Febuary 2nd - Village Life in Winter

A month into 2010 and village life surprisingly is somewhat busy. As English clubs get going, I sometimes find myself darting up and down Main Street . There are a variety of English levels at my school. They range from students who have difficulty reading ‘hello’ or ‘hey’to those who attempt simple conversations in English. Comprehension is very challenging for most of the students. Many students, especially the younger students and the girls, appear eager to improve their English.

For now, it seems that holiday season is taking a little rest here. As mentioned in my previous blog, having to stay indoors so much is not pleasant to me yet. Strategies have been developed to avoid stagnation. On top of work and going to the gym/culture house regularly, I have begun to learn how to draw. Thanks to my Moms and Pops, I now have a book that teaches you how to draw Anime characters. So on those nights when I just don’t want to go to bed, I quietly sketch away.

The villagers continue to show their warmth. My whole life has been lived in metropolitan cities before coming to Kazakhstan . Lesnoye, being 900 people strong, though has its energy. You know your neighbors here and we’re all neighbors in Lesnoye. Almost every time I walk down Main Street , I am greeted by someone I know or vice versa. Whenever I go to any of the local stores, a conversation with the cashier or another customer is usually guaranteed. It feels good not to rush in and grab your goods and scramble out to your next task.

January is a cheery month in Kazakhstan

January is a cheery month in Kazakhstan . Usually, January does put me in the brightest of moods but over here, there are numerous celebrations to repel the solemn and cold weather that frequently accompanies January. Here are a list of Kazakhstani celebrations this month: December 31st (New Year’s Eve), January 1st (New Year’s Day), January 7th (Orthodox Christmas), January 19th (Krishenya). Chatting it up with the students outside of school and meeting new locals and hearing their stories and questions are energizing. The socializing is great but all that still needs to be done indoors. Staying indoors so often is rough on me. Being the first time I’ve lived in snow, I’m used to jumping on my bike for a refreshing morning winter ride or even sitting outside on winter evenings at a coffee shop letting that mocha warm me up. Not over here. Move, move, move when you are outside. California folks, your freezer is usually set to -20C and over here, it is -35C with some wind on top of that. So, locals put their meats and ice cream in the garage.

Orthodox Christmas

 Orthodox masses begin at 11 pm Christmas Eve and continues till 5am Christmas day.  I didn't go to mass but I visited the small church in Balkashana with Rashid, a fellow teacher.  Rashid gave me the history of the church and how it had to be rebuilt after the Communists initially tore it down 70 years ago.  To say the least, it's a different culture over here and many people had to struggle to communally practice their religion.  On the lighter side, plenty of colorful snow figures decorate the town center.   

Northern New Year...

New Year’s in a little Kazakhstani village can be exciting.  They take New Year’s seriously here and a lot lead up to 2010.  First, there was the Yolka on December 29^th.  This is where students dress up and put on plays.  It began at 10 in the morning and ended with dancing at 10 in the night.  The Yolka is an informal, traditional, and colorful event where the audience gets involved with dancing and singing (led by the students) to traditional Russian holiday songs.  I tried my best with the dancing. 

Next, there was New Year’s Eve.  My host mother, Aliona, was in the kitchen all day preparing over 10 dishes which included a goose, smoked fish, and a variety of complex salads.  We began dinner at 10 and celebrated the beginning of 2010 in the home.  Afterwards, there was dancing till 4am in the community center and we made our way over.  Many people showed up.  Fireworks and lots of energy. 

New Year’s Day is just as energetic as New Year’s Eve.  Friends and family started coming over at 10 in the morning for food and drink.  The socializing only ended at 5 in the morning.  So, lots of dancing and laughter like the night before.  I have had enough meat the night before so I gobbled down almost a whole pineapple.  Tropical fruits are hard to come by here.  The warmth inside the homes is a great compromise for that bitter cold outside. 

Working Christmas Day...

The holiday season is in full swing here in Northern Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan’s Independence Day (December 16^th), New Year’s, and Russian Christmas (January 7^th) energize the solemn winter with numerous social activities.  I’ve been enjoying social occasions with the locals.  Conversations are becoming longer as my Russian gets better.  Just the other day, I had about an hour long conversation with Vladimir, the school's night watchman, about his present views on Kazakhstan and his outlook on its future.  Many breaks and pauses in the conversation but we were able to communicate 'seriously' for some time.  This social solidarity goes far in cheering one up in the sometimes depressing climate.        

 Here, December 25^th is a work day and I indeed worked.  Teaching Christmas themed lessons cheered me up and put smiles on the student’s faces.  Students giggled their ‘Merry Christmas’ s and I even got some gifts :).  Overall, it’s been memorable. It was great for after teaching, I watched and helped some fellow teachers and students build snow figures.  It is a New Year’s tradition to construct snow figures outside the school.  I had to stop after forty minutes for my hands were painfully cold and the locals laughed.  Here in Lesnoye, New Year’s Day is when you give and receive presents and is taken much more festively than the Orthodox Christmas.  Yes, I feel nostalgia thinking about the lighted palms in downtown San Jose or when I imagine swimming in my brother’s and sister-in-law’s heated swimming pool in San Diego.  Nonetheless, loving life over here! Merry Christmas! 

December in Kazakhstan...

Many simple pleasant goods in America cannot be found in a Kazakhstani village store. So when four packages arrived from my parents in California, I was enthused. Now, there are numerous spices, strong coffee for daily espressos, Oreos, and Bvlari cologne sitting in my room. Oh, how I cherish these things so much :) Thanks Ma and Pa.

December 16th is Kazakhstan's Independence Day so there were a few celebrations in the village. It also marked the first mini snowstorm I 'endured.' I walked about 1.5 miles in this ministorm to the gym. Angry weather! Kids have been staying home lately because the school issued a new mandate: if it's -32C outside, you stay home. Teachers still have to make their appearances at school despite the cold. Only a serious storm will keep this tropical spirit indoors. Lucky for me, I purchased a shapka (that Big Russian fur cap you always see) and wool insulated dress shoes in Kokshetau. They cost a bundle but boy, if you wear these apparels indoors, you are sweating within two minutes.

White Christmas...

Winter has begun and it feels like it.  It’s so cold that when you spit, the spit almost immediately turns to ice when it hits the snow.  Still, it is bearable.  There are days when it is all cloudy out and it’s a warm -15C.  Then, there are days when it is sunny out and it’s an awakening -25C.      

 A month in Lesnoye and lots of worthwhile memories within this short time.  Teaching English to high schoolers and middle schoolers is energizing and adjusting to the village life is a present pleasant challenge.  Blessed to have a great host family whose completely different lifestyle continues to fascinate and teach me.  Arlitoli (the dad) is a hunter and Aliona (the mom) keeps the pigs and chickens in the back shed well fed.  Shoveling snow keeps one in shape.  The only meat I’ve dined on thus far in the home is freshly hunted deer.  In a few days, there will be boar meat for that was the recent prey.  Slowly, integration takes place.  I now go to the village clubhouse and exercise at the gym or play some ping pong in the evenings with the locals.  More and more conversation takes place as familiarity grows and my Russian improves.  Many of the locals know me by name and I try my best to remember the numerous Sashas, Natalias, Nadias, Sergeis, and Vladimirs.  Nevertheless, I know I am the foreigner and will have to strive in all sorts of directions to successfully integrate.