What is there to do but enjoy the hustle of Peace Corps service. The entire month of April was spent away from Lesnoye. For the first three weeks, I assisted 11 energetic new volunteers at their Pre-Service Training. Every single day demanded professional attention. Four of the new volunteers within my group will serve in my state. After my trainer contract ended, I headed over to Kokshetau to co-lead a presentation about the Peace Corps for the new counterparts. This was a challenge for my regional manager requested me to lead the presentation in Russian and I simply had no time to prepare while down South. Either way, the presentation went better than expected but some drama added some spice to the meeting. The deputy state education superintendent came to the meeting and verbally attacked Peace Corps administration and the new counterparts. She basically labeled the Peace Corps the ‘Kiddie Corps’ by stating that being positive role models is not sufficient enough, most volunteers do not have enough prior professional experience to be placed within Kazakh schools, and that the Youth Development Program has been ineffective in reaching out to the educational needs of Kazakhstan’s youth. And more bad news, Peace Corps decided not to replace me with a new Kaz-23 volunteer this year. Their reason stemmed from all the sheer drama that has persisted since the Kaz-22 volunteer was re-located in January. I support the executive decision but nonetheless, the thought that I will be the first and last volunteer at my site stings a bit. We’ll see what the next month brings!!!

My last Siberian winter has been experienced. As the streets turn into a muddy mess, I realize how fast the two years of service passes by. There is no time to lose. I grasp at every professional opportunity that allows for travel. In the last week of March, I assisted three other volunteers at a 3 day teaching seminar at Semey (the city which the Russian government exiled Dostoevsky to). The military lyceum provided us four with a decked-out apartment. We felt more like expats than volunteers with two flat screen LCD TVs, washing machine, and shower. After these good times, I headed down to Almaty to assume my responsibilities as an education training assistant for the new Kaz-23 volunteers. Given my own place in a predominantly Turkish village, I am enjoying the busy schedule and assisting the fresh volunteers with their lessons and personal questions about volunteer service in Kazakhstan . Things come full circle sometimes.

Some time has passed since I last blogged. This is not due to the lack of exciting events but rather to the abundance of new experiences, memorable for the better and the worse. Since late December, many new encounters have shaped this Peace Corps experience. First with the bad. After much drama which I cannot get into on this blog, I am once again a ‘lone’ volunteer. For all the right reasons and with my support, my new Kaz-23 site mate was relocated to a different site. The most important thing is that she excels in her service. All the best Rachel! Now the good. My planned Southeast Asia trip came just at the right time to escape the initial blowback of the drama. For two weeks, fellow PCV friend Erica and I toured Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Singapore entertained us with its contemporary non-stop action. Seeing my grandpa, aunts, uncles, and cousins added to the joy. Malaysia proved relaxing after numerous active days and late nights in Singapore. Thailand simply amazed us with its natural beauty and intriguing culture. Future Kaz-24s, if you are planning a trip next winter, choose Thailand. After spending five days in sun-kissed Phuket where everything is for sale, we hit Bangkok up. The energy never let up.

Dec 17th 2010

What a difference a year makes. Last winter, I struggled with filling up the breaks of time once lessons ended. Numerous instances arose where I questioned myself whether I was useful or needed in Lesnoye. This winter, there simply isn’t enough time. On top of my 22 lessons, I am occupied tutoring, writing up a grant, planning seminars, keeping in physical shape, and of course integrating. Tutoring a few extra dedicated students when that early winter sun sets is motivating, writing up an English Resources grant has taught me much professionally, and planning teaching seminars keeps me in tune with the bigger educational picture in Sandiktau County. So, yes I am finally seeing some concrete results at my pioneer site. After coming back from a Peace Corps mid service training conference, the village mayor expressed her appreciation for my service by posting a banner of Peace Corps with me in it at Lesnaya School.

This is the latest Blog from Roshan, sent Nov 6th '10

-----------------------------------------

Many interesting days have entertained me this past week. This past Wednesday, I led a round table at the Teacher’s Institute in the city of Kokshetau . Getting to Kokshetau from my village tests your patience. Waiting for 30 minutes in the snow with a strong wind for sure gave me energy for the presentation. There I am, waiting with the snow whipping into my face in my suit and polished shoes. The round table went well and it was worth the trip. When I arrived home in the early evening, Anatoli (my host father) yelled, “Roshan you want kill pig?” Anatoli is a meat businessman and I’ve always wanted to see him at work. He tells me to hurry up and get out of my professional clothes and into my dirtiest clothes. Of course, I simply watched the process. Those were 30 minutes in which I was glad I was in my scruffiest of clothes.

Blog#4 ( view earlier Blogs first)

This past week, the county I volunteer in hosted a big English teaching seminar. English teachers from 3 counties came for the 7 hour seminar. The head of English education in the state also attended so there was a bit of tension in the air but thankfully all went well. In addition to assisting in organizing the seminar, I played an active role during the seminar: co-taught in one lesson, co-hosted a English Jeopardy game and led a round table discussion on lesson planning with measurable objectives and team practice activities. Two other PCVs, Scott and Myles, helped out at the round table and that made the practicum flow more fluidly. It was a great professional day and one to remember when I experience those future inevitable not so positive teaching days.

Blog# 3 (read earlier Blogs first)

Returning after international travel is tough. For ten days, I visited New Dehli, Jaipur ('the Pink City'), Agra, and Hyderabad. This was my first international travel after joining the Peace Corps and it was an important trip for I got to reconnect with my parents and Indian heritage, Pictures better capture India's beauty and uniqueness than words. Hope it does not take too long to readjust to the gray cement buildings and empty streets of Kazakhstan.

Blog#2- Read earlier email first

Arriving in Kazakhstan as a tourist is a rare thing to the locals. The tourists Kazakhstanis usually encounter in the North come from Russia so language isn't an issue. However, when Americans come over with no Russian, communicating the simplest of requests becomes an art. Hence, when my parents visited for a week, my Russian fluency increased dramatically. The three of us visited Astana first and it was a first for all of us. Astana is an exception to Kazakhstan. After the cleanliness and modern facades of Astana, we headed to 'raw Kazakhstan.' My parents enjoyed Lesnoye and expected less accomodating conditions from a village of 900 people. Their hearts are more at ease now after being warmly and generously welcomed by the locals.

Hello everyone - my aplogies for not updating several of Roshan's Blogs , as I was in India & had major difficulty trying to do this. So you will see a number of his blogs , starting from the earliest he sent.... Roy ( Roshan's Dad)Roshan's Blog:

Touring Kazakhstan as a volunteer during the summer is great. You vacation while you work and in the end Peace Corps views your travel as work so no vacation days are counted against you. There’s a Peace Corps rule that states you need to spend at least 30 days at your site during the 3 months of summer. Initially, I thought this would be no sweat. As of now, even after leading a summer camp at my site, I will barely make the 30 day summer quota. This wasn’t intended but so many opportunities to travel and work presented themselves in the forms of summer camps and projects that I could not let them slip by. Serving in a village, I dedicated my time to opportunities in Kazakhstan’s cities. Thus far, I have visited TaldyKalgan, Almaty, Karaganda, Kokshetau, and Petropovolisk this summer. A couple of villages have entertained me as well but I will remember the cities for I missed the city rush after the cow and sheep traffic of my village. The pics are from more good times in Petropovolisk where I played the role of a Russian-English translator at a history museum for about a week.

TWO BLOGS FROM ROSHAN:

1st Blog -Summer Camp & Having Fun

Summer time flies by as a PCV. For you future Kaz volunteers, the summer is a much deserved gift after the drawn out limitations brought by the cold. After the school year ends, education volunteers often transition from educators to summer campers. Almost every volunteer travels by train around Kazakhstan to either lead or assist at summer camps.

My first summer camp took place at my site. It was the county’s first ever free summer language camp so the pressure was on. Many locals did not know what to expect from three Americans. I led the summer camp but two other PCV friends (Erica and Charlie), my counterpart, and three students provided essential support. Coordination was key and that was the main reason the camp was an overall success. The camp entertained 5th, 6th, and 7th graders from Lesnaya and Balkashino secondary schools. The camp theme was American Culture. Charlie led Art, Erica led Dance and Song, while I led sports. Throughout the weeklong camp, around 40 to 50 students came daily. Since the camp ended around 1pm each day it was in session, there was lots of ample time to hang out with the volunteers afterwards. Great Times! 2nd BLOG - Another Camp & more Fun

South Kazakhstan has some great cities and landscapes. For my second camp, I headed down to Taldykalgan (a city of about 200,000 people) to assist at a camp organized by PCV Ford’s organization. Taldy’s a small lively city with a modest sized Uighur and Korean population. You can buy ice-cold Shu-bat (Camel’s milk) on the streets and dine on dog meat at a few Korean restaurants if you go with a local. The second camp took place about an hour away from Taldy in the high hills. It was a chill two week language camp where we stayed with the kids the entire time at the campsite without TV or internet. Simple living: squat toilets and banyas (Russian saunas). It was all good. We assisted the language instructors a couple hours in the late morning and after that the camp was chill. There was plenty of time to go hiking in the neighboring hills, play ball with the campers, and just lounge. Over the two weeks, the campers participated in sport activities, treasure hunts, dance competitions, and dress-up skits (one where the gender roles were switched for a night).

Winding down the school year demands patience and flexibility. The school year ended on May 25th. After all the testing and grades, I can still honestly say I still love teaching after four years of it. So, the first year of Peace Corps teaching has ended. What am I going to do during those long summer days when the sun only sets around 11pm? I’ll be busy at summer camps and traveling. As of now, I’ll be leading a summer camp in Lesnoye, assisting at a camp in the southern city of Taldykalgan , and then helping out a fellow volunteer with his museum project afterwards in the north. Finally, I’ll probably tour Kazakhstan with my parents after savoring spicy curry and drinking some cooling coconut juice with them in South India .

Almost everyone in Lesnoye grows their own vegetables and potatoes. Cabbage, onion, radish, beets, and carrots grow well in Kazakh soil. My host family has substantial property. Their vegetable garden is huge and demands lots of work. On top of growing vegetables, they also grow strawberries, boysenberries, and blackberries. After getting home around 4, I till the earth and shovel soil till about 9pm with Aliona and Anatoli. Getting to see the results of your hard work and feeling your back muscles strengthen is a reward in itself. Plus, you sleep like a sack of potatoes after working. This rigorous farm hand work is a first for me in my life. I wouldn’t make a profession out of it but it’s great for the time being. After all this work, the family and I went to the nearby forest for some R & R.

Kazakhstan is not all barren rough steppes. The snow has melted and many wildflowers and streams have surfaced almost overnight in the north. Though professional projects and duties occupy much time, I still have time leftover to relish the outdoors since the sun only sets around 9:30 nowadays. Two fish species swim through Lesnoye for a period of 10 days. The locals are on this. At the streams, locals catch the 6 inchers with their wire nets. The fishing is relatively simple: dip your wire net into the stream, hold it very still for about 10-15 seconds, and finally pull it swiftly out of the water. Sometimes, there’ll be as many as 3 or 4 six inchers flapping away in the wire meshing. Over the course of two hours, Viktor (one of my students) and I caught about 70 fish. The locals enjoy salting and sun-drying the little fellas.

Russian food does not have the best reputation. Yes, Russian food is generally on the bland side of the taste spectrum but when you sample fresh Russian honey and sallow, your opinion on Russian cuisine will change. My host father Anatoli is a businessman. He sells honey to local villages and pork to the cities. He has ten pigs in the sty year round and raises 6 bee homes (about 50 hives) during the warmer months. So, this means we sometimes eat very fresh pork and get to sample fresh honey. Honey straight off the comb is out of this world delicious. Sallow is a Russian delicacy. It’s like really fatty tasty bacon (see pic) without the meat. So, it is 100% pig fat and keeps you real warm and satisfied during the 6 months of snow.

This past week, I led my first English Teaching Seminar. Peace Corps encourages all its education volunteers to participate in such professional development sessions. Being the first volunteer in the county, it initially was slow to get things organized for English teaching seminars had previously always been embedded within an entire teaching seminar. An hour is given to English instruction at these teaching seminars and it ended there. So, planning this English seminar demanded time and patience. Marina (the lead English teacher in Lesnoye) and I planned the six hour seminar. English teachers within the county came to the seminar. The 5th and 6th graders learned a poem and seminar commenced with their greeting. The county teachers observed three classes in all (I taught one class with each respective Lesnaya English teacher). After observing the classes, I led a roundtable discussion centered on Student Interaction in English Lessons. The seminar ended with pleasant and constructive teacher feedback and another seminar is in the works for early next school year.

A month back, I took a train back to Lesnoye from Almaty. During the 27 hour ride, I chatted with an agriculturalist named Assan who researched vegetable growth in Northern California some years back. He gave me a brief summary of Kazakh ethnic and cultural history and the ‘tribal’ Kazakh map (see pic). Of the 16 million people who live in Kazakhstan , about 8 million are Kazakh. Assan informed me that Kazakhs trace their genealogy back to these 20 dominant Kazakh tribes before the Mongol Horde swept through Kazakhstan in the 12th century. News to me!

There are two questions which the locals have kept asking me during my 6 months in Lesnoye: Do you like it here? Do you miss home back in America ? A mix of yes and no is the answer to both these questions. Despite its ‘tinyness’, there is enough in Lesnoye to keep me occupied and productive. Integrating into the community, learning Russian, and teaching are enough to keep one occupied even in a village with no cafes. There have been several times where I’ve wished to be somewhere more metropolitan and warmer. However, I am loving life over here in Siberia and can say no deluge of homesickness has visited me during my service yet.

For all those future volunteers who will serve in North Kazakhstan , Winter lasts from early November to mid-April. Now Spring has arrived and it’s the first time I’ve seen a color other than white on the hills. When I arrived in Lesnoye back in the first week of November, there was snow and only now can I shed the thermal underwear. With the fast thawing snow, it is very muddy and slippery in the village. It’s so dirty that the teachers wear their waterproof ‘slush’ boots on the streets and then replace them with their dress shoes once indoors. When will it be nice out?

Returning to the North after a couple of weeks in the South demands transitioning. I forgot how it felt like to be naturally warm after experiencing 5 months of straight bitter cold. When I left Lesnoye for the train station back in late March, a windstorm hit the village and left over a foot of snow overnight. It was questionable whether the buses would operate due to snowy conditions. Thankfully, they did and after a 3 hour bus ride to Kokshetau and 29 hour train ride to Shymkent, I arrived in the South to +20C sunshine. Just some shades and a coat and you’re good to go. After Shymkent, I headed over to Ecik (my first town) for a few days to see some local friends and then to Almaty for a 3 day long Peace Corps conference. I didn’t realize how much I missed the local friends in Ecik until I saw them. Catching up with other volunteers and listening to their stories showed me how diverse our experiences in Kazakhstan can be. Some volunteers have high-speed internets in their rooms and nice showers while other volunteers have no running water in their homes or at their schools. Others serve in sites which are completely Kazakh and others in sites almost completely Russian.

Lesnoye is over 90% Russian and everyone speaks Russian. Meeting Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijanis, Uighurs, and even a couple of Indians down South was a change. Cooling down with a beer is something you would not do in the North during early Spring. But coming back North isn’t so bad. Getting back into the groove of teaching is energizing. There is still snow in Lesnoye and for the first time in over 10 years, I went skiing in the forest. Skiing in April! Only in the North.

As one can imagine, there are far fewer luxuries in a village than even a town. Besides having only four daily buses (7, 9:30, 11:30, 2:30) to get you to an ATM or café and having very unreliable cell phone reception, it can be downright difficult to get basic services from the county center which is only 15km away. Throughout this snowy season (approaching 5 months strong), the electricity goes out or the water pipes sometimes malfunction in Lesnoye. Usually, it takes about 10 hours or so to fix these problems. On several occurrences, it has taken 36 hours. The serviceman straight out says, “we’ll fix it tomorrow or when the weather gets better.” I’ve gotten used to this. No sweat right, you’re working for the Peace Corps. However, this time around, Lesnoye’s water pipes aren’t working and the Water Man has not come to Lesnoye for six days. Half of Lesnoye lives without running water as is but now the locals are all lining up at the sole functioning water pump. It’s tough without an indoor shower and toilet. Walking to the outhouse in -20C weather while your hands begin to get numb isn’t pleasant. Having to fetch and bring water from the pump against 20mph North Kazakhstan spring snow-winds demands patience( see photo where the Pump is located). I give my respect to locals and those PCVs who live without running water. Second photo is my Artwork.

Last Summer, the Kazakhstani government passed a bill which banned access to almost all blogging websites. Since mid-January, this censorship took effect so my blog is currently being updated through e-mail. Thanks Pa, Ma and Johnny. The ban prevents one from logging into his/her own blog and from viewing other public blogs through the country’s computer networks.

Its March here in Kazakhstan so that means Spring is officially here. About three feet of snow still sits outside my room window and it is in the negative 10s. Being from Northern California , one has to travel some ways to get to snow. For the first time in my life, I went sledding. On a warm -5C afternoon, my host brother (Artioum) and some other village kids took me to a 20 foot hill and we sledded down it for a couple hours. Crashing into the snow feels great.

On March 8th, it is Women’s Day. This holiday is taken seriously in Kazakhstan and is a national holiday. All the local stores have ready to go gift packages to purchase and it is culturally polite to wish every woman you come across with ‘To Women’s Day’. This time round, the men staff at the school read poems and sang songs for the women staff though the women still prepared all the food. When I got home, there was even more celebrating.

This past week, I was a guest teacher at Balkashana Secondary School in the Sandiktau county town center of Balkashana. As of now, Peace Corps plans to place a volunteer at this school in November. Though Lesnoye is only 15 km from Balkasha, there are immediate differences between the two schools. Balkashana only serves students within its town borders, has running water in the school, and serves a more ethnically diverse community whereas Lesnaya school serves students from four villages, has no running water, and is about 90% ethnically Russian.

Having acquainted myself with the Balkashana English teachers previously, I observed a few of their English lessons, wrote several lesson plans with them, and taught six lessons collaboratively. Like Lesnoye, Balkashana has three English teachers: Natalia (a 20 year veteran), ‘Natalia Jr.’ (a 6 year veteran), and Anatoli (a 38 year veteran in English and German). Team-teaching 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, and 11th grades demanded energy and adaptability. Overall, the lessons flowed well considering it was the first time we taught together and the three teachers invited me to guest teach again. The students loaded me with questions and being from California helped because almost all the students knew Arnold Schwarzenegger (aka Governator) and about Hollywood . “Is there snow over there”, “what kind of car did you drive”, “why did you come to Kazakhstan ”, “do you like it here”, “do you speak Russian”, “what ethnicity are you” and “do you have a wife” were the questions received in almost every class. A day full of energy indoors.

Kazakhstan embraces its military history. February 23rd was Soviet Army Day, a holiday where respects are given to all men who served militarily under the Soviet Union . About 80% of the men I’ve met in Lesnoye(in or past their late 30s) have served in the Soviet military. These men often proudly share their numerous service stories which have taken place in Belorussia , Siberia, North Russia, Ukraine , and Armenia . In addition to WWII memorials and statues of Lenin which you will encounter in almost every village or town in North Kazakhstan , military respect is also within school walls. For instance, 10th and 11th graders attend two military classes weekly: 1. practical instruction on marching and military demeanor and 2. automobile training (big trucks and busses). Whenever I see any of my students in their camouflage uniforms, it’s due to one of these classes. Being from California , this military pride is very new to me and has provided me with several opportunities to listen to personal service stories which give me deeper insight into Kazakhstani culture.

On Soviet Army Day in Lesnoye, the female teachers treated all the men who worked at the school. Coincidentally, it was -33C on the 23rd so that meant no students. All school staff gathered for a pot luck in school at noon. The women cooked numerous dishes and even presented upbeat, humorous poems for each male staff member. Too bad I could only understand about half of the poem written for me but it was simply great to be included. The male teachers, usually stoic, were mostly smiles on this day. Another interesting and enjoyable holiday in Kazakhstan. Now, only if the snow will melt away.

Three months of Winter and just two more months of snow to go L. This past week, my manager Natalia visited Lesnoye for her first site visit. Arriving to a slightly chilly -36C, there were unfortunately no students at school so just school staff welcomed her. Natalia does site visits with all the volunteers in the Akmola and North Kazakhstan oblasts. Over some chai and sweets, she met with the director, lead English teachers, and administrators to casually discuss my professional progress and their professional wants. Thankfully, positive things were shared by the Lesnaya school staff and Natalia gave me sound practical advice on how to reach out to even more students and teachers in neighboring communities.

Lesnoye, though only 900 people strong, is the village center. Every school morning, weather permitting, a school bus brings in students (grades 5-11) from three neighboring villages: Gramikovka (300 people), Richnoye (500 people), and Baistrimovka (500 people). These students are then bussed back to their respective villages in the afternoon. Lesnaya School has about 200 students and half of them come from the three neighboring villages. Presently, I am the only PCV in Sandiktau County and this county is sprinkled with villages like Lesnoye and has a county center of Balkashana which has about 8,000 residents. The plan is to start connecting with other local teachers professionally and socially.

A month into 2010 and village life surprisingly is somewhat busy. As English clubs get going, I sometimes find myself darting up and down Main Street . There are a variety of English levels at my school. They range from students who have difficulty reading ‘hello’ or ‘hey’to those who attempt simple conversations in English. Comprehension is very challenging for most of the students. Many students, especially the younger students and the girls, appear eager to improve their English.

For now, it seems that holiday season is taking a little rest here. As mentioned in my previous blog, having to stay indoors so much is not pleasant to me yet. Strategies have been developed to avoid stagnation. On top of work and going to the gym/culture house regularly, I have begun to learn how to draw. Thanks to my Moms and Pops, I now have a book that teaches you how to draw Anime characters. So on those nights when I just don’t want to go to bed, I quietly sketch away.

The villagers continue to show their warmth. My whole life has been lived in metropolitan cities before coming to Kazakhstan . Lesnoye, being 900 people strong, though has its energy. You know your neighbors here and we’re all neighbors in Lesnoye. Almost every time I walk down Main Street , I am greeted by someone I know or vice versa. Whenever I go to any of the local stores, a conversation with the cashier or another customer is usually guaranteed. It feels good not to rush in and grab your goods and scramble out to your next task.

January is a cheery month in Kazakhstan . Usually, January does put me in the brightest of moods but over here, there are numerous celebrations to repel the solemn and cold weather that frequently accompanies January. Here are a list of Kazakhstani celebrations this month: December 31st (New Year’s Eve), January 1st (New Year’s Day), January 7th (Orthodox Christmas), January 19th (Krishenya). Chatting it up with the students outside of school and meeting new locals and hearing their stories and questions are energizing. The socializing is great but all that still needs to be done indoors. Staying indoors so often is rough on me. Being the first time I’ve lived in snow, I’m used to jumping on my bike for a refreshing morning winter ride or even sitting outside on winter evenings at a coffee shop letting that mocha warm me up. Not over here. Move, move, move when you are outside. California folks, your freezer is usually set to -20C and over here, it is -35C with some wind on top of that. So, locals put their meats and ice cream in the garage.

 Orthodox masses begin at 11 pm Christmas Eve and continues till 5am Christmas day.  I didn't go to mass but I visited the small church in Balkashana with Rashid, a fellow teacher.  Rashid gave me the history of the church and how it had to be rebuilt after the Communists initially tore it down 70 years ago.  To say the least, it's a different culture over here and many people had to struggle to communally practice their religion.  On the lighter side, plenty of colorful snow figures decorate the town center.   

New Year’s in a little Kazakhstani village can be exciting.  They take New Year’s seriously here and a lot lead up to 2010.  First, there was the Yolka on December 29th.  This is where students dress up and put on plays.  It began at 10 in the morning and ended with dancing at 10 in the night.  The Yolka is an informal, traditional, and colorful event where the audience gets involved with dancing and singing (led by the students) to traditional Russian holiday songs.  I tried my best with the dancing.  Next, there was New Year’s Eve.  My host mother, Aliona, was in the kitchen all day preparing over 10 dishes which included a goose, smoked fish, and a variety of complex salads.  We began dinner at 10 and celebrated the beginning of 2010 in the home.  Afterwards, there was dancing till 4am in the community center and we made our way over.  Many people showed up.  Fireworks and lots of energy.  New Year’s Day is just as energetic as New Year’s Eve.  Friends and family started coming over at 10 in the morning for food and drink.  The socializing only ended at 5 in the morning.  So, lots of dancing and laughter like the night before.  I have had enough meat the night before so I gobbled down almost a whole pineapple.  Tropical fruits are hard to come by here.  The warmth inside the homes is a great compromise for that bitter cold outside. 

The holiday season is in full swing here in Northern Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan’s Independence Day (December 16th), New Year’s, and Russian Christmas (January 7th) energize the solemn winter with numerous social activities.  I’ve been enjoying social occasions with the locals.  Conversations are becoming longer as my Russian gets better.  Just the other day, I had about an hour long conversation with Vladimir, the school's night watchman, about his present views on Kazakhstan and his outlook on its future.  Many breaks and pauses in the conversation but we were able to communicate 'seriously' for some time.  This social solidarity goes far in cheering one up in the sometimes depressing climate.          Here, December 25th is a work day and I indeed worked.  Teaching Christmas themed lessons cheered me up and put smiles on the student’s faces.  Students giggled their ‘Merry Christmas’ s and I even got some gifts :).  Overall, it’s been memorable. It was great for after teaching, I watched and helped some fellow teachers and students build snow figures.  It is a New Year’s tradition to construct snow figures outside the school.  I had to stop after forty minutes for my hands were painfully cold and the locals laughed.  Here in Lesnoye, New Year’s Day is when you give and receive presents and is taken much more festively than the Orthodox Christmas.  Yes, I feel nostalgia thinking about the lighted palms in downtown San Jose or when I imagine swimming in my brother’s and sister-in-law’s heated swimming pool in San Diego.  Nonetheless, loving life over here! Merry Christmas! 

Many simple pleasant goods in America cannot be found in a Kazakhstani village store. So when four packages arrived from my parents in California, I was enthused. Now, there are numerous spices, strong coffee for daily espressos, Oreos, and Bvlari cologne sitting in my room. Oh, how I cherish these things so much :) Thanks Ma and Pa.

December 16th is Kazakhstan's Independence Day so there were a few celebrations in the village. It also marked the first mini snowstorm I 'endured.' I walked about 1.5 miles in this ministorm to the gym. Angry weather! Kids have been staying home lately because the school issued a new mandate: if it's -32C outside, you stay home. Teachers still have to make their appearances at school despite the cold. Only a serious storm will keep this tropical spirit indoors. Lucky for me, I purchased a shapka (that Big Russian fur cap you always see) and wool insulated dress shoes in Kokshetau. They cost a bundle but boy, if you wear these apparels indoors, you are sweating within two minutes.

Winter has begun and it feels like it.  It’s so cold that when you spit, the spit almost immediately turns to ice when it hits the snow.  Still, it is bearable.  There are days when it is all cloudy out and it’s a warm -15C.  Then, there are days when it is sunny out and it’s an awakening -25C.        A month in Lesnoye and lots of worthwhile memories within this short time.  Teaching English to high schoolers and middle schoolers is energizing and adjusting to the village life is a present pleasant challenge.  Blessed to have a great host family whose completely different lifestyle continues to fascinate and teach me.  Arlitoli (the dad) is a hunter and Aliona (the mom) keeps the pigs and chickens in the back shed well fed.  Shoveling snow keeps one in shape.  The only meat I’ve dined on thus far in the home is freshly hunted deer.  In a few days, there will be boar meat for that was the recent prey.  Slowly, integration takes place.  I now go to the village clubhouse and exercise at the gym or play some ping pong in the evenings with the locals.  More and more conversation takes place as familiarity grows and my Russian improves.  Many of the locals know me by name and I try my best to remember the numerous Sashas, Natalias, Nadias, Sergeis, and Vladimirs.  Nevertheless, I know I am the foreigner and will have to strive in all sorts of directions to successfully integrate.           

With the end of fall approaching, dawn comes around 8:30 and dusk sets in around 6pm. With not a single traffic light and only three streetlights by the school, Lesnoye is pitch black once the day ends. It is a village with three main roads: one that leads to the village center, one that crawls up a foothill and leads to more vast forests and a river, and the final one onward to the steppes and two other local villages. Snow arrived on November 10th and it has not left. The village is more beautiful in the snow and the air is so fresh. A 15 minute morning walk is a quality cup of coffee. Being my first experience living in the snow, I love it even though it takes me about ten minutes to put on and re-check the new armored wardrobe.

As for the volunteer assignment, I taught my first English class to 10th graders recently. I will be working alongside three English teachers and teaching 5th to 10th grades. Being a village, each grade only has about 15 or so students. School begins at 9 and ends at 2:50 with no lunch break. Students from three smaller neighboring villages bus to school every morning. Lesnoye (with its 850 denizens) is the biggest village within its county. It’s been about two weeks and I am beginning to remember the lengthy Russian/Kazakh names of students and fellow teachers.

Halloween passed by and we have been officially sworn in as Peace Corps volunteers. That means all of us have travelled to our sites by bus or train. Bidding farewell to Ecik was not easy. I loved the town and will miss many locals and some fellow volunteers. Many sweet memories from Ecik will accompany me to Northern Kazakhstan. The late evenings at Café Bilora with its lively Turkish dance music, salty shashleek with local beers, and just plain conversations with locals shall bring on a smile.

The twenty seven hour train ride went by smoothly and comfortably. As the train chugs alongside the uniformly brown and gray Kazakhstani steppe, we rested in our cozy cabins. Once the train halted in Kokshetau, I knew I had left the familiar South. Russian faces outnumber Kazakh faces, Birch and Pine forests with gentle rolling hills, and the straight cutting cold. Though only a few days in the North, I can already tell that people spend more time indoors here than in the South.

Lesnoye is a clean village set against a river, Birch forests, and amidst small hills. Being relatively isolated, cell phone reception is very hard to come by. I have to go to the local town of Balkashan (12 km away) to enjoy the luxuries of the cell phone, internet, and cafe. The school has no running water now but will have it next summer when it is remodeled by Japanese aid. Rounds have been made within the school and I am eager to get aboard as an English teacher. Being the first American almost all Lesnoye citizens have met, I am greeted either solemnly but more often enthusiastically. The host family I chose to live with is Russian, made up of 4 people, and most importantly warm and helpful. It is November and locals say the snow is right around the corner and that it shall stay till April. O, this wondrous experience.

Seven weeks in Ecik have passed and now all us volunteers know, in name, where we’ll spend our next two years of service. We swear in as official Peace Corps volunteers on Halloween and then we board our trains to commence our bold journeys.

Where am I going? The destination caught me by surprise to say the least. Having never lived in snow before for more than a couple resort days, I requested the South in hopes of enduring a less severe winter. I didn’t get the South.

Lesnoye will be my home after a 26 hour train ride on Halloween. It is a pioneer site which means I will be the first Peace Corps volunteer to serve there! Invigorating! Lesnoye is a village of 2,000 people in North Central Kazakhstan. It’s one of the most northern sites where Peace Corps serves. Lesnoye is situated in a very scenic area of Kazakhstan where many tourists visit during the summer. Rolling hills and numerous lakes sprinkle the area. The village has one school and is ethnically made up 50/50 of Russians and Kazakhs. By bus, the nearest town is twenty minutes away and the central city of Kokshetau is 90 minutes away. There are eight other volunteers within hours so isolation isn’t a blatant concern. The more I ponder the placement, the more I embrace the idea of such significant change. Initially, I was stunned. How is a tropical California young man going to fare in the legendary Russian winter? As I reflected more on the placement, I became encouraged by all the possible ways to grow and give back. Very cold winters await me (-5 to -30 C) and so do very beautiful summers. Going to keep my head up and my body warm.

Sunday, September 27th, marks my first service in a Russian Orthodox Church. The service lasted about two and a half hours in the golden clad church. Three volunteers (Erica, Charlie, and Janelle) and I decided to attend the service after being politely welcomed by Vladimir, one of the church seniors.

Being part of a Russian Orthodox is a serious affair. Many chants of Lord have mercy follow respective blessings or scripture readings from the priest. Heads down in respect as the numerous offering candles flicker during the service. All women wear head scarves and throughout the service, individuals came up to kiss a holy book in glass casing. The congregation members and leaders greeted us Americans with warmth and openness.

The Patriarchs knew beforehand that us Americans were planning to attend and they came prepared. The priest seated us near the altar. As the Russian babushkas (grandmas) meandered in, an altar boy gave us a handout with the whole service translated into English. Convenient, huh. Erica and I still got lost in translation about ten minutes into the service. The priest though (God bless him) read the Gospel in English because of our presence. About an hour into the service, Lana (an author called in by the priest) translated the sermon for us in bits and pieces. Ironically, Lana claims herself to be a ‘faithful spirit’ with no attachments to any Christian denomination and we found this out during holy communion. After the service ended, we met with the Patriarchs and they briefly explained the Orthodox philosophy and checked to see if we were not missionaries. They stopped once they saw we were not going to convert but they still invited us to lunch with them. Over Russian cabbage soup, cream rice and delicious Georgian wine, we conversed for over an hour. Right now, we are all invited to attend every Sunday and to celebrate the church’s 111th birthday on October 14th. Another eventful weekend day in mysterious Kazakhstan.

Teaching at Terrishscova School got off to an unpredictable start. Instead of teaching ten kids solo, I co-taught twenty six 7th graders with a fellow volunteer, Charlie. We had to improvise and it all flowed well. Kazakhstani middle schoolers are relatively controlled when compared with their American peers. Charlie and I had to encourage them to converse rather than prevent them from erupting into mayhem.

Ecik can be fun despite its smallness. It can be explosive though. The same night I went out for some fun with the host daughter, son-in-law, and their friends, a local shot some rubber bullets at some volunteers at another café. Thankfully, it was not fatal and none of the volunteers were hurt too seriously to have to be sent to foreign doctors. This jolted me a bit and is a reminder of the precarious situation us Kaz-21 volunteers can be in due to our present inexperience.

Homesickness sets in. That’s why the past hopeful days with teaching, hiking, and domestic time goes far in keeping me afloat in an emotional sea. I am eager to continue classroom teaching and find out where Peace Corps will place me for the legendary Kazakhstani winter.

Pics from the Ecik's group first visit to the Big Apple, Almaty.

There are not many spices in Kazakhstan so sol (salt) is the condiment of choice. Hence, sol food.

Teaching is about to begin and I'm psyched. Been out of the classroom for about three months and am excited to learn and laugh as a teacher again. Presently, I shall co-teach 6th and 7th graders at Terraschova school. The students love practicing their English hellos and goodbyes as we volunteers walk down the maroon halls. Six of my students who I've known for two days already know where I live. As I showed them a few pictures, all of them preferred to check out Singapore over California. It might be the palms and beaches. Much love to those in the States, Vietnam, and Singapore.

Pics: Kazakhstan's Constitution Day (August 30th) Kazakhstan is beginning to settle into me. It’s not a holiday or a semester abroad. I’ll be here for the next few years and Kazakhstan sure is different from California and Singapore. I love tropical weather. Sweating in my Hawaiin shirts brings me a sort of pleasure. Now, they will be replaced by windbreakers and thermal underwear. It’s summer and as I look at the snowy Alta Shun Mountains on my daily morning walks to class, I sense the unpredictability of my nearby reality.

My host family’s son-in-law (Alidin) invited me to watch his team’s soccer game at a nearby village. Soccer is a man’s affair here in Kazakhstan. There was only one woman at the local game and I am quite sure I was the only out of towner. Though I spoke to Alidin on the way over to the village, few words were shared once he took off sprinting onto the field. It was somewhat awkward as the locals chatted it up and I kept my lips sealed. My limited Russian did not go far. So, to fit in, I just stood by the locals as the game begun. Day by day, Ecik becomes less foreign to me.

What’s the food like in Kazakhstan? Meat (lamb, beef), tomatoes, potatoes, and cucumbers make up the daily diet. At every meal in my Kazakh home, bread and jam appear besides sweets on the table whether it be breakfast or dinner. Few spices are used besides salt and pepper. The food has satisfied me so far and the ten daily cups of chai make it all the better. No vodka yet. Just sampled horse sausage and horse milk. Yummy! I brought out the Chinese Chilli and Zapar loved it. He now spreads it on his bread and into his meal.

The nights with the host family are filled with both silent stretches and hyper conversation. I plant myself in the kitchen and we begin conversing to the best of our abilities and moods. As the days amount, we share more time together. The only time I'm alone is when I am in the shower or going to bed. At nights, Mat (mom) helps me with my homework and afterwards, I watch American movies with Ameriki. Cowboy Bebop and Slumdog Millionaire entertained us and I only find myself in bed around midnight. Up at six and ready for eight solid hours of Russian. It's trudna (difficult) and worthwhile.

Finally here in Kazakhstan! Settling in with the host family and fellow volunteers has just been exciting and interesting. Everyday brims with new challenges and discoveries. It’s been some time since I’ve blogged because internet isn’t easy to come by in Kazakhstan.

Presently, I live in Ecik(Yezik), a town of about 30,000 people. Lucky for me, I have running water so that means I get a shower and toilet. No squatting needed yet. My host family has welcomed me warmly and generously. They are Kazakhs and have lived in Ecik for 23 years now. A host father (Atiet), mother (Mat), sister (Sistra), and brother (Brat) make the transition into Kazakhstani life smoother. I call my host parents Mama and Papa so life on the domestic front is good. Their names are Zapar (dad), Lula (Mom), Ameriki (Sister), and Deedar (Son). Though I have only been in Ecik a few days, I have done much. The family took me to Ecik Ozera (Yezik Lake) Sunday and I went swimming in an unheated pool (Grr!) with my host brother and sister that same evening. Walked around the town’s bazaar and ridden in several taxis. Anybody who owns their own car can be a taxi. You wave your hand and a car will pick you up, pay 50 tenge (33 cents), and go anywhere you want within town.

So, everything on the home front is in Russian or Kazakh and thus my head is pushed to its limits everyday. To better assimilate into the family, I plant myself in the kitchen and just begin conversing. It’s been working for I have shared hour long conversations with Mat and Sistra. Rather than ramble on, here are some pictures. Paka (Goodbye)!

A foot has not stepped on the Kazakhstani steppes yet but the Peace Corps journey commenced today. I have flown into Washington DC for staging. Goodbyes uttered to friends, family, acquaintances, loved ones the past couple of weeks. Now, I shall meet new people who will share the Peace Corps journey in Kazakhstan with me. In about four days, we will arrive in Kazakhstan in which I begin my service in a Kazakhstani village. Hooray!

Kazakhstan's packing list is quite lengthy due to the cold. Born in tropical Singapore into a family where my mother's side comes from humid South China and father's side comes from hot South India, the Kazakhstani cold will be a definite change in climate for me. Still, I am looking forward to it and realizing it takes a great deal of time and patience to shop for the cold. Kazakhstan, here we come!!!

Waiting for an invitation is fairly lengthy process. Here's my invitation timeline:

September 2008: Attended Peace Corps general information meetings

October 2008: Submitted my online application (took about one week to complete)

November 6th, 2008: Interviewed at Oakland PC office by recruiter

November 10th, 2008: Nominated by recruiter who did interview

November 13th, 2008: Recieved loads of paperwork (Medical, Dental, Legal)

December 20th, 2008: Mailed all my paperwork to Washington DC (Very busy at

dental and medical offices during these times)

March 7th, 2009: Medically and legally cleared by PC (Yes, they are meticulous about the

paperwork, so be detailed before sending it in to Washington DC)

March 9th, 2009: Received invitation packet to serve as an educator in Kazakhstan

(I had to request the Placement Officer to look over my file asap because

of my then present teaching job. He was nice enough to do it. Normally, an

invitation can take up to two months to be offered after being medically and

legally cleared)

March 11th, 2009: Accepted invitation to Kazakhstan

July 10th, 2009: Received dental clearance from PC

August 18th, 2009: Depart for service to Kazakhstan

This blog is for anyone intrigued by other cultures, especially the Kazakh culture. This August, I begin Peace Corps service in Kazakhstan. Teaching English and learning the Kazakh/Russian culture will be the forte.

Pic: In Vietnam with my uncle and two of his friends. Great times!