Privet! Today was a lot of fun! After breakfast at the school (kasha and tea, yum!) Yerlan took Nikhil and I to see the Hazrat Sultan Mosque, the largest mosque in Kazakhstan. It was very beautiful! I loved the architecture of the mosque. Especially inside, the ceiling was ornately decorated with pretty pastel colors, and vivid stained glass windows. Men and women attend services in different parts of the mosque, so we had to split up. I had a hard time finding my way around, and after trying to communicate in Russian, I met a very sweet English-speaking lady, and she helped me. I took off my shoes, put on a temporary robe, and covered my hair (with a beautiful scarf I got in Almaty). We talked for a few minutes, and I found out that she wanted to study in America - it was a very serendipitous meeting! At the end, I heard the first part of the service, sung in Arabic. I couldn't tell what was being sung, but the melody and sound of the words was very peaceful. We returned to the school for lunch, and I taught a lesson to my students about planning experiments. They loved the Jeopardy! review game about literature reviews! I also liked teaching them a bit of rocket science, and showing them the soap bubble boat experiment. A couple MIT girls who were teaching in Almaty (they switched with us when we came up to Astana) decided to visit for the weekend, so we met with them for dinner at the top of the Moscow tower. (Astana is a very international city, and many of the buildings and living communities are named for cities around the world). There was a beautiful view of the city from the 24th floor of the tower! Dinner was also delicious. I had lamb with puree (mashed potatoes) and Red Dragon tea. The rest of the evening, I actually had an interview for a summer internship... fingers crossed :) Poka, Piper Nikhil and I outside of the mosque. I loved the spires and the intricate paintings and design. The U.S. Embassy was next door to the mosque - a little bit of home :) A delicious dinner with a beautiful view! The restaurant itself was also gorgeous, and had many traditional Kazakh decorations.
Today was a blast! Since arriving in Astana, I feel like it has been one giant day packed with excitement! My quote for the day: "Oh, it's -14 degrees Celsius today. That's not too bad." As said by one of our fellow teachers! This morning, Nikhil and I met Yerlan for breakfast at school. Kasha (porridge) with bliny (crepes) stuffed with meat, and a warming cup of tea. Then, we visited the National Museum. It was absolutely beautiful! The architecture around Astana is modern and interesting, and the museum was no exception. We didn't have time to explore the whole museum, but we saw exhibits about Kazakh traditional history (during the nomadic ages), the gold era (when Kazakhs began mining), and the Independence era (when Kazakhstan became independent from the Soviet Union). I really enjoyed some of the interactive exhibits - there was a giant scale map of Astana on the floor, with a light show, and a giant golden eagle that hung from the ceiling and moved. The map was interesting because our apartment and school are in the center of the city (like downtown) with many new and important buildings. It was prominent on the map, so it was easy to see about where our apartment would be, and how relatively small the center of the city is. After the museum, we had lunch at the school canteen (beef cutlet, rice, and borsch), then taught a class from 2 until 5pm. Today, my class finished brainstorming ideas and discussed literature reviews. The students also really enjoyed an experiment where you study refraction by placing a pencil in a cup of water (the pencil appears to break because the speed of light changes in different mediums). The students in Astana are younger and have less experience with English, so there is more of a language barrier, but they are all engaged in the class, and seem eager to learn! After class, Yerzhan took Nikhil and I to dinner at a Central Asian restaurant, Rumi. I had plov (pilaf) with kazy (horse sausage), vegetables, and beef, and some Uzbek tea (it was very sweet and herbal, I loved it!). The river was right near the restaurant, so we went to check out the annual Kazakh tradition of jumping in the freezing water! They cut a hole in the ice, and people line up in swimsuits to dunk themselves in the frigid water. I felt numb just watching them! The tradition is actually rooted in Orthodox Christian baptisms, in which water from the river is considered sacred. There was a whole winter wonderland out on the frozen river. The ice was reported to be 2 meters thick. There was a skating rink, a beautiful clock tower, an ice-slide, and snowmobiles towing people on tubes. We rode the tube behind the snowmobile, and it was so much fun! We also tried sledding down the ice slide (it was a short slide, but you got moving pretty quickly). All in all, it was a very fun evening out in the snow! My phone is already complaining that it doesn't have room for more pictures. Poka, Piper The National Museum. I especially liked the traditional Kazakh patterns on the building (left side of the picture). I found a rocket :) There are 4 Kazakh cosmonauts that have flown to the International Space Station. A Kazakh "Polar Bear Club." And I thought waterskiing at Thanksgiving in Virginia was cold... Standing 100 meters out on the river bed! In the background, you can see the blue light of the clocktower, the teal lights of the ice skating rink, and a beautiful suspension bridge in the distance. Going for a ride behind a snowmobile! You can also see some beautiful architecture in the background, and the lights of the ice-slide. A peaceful light-covered walkway along the riverbank.
...we woke up in Astana, and met one of our new guides, Yerlan, at the train station. It was about 8:30am, so he gave us a quick tour of Astana by car. The city has a population of about 1 million, and the train station and our school are on opposites sides of the city, so we got a sneak-peak of many interesting sights. The city is both old and new. Astana is bisected by the Ishim river; the "right bank" is the older city, and the "left bank" is the newer part of the city, constructed after it was made the capital of Almaty about 25 years ago. The city is very beautiful, and I love the architecture. So far, the major differences between Astana and Almaty is the architecture (Almaty was very industrial, while Astana is more ornate) and the air pollution (Almaty was very hazy because the air is trapped by the mountains, Astana has clearer air because it's located on the steppe). The winter days are much shorter in Astana than in Almaty - sunrise in Astana is about 9AM, sunset about 6PM (sunlight hours were about 8-6 in Almaty). Like Almaty, Astana was decorated very beautifully with lights to celebrate Noviy God (New Year's). Astana is also gearing up for The Expo, an upcoming international event centered around finding new renewable energy sources. After the quick tour, we went to the school (also called the Republic School of Physics and Mathematics - Almaty's sister school). The building was a bit newer than the school building in Astana; the students were equally as excited as in Almaty! We ate breakfast, then dropped our things off at our apartment, about 200 m away from the school. It's a quaint 2-bedroom space, with lots of personal effects that make it very homey. We settled in for a couple hours, then reconvened at school for lunch. We met some fellow teachers, and taught our first lesson from 2-5 PM. Nikhil and I each have about 15 students; I'm working with 8th graders, and Nikhil is working with 9th graders. Today, I introduced them to the scientific process, and guided the students in brainstorming ideas for projects to work on for the week. They had some creative ideas! After class, Yerlan and Yerzhan (a fellow teacher) went to a nearby Turkish restaurant for dinner. Like in Almaty, our apartment is very conveniently located near the school, markets, and restaurants. We had lamb and beef kabobs with smetana (sour cream, classic), vegetables, and tea. Then, Yerzhan took Nikhil and I to the Keruan Mall (also very nearby). Keruan means caravan in English, fun fact! We passed by the Bayterek Tower, a monument based off of a myth where the bird of happiness lays an egg in a poplar tree. The mall was very fun - there are a lot of clothing stores, amenities, and of course, food. I found a great treasure - a Russian children's book retelling famous Soviet cartoons. Some of my favorites that are included: Katyonok Gaff (The Kitten Named "Woof"), Cheburashka, and Dyadya Fyodor (Uncle Fyodor). I can't wait to read them and practice my Russian reading :) I also had some delicious ice cream from Bambino, a shop local to Kazakhstan. It was delicious! Tomorrow, I'm excited to meet with the students again, and see more of the city. Dobriy Vecher, (Good Evening) Piper Inside of FizMat! It's a lovely building. The Bayterek Tower with Noviy God lights. It sits along a major pedestrian walkway in the city. The bottom part of the tower represents the poplar tree, and the golden orb is the egg laid in the tree by the bird of happiness. The Keruan Mall, with three pretty buildings lit up in the background!
Our last day in Almaty was excellent. We had one final session with the students. They presented their projects, and I was excited to see the progress they had made on their ideas, and what they had learned in the course. I got to teach them a bit about different aspects of a Martian colony, and they were especially interested in space biology (how being in space affects our bodies). We had one final lunch in the canteen at school, took many photos with our students, then headed home. I had packed the night before, so while Nikhil packed, Aidana and I went to the first few minutes of the Olympiad's closing ceremony. They showed a short promo video of the events from the Olympiad, then announced the winners. We had to leave early, but one of Aidana's students won a bronze metal! Aidana, Alibek, and Askhat drove Nikhil and I to the train station. We had a final dinner part II at a small shop nearby, then climbed on the train. Even though we were there a few minutes early, it was a bit frantic boarding because there was miscommunication with the amount of luggage we could bring! It worked out fine in the end, though. We waved goodbye to our fellow teachers and friends through the window; it was a very bittersweet goodbye! It was my first time on a train, especially an overnight train (the trip was 13 hours, 7PM to 8AM). I was surprised at how smooth and quiet the ride was. Nikhil and I shared a compartment with two Kazakh people. We mostly kept to ourselves, but they were friendly and helped us set up our beds when it came time to sleep. The train ride was so relaxing - it literally rocked me to sleep! We woke up in Astana... To be continued! Piper Saying goodbye to our students in Almaty! It was a pleasure teaching them, and I enjoyed working with them and getting to know them. Our train. The picture isn't the best quality, but it was a very sleek modern train with little sleeping compartments. I hurriedly took this picture whilst trying to show my passport, say goodbye to Aidana, Alibek, and Askhat, and load myself and my luggage through a very narrow door! Nikhil and I on the train, with the beds folded out (bunkbeds!). It was very tough to get a picture that gave a sense of the whole space, but it was very small, yet comfortable. I had room to stretch out on the bed!
Our time in Almaty is rapidly drawing to a close - today was our final evening in the city! We are leaving tomorrow night around 7pm to take a 12 hour train ride to Astana, so tomorrow's post might be a bit late. This morning, I taught how to give an effective presentation, and gave some short lessons about writing a good personal essay (using the MIT essay prompts as an example) and entrepreneurship. I also showed the students some popular international science fairs, and they were really excited and engaged about the different projects, especially one conducted by a girl from Kazakhstan! We experimented with Mobius strips today, too, and the students had fun cutting the strips in different ways to see the results. (Science diversion! To make a Mobius strip, cut a piece of paper, then act like you're going to glue/tape it together into a ring. Before you tape it, flip one side of the strip over, 180 degrees, and tape the ends together. You've just turned an object with two sides into an object with one side! Trace all the way around the loop and see for yourself. If you cut a Mobius strip in half longways - hotdog style - what do you think happens? It's actually a fun little trick, try it out!) After our usual lunch break, we offered another ~3 hour office hour style session for students to meet, ask questions, and work on their presentations for tomorrow. It's really fun to see the students pull their ideas together in a presentation! I look forward to seeing them tomorrow in class. For dinner, we went to a restaurant at the ADK mall. We had some delicious Eastern European appetizers (like Kielbasa and a traditional Russian bread called Borodinsky, yum) but the main course was very American - I ordered fettuccine alfredo. I could definitely still taste the eastern influence. I also had a delicious chocolate milkshake, which was perfect for the obligatory Russian/Kazakh toast to health and happy meetings! It was our final dinner with our fellow teachers, and I enjoyed the great company and conversation. Dobriy Vecher, Piper I saw a "sarcasm sign" in one of the classrooms... Another happy reminder of my friends back home, who always have to help literal brain understand the subtlety of humor and sarcasm :) The "Fun Express" at the ADK mall. It was a little train for kids, and it spent the whole evening driving back and forth. Of course, we didn't ride it, but I found it highly entertaining.
Privet! Thus concludes my second and last weekend in Almaty... It was a nice relaxed end to the week. Nikhil, Aidana, and I explored Zelyony Bazaar, an indoor/outdoor market where you can buy literally anything: souvenirs, shoes, underwear, suits, groceries, musical instruments, jewelry, and the list goes on! Food products were inside, everything else was outdoors. Every seller had their own stall. Grocers were selling fruits (typical things like apples, bananas, citrus, pomegranates, pineapple), vegetables, spices, and meats. The meats were perhaps the most exotic to see - they were cut right there in the market! We even saw beef heart and liver. We got plaf for a late lunch (rice, veggies, and beef) with delicious hot tea, and freshly baked cheesy bread. Then, we visited a fabric/craft store nearby - it reminded me of a similar store back home in Cambridge, just packed floor-to-ceiling with yarn, fabric, buttons, and materials! In the evening, we went to the Esentai Mall (nearby Al-Farabi University). All of the stores were very expensive clothing stores and the like (Gucci, Prada, Michael Kors). And, one of the few Starbucks in Almaty! While American-style food is popular here, fast food chains are only now starting to break in. The mall was decorated beautifully for Noviy God (New Year's, celebrated throughout most of January!) with lights and a Christmas tree. Outside, the lights were also beautiful in a small courtyard. I was so excited to see a small version of the Alchemist - a famous statue in front of MIT. Interestingly enough, there is also a version of the Alchemist in Los Angeles, near Beverly Hills. I enjoyed the walk home along the Vesnovka. It was cold, but I enjoyed seeing the city and lights along the way. Dobriy Vecher (Good evening)! Piper Nikhil and Aidana in Zelyony Bazaar by some fruit. The green sign in the background says "Reeba" (fish). Another view of the bazaar... the more "tame" produce section with none of the meat stalls! Me and Aidana in the mall with beautiful lights and chandeliers! The Alchemist in Almaty! A nice reminder of my dear Institute :)
Hello everyone, I had such a great time today! Nikhil, Aidana, Alibek and I went to both Medeo and Shymbulak, two very famous outdoor attractions in Almaty. Medeo is the highest-elevation ice rink in the world, and Shymbulak is a beautiful ski resort in the mountains near Almaty. The drive up to the mountains was beautiful. It snowed yesterday, so everything was lightly dusted in powder. I especially loved the tall, full pine trees and the terrain. We started at Medeo; I loved the beautiful view of the mountains, as well as the ice rink itself. It was huge, with a large area in the middle for fancy figure skating. There were no railings, so skaters can get on and off the rink wherever along the circumference. There were also little shops/food vendors outside, right next to the rink, so that skaters could grab a bite to eat without taking off their skates. It reminded me of a little village. I missed my nice pair of skates, but the rental pair wasn't too bad, and I was able to get them sharpened so I didn't skid around on the ice too much. We grabbed some food and hot chocolate before heading to Shymbulak. We actually took a gondola from Medeo to Shymbulak through the mountains. It was so peaceful and naturally, I enjoyed the bird's eye view of the scenery! It was about a 15-20 minute ride, and we often lost sight of the road below. Shymbulak was similar to Medeo in that there were so many outdoor food shops! We walked around for a bit, watched some trick skiers do spins and flips, and then Nikhil and I got some rental equipment! To my pleasant surprise, the rental was much more affordable than back in the U.S... I warmed up a bit on the bunny slope. It's been years since I've skied, but I still remember "french fry" and "pizza" and how to go down the mountain curving back and forth. I really enjoyed the slope next to the bunny slope (still an easy slope, but steeper and longer. A good match for my experience at this point I think). At Shymbulak, I loved being right in the mountains. We were above the smog of the city, which we actually saw rise and increase over the day. I loved the chance to see the nature surrounding the city. Both Medeo and Shymbulak seemed very popular for both tourists and residents, and that was really cool to see. It was a very long day, but it was such a satisfying feeling to warm up at dinner with some soup! Tomorrow, I'm going to test my negotiating skills at the Zelonie Bazaar (Green Bazaar). Do skorovo! Piper A beautiful sunny day at Medeo. I barely even needed a coat! I do love Medeo! (written in Cyrillic) Beautiful Shymbulak a few minutes before the slopes closed. The sun had set behind some mountains, but you could still the light on others!
Privet! Today was a really busy but super fun day! In class, we learned about scheduling and budgets, and the students practiced adding a schedule and budget to their experimental plans from yesterday. We also learned how to apply thermodynamics and the ideal gas law to systems by exploring some cool science videos. I wanted to do the demos live in class, but they both involved substantial amounts of fire, so I decided that videos were a bit safer. I also really liked teaching the students about how rocket engines and nozzles work. It was a nice tie-in from the demos we watched, and the students were really good at engaging and participating. Plus, I've heard it said that a sign of understanding is being able to explain concepts to others... so this must be a good sign :) After class, Nikhil and I accompanied some of our fellow teachers (Aidana, Alibek, and Askhat) to the opening ceremony of the Physics, Mathematics, and Informatics International Olympiad that our school is hosting. The ceremony was really cool, featuring students in traditional Kazakh dress, a beautiful student orchestra playing traditional Kazakh instruments (like dombra, kobyz, and others), and even a local singer. There were teams from all over Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and each team was escorted onto the stage for a professional picture with their national flag. The ceremony reminded me of so many of my happy memories from my visit to Russia for the 2012 Space Olympics. I know these students will have an equally amazing experience! After the ceremony, Aidana, Nikhil, and I went to the Abai theater to see The Nutcracker ballet. It was my first time seeing a "feature length" ballet live, and I was very impressed! I was able to follow the plot line fairly well. It seemed to me that the first act was mostly the narrative about the girl and the Nutcracker, and their adventures. The second act was more focused on the skills of the ballerinas as dancers. We followed the show with dinner at a burger place nearby, to compare with American burgers! They were pretty similar, but the beet-like pickles and homemade mayo definitely gave the burger a Eurasian vibe. We took the metro to get home, and I think it was the cleanest, prettiest metro I have ever seen. There were beautiful tile walls, stained glass, and mosaics in some places. The station architecture had arches and curved walls, and the train was tidy and neat. Nikhil and I couldn't believe it was a subway! I am excited for the adventure to continue tomorrow! Do svidaniya (good bye), Piper Beautiful snow this morning! It snowed a fresh layer of powder all day. Should be great for skiing tomorrow... The traditional Kazakh orchestra. The instrument on the very left is the dombra, and the one to its right is the kobyz. I loved the dombra! Stained glass. In a metro station. Beautiful! The letters under the apple tree spell Almaty. (The symbol of the city is the apple because of the meaning of the city's name in Kazakh) Kazakh train. Choo Choo!
Salem! Today was a really fun day! I taught the students about how to write an experimental plan (materials, procedures, data collection, etc.) and showed some of my past projects as examples. We also practiced by conducting an experiment about surface tension: fill a pan with water and cut a small "boat" out of cardboard with a notch in the back of the boat. Float the boat on top of the water, and place a drop of dish detergent in the notch of the boat. This causes the boat to shoot forward! (The dish soap disrupts the surface tension of the water by "stealing" bonds with other water molecules. This puts a force imbalance on the boat, causing it to move.) The kids loved it, and we tried dish detergent, shampoo, and conditioner. It's challenging, but really fun to think of fun science experiments that I can show them with very limited supplies. I also really enjoyed teaching the students some rocket science today - we derived the rocket equation and learned about the components of a rocket. I even got some delicious chocolates from some of my students today! I was so touched :) After class, Nikhil and I played ping pong for a few minutes with our fellow teachers. Then, we met other students (10th grade, but not in our classes) for a Q&A session. They asked great questions about MIT, life in America, and the application process. In the evening, we were invited to go bowling with several students and parents. It was a great time talking with the students outside of class, showing off my horrible bowling skills (but I did get a few strikes!) and eating a nice simple dinner. Sorry for not having many pictures the past couple days - I will be better about taking/posting pictures! Poka, Piper The kids loved the soap-powered boat experiment!
Dobriy Vecher! (Good evening) Today started with more delicious porridge, and one of my personal Russian favorites, sirnicky (a small, thin cake made of tvorog (cottage cheese) and topped with a mild yogurt). Class today was very fun - I taught the students Jeopardy to play a review game about literature reviews, and we conducted an aerodynamics experiment using forks and spoons to demonstrate Bernoulli's principle. We also talked about making posters for science fairs, and the students practiced making posters of their own. After class, we then toured the Kazakh-British Technical University (KBTU). The tour included a visit to the nanotechnology lab (they manufacture solar panels for space!), the maritime institute, the digital media technologies lab, and the faculty of information technology. We also had the honor of meeting the Vice President for Academic and Information Technology, and talk with some students about their experiences at the University. After the tour, we were invited to dinner with the Bekkhozhin family (one of our students). The restaurant was beautiful, in a giant room with a ceiling covered in paintings and designs depicting nomadic Kazakh life. As is usual in restaurants and cafeterias in Kazakhstan, we washed our hands before the meal (there is often a special area outside of the bathrooms just for this purpose!) Nikhil and I were instructed to sit at a corner of the table far away from the entrance. I read that this was a sign of respect, and guests normally sit far away from the entrance of a room - Kazakhs follow this tradition with care! Appetizers included fried fish, salad, sausage, baursak bread, and a dumpling-like dish filled with meat and vegetables. The main course was fried chicken with rice, french fries, and beet salad. There was also a great selection of fruit and some pretty pink pastries for dessert! (With of course, a cup of hot tea). I enjoyed talking with the student and his family; his mother spoke English very well, and we talked about our life at MIT, and how she compared life in the USSR versus independent Kazakhstan. I also spoke a bit of Russian with the student's grandmother! Tomorrow I look forward to teaching the students about rocketry! Poka, Piper Students hard at work on their posters!
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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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