Najeda (Hope)

Finally here in Kazakhstan! Settling in with the host family and fellow volunteers has just been exciting and interesting. Everyday brims with new challenges and discoveries. It’s been some time since I’ve blogged because internet isn’t easy to come by in Kazakhstan.

Presently, I live in Ecik(Yezik), a town of about 30,000 people. Lucky for me, I have running water so that means I get a shower and toilet. No squatting needed yet. My host family has welcomed me warmly and generously. They are Kazakhs and have lived in Ecik for 23 years now. A host father (Atiet), mother (Mat), sister (Sistra), and brother (Brat) make the transition into Kazakhstani life smoother. I call my host parents Mama and Papa so life on the domestic front is good. Their names are Zapar (dad), Lula (Mom), Ameriki (Sister), and Deedar (Son). Though I have only been in Ecik a few days, I have done much. The family took me to Ecik Ozera (Yezik Lake) Sunday and I went swimming in an unheated pool (Grr!) with my host brother and sister that same evening. Walked around the town’s bazaar and ridden in several taxis. Anybody who owns their own car can be a taxi. You wave your hand and a car will pick you up, pay 50 tenge (33 cents), and go anywhere you want within town.

So, everything on the home front is in Russian or Kazakh and thus my head is pushed to its limits everyday. To better assimilate into the family, I plant myself in the kitchen and just begin conversing. It’s been working for I have shared hour long conversations with Mat and Sistra. Rather than ramble on, here are some pictures. Paka (Goodbye)!