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!

    Source: geocities.com/richandjoan