Saturday, March 29, 2008
Nauryz Road Trip (Part 5 of 5)
This is the culmination of my Nauryz posts. I think I saved the best tradition for last. I had heard about this game getting played many times, but I had never seen it. The game is called Kok Par. It is a cross between polo and basketball, with a little bit of animal abuse thrown in for good measure. The "ball" (I use that term lightly) is a goat whose head has been cut off. The Kazakh young men (jigits) are on two opposing teams. The goal of the game is to get the "ball" and throw it into the "hoop". The "hoop" is a large, elevated, circular cement platform surrounded by old tires. The "hoop" can be seen below and is painted white. The "ball" starts off near the one sideline at midfield. The players line up opposite the "ball" on the other sideline. When the official makes a signal, both teams race for the "ball" trying to be the first to pick it up and carry it to their goal. This includes fending off biting, whipping, and other forms of attack by the opposing team while your own team tries to protect the "ball". When the "basket" is scored, the jigit that scored the "basket" carries the "ball" to midfield where it bounces a few times before coming to rest so that play can resume. The jigits that play this game are extremely strong and are tough competitors. It was pretty amazing to watch their agility as they leaned down from on top of their horse and touched the ground while picking up the "ball". They did this in a crowd of about 20 other jigits and their horses. Sounds like a game I would have wanted to play growing up, but wouldn't have been allowed to on account of being a girl.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Kids Connection Delegation
The Kids Connection delegation arrived in Kazakhstan on Wednesday morning. It has been a busy few days. We have a relaxing day in the mountains planned for tomorrow. If you would like to see some of the things that the delegation has been doing you can go to the Interlink Blog.
Although today was a bit tiring, it was very rewarding. I helped to plan a photo scavenger hunt for the delegation and 15 Youth Impact participants. At first, I wasn't sure if they were going to have fun. They all looked at me like I was a bit crazy when I explained what they were doing. After two hours running all over town, they returned to the office. Many of them took one or two last minute pictures while staying near enough to the office to not miss the deadline and loose points. Afterwards, we had dinner as an entire group.
It was so much fun to see the youth interacting with the Americans. It is very rare that you have a group of adults and youth (especially from two cultures) sitting in the same room laughing and telling stories. Each group was telling the others what kinds of pictures they took. Many of the delegates mentioned that this was one of the highlights of their trip (for some it has been the 3rd or 4th highlight in less than 3 days). One thing I especially enjoy about delegations, is watching the delegates begin to catch a vision for the work that we are doing. It is fun to see them start to fall in love with the wonderful people of Kazakhstan. All the extra work of having guests is worth it when you see the impact these delegates made on the lives of these youth after just a couple hours with them and the impact the youth made on them in the same short time.
Although today was a bit tiring, it was very rewarding. I helped to plan a photo scavenger hunt for the delegation and 15 Youth Impact participants. At first, I wasn't sure if they were going to have fun. They all looked at me like I was a bit crazy when I explained what they were doing. After two hours running all over town, they returned to the office. Many of them took one or two last minute pictures while staying near enough to the office to not miss the deadline and loose points. Afterwards, we had dinner as an entire group.
It was so much fun to see the youth interacting with the Americans. It is very rare that you have a group of adults and youth (especially from two cultures) sitting in the same room laughing and telling stories. Each group was telling the others what kinds of pictures they took. Many of the delegates mentioned that this was one of the highlights of their trip (for some it has been the 3rd or 4th highlight in less than 3 days). One thing I especially enjoy about delegations, is watching the delegates begin to catch a vision for the work that we are doing. It is fun to see them start to fall in love with the wonderful people of Kazakhstan. All the extra work of having guests is worth it when you see the impact these delegates made on the lives of these youth after just a couple hours with them and the impact the youth made on them in the same short time.
Nauryz Road Trip (Part 4 of 5)
During the Nauryz festivities we got to watch a game called Kuz Kuu. This is a game played by a young woman and young man (jigit) on horseback. First, the girl gets a bit of a headstart and the jigit tries to catch up with her. If he does, he gets to kiss her even if she doesn't really want it. Then, it is her turn for fun. They take off coming back and if she catches the guy, she gets to whip him with her whip. The girls playing the game were vicious. Some used their whip and others used their hands to hit the guys. Many of the guys took off their hats and waved them towards their girl as an added line of defense. The crowd really got into it. Here are some pictures that Ember took.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Nauryz Road Trip (Part 3 of 5)
While at the hippodrome, we saw several different events. One of them was wrestling. Often, when I think of wrestling I think of two strong men going at each other in a ring. Well, this is a bit different. First, the two men are sitting atop horses. Each one has his shirt off and has a piece of cloth tied around his stomach. This gives them a bit of a handle when wrestling. As far as I could tell, the goal was to force the other man off his mount. This became especially entertaining with a mob of about 100 people creating a circle around the official and two participants. It also was made a bit more interesting by the whips each man carried to try to encourage his horse to move they way that would be most helpful. Here are some shots I got of this new form of wrestling.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Nauryz Road Trip (Part 2 of 5)
Nauryz Concert
During our trip to Shymkent, we had the opportunity to watch a Nauryz concert with about 300 performers. Most of the participants were students. All the costumes and props were pretty amazing. Here are some of my favorite pictures.
During our trip to Shymkent, we had the opportunity to watch a Nauryz concert with about 300 performers. Most of the participants were students. All the costumes and props were pretty amazing. Here are some of my favorite pictures.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Nauryz Road Trip (Part I of 5)
Ember, Beth, and I drove to Shymkent on Friday evening to attend Nauryz (Kazakh New Year) celebrations. Our Hippodrome (place where horse races take place) here in Taraz was not hosting any races, so we decided to make the three hour drive to Shymkent.
After such a cold winter, the roads were exceptionally bad. At any time, the three hour trip can be full of excitement, but on Friday and Saturday we had even more fun than usual. We came across the normal cows walking down the middle of street, although this group had a grandmother and three boys on a donkey leading the cows. There were also unexpected patches of road where there was no pavement. Instead, there was a filler of rocks (definitely not little pebbles) and dirt to try to avoid. At one point the sunset was just ahead of us. Beth started to drive a little faster in order to catch up for good pictures, only to be stopped by huge patches of missing road that could only be crossed at a really slow pace. At another point, we saw traffic that was supposed to be on our side of the four lane, divided highway driving on the other side because the road was much better over there and they could go faster without risking loosing a tire on a rock in the middle of what should be the road. Thankfully, we didn't have to contend with this when we were coming the other direction.
We were rewarded by a great day at the hippodrome. We saw a concert, met up with friends, and even saw parasailors. This was all on top of all the traditional horse activities. We got to see so much that it will take me five different blogs to write about all of it and share pictures. I hope you enjoys the stories.
After such a cold winter, the roads were exceptionally bad. At any time, the three hour trip can be full of excitement, but on Friday and Saturday we had even more fun than usual. We came across the normal cows walking down the middle of street, although this group had a grandmother and three boys on a donkey leading the cows. There were also unexpected patches of road where there was no pavement. Instead, there was a filler of rocks (definitely not little pebbles) and dirt to try to avoid. At one point the sunset was just ahead of us. Beth started to drive a little faster in order to catch up for good pictures, only to be stopped by huge patches of missing road that could only be crossed at a really slow pace. At another point, we saw traffic that was supposed to be on our side of the four lane, divided highway driving on the other side because the road was much better over there and they could go faster without risking loosing a tire on a rock in the middle of what should be the road. Thankfully, we didn't have to contend with this when we were coming the other direction.
We were rewarded by a great day at the hippodrome. We saw a concert, met up with friends, and even saw parasailors. This was all on top of all the traditional horse activities. We got to see so much that it will take me five different blogs to write about all of it and share pictures. I hope you enjoys the stories.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter! We had a very nice Easter including games, water fights, singing, and even a special Easter surprise provided by a local shepherd. As a team we went out to the mountains for a picnic. We had the wonderful treat of ham and cheese sandwiches. We were even able to find lettuce, which is amazing for this time of year.
After our meal Olya, Ken, Ember, and I played some Canasta while Beth went and took pictures of some nearby cows. We had fun remembering Easters that we have celebrated in the past and enjoying the beautiful creation that surrounded us.
As we were leaving, a local shepherd came riding up to us on his horse. When he recognized us as the Americans (the last time we met him he let several of the group ride his horse), he pointed to a plastic bag hanging from his saddle. There was a small tear in the bag with a tiny nose sticking out. He told us that the nose belonged to a small lamb that was just two hours old. He then proceeded to take it out of the bag and we each got to hold it. What an appropriate reminder of the holiday we were celebrating.
After our meal Olya, Ken, Ember, and I played some Canasta while Beth went and took pictures of some nearby cows. We had fun remembering Easters that we have celebrated in the past and enjoying the beautiful creation that surrounded us.
As we were leaving, a local shepherd came riding up to us on his horse. When he recognized us as the Americans (the last time we met him he let several of the group ride his horse), he pointed to a plastic bag hanging from his saddle. There was a small tear in the bag with a tiny nose sticking out. He told us that the nose belonged to a small lamb that was just two hours old. He then proceeded to take it out of the bag and we each got to hold it. What an appropriate reminder of the holiday we were celebrating.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Springing from Lost Dreams
Hi everyone! This has been a good week, although busy. I have been trying to get back into the swing of things and prepare for a delegation that arrives on next Wednesday. It has been really fun to be back at the orphanages.
A few months ago I wrote a blog about lost dreams. In it I wrote about a boy whose dream of being in the military seemed to have been shattered. I wanted to update you a little about his situation and that of one of the other graduates at Saramoldaeva. Thankfully, it looks like he was the one who decided that he didn't want to be in the military. Previously, he had heard that you get free housing if you are in the military and since he was concerned about housing, he thought he should take up a career in the military. He doesn't really want to live the life of a military man. He also doesn't really want to go to University. He sounds like he likes the idea of learning to work for the railroad. One of his caregivers knows someone that works on the railroad and it is likely that after he receives training at a technical college, he will be able to find a good, consistent job.
As Olya and Keekzhan talked with him, they also spent a lot of time talking with the other boy from our group that will be graduating this year. He enjoys school and has the opportunity to go on to University after graduation. He wants to get a degree in Oil and Gas. He is currently preparing for entrance exams. If he does well enough (which is very difficult to do), he will be able to get a scholarship. If not, he will need to pay around $3000 for a year of school (this includes renting an apartment and tuition). We are currently helping him take Kazakh lessons and have purchased books in order to help him prepare for these tests.
It is exciting to see the way that Olya, Muldir, and Keekzhan are able to encourage these youth as they prepare for the world outside the orphanage. I will keep you updated as these and other youth that we work with make decisions about their future. It is fun to be able to have an impact on their lives.
A few months ago I wrote a blog about lost dreams. In it I wrote about a boy whose dream of being in the military seemed to have been shattered. I wanted to update you a little about his situation and that of one of the other graduates at Saramoldaeva. Thankfully, it looks like he was the one who decided that he didn't want to be in the military. Previously, he had heard that you get free housing if you are in the military and since he was concerned about housing, he thought he should take up a career in the military. He doesn't really want to live the life of a military man. He also doesn't really want to go to University. He sounds like he likes the idea of learning to work for the railroad. One of his caregivers knows someone that works on the railroad and it is likely that after he receives training at a technical college, he will be able to find a good, consistent job.
As Olya and Keekzhan talked with him, they also spent a lot of time talking with the other boy from our group that will be graduating this year. He enjoys school and has the opportunity to go on to University after graduation. He wants to get a degree in Oil and Gas. He is currently preparing for entrance exams. If he does well enough (which is very difficult to do), he will be able to get a scholarship. If not, he will need to pay around $3000 for a year of school (this includes renting an apartment and tuition). We are currently helping him take Kazakh lessons and have purchased books in order to help him prepare for these tests.
It is exciting to see the way that Olya, Muldir, and Keekzhan are able to encourage these youth as they prepare for the world outside the orphanage. I will keep you updated as these and other youth that we work with make decisions about their future. It is fun to be able to have an impact on their lives.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Book Dedication
It is good to be back in Taraz! We arrived on the train this morning at 3:30. I am a little tired from the travel, but I think I'll be back to normal tomorrow. While I was gone, a lot of different activities happened. You can check them out on the Interlink Blog. One of those activities was the dedication of a book that we helped Saramoldaeva orphanage print in December. Here is an excerpt that I think shows the importance of what we do with the children.
“Our Interlink” kindly reminds the children about their sponsors. Sara Coggins always comes to visit the children with other employees. The employees of Interlink are always desirable guests for the children. The children spend time playing and talking to Americans. Two girls were happily learning English with Zina Omarova. Sara is always kind and affable to the children. Her kind smile is always shining. They have done a lot of things for the children that make the children feel comfortable and cozy. The company bought a computer with a printer and a computer desk for the orphanage. The children were very happy when the employees of Interlink came before the start of the school year to congratulate them on a new school year and wish them good studies. They also came to the orphanage and brought an oval table and chairs for all the girls, a microwave oven, and a television stand. Everyone knows that it’s hard to be without hot water in the Spring and Fall, so to help with this situation, the employees of Interlink bought a hot water heater and a washing machine. The children were ready to go to school thanks to the help of Interlink Resources, Inc. Teachers from the 18th group said that in summer Interlink completed repairs. Now it is comfortable. Sara often comes to the orphanage. For New Years the girls were given dresses, toys, and video and audio players by Interlink Resources. Sara has also given a lot of pictures. The children say, “We are thankful to our sponsors.” Every month this company organizes a birthday party for the children, where they give presents, candy, and more.
“Our Interlink” kindly reminds the children about their sponsors. Sara Coggins always comes to visit the children with other employees. The employees of Interlink are always desirable guests for the children. The children spend time playing and talking to Americans. Two girls were happily learning English with Zina Omarova. Sara is always kind and affable to the children. Her kind smile is always shining. They have done a lot of things for the children that make the children feel comfortable and cozy. The company bought a computer with a printer and a computer desk for the orphanage. The children were very happy when the employees of Interlink came before the start of the school year to congratulate them on a new school year and wish them good studies. They also came to the orphanage and brought an oval table and chairs for all the girls, a microwave oven, and a television stand. Everyone knows that it’s hard to be without hot water in the Spring and Fall, so to help with this situation, the employees of Interlink bought a hot water heater and a washing machine. The children were ready to go to school thanks to the help of Interlink Resources, Inc. Teachers from the 18th group said that in summer Interlink completed repairs. Now it is comfortable. Sara often comes to the orphanage. For New Years the girls were given dresses, toys, and video and audio players by Interlink Resources. Sara has also given a lot of pictures. The children say, “We are thankful to our sponsors.” Every month this company organizes a birthday party for the children, where they give presents, candy, and more.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Nine Hours in Bangkok
I am currently sitting in the Bangkok airport. We have a nine hour layover and I was able to find a free internet spot, so I figured I'd try to do some updating about my time in Thailand. Since it has been two weeks of fun, I figured a list of highlights would be the easiest way to communicate things.
Highlights From Thailand Trip
Cramming 4 of us into the back of a tuk-tuk and driving all over Bangkok. A tuk-tuk is a small vehicle that is square and small. The driver sits up front and the passengers sit behind. We were able to fit four of us in a space that was probably 3 square feet or smaller.
Hint for getting a massage in Thailand: Choose the oil massage, not the traditional Thai massage if you would like to be able to move the next day. Knees, elbos, fingers, and all other body parts are used to beat your muscles into submission by attacking every possible pressure point in the body.
Banana Boat: Just picture four of us flying over the waves on this big inflatable banana-looking tube. Fifteen minutes seemed like an eternity as our driver was not content with the fact that we were actually staying on the raft and not flipping over.
Jet skiing on the Ocean: We had so much fun the first time, that Jason and I went out a second time on our last day at the beach. The first time the waves were pretty big, so we couldn't go extremely fast (but we caught a lot of air). The second time the Ocean was pretty smooth and we were able to go as fast as it could go!
Elephant Ride: Riding on top of an elephant is pretty entertaining. I think my favorite part was when Jason got to ride on the head of the elephant and was threatening (in a very calm voice) the elephant just in case she chose to make a poor decision and take us down into a hole nearby.
Basketball: I had a chance to watch about 10 basketball games during the second part of our trip. I have friends in Chiang Mai and their children had basketball tournaments the week I was there. It was fun to be able to watch basketball again and spend time with friends.
Zip lining through the jungle: This was a fun experience. We flew between 12 different platforms, walked across shaky bridges, and were lowered down several hundred feet to get to the next platform.
Night Safari: On our last night, we went on a night safari. We rode in trams through a wilderness that was created for all kinds of animals (from tigers to bison to wild boars). It was pretty impressive. After the safari, there was an impressive 15 minute light show. We did this with my friends that live in Chiang Mai. It was fun to spend our last evening with friends while seeing some new sites.
Shopping: Thailand could not be Thailand without shopping. Total, I probably spent over 10 hours in places where shopping could be done. It just wasn't possible to get away. There were even opportunities to buy things while riding on elephants. Our drivers stopped the elephants and pulled out a small box containing jewelry made from elephant tusks. Up to this point, Jason and I thought we were safe from shopping for a few hours.
Well, it was a great trip and just what I needed. The length was perfect. I am looking forward to getting back to Kazakhstan and my work.
Highlights From Thailand Trip
Cramming 4 of us into the back of a tuk-tuk and driving all over Bangkok. A tuk-tuk is a small vehicle that is square and small. The driver sits up front and the passengers sit behind. We were able to fit four of us in a space that was probably 3 square feet or smaller.
Hint for getting a massage in Thailand: Choose the oil massage, not the traditional Thai massage if you would like to be able to move the next day. Knees, elbos, fingers, and all other body parts are used to beat your muscles into submission by attacking every possible pressure point in the body.
Banana Boat: Just picture four of us flying over the waves on this big inflatable banana-looking tube. Fifteen minutes seemed like an eternity as our driver was not content with the fact that we were actually staying on the raft and not flipping over.
Jet skiing on the Ocean: We had so much fun the first time, that Jason and I went out a second time on our last day at the beach. The first time the waves were pretty big, so we couldn't go extremely fast (but we caught a lot of air). The second time the Ocean was pretty smooth and we were able to go as fast as it could go!
Elephant Ride: Riding on top of an elephant is pretty entertaining. I think my favorite part was when Jason got to ride on the head of the elephant and was threatening (in a very calm voice) the elephant just in case she chose to make a poor decision and take us down into a hole nearby.
Basketball: I had a chance to watch about 10 basketball games during the second part of our trip. I have friends in Chiang Mai and their children had basketball tournaments the week I was there. It was fun to be able to watch basketball again and spend time with friends.
Zip lining through the jungle: This was a fun experience. We flew between 12 different platforms, walked across shaky bridges, and were lowered down several hundred feet to get to the next platform.
Night Safari: On our last night, we went on a night safari. We rode in trams through a wilderness that was created for all kinds of animals (from tigers to bison to wild boars). It was pretty impressive. After the safari, there was an impressive 15 minute light show. We did this with my friends that live in Chiang Mai. It was fun to spend our last evening with friends while seeing some new sites.
Shopping: Thailand could not be Thailand without shopping. Total, I probably spent over 10 hours in places where shopping could be done. It just wasn't possible to get away. There were even opportunities to buy things while riding on elephants. Our drivers stopped the elephants and pulled out a small box containing jewelry made from elephant tusks. Up to this point, Jason and I thought we were safe from shopping for a few hours.
Well, it was a great trip and just what I needed. The length was perfect. I am looking forward to getting back to Kazakhstan and my work.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Fun, Fun, Fun
I am still having a blast in Thailand. We are now in the city of Chiang Mai. I have had the chance to see some friends here (He was the principal of the school I taught at in Denver). I have even seen most of their children play basketball for school, which has been really fun. Today I went zip-lining through the jungle. Due to limited internet access, I haven't been able to post many pictures or stories this week. I will try to post some more pictures of my time once I am back in Kazakhstan. We leave here on Friday morning. This has been just the rest I needed between a couple busy seasons in Taraz!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Two Dogs and Fishing Line
Today we arrived at the beach. We had a nice time of swimming, reading, and just relaxing on the beach all afternoon. I even got to eat mango - my favorite fruit from my time growing up in Kenya. I even went for a swim in the pool. After dinner tonight (which was a great sweet and sour shrimp meal that the waiter recommended) I decided to just go for a walk by myself on the beach. I have two funny stories from that time.
First, I almost got eaten by two dogs. I must have crossed into their territory at some point. Both dogs came after me. I made sure I didn't turn my back on them (causing them to want to play a game of chase the running away person), but started walking the opposite direction. One dog gave up after not too long, but the second dog was not going to have his beach walked on by me. I clapped my hands to try to scare him away when he got closer, but instead of helping it caused him to start growling and come nearer. At this point I backtracked into the water. He stayed at the edge of the water and followed me barking for at least 100 yards. I guess I finally crossed out of his jurisdiction and he decided to leave me alone. I could then return to the lapping of water instead of shin deep in the water and wondering if I would need to go for a swim.
Second, I cam upon a man fishing. He didn't seemed concerned with me, so I kept walking. After I had passed his spot, I got a fishing line right across my neck from his last pole that was resting in the sand. After the dog experience, I jumped a little, but quickly realized what it was, untangled myself, and continued on my walk.
It was a wonderfully, relaxing walk. It was so nice to just have some time to myself where I could just walk along the beach and be amazed by God's creation. What a wonderful God!
First, I almost got eaten by two dogs. I must have crossed into their territory at some point. Both dogs came after me. I made sure I didn't turn my back on them (causing them to want to play a game of chase the running away person), but started walking the opposite direction. One dog gave up after not too long, but the second dog was not going to have his beach walked on by me. I clapped my hands to try to scare him away when he got closer, but instead of helping it caused him to start growling and come nearer. At this point I backtracked into the water. He stayed at the edge of the water and followed me barking for at least 100 yards. I guess I finally crossed out of his jurisdiction and he decided to leave me alone. I could then return to the lapping of water instead of shin deep in the water and wondering if I would need to go for a swim.
Second, I cam upon a man fishing. He didn't seemed concerned with me, so I kept walking. After I had passed his spot, I got a fishing line right across my neck from his last pole that was resting in the sand. After the dog experience, I jumped a little, but quickly realized what it was, untangled myself, and continued on my walk.
It was a wonderfully, relaxing walk. It was so nice to just have some time to myself where I could just walk along the beach and be amazed by God's creation. What a wonderful God!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Thailand!
We made it safely to Thailand. We have spent the last couple days seeing the sights of Bangkok. Yesterday, we rode a tuk-tuk (little tiny cart that drives through the streets) all over the place. Most of the time two (maybe three) people ride in these. Well, we have four people, so we were all piled into the back of one (with Ken sitting on the floor). We went to the Grand Palace and went on a boat ride through the canals of the city. It was enjoyable, although I'm not sure how much I enjoyed the 100 degree weather. Tomorrow morning we will head to the beach. I have added some pictures of some of the sites on the slide show and will try to continue to add them as I have some down time.
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