Whew…What a New Year!

This New Year’s we had a wild and crazy time in Kyzylorda as I played host to four fellow PCVS from my training village of Chamelgan. We all had a great, relaxing time, and to be honest the hardest thing about it for me was finding enough stuff to do around Kyzylorda. Robert came down from Zhezkezga, making the trip in a record eight hours because he took the bus rather than the normal 45-hour train. Eric came from Shimkent on the morning of the 31st and a few hours later, Emiko came in from Aktobe. We spent that afternoon getting organized and renting an apartment for everyone to stay in over the next few days. Neither Chris nor I had an apartment big enough for everyone, and we intended to party pretty hard over New Year’s and did not think the host families would appreciate that too much. We eventually found one that had a great location near the center of the city but was otherwise was pretty much a shithole. There was only one room that was warm enough to just sit and hang out it, and there were several plumbing problems that I will get into later. Still, the price was right, so we settled in and unpacked. We then made a small dinner of grilled cheese at the apartment and afterwards, had a few drinks at the apartment. My host parents had also invited everyone back to our apartment at 11:00 for a small party and toasting to bring in the New Year, but it turned out to be a lot more involved than my guests expected. Robert, Emiko and Eric all were thought we were just going to have couple glasses of champagne, say “Cheers” and then head back to the apartment for the real party. Instead we were treated to a huge platter of Monte and toasts of vodka and cognac. At this point, let me explain how drinking and toasting works here in Kazakstan. The only beverages you toast with are vodka and cognac, which you drink out of little shot glasses. As the party progresses each person makes a toast to the host and to the occasion of the party and then everyone takes their shot, and the glasses are refilled. For example there were seven people at our New Years party, my three friends, my host parents, my host brother, and I, which meant that there were seven toasts as well as seven shots. Fortunately the whole party lasted about two hours, and I think the last couple of months living here in the south helped me tolerate the amount of booze we were forced to drink, but I was definitely feeling pretty drunk at the end of the evening. Some of us however, were a little worse for wear. After the party, my host dad drove us back, and by then we were all in such high spirits that we spent the car ride singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and other holiday carols. We then hung out and talked for a few more hours before everyone passed out at around four.

I was the first to wake up on the 1st around noon. When I woke up I heard the water running, and I at first assumed that someone had gotten up before me and was taking a shower. I quickly realized however, that the sound of the running water was coming from the kitchen where the sink had backed up and overflowing. To make matters worse, the sink had somehow become electrified, though no to a dangerous extent, which meant that I had to use a plastic bucket and put on my shoes to avoid getting a jolt every time I scooped out some water. Eventually, the sound of my running back and forth to the bathroom woke Eric up who began helping out by wiping up the water that had already spilled out onto the floor. Finally, water stopped coming up the sink, but the sink was still electrified making breakfast preparation a bit tricky. We managed to make Kazak oatmeal and began to plan out our day, or what was left of it at least. We sat down and watched a movie, and around six my friends decided that their heads did not hurt quite so much and they were ready to go outside. We walked down to the main square where there were at least fifteen holiday displays where families could take pictures of their kids, and afterwards went to the cafe Buscuit that is near my college where the food is very good and reasonably cheap. Paying up front for the apartment had hit our wallets pretty hard, and someone had made a run on the KazCommerce ATM machines so there was no cash to be had. We then went back to the apartment for a more relaxed evening of catching up and discussing various issues we had come across in the last month of work.

The next day, everyone was beginning to feel a bit grungy. There was hot water in the apartment, but the shower faucet was tricky and all could really do was wash your hair. Also, it was so cold the bathroom that you were liable to freeze to death before you were dry if you tried to take a full shower. Thus, we decided the plan that day was to go to the monsha and get scrapped clean. Unfortunately, when we go there, due either to remodeling or lack of later it was closed. Still, the day was not a total loss. I also showed them the bazaar, and we went to a restaurant pizza for dinner that while nothing ike the pizza in America was still delicious. The evening also saw us up to more hijinks, as we tried to figure out what we might do. The movie selection limited, though we did think about playing a game with the Borne Identity where you would drink every time he beats someone up or you have been to one of the countries he visits, but in the end we to play a game called “SET" that involved making sets where the attributes of the cards are all the same or all different, and which became even more difficult as the night progressed.

Thursday, the 3rd of January, saw the return of Chris and Cho from Shimkent. To celebrate the whole gang getting together, we decided that it would be the perfect day to go to the really nice sauna out in the Merei district where I live. The sauna not has steam and shower rooms, it also has a small cold pool that you can jump in between turns in the steam room. I could not get them on the phone to make a reservation so we decided to go out there and talk to them and person, and since it was only -10, we decided to walk. We walked along the river where I usually run, and saw that the river was frozen solid, and people were actually walking on it. It was a bit warm, and I was a bit skeptical of how solid a flowing river could actually be, but it did seem pretty solid for the five feet that I walked on. We also went by the camel farm where Eric had a staring contest with one of the camels and another almost spit on Robert. After making the reservation we then went back into town on the bus, stopping at the bazaar so Robert could pick out a birthday present for his mother and Emiko could look at cell phones as well as, picking up some beer for the sauna. All of us met back at the apartment and then we headed back out to Merei for the Sauna. Since Emiko was with us, we took turns. The guys hung out in the lobby while she used the sauna and vice versa, although given the beds adjoining the main room, and the pictures on the wall, we all figured that not everyone always took turns. Then it was back into town where we had a late dinner at the Café Buscuit and then went back to hang out at the apartment. It was a fun night, but it was also kind of sad because in the morning Eric had to get up a six to take the morning train back to Shimkent.

I woke at six with Eric and made sure he got a taxi to the train station and then ran a few errands, I picked up a package from the post office, bought a few more groceries and then went back to bed for a little while. Chris left because he had Kazak tutoring and so I just made breakfast and watched a movie for a little while. Robert and Emiko decided that they wanted try to one more time to get Emiko a cell phone so we headed back to the Bazaar to go to the trade house where you can get them pretty cheap. We finally found what she needed, and Robert even got some good stuff to send back to his family in the States. That took most of the afternoon, but in the evening, Chris met us the bazaar, and we went to a diner nearby. We also decided to go to the Restaurant/Nightclub Astana that night. I was not sure how the evening was going to turn out, the last time I had been to a club it had been an interesting time to say the least. Fortunately, this club only offered dancing, no “dancing” and the four of us had a lot of fun. Half the time Chris I were dealing with the most aggressive Kazak woman we had ever met, though I do have to admit that if we had not been trying to avoid her, we might not have asked half as many women to dance.

The next day I finally managed to get in touch with my TA Aeigarum who had offered to take us through the local museum. Chris and Cho had work, so Emiko, Robert, and I went by ourselves. Aeigarum and her sister did a great job explaining the exhibits, pointing out important people and teaching us about the history of Kyzylorda. Emiko and Robert were also very impressed with their English, though I seeing as how Aiegarum is a fourth year, I of course could take no credit for that! After the museum, Robert and Emiko went to the bazaar to get groceries for the big spagetti dinner we were going to make at the apartment that night, and I went to meet Chris and Cho at Contact Club, an organization founded by volunteers that is used as a forum for organizing community projects. We began planning a Valentine’s Day Charity Concert. We hope that the concert will not only work as a cultural exchange, but also allow us to raise some money for the local orphanage as provide the children valentines made by the concertgoers, but we shall see. Chris, Cho, and I then went back to the apartment to help Emiko and Robert finish making dinner, and bail out sink one more time. The dinner was delicious, and though I know that pasta is easy to make, I was definitely impressed. Chris and Emiko had turned tomato paste into something tasty, and I would like to think I helped with the garlic bread. Chris’ sister and cousin also came and took part in the meal, but I do not think that they enjoyed it as much as we did. Kazak food tends to be blander than American’s are used to and I think the peppers and garlic powder turned them off.

Sunday was the day that everyone was supposed to leave, but it did not quite turn out that way. Robert was supposed to leave first, on the bust to Zhezkazgan at eight, so at 6:30 we got up and headed out to the bus station, and since there was no bus, went to the café to wait, but it got later and later, and still no bus. Finally the bus station itself opened at and we went to ask the ticket lady what was going on. Apparently, despite the schedule clearly saying that there was an 8:00 bus on Sunday, there was not one, and in fact the schedule was totally wrong. Furthermore, it was too cold this week for the bus to go back and forth to Zhezkazgan so he would have to take the train. We went back to the apartment to nap for a bit and clear out of the apartment, and we then headed to the train station to see if Robert could get on the train, and to see Emiko off to Aktobe. Emiko got off without a problem, but Robert was still stuck in Kyzylorda. We tried to buy a ticket for the train to Karaganda where he could then catch one to Zhezkezgan, but since there were no seats until the Tuesday night train. We decided that the only option was to bribe a conductor, but since neither of us was comfortable doing that yet, we went back to my apartment to ask my host dad if he could help us out. He agreed to come with us at 9:30 to talk to the conductor and get Robert on the train and since we had five hours to kill, dorked out and played with the Bluetooth on our computers. Finally though, after one last gut-bursting meal of Monte, it was time to head back to the train station. The first price the conductor wanted was totally outrageous, but we originally wanted was outrageous, but we eventually got him down to a more sensible but still very expensive 7,000 tenge. Then, with my guests, all safely on their way back home, I went home and to bed.

I have to say that while the weekend was very expensive, it was totally worth it, and while they may have been the ones technically on vacation, it was definitely one of the best Christmas breaks I have had and the best gift any of those guys could have given me. I was sorry that more people could not come down, but the size of the country made that impossible, especially seeing as we only had six days before we all had to head back to work. I look forward to getting back together this summer. Emiko says that she wants to have an English Camp up in Aktobe, which would be ideal seeing as it is hotter than blazes in Kyzylorda by June, and hopefully since we have the whole summer off, more people can get there. Now though, it is time to return my attention back to work. I have to start my Kid’s Club back up again tomorrow, as well as get ready for the next semester. There are a number of activities and clubs that I want to start working on, and it will be nice to see the students again, who are now slowly becoming my friends as well.