The Grand Tour!!!!

Haha- this will be fun! My apartment is about halfway done- but enough
people have wanted to know about where I live, so here it is.. the tour!

This beautiful sight that you are seeing is my living room window/laundry room. No dryers here!! Only the wind and a hair dryer if I am in a hurry! It sure does make you plan ahead- no washing and wearing in the same day!

This is my living room- and the pink wall! That door that you see leads into my kitchen and to the balcony. Dont worry- the whole room isnt pink, just that one wall. It makes thing fun- and people are always shocked by it. Maybe that is why I like it!





I debated whether or not to show this, as I didnt think you would ever feel sorry for me again after this one, but this is my closet! Isnt it glorious?? It takes up one entire wall of my bedroom- and since its my favorite part of the room, I'm not even going to show you the rest of the room. The only thing that there isnt much room for is my shoe collection, which by the way has grown since I have been here!













This is part of my kitchen. Notice the stove- I'm learning how to make EVERYTHING from scratch and how to cook with gas- its always an adventure when I light it. Each time, there is a moment when I think- "I'm going to burn this apartment down." Haha! But it hasnt happened yet- So i'm grateful for that! Notice also that there is no dishwasher! I had no idea how great those things were until I didnt have one. But my hands are getting quite good at scrubbing- and its nice to spend some time with my hands in dirty water! Just kidding about that- out of all the household chores that I am learning to do- this is the one that I hate!!

A Language Lesson

I know that some of you may stop reading at this point, because foreign languages don’t appeal to you at all, but please keep reading- I promise that you will find something interesting in what you will read! Here is the word of the week…. It is REMONT. Now this word carries a lot more meaning than an initial look in the dictionary. In America, we call it remodeling. Now this usually implies that the end result is going to look better than the initial thing, that the people you hire will work hard and until the job is complete, and that there will be some urgency with which the job will be completed.
Here in KZ, this is not quite the case. Work is done whenever it is convenient for them- which in my case was in the middle of the night, and I'm not sure that the end result looks better, although I am enjoying the one pink wall that I have in my living room. I'm not sure about the other rooms, as they wont be finished until right before I leave at the end of my two year term!
In spite of all of this, living in suitcases and opening my front door with a look of surprise each time- wondering what will be behind the door- I have actually enjoyed this process. I have gotten to know the painter very well... He is a believer... I know all about his wife and new baby, his hopes and dreams, and the fact that he has never painted an apartment before mine. So my little house will always have the distiction of being his first! We had a conversation the other day- on a day when I was very frustrated with him and the work he was doing. We were talking about what he and his wife want to do in the future, and he made the comment that nothing was holding him here in KZ, or in Almaty, or even on this planet. His point was that he is just along for the ride- wherever DAD wants to take him, he is up for it. I begin looking at all of my stuff and wondering if I really was along for the ride, or if I try to put my roots down wherever I can- just to feel like I have some sort of control of situations! I think I try to put my roots down! I dont know what the answer in all of this is- or even if there is one, but I know that I want to be the kind of person that can say I am just along for the ride- whatever that means.

This is my closest friend here. We have nothing in common. She is my fruit vendor. She is married with three kids and commutes two hours to work each day. She and her husband, along with her two sisters share a one room flat in a village. The kids live 36 hours away by train and they see each other maybe once a month... the youngest one is only 2.
She is wise though- she understands how people work. She knows who to trust, who to watch with a very careful eye, and who to refuse service to. I learn a lot from watching her. She has started bringing me a stool to sit on with her, so when she sees me coming, no matter what I had scheduled to do, she begins to furiously wave her arms and yells (in Russian) "Hey you crazy American, you better come over here!!" Now, she knows that I will come, because I am usually embarrassed that she is yelling so loudly. I go over, and she pulls out my stool, along with a basket of cherries.
So I sit there, spitting cherry seeds into this hole in the ground, watching as she wheels and deals. She doesnt have her prices posted. I asked her why one day and she merely responded that she is here to make a living, and if some people want to pay more than others, then she isnt going to stop them. I started to say that people dont know how much other people are paying, but she interrupted me and said, " that is the beauty of capitalism isnt it?" Now, I know good and well that she has no idea what capitalism really is; but that is funny!
At the beginning of our relationship, I selfishly went to her because she would save salad for me! I didnt think that she would ever be my best source of everything, but from hours at the fruit stand I have gained valuable language practice, new friends, an occasional invitation to a futbol game; and most importantly, a little place that makes me feel like I have something to come home to! Paca!!

I'm a bad blogger- sorry!

The other day I had to go to the KLM airlines office to straighten out some ticket stuff. Anyway, I walked in and started speaking my poor Russian to the first lady. She laughed and then whispered in gentle English "My English is pretty good, you can speak English to me if you want." It had been a long day, so I immediately switched to English, grateful that I could use my native tongue with her. Little did I know this would cause such a stir. The customer at the next booth leaned over to her lady and said quite loudly in Russian, " Why do people come to this ocuntry and not know how to speak Russian. How arrogant of that girl (me) to come in here and act like that." I wanted to yell, but i merely responded in Russian that I could in fact speak her language and that if she wanted me to do it all in Russian that I could. Well, the look on her face was priceless. It was not an ugly exchange, but I left the office feeling very sad. It hurt my feelings that someone would be so rude- to a stranger.
Here is the application. When I was in the States, it was always a little strange to see people from other cultures living out their culture- women with covered heads, men in bringhtly patterned or traditional clothes, or groups of immigrants speaking their native languages with each other. I never quite knew how to respond to them, usually it was with a smile and some curiosity, but I must admit that sometimes I had the though- Why cant they just speak English? I understand now- How selfish of me.
People said that langauage is hardest at the end of a long day- and I didnt believe them, until I had my first long day. I got in the taxi after being outside for about 6 hrs in 100 degree heat and instantly lost every word of Russian that I had ever learned. I couldnt tell the man where I wanted to go, where I was from, or what my name was. So what do I do a the end of a day like that? I find an American; possilby someone from my team, or even someone in one of the local hangouts that all foreigners go to, and I use every English word that I know. Something about being able to speak unrestrained- and aptly convey emotion or desire is reviving.
I guess the point of my ranting is this: We are told that people from every tongue, tribe and nation will be gathered around the throne. Something tells me that they wont all be speaking English. I know this may be a shock to some of you- it was a shock to me- but I think it is the truth. I am always grateful for that kind person who is patient with me- the one who understands that my Russian isnt that great, and will work with me- and genuinely try to understand what it is that I am saying. I want to be that person too! I think it extends far beyond language though- I think it extends to all differences- social, racial, economic. I challenge you guys (and myself) to let the passion to see all kinds of people, one from every tribe, tongue, and nation, motivate you to love people- even if they dare to speak another language in America!