Matches, матерщина, mountains, and mosques

Per mom’s request and per my realized slacking, here is the end of March blog. There are a couple things that are new, imagine that! First is that I’ve gotten into the local soccer team, especially since I found out my banya buddies go to every home match. When James, a non-Peace Corps volunteer who teaches English in Almaty was visiting me a few weeks ago, we decided to go and hang with Victor, Vadim, Dima, and his kid. It wasn’t that cold, but sitting down in about 20(F) for a couple hours sure makes it feel that way. To warm up, we drank cognac mixed in with hot tea for a smooth, spicy treat to warm us up in multiple ways. And for those in country wishing to learn your матерщина (very obscene Russian cursing, so beware if you click on that link), go to soccer games, as this is where all middle aged men come to let their tongues loose since their wives won’t allow such talk in the house. Mix in some alcohol and you get the idea.

Our project has finally started, many months behind schedule. Peace Corps isn’t so happy with me and things aren’t going as smoothly as expected, but we’re trying our best to keep things together. The cooking section is going very well with a dedicated volunteer and we’re hoping to get the others online in such a fashion as well. Also, I won a small grant to create an HIV/AIDS website at my secondary organization. Summer camp is being planned and I’m looking at two other potential projects as well. So work is going pretty well, though many days I don’t feel so motivated and energetic. I’m hoping a big break from this country in the form of a may vacation to Florida and then Richmond will help straighten me out.

I returned March 20th from a three day conference in the mountains outside of Almaty, which was pretty good. The theme of the seminar was volunteer development in Kazakhstan. There were many sessions about this and a couple really good speakers as well. I met some awesome people and made good contacts, which may or may not help me in the future as well as I had the chance to meet many of the newer volunteers, whom I had not previously met. Then I spent one day in Almaty, waiting for our train, and showing Jane’s (a volunteer in the next village over) parents around the city a little bit.

Returning late on the 20th allowed me the chance to go to a meeting at the “Social Volunteer Center” on Saturday morning. I thought it was going to be a training of sorts, but it turned out to be a finger painting exercise. It was fun indeed and again, met some nice people, but I was hoping for something more educational. Oh well, I’ll keep tagging along because I really want to get involved with this organization.

And lastly, I’m going to be attending a German lesson on Wednesdays – they told me it was for advanced speakers, so I hope they’re right. I really need to keep the use of German, as the Master’s program I’m interested in calls for an international internship and I’m still not sure whether I want to do it in a German speaking country or a Russian one.

I think that’s it. I’ll be in Miami in 45 days and then in Richmond about 5 days later!


The first soccer match of the season - Go Irtysh!


(from left) Victor, Vadim, Dima (his kid in red)


A celebratory shot after the game.

Our cooking club making tasty treats.

Nina and I at the conference in the beautiful mountains.

I got in some translating practice when different organizations were presenting their work.

My friend Dina from Almaty just returned from Germany and brought me this tasty black beer. And yes, it was divine.

The apartment Nina and I rented for one night was just outside the big mosque in Almaty. Really cool with the snow falling.

Near the main square in Almaty.

Panfilov Park was beautiful with the white, fluffy snow.

The finger painting my team was making was a spiral that started from nowhere and ended nowhere - very cool and a bit abstract. My color was the blue-gray, my favorite color.