Okay, Folks, I took some pictures of my apartment, put my camera card in my little connection thing (Lexar), plugged it into my computer, was delighted when the green light came on my Lexar, and then was disappointed and frustrated when nothing came up on my computer. I looked everywhere for it since it wasn't on my desktop. I'll take my Lexar to school tomorrow and see if Dinara can help me. It is so great that she is a computer person. She saw me cutting and pasting the other day to make a chart and she told me that all I had to do was draw a picture of what I wanted and she would do it for me on the computer. She's a gem! I don't know what I would do without her!
I wanted to describe a Kazakht person to you, but there are so many races here that I am confused myself. Since Kazakhstan is in Central Asia there are lots of Asians living here. It reminds me of Korea, except they are talking Russian instead of Korean. Many of the Russians look like Americans until I hear them talking. I have already been mistaken for a local about 3 times so far. Some lady will walk up to me acting like they need directions or information and speak to me in Russian. When I start talking in English, they seem surprised and walk away. I'm sure I look like an expat (the word they use here for foreigner) to most people. I saw an older man wearing a black hat, black coat, and sunglasses. He looked like a Russian spy.
So people are usually speaking Russian or Kazakht (maybe I am spelling this wrong). Both Marc and Nick can always tell the difference when I can't. When I ask them how they can tell, they tell me that it sounds completely different. I haven't figured it out yet. It all sounds foreign to me.
I have one little boy, Adilbek, that I have had so much trouble saying his name. I still can't get it right after one whole week of school. Today Nick had him for the first time for music and he got his name in one second and had no problems. Nick has taken Russian classes and is really good at getting around. We all want to hang out with Nick because he is such a great help when we're out shopping, etc. Poor guy!!
I was out on the playground today talking to the staff about our teaching training coming up in October in Almaty. I was all excited and was asking Julie if we would be allowed to go shopping and Nick wanted to take us to the mountains to go on a tram. Julie said, " We'll be in meetings all day and believe me you won't want to do anything afterwards. Maybe you young ones will have the energy." I immediately put myself in the "young ones" catagory, even though Julie is only a few years older than me. So we will see if I have the energy to hang out with the "young ones'!
I certainly don't have the energy today. I did something yesterday to hurt my lower back. It could be sitting on the floor a good part of the day. leaning over to reach those little ones, lifting a kid up because he couldn't reach the calendar. walking all over with my backpack, trying to get my little 3 year old to sit in his chair and behave, or Dinara thought it could be the air conditioner blowing cold air on my back. I couldn't help but laugh at that one. There was only one day that I turned on the air. The kids all started saying they were cold, so I turned it off and sweated the rest of the day. It doesn't get too bad until the afternoon.
Jamara- I'm not sure the weather is set right for here. It always says 76 or 78, but I know it has to be hotter than that. By the time I walk home my shirt is all wet in the back from my backpack and I am HOT!!!
Oh, I found my dream floater in a store - it would cost about $7 in the states, but here it cost $20. Today I found out why the prices are so high in Aktau when they are lower in other cities. This town was founded on oil and people come from all over to work in the oil industry and get big bucks. They don't care what things cost. They don't even try to bargain. They just pay the price and it jacks up all the prices. These fancy apartments were built for the oil people. They make alot of money!
Come on over and work in the oil industry!!!!
Love, Rachel