I want to start off for apologizing for the 5-month hiatus in my blog communication. Due to a blocking of Google blogger from Kazakhstan servers, a difficult winter, and just laziness, I have not blogged.
Five months is a long time to make up for, and I’m not going to try to do that today. So - many of you may have no clue exactly what I’m doing for my work, where I’m living, etc. I’ll save that information for another time. Right now, I want to write about something my sitemate (another volunteer who lives in the same city) and I call The “Откуда” Test.
One of the neat things about Kazakhstan is they have these little convenient shops practically every 20 meters. In Russian the word sounds like “magazine.” Even when we’re speaking in English we call them magazines, because they really aren’t like shops we have in America. They have everything in this little shop: bread, eggs, butter, tea, meat, cigarettes, vodka, beer, juice, water, sugar, flour, etc… you get the point. Most people have “their” magazine – the shop closest to their house where they can run out in their pajamas to get bread in the morning or a couple eggs at the last minute. It’s SO convenient – there are several on each block. Rather than buying all their groceries once a week, people here tend to stop in their magazine daily and just get what they need for dinner.
Because it’s usually the same worker everyday, and people stop in almost everyday, you get to know your magazine lady. My sitemate Molly and I have experienced two kinds of workers: The kind who are impatient with our bad Russian, scowl, and don’t say thank you for our business, OR the kind who are so helpful with the language barrier and are immediately curious where we are from and what we’re doing here. We can usually make this judgment based on one word (or the lack of one word) – “откуда?” (pronounced “otkooda”) It means where from? If they are interested where we are from, they are friendly and we like to go back and support their little magazine or stand.
When I lived with my host family, the magazine on the corner of the street was run by the nicest lady – she DEFINITELY passed the откуда test. My first week I went in and bought water, and later that week she told my host mom what great Russian I spoke. This was funny since I literally said three words to her!
A week ago I moved into an apartment. It’s in an area I don’t know very well – about a 20 minute walk from my work. Every day this past week I have spent my walk home stopping in different magazines, seeing what they have to buy, and more importantly, seeing if they pass the откуда test. I was a little sad the first few days to find that many stores were not passing. The most important thing was to find one really close to my apartment that passed. My apartment is in a big square of apartment buildings, and when I first moved in, I saw two magazines. Neither of them passed the test. I was really bummed. But then…. just when I had giving up hope, I noticed one more magazine just one building away from me!
I didn’t need anything at that moment, but I really wanted to do the test. I walked in with butterflies in my stomach and asked for eggs. She asked how many, and filled a bag with eggs. What else? she asked. I was a little sad that it wasn’t immediately откуда but being she was my last hope, I thought I’d meet her half way. I saw some peanuts in a bag, so I pointed and asked for them. What else? she asked again. I was getting a good vibe from her even though she hadn’t asked the question, so I decided to get something else. I asked for snickers. What else? (long pause) Ummm, I replied. I was running out of things I could use – and money! So looked at some meat and asked for half of the summer sausage (I don’t even really like this.) And then the magic question came – in a slightly different form. “You’re not a local, are you?” I leapt at my chance and replied “No! I’m from America, and I’m working in Kokshetau. I just moved in the apartment next door, so you’ll probably see me often!” She smiled and said, “Come back anytime.”
Mission accomplished. I have my magazine – откуда test qualified. I’m happy to report that in the past three days I have made four trips already for water, juice, milk, and sugar.
That’s it for this post! I will try my best to be better about posting stories and information about life in Kaz. Even if nobody reads this, I think in years to come I’ll appreciated that I documented a little of my experience.
Hope all is well on the other side of the world!
~Crane~
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Why have there not been any entries lately?
This is Crane in Kaz's dad writing this.
Hannah is no longer able to post documents to this blog. The country she is living in has blocked access to it.
Thanks for checking in occasionally.
Hannah is no longer able to post documents to this blog. The country she is living in has blocked access to it.
Thanks for checking in occasionally.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Things I LOVE in Kaz
Sometimes my frustrating days are the most interesting, so I often write about those stories. However, I don't want anyone to think I'm not enjoying it here. Despite the fact that I'm still settling in and getting used to things, there are definitely an abundance of positive things going on. I decided to make a list of all the things I love about my new life. Here goes:
I love that I am learning another language.
I love that I have variety and flexibility in my job – teaching vocal lessons, teaching English, students of all ages (5-23).
I love that I get to work with youth!
I love that I can wear the same outfit the entire week and nobody cares
I love that I get to walk to and from work
I love that I’m building skills to deal with new problems and getting training in patience and flexibility
I love that my work schedule is so laid back
I love that I have a long enough lunch break to walk home and enjoy a home-cooked meal
I love that they drink chai AT least four times a day here
I love that chai is so much more than tea – the conversations are great and it’s so relaxing to sit and talk while sipping a hot cup of chai
I love that I have great co-workers
I love my host family
I love that I get to learn about another culture
I love that I will have some amazing answers for interview questions in two years
I love having a younger brother – the power I feel after being the youngest for 22 years!
I love that I have great site mates
I love that I have time to explore new (or existing) hobbies: guitar, piano, reading, cooking, drinking chai
I love that I have internet in my room now, and I can web chat with my parents and friends
I love that I’m fulfilling my dream of volunteering in another country
A Typical Day... Okay I lied... not so typical
I wrote a blog last Monday about my day. I was trying to illustrate why I feel so crabby and tired at times. It's never just ONE thing. I can deal with one thing. It's always the combination of many things that eventually breaks down my patience or good mood. So here is my ultra-long, extremely detailed blog about my day.
Hannah's Day in Kokshetau, Kazakhstah: Monday, December 7, 2009
4:00 am Wake up with sore throat – cannot sleep until 5:30 am.
8:30 am Finally get up after pressing snooze for over an hour.
9:30 am Arrive at work half hour after I intended.
10:00 am Walk down the street to print my lesson plans and visuals after realizing all four computers and printers at work are not working today.
10:30 am Start English Club #1 of the day. Lesson goes badly and it’s like pulling teeth to get the students to answer a question. Even “How are you?” doesn’t get a response.
11:30 am 47 children ages 7-10 + many parents arrive for my second English Club of the day. The small room hardly holds everyone.
11:31 am I get frazzled trying to think on my feet. I don’t have the heart to kick anyone out, but I don’t know how to proceed when we can hardly fit standing in the room.
11:32 am My counterpart comes in and I explain I don’t know what to do with so many children. She takes this as her cue to turn and yell (literally yell) at the children and parents. I timidly stand behind her with a small smile trying to look like a nice person so the children aren’t scared of me.
11:33 am A sweet little girl asks me I question in Russian. I don’t understand because her hand is over her mouth. She looks uncomfortable, and asks me again. I still don’t understand. She throws up on the floor an inch from my shoes. Now I understand. My counterpart takes her away.
11:34 am All parents seem to have disappeared now, and I am the only adult in a room of (now 46) children who don’t speak more than 10 words of English and whose names I don’t know or cannot pronounce. And I’m standing right next to a pile of puke. My lesson plan definitely won’t work for 46 children, and my Russian is not good enough to proactively prevent classroom management issues. I seriously contemplate just running, but I can’t get to the door anyway since it’s blocked by children.
11:35 am I teach half of my original plan. It’s okay, but it’s hard to ensure that all 46 kids are actively participating. I scratch the alphabet and numbers and teach a children’s song and play a game. It ends a bit like a music lesson, but at least the song was in English and the kids were focused, so it counts as English club, right?
12:30 pm Lesson ends. I breathe. My counterpart comes to tell me I should kick out half the kids. I try to be patient with her fast Russian and intense (harsh) way of talking to me. A parent approaches me to ask a question. She stands too close to my face and talks about how she learned German in school and how she wants her granddaughter to learn English, and how languages are so important and oh, don’t I just have the prettiest eyes, oh it’s so sweet of me to be volunteering, and she keeps talking, and I’m so overwhelmed I just nod and smile and zone out once she gets past the easy words, and soon I hear her talking about the economic crisis and capitalism and I wonder how the heck we got to that topic and what I missed in between.
1:00 pm I walk home in -14 degree weather. (Yes, Celsius, but it sounds more intense that way.) I’m determined to be positive around my host family. I was already negative all last week. Afterall, how long can I keep claiming I’m just in a bad mood because I’m still “adjusting”?
1:30 pm I arrive home and joke about my morning with my host mom. We eat lunch, and I am proud of myself for keeping it light and positive.
2:30 pm I crank up Michael Jackson’s number one hits on my walk back to work to give me energy for two more clubs. Billie Jean is not my lover…
3:30 pm English Club #3. It’s okay despite being interrupted several times by parents with questions about the English Club schedule. “I know the sign says that the youngest group is before lunch, but that doesn’t work for my child. She’s so smart, and she knows English. She’s already studied two years!” (Of course when I turn to the child and ask How Are You? Or What is your name? They don’t understand a word.)
4:30 pm Last club of the day! More interruptions by parents asking if I could make exceptions for their children. What is with parents being so pushy and not accepting no?
5:45 pm A few adults are waiting for me after my lesson to ask about English Clubs. Don’t you ever think about maybe teaching adult classes? Could I pay for lessons? Why can’t I join the children’s lesson? I need to practice English for an exam, what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to practice? I politely explain at least 10 times that it is a children’s center, and while I’d love to teach adults, the center is for kids under 18. It’s not the questions that bother me, it’s the intense attitude they have that makes it seem like it’s my fault my clubs aren’t right for them. I feel so accused by everyone when they ask. I want to remind them that it’s a free club, and I already have 4 options. You cannot ask me to create more clubs!
6:10 pm I walk home (I listen to Regina Spektor this time) and resolve again that no matter how many things went wrong or irritated me today I cannot let them affect my attitude towards my host family.
7:15 pm My host dad asks how my day was. I look up the word for overwhelming in the dictionary. Then I slowly start to tell about my day. Then I start getting frustrated that I cannot adequately convey what went wrong with my day in Russian. And suddenly all my strength to stay positive is gone, and I don’t even have the energy left to excuse myself from the table before I start getting upset and start to cry. I tilt my head down and focus on my tea knowing full well that there’s no way I can hide my tears when we’re sitting at a round table with only four people. “Hannetchka,” my host mom says in a sing-song voice. I look up with tears running down my face and laugh and her name for me. She and my host dad quickly start reminiscing how she cried everyday when she first started teaching, and that the beginning is always hard. They keep trying to comfort me, and I’m surprised well it worked. I’m actually feeling better.
8:57 pm Our electricity goes out, and I look at my computer to realize I only have 27% of my battery left, and I wasted a lot of writing up this blog.
8:59 pm My host brother comes in to see what I’m up to since there’s nothing else to do when the electricity goes out. We talk and I teach him a few chords on the guitar by candle and flashlight.
9:33 pm I realize that despite a frustrating and overwhelming day, I’m still blessed with an amazing host family. I’m still living in another country. I’m still learning a new language. I’m still exploring a new culture. I’m still doing exactly what I wanted. So even though it’s frustrating. I think in two years it will all be worth it.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Clothes in Kaz
I wanted to write a blog about the clothes here. Not so much about the fashion (although the fashion here is really interesting. Yesterday I saw a woman wearing bright-fuchsia, knee-high suede, high-heeled boots!) but about changing clothes.
I have established a whole routine as I bundle up to leave the house. First I put on my winter boots – they are the most difficult and I don’t like being constricted by my coat when I do this. Second, I put my headphones in my ears. I have to do this second so the cord is hidden under my jacket and scarf. After headphones it’s my scarf - followed by the hat. Finally I’m read for my coat. I button four really annoying buttons, hook my headphones to my iPod, select my music before I put on my mittens (otherwise the touch on my iPod doesn’t work), put my bag over my jacket, adjust the strap so it doesn’t make my headphones choke me, get out my mittens, put the left one on, say goodbye to my host mom, leave the house, press play on my iPod, put my right mitten on, and start walking. I’ve actually started timing myself to see how quickly I can bundle up. If I stick to my routine it takes me 3 to 4 minutes to get everything on. It may seem silly to have such a routine, but it’s not just the one time a day I leave for work that I have to bundle up. I come home for lunch each day, AND to add in another clothing glitch, I walk to and from work in different boots than I wear at work. The talented local women walk on slippery ice in high heels, but I’m not that talented. So I change boots when I get to work. Therefore, I putting on or taking of boots, jacket, mittens, hat, and iPod no less than 8 times a day (Bundle Up: Walk to Work AM – Bundle Down: Arrive at Work AM – Bundle Up: Walk home for lunch – Bundle Down: Arrive at home – Bundle Up: Walk back to work – Bundle Down: Arrive at work – Bundle Up: Walk back home – Bundle Down: Arrive at home.) And for this reason, I have established my routine.
I have established a whole routine as I bundle up to leave the house. First I put on my winter boots – they are the most difficult and I don’t like being constricted by my coat when I do this. Second, I put my headphones in my ears. I have to do this second so the cord is hidden under my jacket and scarf. After headphones it’s my scarf - followed by the hat. Finally I’m read for my coat. I button four really annoying buttons, hook my headphones to my iPod, select my music before I put on my mittens (otherwise the touch on my iPod doesn’t work), put my bag over my jacket, adjust the strap so it doesn’t make my headphones choke me, get out my mittens, put the left one on, say goodbye to my host mom, leave the house, press play on my iPod, put my right mitten on, and start walking. I’ve actually started timing myself to see how quickly I can bundle up. If I stick to my routine it takes me 3 to 4 minutes to get everything on. It may seem silly to have such a routine, but it’s not just the one time a day I leave for work that I have to bundle up. I come home for lunch each day, AND to add in another clothing glitch, I walk to and from work in different boots than I wear at work. The talented local women walk on slippery ice in high heels, but I’m not that talented. So I change boots when I get to work. Therefore, I putting on or taking of boots, jacket, mittens, hat, and iPod no less than 8 times a day (Bundle Up: Walk to Work AM – Bundle Down: Arrive at Work AM – Bundle Up: Walk home for lunch – Bundle Down: Arrive at home – Bundle Up: Walk back to work – Bundle Down: Arrive at work – Bundle Up: Walk back home – Bundle Down: Arrive at home.) And for this reason, I have established my routine.
The funny thing is, it’s not even that cold out. Some days I could be fine without mittens or hat, but if my host mom or the people I work with see me without a hat they go crazy. They think I’ll get sick the minute I step outside. I tried to argue the first week or so, but now I’ve just kind of accepted it, and it’s good practice for when it actually gets really cold!
Hope everyone had a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Посмотрим
Today was a day where “po-smatreem” kicked my butt. Let me explain. Planning my vocal studios and English clubs has been a struggle, because it’s difficult to get much information before the actual class. When I try to ask about things to avoid last-minute chaos, I get the same answer: “Po-smotreem.” (We’ll see.) “How many kids are signed up for my English Club?” Po-smotreem. ‘What age are the kids?” Po-smotreem. “Do they have any English experience?” Po-smotreem. Great, so I’ll plan 90-minute lesson for an unknown amount of children, whose ages may be anywhere from 6 to 20, who may not know the English alphabet or may be near fluent. But, as Peace Corps reminded us relentlessly throughout training, we need to be FLEXIBLE and have a SENSE OF HUMOR.
After getting repeated “po-smotreem” answers to my questions about vocal studio I decided to be flexible and just “see.” Last Thursday was supposed to be my first studio, but I was told the first time I could just observe the other voice teacher. About five minutes before the lesson my host mom (who works with me) asked if I was going to be teaching myself. I told her I would be observing the other teacher. “No, she’s not here – she’s in Astana.” So that meant I had to teach the lesson myself when I had no clue what they normally did in lessons, what they were singing, or even if they had music anywhere in the organization (which they don’t.) I immediately decided this would be a great answer for an interview in two years when asked about a time I had to be flexible or think on my feet. I was excited to answer, “I had to be flexible when, after studying Russian less than three months I was told I would teach a 90-minute vocal studio in Russian only five minutes before the actual lesson.” Ninety minutes later, after a painfully awkward and just plain bad vocal studio, I decided I could no longer use that answer in an interview. Yes, I was flexible. Yes, I had a sense of humor. But it was a terrible lesson. It was useful only to find out there was no structure for vocal studios, they had no music, and they only want to sing fast, club-style dance or pop music.
I didn’t panic though – I resolved to have a stellar plan ready for the next studio. All weekend I looked through my iTunes music and tried to think of English songs that were good for beginners but were upbeat and lively. Seeing as I studied classical music and don’t listen to a lot of pop, I did not have a lot of options. Nevertheless I came up with a playlist of possible songs and wrote out a lesson plan. I translated all my directions into Russian, had my host mom correct them, and practiced my Russian instructions. At 3:00 pm I walked into the classroom all ready to teach – a little nervous and excited about my lesson. I walked in to find not one, but TWO other voice teachers and 15 students. I get a little shy around a lot of new people if I have to speak Russian, so instead of asking, “Are you teaching this lesson or am I?” I just sat in the back. I acted like I totally knew what was happening. The first five minutes of the lesson I expected I might be called upon to teach, and that maybe they were just observing. But after 20 minutes of the other teachers leading the class, I decided I was just expected to observe that day. In all honesty, I did not mind (in a chicken kind of way) because I was nervous about teaching anyway. I had just begun to like the idea of watching when the teacher started talking to me in Russian. I couldn’t understand what she was saying and I was getting all frazzled at looking so incompetent in front of the students and the other vocal teacher. Finally I got that she wanted to know what songs I wanted the kids to sing. I asked her the same questions I had asked my counterpart earlier: Do they have any music? How do they normally choose songs? How should I teach a song if I have no music for it and just a recording? (I hate the idea of singing along to a recording.) She didn’t say “po-smotrem,” but the “Whatever you want” answer I got was not a lot better. I don’t really know why I bothered to ask the questions – I knew they didn’t really have any music, but I think a part of me was hoping there was a big library of vocal music someone failed to tell me about. Anyway, after telling me I could do what I wanted she turned the lesson over to me and left. I’ll spare you the rest of the details of the lesson, but it again went bad. I basically threw my plan out the window (it was in my computer bag, but I never even got it out) because I was thrown off course by starting in the middle of the lesson and not having a good Russian conversation and there being twice the amount of students than I had the previous lesson. It just was not a very active or interesting lesson – we hardly sang at all. I felt stupid ending the lesson again saying that next time we’d get more done and sing more now that I have more information. The truth is, I don’t really have that much more information. I could resolve again to make a detailed lesson and practice, but who knows who will be teaching the lesson on Thursday.
I thought “po-smotrem” may be a good philosophy for life and it would teach me to be flexible. Or I at least thought I could learn to plan and be flexible. I’m sure I’ll figure out the balance after two years of “po-smotrem” answers. But right now after only two weeks, I’m still struggling. It’s just tough to plan lessons that are engaging for beginning singers who are 14-17 years old. Even in English they look at you like you’re an idiot sometimes, because they just have that attitude. But it especially comes across that way if you’re not confident with your language and your lesson plan has gone out the window.
I wish I could have a happy ending to this rant, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Maybe in a week or two I’ll blog “Po-smotrem: Part 2 – the Moral of the Story.” For now I’ll conclude my blog the way it started. Today po-smotrem kicked my butt.
After getting repeated “po-smotreem” answers to my questions about vocal studio I decided to be flexible and just “see.” Last Thursday was supposed to be my first studio, but I was told the first time I could just observe the other voice teacher. About five minutes before the lesson my host mom (who works with me) asked if I was going to be teaching myself. I told her I would be observing the other teacher. “No, she’s not here – she’s in Astana.” So that meant I had to teach the lesson myself when I had no clue what they normally did in lessons, what they were singing, or even if they had music anywhere in the organization (which they don’t.) I immediately decided this would be a great answer for an interview in two years when asked about a time I had to be flexible or think on my feet. I was excited to answer, “I had to be flexible when, after studying Russian less than three months I was told I would teach a 90-minute vocal studio in Russian only five minutes before the actual lesson.” Ninety minutes later, after a painfully awkward and just plain bad vocal studio, I decided I could no longer use that answer in an interview. Yes, I was flexible. Yes, I had a sense of humor. But it was a terrible lesson. It was useful only to find out there was no structure for vocal studios, they had no music, and they only want to sing fast, club-style dance or pop music.
I didn’t panic though – I resolved to have a stellar plan ready for the next studio. All weekend I looked through my iTunes music and tried to think of English songs that were good for beginners but were upbeat and lively. Seeing as I studied classical music and don’t listen to a lot of pop, I did not have a lot of options. Nevertheless I came up with a playlist of possible songs and wrote out a lesson plan. I translated all my directions into Russian, had my host mom correct them, and practiced my Russian instructions. At 3:00 pm I walked into the classroom all ready to teach – a little nervous and excited about my lesson. I walked in to find not one, but TWO other voice teachers and 15 students. I get a little shy around a lot of new people if I have to speak Russian, so instead of asking, “Are you teaching this lesson or am I?” I just sat in the back. I acted like I totally knew what was happening. The first five minutes of the lesson I expected I might be called upon to teach, and that maybe they were just observing. But after 20 minutes of the other teachers leading the class, I decided I was just expected to observe that day. In all honesty, I did not mind (in a chicken kind of way) because I was nervous about teaching anyway. I had just begun to like the idea of watching when the teacher started talking to me in Russian. I couldn’t understand what she was saying and I was getting all frazzled at looking so incompetent in front of the students and the other vocal teacher. Finally I got that she wanted to know what songs I wanted the kids to sing. I asked her the same questions I had asked my counterpart earlier: Do they have any music? How do they normally choose songs? How should I teach a song if I have no music for it and just a recording? (I hate the idea of singing along to a recording.) She didn’t say “po-smotrem,” but the “Whatever you want” answer I got was not a lot better. I don’t really know why I bothered to ask the questions – I knew they didn’t really have any music, but I think a part of me was hoping there was a big library of vocal music someone failed to tell me about. Anyway, after telling me I could do what I wanted she turned the lesson over to me and left. I’ll spare you the rest of the details of the lesson, but it again went bad. I basically threw my plan out the window (it was in my computer bag, but I never even got it out) because I was thrown off course by starting in the middle of the lesson and not having a good Russian conversation and there being twice the amount of students than I had the previous lesson. It just was not a very active or interesting lesson – we hardly sang at all. I felt stupid ending the lesson again saying that next time we’d get more done and sing more now that I have more information. The truth is, I don’t really have that much more information. I could resolve again to make a detailed lesson and practice, but who knows who will be teaching the lesson on Thursday.
I thought “po-smotrem” may be a good philosophy for life and it would teach me to be flexible. Or I at least thought I could learn to plan and be flexible. I’m sure I’ll figure out the balance after two years of “po-smotrem” answers. But right now after only two weeks, I’m still struggling. It’s just tough to plan lessons that are engaging for beginning singers who are 14-17 years old. Even in English they look at you like you’re an idiot sometimes, because they just have that attitude. But it especially comes across that way if you’re not confident with your language and your lesson plan has gone out the window.
I wish I could have a happy ending to this rant, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Maybe in a week or two I’ll blog “Po-smotrem: Part 2 – the Moral of the Story.” For now I’ll conclude my blog the way it started. Today po-smotrem kicked my butt.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
It all begins... (or began 3 months ago and I'm just getting around to making a blog)
New Blog!
I have started a blog to keep people back home updated throughout my Peace Corps journey in Kazakhstan. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the whole blogging thing – you know, exposing your life to the world wide web – but I read another volunteer’s blog and it was actually pretty cool. I think it’ll be nice for me to have when I finish my service in two years. So – here goes my first attempt at blogging! (Be warned – I tend to be long winded…. Feel free to skim!)
My Life:
I’m living in a city called Kokshetau in Northern Kazakhstan. There are about 130,000 people in the city, but area-wise it’s pretty small. I just moved here about two weeks ago, so I’m still trying to find my routine and figure out what works for me. I think I’m going to absolutely love living and working here. It’s definitely good so far – just a little overwhelming adjusting to so many new aspects: a new family, a new city, a new job, and having to function in Russian all day every day.
My Family
My new host family is absolutely GREAT. They have a really nice house – with a shower, internet, AND piano! And they are the nicest people ever. It’s a mom, dad, and 18-year-old son. The dad is a builder/constructor worker, and he is so kind and considerate. He’s very interested in history and cultures, so half of our conversations are comparing America to Kazakhstan, or discussing the English vs. Russian vs. Kazakh words for all the food or tableware at dinner. A few nights ago I was on the computer and my host brother was studying around midnight. The dad came walking in with two plates with little freshly-washed apples for us to snack on. He then noticed that I didn’t have topotchkee (slippers) on, and came back with a pair for me so I wouldn’t be cold. He’s just a very kind and considerate guy.
My host mom teaches a poetry club at the organization I work at and stays home the rest of the time. She’s really great as well. I was sick yesterday and she kept checking up on me in the night to see how I was doing and asked me what I wanted to eat and went out and bought oatmeal since they didn’t have it just because I asked for it.
My host brother – I love having a younger brother. It’s been so much fun talking with him. He also sings and plays piano, so we spend a lot of time comparing music tastes or learning new piano songs. He also started learning English a few months ago, so we practice English and Russian together. There are a lot of mistakes made between his English and my Russian, so we laugh a lot. The other night he asked me for advice on girls. I thought it was so cute, because he tried to ask in English, and it took about 8 tries for me to finally understand what he was asking about! I’ve never been an older sibling, and he’s never had a sibling, so I think it’s fun for both of us.
My Job
Along with everything else in my new situation, the organization I work for is really neat. The name of it is Детский Дом Творчество which basically translates to Children’s Home of Creativity, or maybe Creative Home for Children, but you get the point. They offer tons of classes all day long for children: dance classes, art classes, science club, chess club, dombra lessons, voice lessons, knitting club, etc. Kids here have school either in the morning or the afternoon, so there are clubs going on at all times. Next week I start teaching three clubs. I will have two English clubs (a younger and older group) and a vocal studio. The clubs meet two times a week, so it basically means I’ll be doing studios or clubs twelve hours a week. My counterpart and director really didn’t give me much to do the rest of the time at work, so I kind of created my own project for the time being. There are about 35 teachers there plus the full-time staff, so I made a survey in Russian just asking what they teach, what they usually do in their clubs, their favorite part of the organization, and what could be improved about the organization. It’s been a good way for me to meet each of the staff, get an idea of everything the organization offers, and see possible areas for improvement in the future. When I’m done meeting everyone, I will take their pictures and make a bulletin board for the lobby with all the teachers and staff and what they teach or do. They don’t have anything with all the teachers, so I hope it’ll be a good way for parents to see what other programs are available while they’re waiting for their kids to come out of the clubs. Hopefully once I finish the bulletin board I’ll know the organization better and my Russian will be better so I can actually help them out with one of their current projects.
My Russian
Hmmm, Russian is definitely the source of most my stress and uneasiness, however it’s also the source of most my laughter since I’m always making mistakes! It sounds sweet to say that it’s all Russian 24/7, but it’s really not that great. It doesn’t really mean I speak Russian all day long – it just means I talk a lot less than I normally would, listen a lot more, and understand a lot less. Trying to function in a job where English isn’t spoken has taught me several things: It’s actually not important to understand every word (or even half of the words) to get the meaning of something, you can still get a feel for other’s personalities and show your personality with little talking, and a lot of things in life can be acted out. (Side note: In two years I dare anyone to take me on in charades – I’ve definitely been practicing!)
Some days it’s really good, and I feel like I understand a lot and I’m able to get my point across. But some days when I’m tired, I feel like I understand nothing and can’t say anything right. I know I’ll have to learn quickly, and in a few months it’ll be a lot better. It’s just kind of exhausting trying to always push myself to study or learn more. I know I’m expecting myself to have way too much Russian capabilities after only 3 months, but I’m not a very patient person when it comes to communication. It turns out I like to talk!
I have started a blog to keep people back home updated throughout my Peace Corps journey in Kazakhstan. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the whole blogging thing – you know, exposing your life to the world wide web – but I read another volunteer’s blog and it was actually pretty cool. I think it’ll be nice for me to have when I finish my service in two years. So – here goes my first attempt at blogging! (Be warned – I tend to be long winded…. Feel free to skim!)
My Life:
I’m living in a city called Kokshetau in Northern Kazakhstan. There are about 130,000 people in the city, but area-wise it’s pretty small. I just moved here about two weeks ago, so I’m still trying to find my routine and figure out what works for me. I think I’m going to absolutely love living and working here. It’s definitely good so far – just a little overwhelming adjusting to so many new aspects: a new family, a new city, a new job, and having to function in Russian all day every day.
My Family
My new host family is absolutely GREAT. They have a really nice house – with a shower, internet, AND piano! And they are the nicest people ever. It’s a mom, dad, and 18-year-old son. The dad is a builder/constructor worker, and he is so kind and considerate. He’s very interested in history and cultures, so half of our conversations are comparing America to Kazakhstan, or discussing the English vs. Russian vs. Kazakh words for all the food or tableware at dinner. A few nights ago I was on the computer and my host brother was studying around midnight. The dad came walking in with two plates with little freshly-washed apples for us to snack on. He then noticed that I didn’t have topotchkee (slippers) on, and came back with a pair for me so I wouldn’t be cold. He’s just a very kind and considerate guy.
My host mom teaches a poetry club at the organization I work at and stays home the rest of the time. She’s really great as well. I was sick yesterday and she kept checking up on me in the night to see how I was doing and asked me what I wanted to eat and went out and bought oatmeal since they didn’t have it just because I asked for it.
My host brother – I love having a younger brother. It’s been so much fun talking with him. He also sings and plays piano, so we spend a lot of time comparing music tastes or learning new piano songs. He also started learning English a few months ago, so we practice English and Russian together. There are a lot of mistakes made between his English and my Russian, so we laugh a lot. The other night he asked me for advice on girls. I thought it was so cute, because he tried to ask in English, and it took about 8 tries for me to finally understand what he was asking about! I’ve never been an older sibling, and he’s never had a sibling, so I think it’s fun for both of us.
My Job
Along with everything else in my new situation, the organization I work for is really neat. The name of it is Детский Дом Творчество which basically translates to Children’s Home of Creativity, or maybe Creative Home for Children, but you get the point. They offer tons of classes all day long for children: dance classes, art classes, science club, chess club, dombra lessons, voice lessons, knitting club, etc. Kids here have school either in the morning or the afternoon, so there are clubs going on at all times. Next week I start teaching three clubs. I will have two English clubs (a younger and older group) and a vocal studio. The clubs meet two times a week, so it basically means I’ll be doing studios or clubs twelve hours a week. My counterpart and director really didn’t give me much to do the rest of the time at work, so I kind of created my own project for the time being. There are about 35 teachers there plus the full-time staff, so I made a survey in Russian just asking what they teach, what they usually do in their clubs, their favorite part of the organization, and what could be improved about the organization. It’s been a good way for me to meet each of the staff, get an idea of everything the organization offers, and see possible areas for improvement in the future. When I’m done meeting everyone, I will take their pictures and make a bulletin board for the lobby with all the teachers and staff and what they teach or do. They don’t have anything with all the teachers, so I hope it’ll be a good way for parents to see what other programs are available while they’re waiting for their kids to come out of the clubs. Hopefully once I finish the bulletin board I’ll know the organization better and my Russian will be better so I can actually help them out with one of their current projects.
My Russian
Hmmm, Russian is definitely the source of most my stress and uneasiness, however it’s also the source of most my laughter since I’m always making mistakes! It sounds sweet to say that it’s all Russian 24/7, but it’s really not that great. It doesn’t really mean I speak Russian all day long – it just means I talk a lot less than I normally would, listen a lot more, and understand a lot less. Trying to function in a job where English isn’t spoken has taught me several things: It’s actually not important to understand every word (or even half of the words) to get the meaning of something, you can still get a feel for other’s personalities and show your personality with little talking, and a lot of things in life can be acted out. (Side note: In two years I dare anyone to take me on in charades – I’ve definitely been practicing!)
Some days it’s really good, and I feel like I understand a lot and I’m able to get my point across. But some days when I’m tired, I feel like I understand nothing and can’t say anything right. I know I’ll have to learn quickly, and in a few months it’ll be a lot better. It’s just kind of exhausting trying to always push myself to study or learn more. I know I’m expecting myself to have way too much Russian capabilities after only 3 months, but I’m not a very patient person when it comes to communication. It turns out I like to talk!
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