Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone!  Today we had a special party at the office.  We were able to host the party because my English club took charge of all of the activities, games, and food.  Additionally, a local teacher provided gifts for the children.  So many people came together to make this a special day for eleven children.  The children came to us from an organization that helps protect the rights of those with disabilities.  Each child either had a disability, had a parent with a disability, or came from a poor family.

My English club has been planning for the party for several week.  They came in on a school holiday to prepare as well as spending most of the day today preparing and hosting the party.  They brought snacks to share with the children and prepared some fun games and skits.  The children sang, danced, colored, played games, solved riddles, and watched a puppet show.

It was really fun to see the students in my English club interact with the children.  Many of them had not interacted with a child with disabilities before and they did a wonderful job.  They made sure everyone was included.  My favorite part was when one twin girl (both of whom have Cerebral Palsy) told me "We would come to your office every day if we didn't live so far away."  In the fall these girls' mother described how her children don't like to go to preschool because the children stare at them and don't like to play with them.  I am so glad they enjoyed their time today and didn't feel ostracized.  Their smiles were contagious.

If you would like to see more pictures, you can check out Interlink's Facebook Page.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  I hope you all have a wonderful week as you celebrate Christmas!  I am having a fun time in Shymkent.  It has been snowing all day, so we will even have a White Christmas!  The last week has been a bit crazy, but fun.  Here are some of the highlights.

• Christmas party with the foreigners living in Shymkent
• Laughing with friends
• Learning more about physical therapy for children
• Purchasing equipment for the club we are going to be starting for families of children with disabilities
• Watching Christmas movies
• Decorating Christmas cookies
• Eating lots of yummy treats
• Picking up some books we had stored in Shymkent
• Visiting Savva to give out New Year's gifts
• Driving seven hours in two days
• Purchasing a crock pot (pretty excited that they have these now in Kaz)

A New Experience

My morning English club was able to participate in something brand new for them.  They went with me to do some activities with the 11 children I work with on a weekly basis.  They have a wide range of disabilities, from cleft palates to Cerebral Palsy.  Most of these children had never interacted individually with an individual with a disability.  We spent a couple weeks preparing as we looked at pictures of the children and baked cupcakes.

Last week we spent the morning with the children.  Since New Years is coming up and here they have New Years trees, we had a couple activities related to what we would call a Christmas tree in the States.  The children love having guests, although it does cause a change in routine which causes some of them to act out a bit.  We started off by allowing everyone to introduce themselves as we sat in a circle on the floor.  After introductions, each of the English club students paired off with one child and helped them color a Christmas Tree.

Then came the real fun.  We used construction paper, scissors, and glue to make Christmas trees of our own.  This was a bit of an adventure and I was thankful for the one-on-one interaction.  As I expected, none of the children had ever used scissors or glue.  As a result, our English club students worked with them to teach them how to hold the scissors.  The goal was to have each child do as much of the project as possible.  I was free to help each of the students figure out how to help each child along the way.  The most challenging ones for them included helping Baghdat (who has Cerebral Palsy) and Nurbol (who was born with no arms).  I gave some suggestions and helped out where needed, but they did a great job.

After our craft activity, we moved onto snack time.  Everyone enjoyed the chocolate cupcakes as well as some candy and cookies that were brought by the English club students.  Some of the students had also collected some used stuffed animals to give the children as well as some clothing.  It was fun to see them take the initiative to collect things on their own to bring.

As we drove back to the office, I asked the students what surprised them the most.  One of the answers they gave was that it surprised them how smart the children were.  Often times people assume that because someone has a physical disability they also have a mental disability.  If nothing else came of our visit, these youth now realize that this concept is a false stereotype.  They were touched by these children and will likely want to go back again with me.  I was proud of them for stepping up and interacting in a great way without showing the children their fear or uncertainty.  

Impacting our Community

In October I started two new English clubs.  Instead of just practicing English, I wanted us to focus on volunteering in our community.  We spent October getting to know each other and participating in some team building activities.  In November we started talking about the problems we see around us and brainstorming some ideas of things we could do to make a difference in our community.  The goal is to have at least one volunteering opportunity each month for each group (morning and afternoon).  I wanted them to take initiative and do the planning and preparation.  It has been fun to see what they have come up with.

Since this could be a lot, I'm going to split it into two posts to share about each of the projects separately.  It's fun to watch the youth give back to their communities.  

The morning group felt strongly about trying to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking.  As a result, they came up with the idea of going around town and trading people in the community an item (lollipop, gum, chocolate, or apple) for their cigarettes.  They also searched online for some pictures that demonstrated the harmful effects of smoking.  They spent an hour or two walking around town trying to impact people's lives.  

As we talked about their time, they were frustrated.  They felt like their project wasn't very successful.  They found that most people didn't take them seriously.  They were laughed.  Some people refused to make the exchange.  Others made the exchange because they were youth.  Overall though, they recognized that even those who exchanged cigarettes for another item, didn't change their thinking at all.  

Although it was challenging for them, I think this will give us a chance to learn from our mistakes as we move forward.  They will have the opportunity to learn how to be effective change makers in their community.  I look forward to seeing how they will grow throughout the year.  

Thanksgiving

I found much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.  I ended up celebrating Thanksgiving over a span of eight days … I love elongated holidays.  I found that the initial time I celebrated, things were busy and although I was thankful, I had not really taken the time to dwell on the things I was thankful for.  After eight days, I had many opportunities to once again think about all the ways God has blessed my life.

I spent Thanksgiving morning and lunch with the Stewart family here in Taraz.  We played Settlers and had a really nice lunch.  I always enjoy spending time with them.  In the afternoon I traveled to Shymkent where I would spend the rest of the holiday weekend.  Some friends, who I had gotten to know better when they showed up at the same guest house in Thailand, invited me to spend the weekend with them.  It was a fun weekend mixed with relaxation (watching Christmas movies, watching football, decorating for Christmas) and celebrating the holiday with others.   

Last Friday we were able to celebrate Thanksgiving with our office staff.  I found some turkey breast when I was in Shymkent, so the food was pretty authentic.  It was my first time cooking turkey breast (I have cooked turkey with a pop-up timer before) and was pretty happy with the results.  I may have to do that more often, even though I'm actually not a fan of turkey.  We had a lot of fun visiting and eating together.  

We also continued a tradition that has been in place on and off since 2006.  Our team started a tablecloth of thanks (from a tradition my mother had started in our home).  Everyone who shared Thanksgiving with us, wrote the date and what they were thankful for on the tablecloth.  When I returned last year, I found the tablecloth and started up the tradition again with our office staff.  This year we enjoyed going around the table looking at what everyone had written last year and then adding the things we were thankful for this year.  It's fun to be able to focus together as a staff on all the ways we have been blessed. 

Thank you for your friendship.  You are such a great blessing to me.  

Runaway Sheep

I promised some funny stories in my last post, so here you go.  A few weeks ago I was pulling up to the team house.  I looked up and saw a random sheep walking my way.  After getting out of the car, I realized our neighbor's gate was open a little bit.  Earlier in the week I had noticed some sheep in their back yard, which usually means some sort of yummy dinner is coming up.  I rang the doorbell and then was trying to figure out how to keep the sheep (let's call it "dinner") from running off.  Thankfully, another sheep (let's call it "yummy") was just inside the gate.  Yummy was calling out to dinner, which caused dinner to come back over to the gate and look at the gate in a very confused manner.  They both kept calling out to each other, but Dinner could not figure out that in order to get to Yummy, he just had to go through the opening in the gate.  He would get right up to the entrance and I would move forward slowly trying to encourage him to go through but instead he would take off running down the street.  Dinner did this 3-4 times.  Each time Yummy would call him back.  I was afraid Yummy would get away too.  Finally, my neighbor came out and ascertained that Dinner was trying to run away.  She opened up the gate and then chased Dinner towards me.  I then had to chase Dinner away from me, which caused him to join Yummy in the confines of their yard.  My neighbor was thankful for my role in helping save their yummy dinner plans.

We don't have chiropractors in Kazakhstan, so I have attempted numerous things to try re-align myself.   This time I am going to a guy who gives a massage and over time re-aligns your spine.  First off, I have to go 10 days in a row.  That seems to be the magical massage number here in Kazakhstan.  Anytime anyone goes in for a "healing" massage, they are asked to come back for 10 straight days.  Second, the other day as he was rubbing my back, I was afraid I would end up with rug burn (or whatever you get from a sheet) on my cheek from my constant motion back and forth.  Third, he uses one word periodically that sounds kind of like therapy.  I have come to realize that it actually means "you will soon be in excruciating pain, but I promise, it is good for you."  Finally, each massage ends with him smacking me on the back over and over again and then telling me I have to lie still for several minutes.  It has been helping though, so I guess I can't complain too much.  I find myself trying not to laugh as I imagine people I know experiencing the same fun.

Overall, this week has been a crazy, busy week.  Here are just a few things I have done.

• Met with a 49 year-old man who has no legs and only one arm who was requesting a wheelchair.  
• Gave a wheelchair to a 14-year-old boy, after spending some time with he and his mother and brother. 
• Introduced the children at the foster home for kids with disabilities to the iPad. 
• Gave away a used computer to a man and his two daughters.  I think it is their first computer, as they were really excited about it. 
• Met with a man who tried to encourage me to allow him to read my past and future and then heal me of any problems.  
• My English clubs came up with their first volunteering project ideas.  They did a great job being creative. 
• Two Kazakh lessons.  
• Helped my Kazakh mom with something she has to do on the computer for work. 
• Helped fix my Kazakh brother's iPod. 
• Waited 30 minutes for someone who had asked for help to show up at his own home so we could better understand his request.  We eventually had to leave.  
• Visited with one of my former English club members.  

It's been a month

I just realized how long it has been since I last blogged.  It's been a bit of a crazy, but great month.  Below are some of the highlights.

• We had a small delegation in town for 1 1/2 weeks.  They were a great encouragement and the schedule included some really interesting activities.  We laughed a lot, which I always enjoy.  
• During their time here we were able to have a round table discussion where we invited the caregivers of children with disabilities to our office.  They came into the room wearing the weight of the world on their shoulders.  As our group listened to them, that weight seemed to decrease.  We were able to give each one a quilt that was hand-made by some women in Muncie and share that they were made with love.  This not only touched them, but touched me as well.  I don't know how many quilts I have given out over the years, but these meant the most to me. 
• During the delegation time there was a car training that took place with graduated orphans.  This car training happened to be mostly females.  It was fun to see them excited about learning how to repair cars.  I had the chance to watch one day and learn a bit as well.  I could probably change my own oil now if I really wanted to.  The spark plugs in the car I drive were also changed, which was great!
• One of the delegates and I took a quick trip to Shymkent to see her sponsored child.  It was fun to spend time with with both of them as well as see friends in Shymkent.  
• English club has been going really well.  We have been working in listing the problems we see in Taraz and now we are going to begin working on how we can go about volunteering in our community to meet those needs.  It should be fun to see the kinds of ideas they come up with.   
• I will be visiting with several people this coming week who have requested things from us (orthopedic shoes, walkers, wheelchairs, etc).  I am setting up times to go into their homes and visit with them to get to know them better and understand the needs to a greater degree.   It will likely be a pretty busy week, but I am looking forward to this.  

Next time I'll try to share some funny stories since this update was more of one to catch you up on what has been a crazy month.  Have a wonderful week!

New Toys

Every week I spend some time at a foster home where 11 children with disabilities live.  We have fun playing together and learning new things.  It has been fun to watch the children grow.  When I first came, there would be regular meltdowns and fits when they didn't get their way.  They would throw toys and start screaming anytime they were frustrated.  They weren't able to complete even the simplest of puzzles.  They also didn't know their colors or animals.  Every time I would take out a new activity they would push and shove to try to get the activity first.  They really didn't have the concept of sharing down at all.

As time has passed, they have grown so much.  Now, several of them can complete 25 piece puzzles on their own.  They can name some of their colors and animals.  Today, we had a breakthrough in activities.  Instead of just having one activity that everyone had to participate in at the same time, I brought several different activities and each individual got to choose the activity they wanted to do.  I brought puzzles, coloring books, and playdough.  I was a little worried that chaos would ensue, but they did a great job.  Instead of screaming at me, they asked nicely for a new activity.  They also cleaned up their old activity before getting a new activity.  One child was about to throw a fit because I didn't give him something and I told him to ask nicely instead.  He eventually did ask nicely.  In the past, he would have thrown something at me instead.  It is so much fun to see how much they have grown in just a few short months.

Last week we got to deliver some toys to them, thanks to a generous donation from a friend.  These children spend all day and night in one room.  Sometimes they go outside when the weather is nice.  I'm not sure what they do, as they don't have any toys in their room.  We were able to buy several different educational toys for them.  We purchased toys that are hopefully fairly indestructible, as the wear and tear is pretty high on toys that are being played with by 11 children.  It was so fun to deliver the toys and take turns playing with each type. The joy on their faces was priceless.  Here are some pictures of us playing with their new toys.

A Family Wedding

The week after I returned to Kazakhstan from Thailand, my Kazakh cousin got married. The whole thing was a fun experience.  Although I have been to many weddings, I have never been part of the family, so the experience was totally different.  It made for a very busy, but fun first week back.  

The wedding was on a Thursday night, however my Kazakh father’s birthday was on Wednesday night.  So, the entire week was filled with preparation and activities.  I was going to take the entire day off on Wednesday, but we had a celebration at the youth house, so I was only able to get away after lunch.  After lunch my Kazakh sister and I went grocery shopping and then hurried home to help prepare dinner for my Kazakh dad’s birthday.  After we were mostly prepared, I went to pick up my Kazakh mom at her school and we drove over to my cousin’s house.  We then told everyone who was there preparing for the wedding the next day to drop everything and come over for dinner.   Everyone got ready and went to my Kazakh family’s house to celebrate his birthday, before returning to finish preparations.  I can't even imagine the anger that would be involved if this was asked of the bride's family in the States on the night before the wedding.  

After the birthday dinner, the women went back over to my cousin’s house to prepare for  the next day’s festivities.  The wedding would be Thursday evening, but much would happen before the actual wedding.  We prepared salads and other food for lunch on the day of the wedding.  At 11 am the groom’s family came to the house to eat a meal.  We made several salads and prepared plates of candies for the next day.  We also cooked some of the meat.  It was 11:30 pm when we headed home.  I took home two huge containers of raw lamb to put in my fridge, since all the fridge space at my cousin’s home was already accounted for.   After dropping off the meat the next morning at 8am, I took my car to get it washed, as I didn’t want to embarrass my family with a dirty car.  

I took Thursday off in order to help with whatever was needed.  At 11am I was called and told to go to my Kazakh family’s apartment to have my hair and make-up done.  Then, I would help get the bride and the bridesmaid to and from hair, nails, and make-up appointments.  At about 2:30 pm I took the last group of people to my cousin's house.  When I walked in the door they wanted me to join the extended family at the table, where everyone from the two families were giving toasts to their union.  Everyone in the room was Kazakh except for me, so it was a bit confusing to those who didn’t know me.  I gave my toast in Kazakh and then exited the room to help with dishes.  Then, I went to the neighbors apartment with the rest of the cousins to wait until it was time for the bride to join the party.  She was sitting in the apartment in her dress trying to remain cool on a very warm day.  

After a while, the bride was presented to the groom's family.  At this point it was my cue to allow the men to start loading my car with gifts my family had prepared for the groom’s family.  My responsibility was to drive the gifts to his family (following the stretch Hummer limo with family and friends).  Then I would wait until the gifts had been given and bring the daughter-in-laws of our family back home.  I had no idea at the time what I was getting into.  

First, we drove following the limo.  One of the male relatives of the groom rode with me and peppered me with questions the entire drive.  There was a videographer hired to document this trip and the rest of the wedding day.  He had a separate car and spent most of the 30 minute trip hanging out the window trying to get good shots of the cars in the procession.  Once we arrived, the entire party went inside to meet the grooms side of the family.  I was instructed to pull my car into the driveway and the men from the groom’s side of the family unloaded the gifts.  Then, all the young people in the Hummer left and the two daughter-in-laws (who were sent to represent the family in the gift giving) and myself were taken into a room with an elaborately laid table. Toasts were given and we were introduced to the groom’s mother and grandmother.  Once enough toasts had been given, we moved into the living room to officially present the gifts.  There was a special order to the gift giving.  First, gifts had to be given to the grandmother and then others in a specific order.  I sat and watched as gift after gift was presented.  All the gifts were household items.  Then, the daughter-in-laws were given gifts.  I was also given some fabric to make a dress with.  

At this point I thought we were done, but I was mistaken.  We went back to the table and had a few more toasts.  Then, I drove the daughter-in-laws as well as several members of the groom’s family back into the city.  After dropping everyone off, I went home and got my dress and took it to my Kazakh family’s house to get ready.  The wedding was supposed to start at 7pm and we arrived at about 8:30 pm.  The actual wedding probably started around 9-9:30 pm.  It was a fun evening filled with dancing, good food, and lots of toasting.  I then helped drive my extended family home.  Some of my cousins spent the night at my apartment.  We got home at about 2:30 am and went right to bed.   It was a fun time with my Kazakh family and I was really glad I could be there to help and be a part of the entire thing.  I think I have finally caught up on sleep, work, and my studies after such a crazy week.  

Thailand Vacation

A lot has happened since I last posted, so I will be posting a couple different posts in the near future to catch everyone up.  I spent much of August in Thailand, relaxing and re-energizing before the start of work for this school year.  I had a great time and enjoyed getting fully rested.  Below are some highlights of my trip.  

Hanging out with the tigers

Riding through the jungle

This life jacket from our snorkeling trip made me laugh

Special treats

Sunset on the beach

Cave exploring

A palm bonfire on the beach

Watching local fishermen

Exploring on a scooter - driving on the left side

Sunrise my last morning on the beach - I also swam out to the island on the left one morning ... the blisters I received from the fins I wore were not too fun, but it was a fun trip out to monkey island.  We sat on the beach and watched scared tourists try to feed the monkeys.  

Overall, it was a fun trip full of great memories and new friends.  I even got to hang out with some friends from Shymkent (Kaz) who were also on vacation, which was a fun surprise.  I returned to Kazakhstan rested and ready for the coming semester.  

A Detailed View of One Day

I figured it might be fun to give you a more detailed view of one of the days from the week I mentioned in the last blog.  It was definitely not your normal day, but normal days aren't much fun.  We received donations to allow us to pay for braces for a young boy, Nishan, who was born with a cleft palate.  He has had several surgeries in order to correct the palate, but his teeth have never been corrected.  I have a friend who is a dentist in Shymkent and she agreed to help.  Since we were going to Shymkent anyway, we decided to make it a 2-for-1 trip.  The clinic in Shymkent has an apparatus to do hearing tests, so we took another young boy, Ayan, with us to determine if he has any hearing problems.

The trip to Shymkent was uneventful.  Although we got started a little later than we had hoped, we made good time.  There are new roads halfway there, so it makes at least half the trip really pleasant.  I sat in the back and played games with Nishan while holding Ayan (who was asleep for most of the trip).  We had lunch at a small cafe in Shymkent before going to the clinic.

The time at the clinic was when everything started getting exciting.  Nishan and Ayan were being seen at the same time.  While the Dr. was getting information about Ayan, I went to check on Nishan.  We came to find out he had actually been given a retainer after his last surgery (in January).  However, he had never worn it.  He needs to wear it for 3-4 months before we can look at getting him started with braces.

Once I found out what we need to do in Taraz, I went back into the room with Ayan.  His caregiver was trying unsuccessfully to hold him still while checking his ears.  He clearly did not like his ears being touched.  I volunteered to hold him instead, and ended up having to wrap my legs around his legs and one arm around his arms, while holding his head still.  For a five-year-old who doesn't walk, he was super strong.  I used pretty much all my strength just to allow them to get a good look at his ears.  After a short while, they determined that he needed to have some wax cleaned out of his ears.  He has such narrow ear canals and the wax had built up really badly.  We held him still again while they cleaned out his ears.  I have never seen so much wax build up.  We were still unable to actually test his hearing due to the water in his ears and an infection that had built up behind the wax.  We will treat him for an ear infection and then have him tested again.  Although in some ways the trip wasn't successful (we didn't accomplish anything we set out to accomplish), we were able to identify Ayan's ear infection and have found someone to adjust Nishan's retainer here in Taraz.

The trip home was a little more eventful.  It included a diaper explosion while Ayan was on my lap.  I was thankful to return home and get cleaned up just in time for a Skype call.

A Week in the Life

I figured it was time for me to share what a "normal" week looks like for me.  The reality is, no week is the same, so I don't really have a normal which is how I like it for the most part.  I thought I'd just list some of the things that took place during my last work week before vacation.  Hope you enjoy!

• Called a woman from a local organization to offer free hearing screenings in Shymkent
• Sorted through the Savva Delegation pictures
• Took a boy to Shymkent to look into getting braces.  He was born with a cleft palate and has recently undergone surgery, but needs braces for his teeth. 
• Used all my strength to physically restrain a child in order to perform a hearing test.  We came to find out that he had ear infections and major ear wax ... which was causing him not to appreciate us sticking things in his ears.  I got to help restrain him while his ears were cleaned out as well. 
• Spoke with our Stateside director
• Cleaned up my apartment to prepare for my Kazakh lesson and English club
• My Kazakh teacher didn't show up, so I went to the office
• Set up three new computers for our office  
• Had someone drop in at the office to introduce me to someone who wanted to come to English club
• Bought meds for the boy with the ear infections
• Baked a cake for English club
• Had English club
• Made a video for the service celebrating Liz's life
• Spent the morning playing with a group of children with disabilities.  We painted with water (those cool books that have the paint already in the book), applied tattoo stickers, and watched dinosaur sponges grow from capsules.  
• Explained the meds to the caregiver of the little boy with the ear infections 
• Tried to buy my return train ticket at an electronic kiosk ... waited for 10 minutes for a grandmother who didn't know which train she wanted to take ... realized they don't accept foreign passports at the electronic kiosk ... didn't want to wait in line to speak to a person
• Met my Kazakh family at the train station right before lunch in order to see off my Kazakh mom and sister.  They were going to Astana for my sister to apply to college.  
• Tried to go check prices for a wheelchair, but ended up at a building maintenance company instead.  
• Purchased my train ticket at a small travel agency without a line
• Signed a bunch of random documents since Marina was on vacation this week
• Updated our company blog so that it would continue posting while I am on vacation
• Updated my personal blog
• Posted pictures from the Savva Orphanage camp on our Facebook page
• Updated our website and planned future updates
• Talked to our receptionist about working on blogs so that people get to know our staff
• Asked our English speaking staff to work on translating our website into Russian and Kazakh during any down time they have
• Chatted on Facebook with some of our past delegates
• Got caught up on all my emails
• Set up debriefing during the first part of my vacation
• Spoke with Sharyll Martin in our Muncie office about the fall delegation
• Sorted and organized the supplies left over after the Savva delegation
• Gave some grass cutting advice
• Went with some of the staff to check out a possible picnic site for our all staff picnic
• Bought picnic supplies (saw cranberry juice for the first time in Kaz)
• Cleaned up my office, which looked like a disaster area after a busy month.
• Found the organization that sells wheelchairs and got an estimate for a specialized dance wheelchair.  
• Brainstormed with our staff about some ideas for next year
• Listened to part of an online conference 
• Brainstormed about turning English club into a Volunteer Club for the fall
• Had tea with our accountant and discussed the cultural expectations and customs surrounding a death in the family
• Found a translator to help me in Almaty so that I can hang out with some of the Russian speaking orphans that graduated and now live in Almaty
• Tracked down contact info for the orphans I hope to visit

As you can see, I had a pretty productive week.  Time for vacation!  

Why I Love Delegations

Each year we have several delegations come to Kazakhstan from the USA.  Each delegation usually has between 10-15 people who stay here for 10-14 days.  To be honest, there is a lot of extra work that goes into hosting a delegation.  Delegations tend to cause much of our other work to be put on hold. However, despite the extra work and change in routine, I absolutely love having delegations here.

Although I enjoy having other people from the USA here, especially this year, this is not the primary reason I love delegations.  I have grown to love Kazakhstan and claim it as my own.  Although I am still grateful to be a US citizen, I am just as thankful for the time I have spent in Kazakhstan.  I consider this country "my country" and the people here "my people."  As a result, the thing I enjoy most about delegations is watching new people fall in love with my people and my country.  I love watching someone come over for the first time who is a little apprehensive and then leave a few days later leaving part of their heart behind.

It's the people of Kazakhstan we fall in love with.  It's the relationships that can carry across borders that draw people back to Kazakhstan over and over again.  Delegates come to Kazakhstan hoping to make a difference in the lives of the children we work with and usually leave finding that they have grown and changed for the good as a result of the relationships they have built.  I love being here to  watch this transformation take place.

Here are some pictures of my time with the Savva Delegation.

Thoughts While Holding an Eagle

Last week I had the fun opportunity to spend an afternoon in the mountains near Almaty.  Katie Moffett and I went up to the mountains for several hours they day before she left for the US while others spent the day shopping.  We had a great time exploring and hiking up to the point we could actually find some snow to play in.

Each time I have been to Shymbolak, I have seen a trainer holding a beautiful eagle and have wanted to hold him, but have not wanted to pay the exorbitant rate or wait in a line (not to mention I was slightly terrified of the whole idea).  However, the day we went to Shymbolak was a quieter day and the eagle was just sitting on his pedestal waiting to be held.  The trainer asked if we would like to hold him.  My response in Kazakh surprised him, because I look like I should only speak Russian.  After talking for a little while, he gave us a really good deal ($3.50 each), so I chose to overcome my fear and hold this eagle with a very sharp beak.  The trainer was especially excited because of my Kazakh and so when I was holding the eagle, he was giving instructions to turn my wrist quickly, which would cause the eagle to spread his wings.  He was snapping pictures while I did this and wanted me to keep on going.  Here are some thoughts that ran through my head during this fun experience. 

• Wow, that beak is really sharp and big!
• Eagles are really heavy ... not sure how long I can hold him up while turning my wrist back and forth. 
• I'm glad they kept the hood on him as the trainer says he gets angry without it.
• Boy, he likes to move closer to me ... that beak is practically connecting with my face and every time I move further away he just gets closer.  
• The trainer doesn't seem to be concerned at all, so I must be safe.  I am counting on the fact that he knows what he is doing.   
• I bet this eagle could knock me out with one hard whack to the head with those wings.  

Overall, we enjoyed a beautiful, relaxing day on the mountain.  It was one of the clearest days I have ever seen (no smog or cloud cover).  After a busy couple weeks, it was just what I needed.  Katie and I had a great time enjoying the nature around us and getting to meet some new people along the way.