Wednesday June 11 11 am Another medical session, this time about environmental health risks in Kazakstan. They're talking about nuclear/radiation problems right now, mostly to reassure people that there are no actual risks. Training is now becoming a bit of a grind as the 'gee-whiz' element wears off. The Kazak classes are not very popular as it is a difficult [language] to begin to learn. It is difficult for me because I speak Russian at home, and I have no motivation or dedication to learn Kazak. We only have two weeks of Kazak and will probably not have to use it much in daily life. Sunday was a little slow - a little beach tai-chi, letters on beach, food, walk, cold beer on cafe patio, and Russian around the kitchen table. Monday was more Kazak and group activities with tai-chi at 5:30. Tuesday was all Kazak as well as a cross cultural field trip to the bazaar and magazines (stores) to learn about prices and availability. It was very interesting to compare prices to U.S. ones. However, the real comparison is to how much we get paid. Sure, a pair of shoes is only $11, but when you get paid only $140 a month, it's a different story. Then we went back to the school for a dance class to learn the National Kazak dance. I bailed out early because, at first, it seemed like it was going to be ballet. It was also very hot in the dance room with 30-odd sweaty VITs. Joan stayed and apparently had a lot of fun. She is/was a bit mad at me for not sticking around, but I just didn't feel like it. Perhaps I will try it on Thursday, but I don't know. I ended up hanging out with some VITs out in the school yard, throwing a football. Unfortunately, Jim overthrew a pass and broke a window. This brought a tirade of angry Russian from the 'security' lady and a lot of shameful faces and standing around fro;m us. Today (Weds) has been Kazak, medical and technical training-were covering lesson plans right now-how exciting! Tonight is the great Kazak Vs America basketball game at 7:15 at the school gym. The school director has challenged us to a game with beer afterwards. So it's tai-chi at 5 pm then a quick dinner before going to watch the game (no playing for me.) I probably won't be writing such volumes as before because things are becoming a little routine. We are going to the Illyi (ee-lee) River for a day trip/hike/ swim/picnic on Sunday, the 15th.. *** Later on the 11th... I enjoyed watching and heckling the PCV- Kazakstan basketball a great deal. The initial group of locals were mostly older friends of the school director, and the floor was wiped by their bodies. After a high spirited and fast game, the big boys started drifting in for a second game. The PCVs started out strong, but ran out of steam. Also, the younger locals started getting a little too physical for the spirit of the game and it kind of ended on a bad note with some hard feelings. After the game finished, we headed over to Cafe Turan to meet up with some VITs and Kaz 3&4 people. Joan had stayed home to read and write and had told me to be home by ten. We didn't get to the cafe until 9:30, and I did an unfair thing. I lost track of the time while talking with all the old salts and drinking with them. I also slipped back into the -if I'm a little late, it won't matter; Joan knows I'll be safe.' of America. Joan got worried and sent Anton to come get me about 11:15. The family gave me a hard time, but Joan was very angry, understandably so. If she had done the same thing, I would have also been very upset too. I also forgot the bar had a phone as well as our apartment, and should have called. Even though it was a great time and I did some good bonding with current volunteers and got some excellent, it was a bonehead move. Thursday. June 17th. Sorry about the gap, but a lot has happened. I just woke up a little while ago (3 pm) after sleeping the whole day. Rich has had his first adventure with the Krazy Kazakstan Kraps. I spent the majority of the night on the toilet with diarrhea and a little vomiting. As you well know, that is a combination that gets PC doctors in a tizzy. It is very easy to get into trouble when you lose fluids that bad and can't keep them down. I let Joan sleep through most of it because there was nothing she could do and she really needed her sleep. She was a real trooper and was wonderful this morning, feeding me little bits of soggy bread and preparing the rehydration beverage of water (1L), 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 6 teaspoons of sugar--homemade Gatorade tastes quite good. I actually felt all right around eight but had a pesky headache which has now gone away. I'm still a little groggy, but feeling better. I don't mind the day off school (Joan says it's stifling hot at Skola #2.) but wouldn't choose it if I could. Joan ate everything I did and we've been drinking boiled water religiously. Back to the 12th. A slow day at school followed by a visit to Kazbek's apartment. Kazbek is a Kazak who worked for the PC office as a receptionist but is helping as a translator / organizer during training. The camera had been acting up, and he agreed to go to this 'camera store' along the main drag. A steel door and a big picture of a camera are set into the side of a huge concrete wall of a ginormous apartment block. Turned out they were only a drop-off spot for film to be developed, and Almaty was the only place to get cameras fixed. So later that night I went into the bathroom with the light out and fixed it myself -Dad would be proud of me. Anyway, after the camera store fiasco, we drifted by Kazbek' apartment because I hadn't seen any other apartment insides and because he is a well spoken (in English) local about my age who has spent two months in the states visiting with a former PCV. He is very friendly and an excellent source of information. He told me a lot about salaries, which was very interesting. Before the PC he was a computer programmer up north at $40 per month. Now he earns $400 a month with the PC. His apartment in Almaty is about $100 while the apartment the PC is renting for him here in Kapchigai is $50 per month. I was talking to Vlodia (dictionary ' pictionary) on Sunday in the swirl of family members in the kitchen, about salaries, and he told me that Larissa makes 6000 T ($80) per month but the rent is 5000T. I understood him that the PC job as a driver for this summer is good, but will end at the end of training, and he doesn't know what he is going to do. I think he's a 'driver' , (independent taxi service) but his Audi is broken. I plan to talk to Kazbek more as he is really interested in talking and hanging out. He's only been with PC since February and has no friends or family down here. Thursday night was dinner and Russian round the table. Even going to bed early doesn't help getting up at seven - I'm afraid I've slipped back into my old sleeping habits, and it's difficult to be on time. Friday the 13th Same-old-same-old at school. After Tai-chi we went home for dinner before heading over to Cafe Grot ('cave', I think), a wonderful below ground bar with many stalactites hanging down from the ceiling. Some of the volunteers hit their heads while dancing and moving around. The individual chairs were throne-like carved monsters whose backs came up to my chest. Joan and I often talk of Mardi Gras, where we met, as a magical time. It is nigh impossible to describe to someone who was not there. It was when everything clicks, everyone is having fun, and there are no cares in the world. It was truly a magical time and can never be recreated of forced. Well, at Cafe Grot on Friday night, it happened. I have never seen so many people in a small bar have such sweaty, intense fun. For many of us, it was the first time to really blow off some steam since coming to Kazakstan, and let me tell you, we almost blew the roof off. We could play our own music, the drinks were cheap-o-rama by U.S. standards, although that's dangerous because one mixed drink is a day's worth of our walkaround money (150T or $2.) The locals will be talking about that night for some time. The next day at school, we just walked around with stupid grins on our faces, sharing stories and laughing. We really needed it as a group and it was a great stress buster. The end of the evening was a bit exciting as we had to escort Lynette, a 40 year old VIT, who had a bit too much fun, home to an apartment. (She had a hard time remembering its location.) So five of us got her home through the dark at midnight, all the information from the security specialist running through our heads. At one point, a single K male came up to us and starting to talk Russian in a friendly way. Jeff, husband of Carlene (they are the only other married couple, he's an ex-cowboy and jack-of-all trades) told him, in a friendly way, that he was going to field dress him like a deer if he didn't go away, which the guy eventually did. Saturday Language classes, napping, food (oh so much food) and more Russian were on the agenda. As I have just banged out seven and a half pages I'm going to take a break before describing the Illyi River trip. It is raining now, a weird thing in this dry, sandy, desert-like town. The top layer of sand gets wet, and the air becomes pleasantly cool. Thunder is echoing off the big apartment blocks, but it will all blow away soon. It is normally hot here, and rain is a nice treat, although it catches most people without umbrella or rain coat. Well, I've survived my first trial and tribulations in Kazakstan. I know there'll be more, but I'll have to take them as they come. I'll write more tomorrow. Love, Rich PS Tell people to write- I've got no letters yet!