Thursday, August 6, 2009

Almaty, Kazakhstan

Greetings from Almaty!

Let me give you a visual of where we are: When we stepped off the airplane into fresh air (it was one of those planes where you walk down the stairs and a shuttle bus takes you to the actual airport), at 6 in the morning, after four days of travel, the first thing we saw was ice-capped mountains in the background. Almaty is the business hub of the country, and is surrounded by mountains. Gorgeous! The country is enormous, so we first flew to Kiev, Ukraine, spent a day there, and then took another six hour flight to Kazakhstan.

We're staying in the mountains, in a little camp. We're living in cabins, with two to three Americans and two to three Kazakhstanis in each one. Kazakhstanis is the term used to describe people born in Kazakhstan, but not originally from here. Kazakhs are the native people of this land, and they look Asian. Kazakhstanis usually look Eastern European (Russian, Ukrainian, etc.). The country, or at least Almaty, is a mix of each.

It is our second full day here, and Ive already been on a rollercoaster of relationship building. Of course I love our NY group, but it's the Kazakhstanis that are the most fun to get to know. I've built good friendships with some who speak slim to no English, and my Russian is non-existent. Still, when you clean an old woman's windows and floors for four hours with someone, you learn how to communicate and bond without words.
Last night, we went up to an amusement park on Kok Tobe, a beautiful, big mountain above Almaty. We rode rollercoasters that you control the speed of yourself and found a statue monument to the Beatles. Lindsay asked me at one point what I was thinking, since I looked deep in thought. I told her this:

The relationships we are building now are despite our language barriers. The problem is that this time, we are definitely not going to be able to keep in touch easily. Sure, we can be facebook friends, but all I can leave on their walls is a smiley face. We don't speak the same language, so we can't write each other messages. We can use online translation sites, but ultimately our friendships exists within the boundaries of this trip.

So, rather than being sad, I have decided this means that every moment must be my favorite moment, every second has to be the best. I am living in the moment, for the moment, with the understanding that this trip is amazing, these relationships solid. Time is always a factor, but it can be my friend if I let it. This week, I am one hundred percent living in Almaty.

I miss and love you all! Hugs and kisses from K-Stan!

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