We saw the sun today! Still very cloudy, but the fog was gone and the sun was a visible circle behind the clouds. We started the whirlwind day with a short bus tour of Almaty with two teachers from our host school, Aidana and Alibek, and some students that tagged along! We visited Independence Square, which (self-explanatory) celebrates Kazakhstan's independence as a country. There is a tall obelisk with several symbols of freedom on top - a Kazakh warrior, an Asian wildcat (like a puma), and an eagle. At the base of the obelisk is a book with an imprint of President Nazerbayev's hand. My hand fit! The square also had statues of small children riding foals. The entire monument was set in front of a series of 2D bronze friezes depicting Kazakhstan's history, from nomadic tribes to the current day. On our way to and from the square, we walked through another mall - they are very popular in Almaty! Next, we visited the beautiful Orthodox Church of the First Ascension. We were allowed to go inside, and it was astounding! The church was covered floor-to-ceiling with beautiful pictures and elaborate designs. There were many small shrine-like areas with lit candles, and the entire church smelled like incense. There were simple stained glass windows, but they gave a warm atmosphere to the inside of the building. Out of respect, our group was instructed for the girls to wear hats or a scarf, while the boys removed their hats. The church was in a large memorial park dedicated to 28 Kazakh soldiers that defended Moscow during World War II. There was a very moving monument - a massive black stone was carved into soldier's faces, and they looked down onto a long, black stone rectangle (I thought it was a reflecting pool at first). At the end of the stone was an eternal flame that has been burning since the end of the war! Earlier in the fall semester, I attended a gallery showing of pictures from the Russian far north. During his talk, the photographer described how many Americans do not realize the full cost of life that the former Soviet States paid during WWII. When I asked our guides, they confirmed it. It brought a very somber tone to the memorial. Our tour ended with a short visit to the old Academy of Sciences. During the Soviet era, it served as an Academy. Now, it is almost like a museum, with a variety of exhibits. We were running low on time, but were able to stop into an exhibit showing some parts of nomadic Kazakh life. The building itself was also beautiful - pillars, ornate painting, red carpets, and glistening chandeliers. We left for the school, and ate lunch in the cafeteria with some of the students. The school building is about 45 years old, but it is very quaint and has a delightful personality. I especially like the wooden floors and big windows in the classrooms! We had the first lesson today, and I loved getting to know the students. I am teaching about 25 students, focused on engineering. They are mostly in 10th grade, and I was impressed by their maturity! Throughout the 4-hour class, they were very engaged and respectful. We spent a lot of time brainstorming ideas for projects, and they had some creative ideas! After class, we were invited out to dinner with the Abilkhan family (one of the students). We ate traditional Kazakh food at a restaurant called Shah. For appetizers, we had salad, thin slices of raw fish, shrimp, horsemeat, tongue, and kazy (a sausage made from horsemeat). I'm proud to say that I tried a bit of everything! (Even the tongue - it was very tender.) I also drank Shubat, camel milk. It is thicker than cow milk but thinner than yogurt, and tastes sweet and slightly fizzy, like carbonated water. The main course was Beshbarmak, and I enjoyed eating with my "five fingers" as is custom. Dessert was fresh fruit and a special tea (green and black tea mixed, with honey. Very sweet!) Several members of our table were not very familiar with English, so it was a really neat experience to share a meal and enjoy conversation in spite of language barriers! I was able to pick out and converse in some Russian, and had help translating from Alibek. I'm looking forward to our morning class session tomorrow, and working more with the students! Poka (bye)! Piper (some more pictures pending :) ) Independence Square! Me and Aidana in front of one of the friezes at Independence Square. (Present day, depicting President Nazerbayev) The Church of the First Ascension, nestled in the trees. The WWII memorial and eternal flame. Meeting the students!
Salem (Hello, in Kazakh)! Today was relaxed, but delightful. Nikhil and I started off the day with a Kazakh traditional meal at a restaurant called Tyoubeteika. We tried Besbarmak, a Kazakh national food made of horse meat, pasta, and onions served in broth. Besbarmak means "five fingers" in Kazakh because the food is usually eaten with hands. It had a very subtle flavor, and reminded me of a high-quality ramen. The meat was very tender! We also had ganfan uyhurskyy, a rice dish with cooked vegetables. We met with one of the teachers at our school, Aidana, and she took us to the Kasteev Fine Arts Museum. The museum is named for the famous Kazakh artist, Kasteev, who is known for first bringing fine arts to Kazakhstan. The museum featured Kazakh, Russian, and European artists. I was familiar with the western/European art styles, from the Baroque and Renaissance periods, often painting biblical stories and myths. However, I was really drawn to the Kazakh art. The Kazakh art was beautiful to me because it was familiar, yet enlightening and new. The art was familiar in the sense that it shared some similar styles with the western European art (some was very photo-realistic, while others were more impressionistic). On the other hand, the art was exciting because it depicted Kazakh history, the life of the people, and their values. Kazakhstan was initially inhabited by nomadic tribes that relied heavily on the horse for transportation, warmth, and food. Thus, many of the paintings included horses and traditional Kazakh yurts. One of my favorite paintings shows a Kazakh warrior on a galloping horse, with a Golden Eagle perched on his arm. We stopped for dinner at another canteen, called Kaganat, down the Vesnovka. The canteens are popular in this area because of the university students! I had a beef patty with cottage cheese, rice, olivie salat (nothing to do with olives - it is pickles, hard boiled egg, corn, peas, and potatoes finely diced and tossed in mayonnaise), and of course, tea! Aidana called it "normal food" :) We have to walk very carefully on the sidewalks here. They are usually salted, but it all washes away, and you are left walking (very carefully) over bumpy ice patches - sometimes covering the whole sidewalk for yards! I feel like a penguin shuffling along so I don't slip! Tomorrow is our first day teaching - I look forward to meeting all the students! Do Skorovo, Piper Kazakh horse riding gear from the 20th century. Aidana, Nikhil, and I in front of a painting of a Kazakh warrior on horseback.
Zdravstvuite! (Hello) Today was a great day! The other MIT student I will be teaching with, Nikhil, arrived this morning, and we jumped off to the start! One of our hosts showed us around the area near our apartment. We ate lunch at a "canteen" for university students (like a 24-hour buffet). I had some chicken, puree (mashed potatoes), borscht (beet soup), and blini (crepes) with sugar and tvorog (a sweet cottage cheese). We then walked around the local area, passed the circus, and met a camel! (Camels live in the western part of the country, which is desert-like.) After passing through the Promenade, a small indoor mall, we went to Dostyk Plaza to see a movie called Diamond Sword, about Kazakh history in the 15th century. It was in Russian, and a bit beyond my comprehension, but I was able to follow the plot fairly well! While in Dostyk, we saw a reenactment of a winter fairytale and checked out a bookstore. I enjoyed seeing some of my favorites translated into Russian! After Dostyk, we ventured to Kok-Tobe (translated loosely from Kazakh as Blue Peak), a tourist spot on top of one of the largest mountains near the city. It is almost like an amusement park, with rides, gift shops, and even a small zoo. It was very hazy and dark, so we didn't have a good view of the city, but I still enjoyed looking down the mountain! We got dinner at a small dinner that used to be a Turkish cafe. We had delicious chicken soup (think chicken noodle, but without vegetables and with rice instead of noodles), pizza, and baklava (a Turkish pastry with honey and nuts - very sweet!). I learned quite a few new words, too. "Vesnovka" is the canal that the city built to channel water out of the city when snow in mountains melts in the spring. The city is built on a slight slope, so you can look literally up or down the Vesnovka. Hummingbirds are called "Calibri" (like the font name), but they are not found in Kazakhstan. I think one of the most interesting things I have noticed so far is the interaction of many cultures in the city. Almaty seems very trilingual - you often see signs or advertisements in any combination of Russian, Kazakh, and English. You also see a lot of international dining options - Chinese, Mexican, Russian, Kazakh, American (even Burger King and KFC!). American music is also very popular. You can hear it playing in large public areas like the mall, or even outside in large squares! It's interesting to hear some of my favorite Christmas songs while walking in a city halfway around the world! Do Skorovo, Piper Looking down the Vesnovka (Currently covered in snow and ice) A view of the circus, and a roller coaster! Camel Friend. Enjoying festive reindeer decorations outside Dostyk Plaza. Meeting Snegurochka, Grandfather Moroz's granddaughter, Grandfather Moroz (Frost), and other characters after the fairy tale play. Posing at Kok-Tobe.
I am so excited to finally be here! Yesterday was all travel. I left D.C. at about 6:30pm local time, and landed here in Almaty at about 1:00am Friday, local time. (Almaty is 11 hours ahead of Eastern time.) Driving through the city was beautiful. There were lights lining the streets for New Years (Novyy Gohd) and a type of Olympic games for universities here. The apartment is huge - a full kitchen, two bedrooms, one and a half bath, and a living/dining room. There is an awesome view of the mountains! (But so far the weather has been hazy and snowy). I had a very relaxed first day. After some sleep, I went shopping at a GreenMart supermarket to get some basic supplies. My Russian is a bit rusty after the long winter break, but I had a couple short conversations with some people! I took a long nap in the afternoon, and spent a bit of time settling in and preparing for my class. Tomorrow, my teaching partner arrives, and we will probably spend the day overcoming jet lag and walking around. Do Skorovo! (See you later) Piper Saying goodbye to the airport control tower in Frankfurt after a layover in Germany. Flying "past" the sunset to Almaty! The Almaty airport sign, in Cyrillic. The view from the apartment. It's very hazy in the winter, but the mountains surrounding the city are beautiful!
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AuthorI am a junior studying AeroAstro at MIT. I love rockets, airplanes, birds, and anything that flies! In my free time, I enjoy crocheting, solving sudoku puzzles, and reading. I have been learning Russian for about two years, and I'm so excited to visit Kazakhstan and learn about the beautiful country and culture!
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