you drive down the road and see an entire line of uneven trees. Once again, funny stuff.

This is my other street corner, where I hail a taxi every morning to go to work. The locals always get mad at me, as I usually get a taxi quicker than them!

a long week... and its cold again!

Today I want to write about a funny little thing called culture stress. I thought this picture would be appropriate. It is a selection of nuts and dried fruits. Emphasis on the NUTS!! For those of you who have always lived in the same place, you might not understand what I am talking about. Culture stress is all of the stressors that come with living in a new place. This week in my life EVERYTHING has become a culture stress! They are doing contruction across from my apartment, and the prime drilling time is about midnight! Driving- culture stress; rude people- culture stress; getting stared at just because it is obvious that you arent from here- culture stress. I think my favorite example is at my neighborhood fruit stand. Now, this is no Fresh Market or WalMart even. This is a stand with fruit that comes directly from the garden- they havent even washed off the bugs and dirt! Anyway, to the stressful part. Buying what you want: I want three apples- but I cant buy three apples. I can buy three kilograms!! No matter what I say, the woman wont sell me less than three kilograms. Other people come up- and they buy 2 apples, 4 bananas, 3 potatoes; yet, I cannot buy 3 apples. I dont understand. So I walk away from that little stand with enough produce to feed the hungry in Ethiopia. As they say here, DeVie- just another day!

A Day Around the City

How can you not like this place when you see people like this? This is a sweet little girl that I met at a parade celebrating the month of March. Isnt she cute?
These are the mountains that surround the city. They are huge and much more majestic than the picture portrays. This city, despite of all of its trash and utter chaos, does have a grandiose beauty about it!
This is one of my favorite spots in the city. It is in front of the presidential palace by the square downtown. There is a huge park that surrounds it and it is one of the few places with actual grass this time of the year!

Yes folks!! This is my hair! Its a little longer than that, but dont be fooloed by the bad picture- that is really what it looks like. Oh well- hair does grow, even in KZ! Get a good laugh and enjoy it because it will change soon!

snow in april

I never thought that I would be grateful for the city controlled heat; that is, until it snowed for an entire 24 hrs today. It is -3C and that is way colder than this Southern girl was ever prepared for. I did get to have grits for breakfast though- which was a huge treat.

my first post

Hey guys-
If you are reading this, I guess that you actually are interested in my crazy life. I hope to use this as a forum for all of my adventures- hopefully it will make you laugh, cry, feel sorry for me, and wish that you could be doing what I am having the opportunity to do- all in the same story! That is how life goes over here- many emotions, just a few moments in time. I'm adjusting, slowly, but I couldnt ask for a better first month. I've gotten some scary things out of the way- like getting stuck on the back of a super crowded bus, and having a taxi driver try and take me to a place that I didnt want to go- but all in all, I havent died yet and I might have even done a little bit of good. I have asked each morning that our Father would allow me to use whatever I have for His glory. All that amounts to right now is my physical self- my expressions, hair, clothes- but He has allowed me to use even that to make a difference!
Enjoy this- please laugh at my ridiculous hair and the crazy things that I get to eat on a daily basis. Make comments! And somehow feel a little more equipped to make a difference than you did before you started reading!