Old Chapter, New Beginning

Here is my last and final cultural tid-bit list. In 9 days from today, I'll be BACK in sunny California. This whole experience is finally at a close and it feels so surreal. I've been here in Stockholm for only 48 hours and I feel like I'm worlds away already. I've had the best time with my family here and can't wait to spend the next few days with everyone up north as well.

Here are some of my absolute favorite tid-bits. I saved the best for last:

Babooshkas

This term, meaning Grandmother in Russian, is used prevalently to refer to any old woman. They all have a very distinctive look, regardless of race or creed. Babooshkas in Kazakhstan have their own uniform and way of speaking.

They almost always have a scarf wrapped around their heads and tied under their chins or tucked into their 5 layers of clothing they wear all year round. Most cut in “line” at the post office or the electricity office without much consideration or thinking. They live up to the idea that they should be rewarded for making it so long in life and they definitely follow suit. In describing my experiences, I tend to use this word a lot.

Superstitions about money

Some superstitions are meant to keep us from doing dangerous or otherwise destructive things [i.e. Don’t break a mirror, don’t open an umbrella indoors, wait at least half an hour after eating to go swimming]. Then there are some superstitions or collective beliefs that are just plain silly, or better yet, don’t seem to have anything to do with the action they goad the believers into avoiding. Here are a few of my favorites…

Money Exchanging Hands

Money can never exchange hands directly, especially at night. In accordance with this superstitious belief, if you choose to deviate, you are condemning yourself and the person you are interacting with to a life of poverty, wherein neither of you will ever have money. What one must do, especially at night, is place the money to be exchanged on a neutral surface where then and only then, may it be picked up by the receiving hand. I ran into this kind of exchange immediately once I started integrating in Kazakhstan. I never understood why shop keepers would refuse to put change in my hand directly, even when I extended it so willingly. To this day, almost two years later, I still haven’t gotten completely used to the idea and still extend my hand every so often to see if they’ll hand me my two tenge change directly or place it on the tray. In my time here, I’ve only had three people deviate from this superstition, one that’s Russian by descent and still holds a powerful sway over the mindset of so many.

Purse on the Ground= No Money

This superstition caught me off-guard a little more than some of the others. I had just entered my teachers room after one of my first days there [for some reason this never was an issue during training] and I had two packets [plastic bags] as well as my purse. I fumbled with the two bags and dropped my purse to the ground since there were no adequate spaces to place everything all at once. My teachers had an absolute conniption. Without skipping a beat, wide-eyed and frantic, they picked up my bag and placed it on the chair across the room. The whole rest of the day, I was constantly reminded to not leave my bag on the floor, or else I’d lose all the money I had and wouldn’t make any ever again. Needless to say, I only needed it to happen once to remember.

Single Girl Superstitions

These next gems are purely derived from Kazakh tradition and are some of the strangest “beliefs” I have yet to encounter. This group of superstitions relate strictly to fertility, marriage, weddings and qualities of future husbands for single unmarried Kazakh girls. Here we go…

1.Edge/corner of a table

Sitting at the corner of a table is an absolute no-no. Any sensible young girl would know from the time they are old enough to hold a kece [chai cup], that sitting at the corner of the table means no husband AND the inability to bear children. A double whammy.

2. Broken Kece [Chai Cup]

Under no circumstances, should a single unmarried girl drink from a broken kece. If she does so, she will have condemned herself to marrying a man whose “equipment” will be broken, so to speak. Basically, he’ll be sterile or impotent and thus be unable to help her bear a child. Which, if you haven’t caught on, is constantly indoctrinated into all young Kazakh girls’ brains as the ultimate goal for their lives.

3. Potato Nose

One of my personal favorites, a young girl who drinks directly out of a long ladel will condemn herself to having a husband whose nose will be shaped like a potato. I repeat, a potato. Now, you may be contemplating how there could be a connection between this seemingly innocuous action and how it influences the physical attribute of a future spouse. I myself would love to have the answer to that question, if indeed there existed one. I’m inclined to think it doesn’t, which many old Kazakh babooshkas [grandmothers/old ladies] would refute. Still, regardless of the validity, it’s pretty creative and I approve of it if only on that token.

4. It’s All In How You Sit

In my personal opinion, sitting can be done in a variety of ways without causing much offense. Cross-legged, Indian style, on the floor, on grass, interview style, wide legged and relaxed, etc. In all these different styles, not one [at least that I’m aware of] is believed to directly effect anything in whomever is sitting internally. In Kazakhstan, however, sitting on concrete, with one knee up, at the edge of a table and without something between you and the floor is believed to influence and hinder fertility in women. The belief is, that any of these aforementioned styles of sitting besides in a chair or in a squat will directly effect a woman’s ability to have a baby. For what exact reasons, I still am not sure. I have heard so many different ideas, but the running theme relates to cold. Concrete being cold, open windows being cold, etc. This is, of course, from strictly the Kazakh superstitions and doesn’t really relate to any Russian influence [although, most people avoid sitting on the floor in general anyway].

5. Eating the Remnants From the Pan

Is absolutely forbidden, unless you want to have bad weather on your wedding day. For single girls, eating anything left in the pan after cooking is a direct invite rain or snow on their exact wedding day. My favorite part of all these superstitions is the total lack of plausible cause and effect. This one being another great example.

Never break apart when walking side by side with a friend

This superstition does have some symbolism ingrained in the actual action and therefore can be given a very tiny amount of consideration on that score. When two girls [usually], are walking side by side and they split for any reason, the belief is their friendship will at some point end. One will betray the other, one will move away, etc. Therefore, it is pertinent for two friends to never break apart when walking side by side.

Shaking hands over doorways

This mainly pertains to men, but also involves other types of embraces [hugs, high fives, elbow taps, etc]. There is never a circumstance where two people [men usually, women don’t regularly shake hands] should shake hands over an open doorway. People follow this rule vehemently, and almost always never shake back if you extend your hand whilst in the doorway, it doesn’t take long for non-locals to catch onto this one.

Distracting the Evil Eye

Kazakhstan is considered a Muslim country, although other religions [Russian Orthodox, Christianity and even Mormonism] are practiced here too. In keeping with the Islamic faith, many Kazakhs believe in the Evil Eye. One superstition/belief relates to newborns, in which if too many eyes gaze upon the child’s face, the Evil Eye will be more inclined to take hold. Therefore, newborns and infants are given strange haircuts [some with long ponytails or braids, strange lengths and even beads] to distract onlookers from the child’s face.

Bright Orange Hair

This is one aspect of fashion in Kazakhstan that I will surely miss. Generally seen in middle-aged, rotund Russian women, highly saturated orange hair is a very popular choice. I’ve seen different hues of the same intensity, all the way from bright red to yellow. It’s something you might see across Europe, but the fact that the same hues are found on these womens’ heads makes it worth noting.

Open Windows on Trains

During Winter automatically guarantees you the flu or any other kind of cold like ailment [or so the belief goes…]. Therefore, negotiating for a small crack for fresh air is nonnegotiable, especially with the old grandmothers, who themselves are always wrapped in more than enough layers. The trains in Kazakhstan are kept extremely hot during winter. The lack of fresh circulated air can almost be unbearable, but as superstition [and whacked out beliefs about how viruses actually work], everyone you share your train area has a conniption if you even try to open the window.

Sidewalk Manholes

The town budget for my site, Zhezkazgan, lately seems to be going towards giving general public areas [parks, fountains, bridges, etc] a general facelift, which has needed it for some time. What the money doesn’t seem to be going towards are the numerous manholes sporadically found along very already poor sidewalks. These holes, either from sewer covers long removed, or sunken in earth, are prominently found in walking paths all over the place. To add more to the issue, most streets do not have lights to illuminate them to normal pedestrians. I’d love to see the statistics of how many people a month or a year end up falling into one of those massive manholes. I’d predict the number a high one.

The N-word

This cultural blurb isn’t the happiest one by far but it’s an example of how our influence as Americans in KZ can be seen, [even if on a small scale]. The Russian translation for someone African is basically the N-word with an accent. When I first heard it, I was totally shocked and thought the person saying it was just being racist and that couldn’t be the way Africans were referred to here. The fact that I responded as if we were in America was the exact reason I thought this guy was just a racist jerk. The truth is, they have no idea the connotation it carries. How the word embodies so much hate and malice doesn’t even enter into the realm of possibility. And who could fault them for that? What we have managed to do, at least in our small spheres, is explain the association and how it’s a terrible word in English and any other form for that matter.

Wedding Parades

Weddings are done a tad bit differently in Kazakhstan. Russian and Kazakh weddings each have their own set of intricate traditions. No wedding in KZ [mainly a Kazakh one] is complete without a loud noisy parade of cars driving around to different monuments and statues around the city. After the ceremony and before the reception, the wedding party drives together with decorated cars and constant honking. The tradition is taking pictures in front of these monuments, for what exact reason, I’m not totally sure. It is safe to say though that if you are ever walking around town on a Friday or Saturday, you can easily see 2 or 3 wedding parties all hanging out around monument after monument.

Chetchl

There are few things I will actually physically miss about Kazakhstan: The banya [sauna], my students/Gulzhan and CHETCHL. This psuedo string-cheese is the perfect match for beer and it’s one of the better ways the Soviet Union has influenced KZ. You can buy this cheese in long strips that are braided into a huge knot. The fun part is peeling off the pieces and then stringing it out into a huge pile. The means are just as rewarding as the ends. sigh, I’ll miss you chetchl.

Inventive TP Substitutions

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Getting used to a place where toilet seat covers are a considerable luxury, actual TP is another. I’ve seen many different substitutions for TP when there was none to be had at hand. Book pages, notebook paper, plastic bags, etc. Living in a culture where public places [no matter how nice] never ever ever have toilet paper, at least outside of big cities, it’s always pertinent for have some back up with you. I don’t know if this is a habit I’ll be able to shake when I finally get back home.

These are just a few of another long list, I hope to update as soon as I’m stateside again. Only 9 days left! I can’t wait to return. See you all very soon.

Cultural Tidbits List # 3

It looks like blogger decided to delete my last two posts. Real Bummer since I had fun writing them and now they're all gone. BOO.

Here's a second go at another cultural list, with a small update at the bottom. enjoy!

10. Tab-utch-kee

In Russian, a word that refers to house/banya slippers. Most bazaar ladies sell copious kinds of them, with all kinds of great slap-dash english phrases on them or gigantic decorative flowers. They're a staple of everyone's wardrobe. Most women come home from work and change into two things; their house robe/dress and their tabutchkee. The rule in all homes in KZ is take your shoes off at the door.

Walking barefoot in the house in winter is sometimes treated worse than actually stepping outside in the cold without your coat and 10,000 layers on. Most everyone has run from the house to the local magazine in their tabutchkee at least once, I know I have.

11. Stamps

As I may have mentioned before, certificates are a big deal here. A really big deal. Not only that, you can't walk more than a block and a half without running into at least one Notary. Stamps are pertinent for any official document. I'm not implying other countries don't hold this kind of bureaucratic step in high esteem, they most certainly do. It has been apparent to me that KZ seems to be one of those that are at the top of the list. The signatures participating parties and directors aren't enough to make something official. The stamp is where it's at.

An example of stamp necessity,

passing out certificates at a recent Women's seminar in Zhez.

12. Superstitions about Colds

There hasn't been one local yet, whom I've talked to, that has any real idea how a virus works and what a "cold" actually is. Everyone's got theories, cures and remedies that are, suffice it to say, incredibly misinformed [this isn't a generalization, there are plenty of people in KZ who probably know this information]. Some of my favorites are as follows:

A way to cure a cold is just to take a shot of vodka [It "kills" the germs inside you].

An open window [no matter how cold it is outside], WILL cause you to get sick and possibly be infertile at the same time.

Drinking cold water/tea/anything will most definitely get you sick [therefore all yogurt and mil

k is served at room temperature in winter].

I was chosen to be a "role model" for this little girl,

I cut some string and read a poem in Kazakh.

After they all threw candy, it was awesome.

There are plenty more tidbits to relay, at another time. Now for a small update:

I'm under the 95 day mark. The rest of my service is rapidly going by. Only a few more months and I'll finally be back stateside. Coming up, my mom and gene will visit [May 26],a trip to Thailand [June 5] camp GLOW [June 26th], a July 4th Astana Embassy party, my quarter century birthday [July 19th], my COS trip to Sweden [Aug 11] and finally.... me coming home [Aug 22]!

Cultural Tidbits List # 2

I've decided to keep the list going with a few more cultural blurbs. So, let's dive right in...

#6. Wish Making with an Empty Vodka Bottle

So as one can guess, many occasions warrant drinking in Kazakhstan. Weddings, birthdays, retirements, finding lost glasses, crossing the street, etc. When a group of people and [in my experience] a vodka bottle are in the same vicinity, drinking ultimately occurs. One small superstition if you will that can be equated to making a wish on an eyelash is "blowing out" the empty bottle and placing on the floor. The person who is served either the last shot or the last "staccan" or the person serving usually gets to do the honors. I don't know the protocol for who should make the wish everytime, since I've seen multiple people do it differently. The major difference between this wish making process and those we as americans may be familiar with is the outright declaration of said wish. We are told to keep the wish to ourselves, or else it won't come true. Here it's the exact opposite, usually. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.

#7 Change in Forms Other Than Money

To me this seems like very esoteric type of money interaction, for i've never ever experienced it in any other country i've been to. This mostly happens in restaurants but I've also been given change in forms other than money at the bazaar, in the magazine and even at the bus station. It seems to me that having a sufficient array of change to give back to customers doesn't seem to be a big priority for most people. Especially taxi drivers. The question you will be most often is "Do you have exact change?". Coming from a place where we're practically guaranteed the ability to break a large bill if need be in a place of business, this whole gear shift was something I had to get used to. The first time I got gum back with my check instead of money at a restaurant I was irritated because I needed that change for the bus. Since that first time, I adapted and carry some reserves at all times. I've been given change back in many forms, from matches to toilet paper. All useful things in the end, but it's simply an interesting business compromise that's prevalent everywhere.

#8 The Kazakh Squat

This term has been lovingly procured over many a volunteer stay in Kazakhstan. I am not the one to take credit for this label [which in no way is meant to be profiling or offensive]. Simply stated, sitting on concrete regardless of what you put between you and the ground is absolutely taboo. One, you will go barren, your ovaries will shrink and you will never have children. Two, for men, you will go sterile, unable to produce offspring male leaders for the next generation. Thus, the Kazakh squat is a special sitting style [obviously in a squat] that can be held for hours, literally. During the warmer months, you can see crowds of young men "sitting" around, smoking, playing cards and simply being. Outside of restaurants, simply out on the street, without adequate sitting areas, the kazakh squat is widespread and prevalent. I've practiced it myself and I'm amazed at how long these guys can hold it. simply amazed.

#9 көрпе [koor-pey]

In a world without inflatable mattresses [that are more convenient than they are space invading], the [koor-pey] is a hybrid between a pillow and a couch cushion. Most are sewn and stuffed with pillow stuffing. Some are incredibly thick and heavy, while others are thin and must be doubled over twice to get any sort of padding out of them. [koor-pey] literally means blanket, but it's far from that in the traditional sense of the word. They're great for when guests come over because using these allows you to maximize floor space. Most of the time people lay these around a low lying table called a дастархан [das-tar-han]and use them for seating, which was their traditional use in the yurt. Today, they offer makeshift bedding for people staying for the night, and some extra comfort for when the traditional [das-tar-han] is prepared.

More cultural gems to come. :)

Time Sure Passes When You're Having Fun

Alas, here we are again. I've let another month and 1/2 slip by without updating. When I last left off, I was updating cultural tidbits. My list has been shuffled and displaced in one of my drawers for the time being [i'm gearing up for some spring cleaning, so i'll be sure to come across it at some point soon]. For the time being, I might as well give a good solid update.

February, for some various reasons, dragged on and on like it was never going to end. I think the dead of winter will do that to a perfectly good month. Valentine's day or "the Day of love" as it's called here, came and went without much commotion. There is a new mission for some of the male teachers at my college. To get me hitched to one of the only single male teachers left that works there.

It's a well known fact that once you reach a certain age [especially for a woman], the many factors that induces one to get married simply go out the window. Forget about character, child raising abilities, temper problems or simply hygiene incompetency. The fact is, here, it's more important to just get married than to find someone you're compatible with, god forbid, who might actually respect you.

Anyway, I digress. What else has been going on since I last filled in a post? I celebrated Nauryz once again [March 25th] in Shymkent. I have an album where pictures are available for perusing. :)

I got to see the wonderful game of Kok-Par [basically polo with no rules and a decapitated sheep carcass], a chasing game where 1. boy chases girl, boy catches girl and gives her a kiss on the cheek. boy wins. 2. girl chases boy. girl hits boy really hard with a whip. girl wins regardless of catching boy or not.

I've been teaching, clubs, same old. I'm working on a women's seminar to take place next week. We've masked it as a "teacher training" but in actuality we'll be talking and discussing more serious topics [like communication, alcohol abuse and domestic violence]. We've had a bit of trouble with the akimat, getting good rooms and a few other little things but for the most part it's all coming together.

I've found out the day I will actually leave KZ. August 10th. Only a mere 4 months away. I'll be in thailand in June, come back for GLOW, stay another month and be gone again. Can it get any better? I can't wait to spend as much time with the girls, Ghulzh and my local family as much as possible. CALIFORNIA HERE I COME! :)

We've also been gearing up for camp GLOW, which i am super super excited about. I'll be hosting it this year in Zhez with the help of 7 other volunteers and 2 locals. We're going to have such a great time. I feel great about it already.

Here are a few links.

Watch this video and hear about camp GLOW from past participants. '

Check out our tumblr here.

We have opened a PCPP grant through Peace Corps. ANY DONATIONS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED! 1 dollar to 100 dollars, we are very grateful to all our wonderful sponsors and donors!

The grant is up here

Cultural Tidbits: List # 1

I have comprised a list of some cultural "tidbits" that I think will be both therapeutic for me [in the sense that I get to write it all down] and hopefully entertaining for you as well. So, here we go:

# 1: Да, Да, Да [DA]

It is a well known fact that the two languages spoken with the most prevalence in KZ are Russian and Kazakh. What most people say when they end a phone conversation follows the same kind of formula as I mentioned before for other parts of the culture. Most often the response I hear for a plethora of different yes or no questions is not just one YES, but three in a row. DA, DA, DA. It's definitely become a reflex for me now when I call a taxi to come to my apartment, they call back telling me they have arrived and I automatically reply with da,da,da and I hang up the phone. It's also followed with "Da-vai" which stems from the russian verb for "to give". This slang phrase equivocally means something along the lines of "alright" or "OK". In the context of a phone conversation, saying da, da, da. da-vai and hanging up, is the normal sequence of events when ending a cellphone conversation.

So, why bring this up? Why even talk about it? Because EVERYONE here has a cellphone and they are on them constantly. In class, out of class, at home, at the post office while being served, at the dinner table during someone's toast, you name it. This leads me into my next cultural tidbit...

# 2: CELLPHONES

Growing up in the American school system has conditioned me to deem certain times for cellphone use as appropriate, especially as a student. In Kazakhstan, no distinction between inappropriate and appropriate uses exists. I teach in a high school like I've said before and these kids are the WORST when it comes to cellphones in the classroom. No cultural taboo exists for letting your cellphone ring during someone's speech and even answering the phone while the teacher is lecturing is seen as something excusable. I'm not sure where this cultural difference stems from but I'd love to know the source. I usually don't get through one lesson without someone's phone going off, luckily my kids understand now that I don't tolerate it and have finally begun to not answer the phone right there in class. A small concession, but hey you take what you can get.

# 3: No Voicemail

Piggybacking off of the last tidbit, maybe this is where the urgency for answering phones comes from. There is no voicemail in KZ. I should rephrase, you can buy voicemail, but the service providers are a hassle and most people don't see the use for it anyway [at least it's been my experience]. Some landlines carry voicemail but most people just hang up and call back without leaving those messages anyway. So, with no voicemail what happens? The phone can ring for as many times and the person dialing wants it to, there is not cut off. This can lead to one hearing the same loop of lady gaga's poker face 7 or 8 times before the dialer finally gives up. If the ringtone is good it usually goads people into creating an impromptu dance party. Usually some Russian pop song that's been popular for the last 4 or 5 years or a mildly catchy rap song is played over and over and over and over and over and over and over......

# 5: Girl

The word in Russian is девушка [dee-eh-vuh-chk-a]. One cultural norm that I will never get comfortable with is yelling "girl" at waitresses and women in customer service. Anywhere you go, mostly in restaurants, magazines and clothing stores this word flies around like it's a simple greeting. Mainly it's used to get the a woman's attention when something is needed from her, like the check at a restaurant. There is also a subtle difference in the way you use this address. One way is extremely patronizing [which I feel includes any way you use this] and the other is more respectful and almost equates to an "excuse me". I've seen it employed both ways and the reactions are drastically different. Simply amazing. If there are a group of girls together some people may address them as "girls" and this encompasses a "hello", "how are you" and "nice to see you" all in one word. The other way it's employed is with close friends, in Kazakh it's Қыздар [Kuz-dar] and can be used to address the entire group. For example,

Қыздар, таңдайсындар маған! [Kuz-dar, tang-dae-son-dar magr-an]

Girls, Listen to me!

ғ in маған is a gutteral "guh" sound with a soft rolling r, like in French.

More cultural tidbits to come.

Stay Tuned.

173 days

I know, I know. I shouldn't be "counting down" days I have left in KZ. The act can only bring about impatience, switching between elation and anxiety with great celerity. I have ceased yet to "check out", I'm still very much into the swing of things, teaching, doing clubs, leading yoga classes. All is well, I'll be starting to train for a half marathon in May. I was made aware of a place in Satpaev that offers an indoor track, tiny and old, it'll have to do until the snow melts. All really is well.

I've started teaching some "extra" lessons [simply because I don't have many regular lessons to fill my schedule up as of right now. I had a whopping 10 students my first day, and a staggering THREE in my second lesson. I can't say I blame the students who chose not to stay and enter in the college course structured class I am offering. One, I have put certain stipulations in the syllabus [that's right, a syllabus], that would forbid them from using cellphones in class, from being late and from having an excused absence without a written and signed note. Ideas that are completely unheard of this side of the Atlantic. We'll see how it all works out. From this week onward until May 25th I'll be teaching. after that, a short interim between campGLOW [June 26-July 3] and the end of school will afford me time to travel a bit and go to my Closing of Service conference and THAILAND. yes, THAILAND. I'm very very very ecstatic. I'm going to knock one off the old bucket list, 10 days in Thailand. Lots of great things to look forward to. Namely, I'll be back in California before August is through. I've finally allowed myself to start thinking about it and thus now it's creeping out into my blog posts. I plan to not go to overboard, I've got projects and plans in line for the next months that will be sure to keep me busy.

CAMP GLOW

THESE GIRLS

MY SITEMATES

STRAIGHT UP FUN.

As The Crow Flies

Call me completely out of the loop, but I finally heard this idiom employed for the first time a few weeks ago at one of our weekly english clubs. I felt a little silly since there were a few idioms that I didn't recognize and had never heard. Maybe out in CA we're so amazing, we don't need to rely on such words or phrases to express ourselves? I'd like to think so, but I figure it's simply a slight of chance situation.

Anyway, In keeping with the theme of this post, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line and that is EXACTLY what I'm on at the moment. Things are more clear for me than they have ever been. I call it a blessing but at the same time, the days and days spent waiting and looking towards the next transitions I will take seem to be taking forever. At the same time, however, time seems to be slipping. It's a strange place of consciousness to be in. One day seems to last 48 hours while the whole month is gone in a flash at the same time.

A bout of snow has finally come to Zhezkazgan and has packed down into some very slippery ice, mixed with mud. Not the most pleasant to try and not fall on whilst going to work everyday. BUT, I only have 5-7 weeks left of my second and final winter in my tiny blip within this massive steppe. And for that, I cannot complain about the inconsequential weeks ahead. Things are moving right along that line, as I mentioned before. I am looking towards March, when we'll celebrate the Kazakh holiday of Nauryz in Shymkent. Jenny and I have already begun preparations for camp GLOW which will be happening in June/July this summer. GRANT SITE LINK COMING!

I'm also coming home 90 days earlier than expected. I have an "accelerated" Closing of Service [COS]. I found this information out on Thanksgiving day while I was hosting the volunteers in our area and I almost had a conniption. Violent elation. Should I be admitting this so blatantly? That I can't wait to leave this place? I think I'm more excited about coming home during summer and possibly starting grad school in the Fall [of which I made a mad dash and applied to one program, i'm not holding out too much home for this year, but we'll see]. I guess it's the idea that I won't be sitting twiddling my thumbs for the last three months [Sept-Nov] that makes me the happiest. I will be able to let the next volunteer start well into his/her first semester without me there, crowding their space.So, there's that.

I've had a great few lessons lately. I think I've finally [after all this time] figured out how to make teaching enjoyable for me too. and let's face it, my students don't study, but they're fun to practice Kazakh with.

Enough about me, I was struck by something that I should have understood a long time ago at English club the other day. We were playing a circle game called categories. Everyone shares a series of hand movements and at a certain point everyone must name on item in the category I name, or they are out of the circle. I picked the category "film titles". Some of the films these kids knew were surprising [i.e. inglorious bastards, american pie]. Some extremely mainstream and somewhat offensive, films that I only assumed they had no access to or didn't know due to lack of motivated interest. I could not have been more wrong. I think there is a certain view that settles into us as "volunteers" but namely as outsiders in a culture we're so desperately trying to assimilate into. And that is "they" [i.e. everyone around you, who isn't American] don't share even the most remotely similar ideas about entertainment, knowledge acquisition and everyday living. The fact of the matter is, they do. Way way way way more than I ever gave anyone credit for. I simply mean, that once the superficial language barrier is knocked down you can find striking autonomous opinions that shock and excite you, even amongst the young and the most impressionable. The point is, it doesn't matter where you hang your coat at night or where you were born, every people group has those who fit the norm and even more who don't. You just have to be willing to discount your assumptions one person at a time. And anyone who has worked or lived abroad for more than a week can relate to just how difficult that can be.

I don't mean to say that I have been in any way racist or prejudice, I have simply taken my mental "shortcuts" and trusted judgements to my prior experiences without much deviation. This past English club was a perfect example of how growth stunting that kind of thinking can be. You miss out on the most fascinating part of a different culture, only because you simply thought it wasn't there or there was no bridge to get you there. I have no idea if any of this in translating as well as I hope it is. If it isnt, sorry for not making sense. Thanks for reading anyway.:)

On another note, I'm into my final 27 weeks. yes. 27 weeks. I can't help but feel ecstatic, accomplished and sad all at the same time. What a mess of emotion. I'll be sure to update soon.