January 30, 2008
According to the statistical evidence gathered by the Peace Corps Medical officer here in Kazakhstan, male volunteers usually lose a significant amount of weight. I am not totally sure as to the reasons for one group losing and the other group gaining, but I have definitely seen the evidence first hand. One of my training buddies and current site mate lost 15-20 pounds in the first three months, and he almost began to look malnourished before getting 10 pounds back after he got to site. Female volunteers on the other hand, tend to gain weight. I am not totally sure as to the reason for one group losing weight while the other group gains it, but I as sure that it has a lot to do with the diet.
The diet here is mostly carbohydrates with a good amount of meat as well. Breakfast is usually just bread and tea, and lunch and dinner is usually some combination of pasta and beef. We do eat vegetables, mostly carrots and cabbage, but they are mainly used as a part of diced, mayonnaise filled salad or some sort of vegetable spread. Fruits though, at least during the winter, are almost non-existent. The only time you usually see a lot of them right now is at a party, because while they are available in the south through the winter they are prohibitively expensive for most people, certainly Peace Corps volunteers. Given this diet, I assume that the weight disparity between male and female PCVs is due in part to the fact that men probably eat more meat, while the girls, who are more often the vegetarians, eat more bread and pasta. I have actually gained about five pounds of muscle here because I have tried to keep working out and my protein consumption is so much higher here. That said, while the female volunteers may gain a bit of weight, they do not gain a significant amount because the lifestyle, even for a teacher, is much more physical than that of the average American. People walk a lot more than they do in America, and riding on public transportation is an endurance test.
So let me put out the notice: Are you over 40, with high blood pressure and a body mass index over 25? Then come to Kazakhstan. The Peace Corps use your extensive work experience, and after two years you will be fit, trim, and have a significantly reduced risk for heart disease, hypertension, and an early death. That is, if the air and ambient radiation does not get you first!
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I was a Kaz 11 PCV. I lost more than 30 pounds during PST. The way I described it to friends still living in the US was this: Imagine cooking one great big meal (usually a sort of soup or stew), then imagine eating that meal and only that meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Now imagine repeating the process indefinitely. Eventually you stop eating for pleasure and merely eat enough to survive. Couple that with 100 degree days and no air conditioning and weight loss is inevitable.
Dear McKenzie, thank you for the blog and sorry for entering it without your permission. I greatly appreciate your attemts to understand our country,its people and culture. You are right saying that somewhen Kazakhstan won't need in PCVs. Yes, we have many experienced and devoted teachers but the work you(I mean volunteers) do is unvaluable. I still remember my meeting the first PCVs, how excited and worried I was because they were the only source to apply my communicative skills.I am very surprised at how much you've learnt about the traditions of my people, I witnessed it at the seminar at the college. You deserve respect. Your publication at the blog is very useful for me as teacher of English. You see. I work for school#2, and worked out a program "Kazakhstan,My Homeland" and one of the units is holidays and traditions . You described them so well that I decided to use the texts at my lessons, if you won't mind(All rights reserved?)I think you should publish them in a book with some activities.
I experinced the same feelings while I was In America. Once A Turgenev said,"Visiting a foreign country teaches to love your own. Go and marvel at foreigners and return with a Russian heart" I returned home with a Kazakh heart full of the desire to contribute to the further development of my country. Hope that is true about you. Thank you again for your open opinions about us.
Wish you more (pleasant)discoveries of Kazakh Steppe
Gulnar Issabekova.
Please,contact me any time you like at Gulnar_azhdar@mail.ru or g.issabekova@gmail.com
tel:87773653909
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