The Longest Day

Day 57 - Finally Back Home!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we're home. We'll be busy with the holiday and unpacking, so it may be a day or two before our next post.

Have you ever wished for a couple "extra" hours in a day? We got them today while traversing 12 time zones en-route from Almaty to Memphis, making the actual calendar day today 36 hours long for us. Unlike our two-night trip to Kazakhstan, we took off from Almaty in the morning daylight and landed in Memphis in the waning evening light, a little over 20 hours later, but still the same day.

We were up at 4:30 am for a 5:30 am pickup. The flight delayed a few minutes leaving Almaty due to fog, but made up for lost time on leg 1 to Amsterdam.

During our 3 hour layover in Amsterdam, we had our first McDonalds experience: Blizzard Ice Cream treats! (we were too well fed on the plane to eat anything else).

Leg two to Memphis was a long one since we were burning the candle at both ends and in the middle by then, landing safely in Memphis at 4:50 pm (local). After a brief trip through customs and immigration, we headed to the baggage clain, then toward the front door where we had an official greeting team awaiting our arrival, finally arriving at home just before 7 pm.

It's great to be home!

Thanksgiving day will henceforth have an additional special meaning for us.

Exit Visas and Empty Pockets

20 Nov 07, Tuesday, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Day 56. Major events of the day: Waiting for “The Call,” Consulate Appointment, Settling Bills and Packing

Morning Weather Report:
Almaty weather: 30, feels like 30, with a projected high of 44. Probably the clearest morning we have had so far.
Meanwhile back in Memphis: Overnight low of 58, and heading up to 72. Unseasonably warm. Hopefully the good weather will hold out a few more days!

The weather is turning cooler in Almaty. There is a strong breeze blowing from the south over the mountains. We can still see the mountains, but the clouds are moving in. The forecast for the next few days is not too bad, but it is getting cooler. Although the 4pm high of 50 exceeded the forecast, the winds from the south (over the mountains) are bringing a dampness .

After getting back to our apartment late last night after having dinner and visiting with Suzanne and Hilton, the children went right to sleep with only one request for a bedtime snack (Dad declined the request). Soon there were sounds of peaceful deep breathing and I was able to catch up on a little correspondence before calling it a night myself.

This morning’s wake-up call went smoothly as well, without too many “duck-and-cover” attempts by the kids. David actually hopped right out of bed and plugged himself into cartoons while I checked e-mail. Kate was a little slower to rise, but also got up without too much complaint. The sounds of activity and cartoons was more alluring than the call of her pillow, so she too was up and at ‘em.

The rest of our morning was spent doing laundry and some packing. As soon as everything is dry (I pushed the drying rack next to one of the radiators to help speed the process), I’ll finish the process. The hardest part is to distribute heavier souvenir items between bags while getting everything in. Although Cathe and I emptied one suitcase when we distributed gifts, we acquired many other space-consuming items. It’ll be a challenge for me (Cathe’s much better at this part than I am), but I think I’ll squeeze everything in while preventing breakage.

Not much of a morning walk today since I wanted to be around to get the confirmation call that we had our 3 pm US Consulate appointment set. After getting used to having an A++ team in Petropavlovsk, I have to express my disappointment in consistency of communications since arriving in Almaty. So we waited, watched some TV, checked e-mail for updates, waited, and watched some more TV.

I have a nice, but mostly unread book which I could easily spend a few hours progressing on, but my schedule is not the children’s. After being in a regimented environment with strictly adhered to schedules, my schedule is now driven by theirs. It’s sort of like the first couple weeks we were in Petropavlovsk when Cathe and I were adjusting to being 11 hours out of sync (now 12 with the end of DST). Just when I thinking things are settling down, we suddenly have a wrestling match, or balloon fight, or two hungry kids. I’ve already warned Cathe that I get the first couple weeks “off” since she has been enjoying a lot of peace and quiet!

Finally, we received a call that we would be picked up at 2:30 to go to our appointment. We could have walked over since the US Consulate is now located in the brand new high-rise bank building next to the Ramstore. We checked in and I headed to the cashier’s window to pay up another $760 ($380 x 2) for entry visas. Thankfully they accept plastic, because our once fat cash supply has dwindled after almost 2 months on the road. It’s a good thing that I brought more than recommended since we were initially going to a small remote village or we would have run out of cash. Although I only tried a few ATMs, all rejected my cash card.

A couple minutes later I heard our names called and we went to Window 3 for our interview. Since our Dossier and supporting paperwork were thoroughly complete (more complements to the Petro Team a la Masha!) we only took a few minutes with Jeff, the VERY helpful Consulate representative, and the process was done. Both children now have shiny new immigrant visas installed in their passports!

After returning to the apartment to drop off paperwork, we headed right out the door in hopes of ice skating and internet connectivity at our favorite local venue. I got a good signal and connected right away, but sadly for the children, it was time to “defrost” the skating rink. Apparently they add a little water each evening to dress the ice, then melt it back once a month since they don’t have the equivalent of a resident Zamboni. Instead, we each had some ice cream and a Domino’s Donut (which bears an uncanny resemblance to Dunkin’ Donuts, down to the color scheme).

Back at the apartment, we celebrated with a feast in an attempt to clean out the last of our grocery stores. I considered the full plate of bread left at the end of our meal as “complements to the chef”! At least we have a good starting point from which Cathe and I can work in a greater variety of foods in search of the same results.

The last business transaction for the day was to settle the bill for our Almaty stay with Oleg. Everything was ok except an additional expediting fee on top of what was already worked into our fee schedule. We’ll have to do some checking there, but at least we’re ready to head home.

On that note, I’ll wrap today’s entry and get this post online (using the last of my Nursat minutes) then back to work on packing while trying to get the kids to sleep after an very expensive day.

A Night at the Museum

19 Nov 07, Monday, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Day 55. Major events of the day: A Night at the Museum, Meeting up with Suzanne & Hilton, Waiting for Passport Registration and dinner at the American Bar & Grill

Morning Weather Report:
Almaty weather: 25, feels like 19, with a projected high of 49. A cold, crisp start to the day, but the sun’s rays are pretty warming. I bet the UV index is up though. The sunshine feels very warm!
Meanwhile back in Memphis: Overnight low of 57, and heading up to 70. Hopefully some of that weather will be around when we return!

Ok, we didn’t spend the night at the museum, but we did walk by when going over to meet Suzanne and Hilton for dinner. It was really well done with white and colored lighting. It’s a good thing that it gets dark early this time of year or we would be missing out on a lit of neat scenery! Though not up to re-doing some of our day time marathon treks, there are a few places I would like to see at night. The Little Eifel Tower was neat to look at too, with its own changing colored lights. Ночь в Музее (Night at the Museum) has quickly become one of the kids’ favorites.

We enjoyed a nice quiet morning around the apartment without having to rush off somewhere. The kids really enjoy our breakfast routine. Forms were filled out and paperwork was reviewed last night with Oleg, so today would be a day of waiting and rest. Our main plan of the day is to meet up with Hilton and Suzanne who arrived from Petro yesterday along with their new son. We have really enjoyed their company through our process and know they have felt the same.

The Nursat iCard I bought Saturday is working out well, filling in for those times when I cannot find a good signal at the Ramstore. The rates are a little expensive by US standards, but are a lot better than paying a big phone bill at the end of a stay (and 15-25% less expensive too). The purchased units can also be used for phone calls home (~$0.35/minute). I had heard about the phone card while in Petro, but never used it. Families traveling to Kazakhstan in the future should consider getting one. I could have saved a little on the connection bill and can also call home at rates far better than Kaztelkom… Anyway, I was able to chat online with Cathe for a few minutes this morning before she went to bed. Being 12 hours out of sync is a real pain at times though.

This morning while I was catching up on e-mail, the kids were drawing and coloring quietly. The past 8 days for the three of us being completely on our own has been a real growing and bonding period. The only thing missing is Cathe, but we stay in daily contact and occasionally get a good enough connection to actually talk back and forth without too much delay. Google Translator is really working well for us. Both kids were happy to have a note from mom waiting for them after breakfast. The more I observe and learn about our kids, the more impressed I become. They are also having a lot of fun with me and my limited Russian, but occasionally I totally surprise them with side comments. I am still having a lot of trouble with “kid chatter” though, but try not to let it be too obvious by answering back in English when I’m totally lost as to what they’re asking/saying. They’re very bright and are catching on quickly. I have now been officially dubbed “Niz Nika” by the kids, which means, “The man who doesn’t know.”

We finally contacted Hilton and Suzanne and arranged to meet at the Ramstore just after lunch time. Both Kate and David were happy to see them and to know that we are keeping in contact. It’s also fortunate that our annual Christmas travel loop will allow us to stop and visit for a little bit over the holidays as well. Without good people and good friends, the last two months would have been much more difficult. Meeting other wonderful people during our adoption trek allowed us some “time out” when we could think of other things than just our adoption process and it was nice to have “outside” conversations so Cathe and I didn’t “get tired of each other.”

I have to say that we have been blessed with two absolutely wonderful children. Hilton and Suzanne arrived a couple minutes before we did and cornered a good table. We chatted for a few moments then both pulled out laptops to check the connections (the standing agreement I have with the children is Internet Connection for me = Ice Skating for them).

Then we noticed there was only one person on the ice and he was definitely not skating. Today was rink cleaning/Ice repair day, so no skating for the kids regardless of connectivity. 8-( The gods must have been frowning on us all, because neither Hilton nor I could connect. Kate didn’t mind since she was helping Suzanne with her new toddler, but David was distraught. He handled it well and helped entertain the youngster while the adults chatted. They also had a new baby “to play with.” Kate did a most wonderful job with helping out while the guys chatted. Even though the rink was closed, I have to say that I think both kids did better at being patient and non-complaining than most other kids their ages.

We have enjoyed many dinners with them as well as comparing notes on various things we had seen or done. Today, we were all happy just to be in a food court where everyone could get what they wanted without having to go too many directions. We also saw “Domino Donuts” whose packaging bears an uncanny resemblance to Dunkin’ Donuts. The food court also offers many choices. Looks like the old Mc John’s has been replaced by BURGER.

We had some fun trekking through the supermarket area as well. I didn’t see "BARF" soap (Hilton tells me it is a dishwashing detergent), but I did see “Mr. Proper” general purpose cleaner. Perhaps you will recognize the packaging.

Back at the apartment there was a note on the door to call Oleg. Houston, we have another paperwork problem. The Kazakhstan Dept of State wants a Power of Attorney saying that Cathe approves of everything I am doing before they will release the children’s passports. If the passports are not registered and released, then we cannot complete our US Consulate visit (Embassy has moved to Astana). I hope that the modern marvel of internet communication will save us any further delay. Cathe wrote a quick POA and had it notarized, then e-mailed it to me. Hopefully the government will accept it. Otherwise, Kate, David and I will be “stuck” here a while longer with the added expense of changing plane tickets ($200 each) and extended apartment rent at $110 per day. Keep us in your prayers that all the roadblocks come down quickly and we can proceed home.

One of Oleg’s partners came over and collected a few more documents. Thankfully, I brought my own copy of all of our Dossier’ documents, although not translated or apostilled. The scanned POA plus my new extended visa (original one expired last Saturday) will do the trick.

Hearing nothing further from Oleg by 7pm, we headed down the hill to meet up with Suzanne and Hilton at the American Bar & Grill (thanks again Kathy!). Their son was finishing his dinner as we arrived. It’s amazing how regimented the children’s schedules are at all age levels. The baby was cranky at the exact time he should have been in the process of being fed. Go figure! My schedule (our schedule) has revolved around the stomach schedules Kate and David have been accustomed to. The big time change we will be going through in a few days will throw them completely out of sync!

Today I saw another new side of our children: Both are very caring and outgoing toward younger children. Kate wanted to help with the baby as did David. Although I know that there are some areas we will have to work on as a family, there are others in which they truly amaze me.

Keep us in your prayers that our latest paperwork issue is quickly overcome.

Apples Are From Kazakhstan

18 Nov 07, Sunday, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Day 54. Major events of the day: American Burgers, Orthodox Church, and up to Kok Tobe

Morning Weather Report:
Almaty weather: 41, feels like 38, with a projected high of 46. Another crystal clear morning which turned into a foggy/hazy afternoon
Meanwhile back in Memphis: Overnight low of 50, but heading back to 68. The Memphis low was warmer than Almaty’s high!

It’s a long entry, ‘cause we had a adventurous, fun, and busy day…

Yesterday evening after dinner, we headed back out to do a little more shopping. I had seen a computer store across the street from the Ramstore and figured I could pick up some keyboard stickers so we could set the computer up so the kids can type to their friends. In addition to a set of stickers (~$3.50), I picked up a keyboard for about $8. Now that’s a deal! (Another thing I learned recently is that it’s easy to set up the computer for Cyrillic by just going to System Help and typing in “Language.” A few keystrokes later and David was typing a note to Cathe in Cyrillic.)

After picking up the keyboard and stickers, we made another visit to the Ramstore. In addition to milk, we needed new shoelaces for David. He had been leaving them untied and was stepping on the ends, eventually stretching them to the breaking point. We scouted the entire store then found a 12-pack of assorted laces which we were able to make work. While on the wild goose chase, Kate found a Golden Retriever notebook which bears a striking resemblance to Bob, our Golden Retriever. We added two to the shopping cart.

Today’s trekking adventure started at high noon. After a quick lunch, we were on our way out the door. I had an optimistic route in Google Earth, wanting to find a couple churches along the way. Kathy from Louisiana also told me about a place to get a good hamburger (David keeps asking for Gam-boor-gher, but really means any meat and cheese sandwich, which he really likes). We were also hoping that the funicular would be operating and we could go up to the city overlook.

Zig-zaging our way from the apartment, David kept asking “Ice, Papa, ice?” meaning he wanted to know when we were going to the Ramstore while Kate wanted to know when we were going back to the apartment. I responded “Maybe” to ice skating, but “Yes” to ice cream. Neither was thrilled with my plan for more walking today and I had a near revolt on my hands! If either had known their way back, I’m sure at least one would have disappeared. We passed by an open trench where some work on the steam pipes was obviously in some stage, and noticed a cat comfortable curled up (there was still ice on the puddles when we left the apartment). Not too long after that, we passed a Big Apple and had to stop for a picture.

We walked by a movie theater which is showing some high-class American movies which accurately depict our culture. In addition to the movie billboards was another camel. I’m beginning to think that Almaty must have done something like Chicago and other major cities by setting up displays of fiberglass statues following particular themes (Chicago’s was Mickey Mouse) decorated by various well known, and lesser known, artists.











This one was interesting because it was painted with a pair of painted-on jeans shorts on which had a Beatles ticket sticking out of the back pocket. It was odd enough to take a picture of (besides, digital “film” doesn’t cost anything). I would learn more of its significance later (the Robbins book also mentioned the Beatles and how youngsters in the 60s and 70s would listen to their music although it was officially banned by the government at that time as being “subversive”).

Had it not been for Kate’s request to find a restroom, we would have missed the American Bar & Grill, which Kathy from LA had mentioned (Louisiana, not Los Angeles). Turns out that the restaurant is in the upstairs area over the movie theater lobby. You would have never guessed it from the main street side. The kids picked from the kiddie menu while I has the “Classic Hamburger.” Kathy was right, it’s just like something from Fudruckers, and the fries were great. The kids liked the décor and I had to admire the Heinz Ketchup.

One goal accomplished, my next sight to see was the Russian Orthodox church in the middle of a park area. I knew we were close when we saw several wedding processions. You have to admit that they really do weddings and receptions with style in Kazakhstan. We saw another Lincoln limo and a Rolls Royce limo and headed into the park. The church is absolutely beautiful. Anyone visiting Almaty should stop by to see it. Inside is just as ornate. As we were enjoying the interior decorations, a priest came into the main area and began a wedding mass. Although we did not find the church we were looking for, we did attend church today! The gift shop also has very reasonable icons available for purchase. We added several to our souvenir collection today.

After Mass, we saw our first Christmas/New Year’s tree of the season. I’m sure they’re popping up everywhere back home since we’re just a few days from Thanksgiving. We can hardly wait to be home! Another of today’s goal’s accomplished!

Up to this point, the kids had been great. Now we were back on the verge of rebellion again, with Kate wanting to know if we were now heading back to the apartment and David alternating between Ramstore (ice skating) and a trip up the mountain. When either asked, “Which way?” I could honestly point in the direction we were traveling because everything was now on the way back to the apartment. Fortunately, the Gondola cars came first, but unfortunately they were not in operation due to the winter schedule. However, the bus was in operation! So, for 500 kzt each we could get a ride to the top (but as we found out later, that’s each way, but more on that later).

The view, despite the foggy haze, was spectacular. Although we could not see much of the city below, the Tien Shin mountains rise to the east and south of the city, giving a rugged, snow-capped view. We’ve now seen them early in the morning when the air is clear. The first thing we did was have our picture taken in front of a big bronze apple. An interesting side note is that tulips and apples are though to have originated in Kazakhstan. Since the “Silk Road” trading route passed through southern Kazakhstan, both items made their way to Europe. Google the topics for some interesting reading.

The kids were still insisting that the wanted to go back down so they could go ice skating, but we made up for that by going on the bob-sled run. It’s like a roller coaster, but you get to control the speed with a brake. The track snakes down around the nearest tower. No loops, but it is a really great ride!

There are also shops at the top, so I picked up a few more souvenirs, including another hat. The kids had fun with the shopping, but that all changed when we discovered the petting zoo. There are several varieties of birds and animals on display. I really enjoyed seeing the falcons while Kate and David enjoyed feeding the deer.

Then I had my second “Beatle Sighting” of the day in the most unlikely of places. Life-sized bronze statues of the Fab Four on top of a mountain in southern Kazakhstan. Who’d a thunk it?

Back to the bus tickets… We waited for the shuttle bus to come and shoved our way onto the first one, presented our tickets, and were told, “You need to be on the other bus.” Oh. So we got off and waited a few more minutes while enjoying a nice sunset. Then the bus came and we were informed that we had purchased one-way tickets. I was thinking it must be something like the Egyptian camel rides and decided against shelling out another 1500 kzt to ride back down. Besides, I had been taking a few things in on the way up and noticed that there was a bus station at the bottom of the hill which had buses passing right in front of our apartment, so I turned down the driver’s offer to sell us tickets on the spot. Advice to other Almaty visitors: Catch either the #95 or #99 bus for 40 tenge, then spend the 200 or 400 tenge for the small bus to take you to the top. A great deal for less than $5…

When I turned down the driver’s offer of tickets, David was miffed. He thought that we would be walking all the way back to the apartment. He and Kate were getting tired, cold, hungry and cranky by this point, but I weathered their storm. Besides, it was literally all downhill fro this point! Instead of the 1500 kzt ride back to the tram terminal which would have been followed by a 20 minute up-hill hike, we ended up with a total of 80 kzt expended which got us within 200 yards of our apartment (40 for me and 20 for each child since they’re half-price). Ok, so I wasn’t such a bad dad after all, and I save a few bucks on top of that.

Just as I was putting the finishing touches on dinner, Oleg called. He wanted to come over to put the finishing touches on our paperwork for the US Consulate interview. Now all we need are the children’s passports and we can go home.

Out and About

17 Nov 07, Saturday, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Day 53. Major events of the day: Another long walk, Connected!, and Another Dinner Milestone

Morning Weather Report:
Almaty weather: 30, feels like 30, with a projected high of 47. Sunny, with a good view of the mountains to the south.
Meanwhile back in Memphis: Overnight low of 46, but heading back to 68. That’s a little nicer than the first week of October when we met the kids!

This morning started out cold and crystal clear. Although sunrise is earlier here and it does get light earlier than Petropavlovsk, the sun doesn’t peek over the mountains until about an hour after official sunrise. Once the sun’s rays reached us, temperatures quickly warmed up and it felt much warmer with the sunshine, so we headed out on our day’s adventure a little after 10 am. There was still a little ice in some puddles, but it didn’t last long.

Since the kids were “just the right amount tired” last night at bed time, I want to keep up the walking routine the next few days to keep everyone’s activity level up. At first, Kate was keeping up, but wasn’t happy with our adventure since she didn’t understand we were just sight seeing. After the second or third “neat thing,” she brightened up and started asking, “Where next?” knowing the promise of a coveted visit to the Ramstore would be our last stop before going back to the apartment. Reviewing our trek on Google Earth, we covered at least 4 miles along the way. It’s a good thing they don’t know it’s exercise!

As we were starting out, I took a picture of our apartment building (our 2nd floor apartment is barely visible over the construction barricade) to catch the evolution of the city. In front of and to the right is a much older two story apartment building. Behind us is an ultra modern high rise, and several more buildings under construction. I don’t think our apartment building will be here much longer before being replaced.

My intended mission today was to find where the gondolas “land” so we can go up to the city overlook. We had seen one of the towers and a gondola car from the SOS Clinic window, so I had a rough idea where we needed to look. Along our path we saw a lot of road construction. In fact, the road close to us doesn’t even show up on Google Earth. The main road (the non-existent one) bypasses major intersections by going under them. Traffic congestion here is on par with New York, and there is a lot of gridlock. It’s very understandable to see why our driver took a long way around to avoid some of the intersections which we have seen on our walking adventures. In addition, we saw one of the local gas station chains called SINOOIL (at first glance I thought the sign said, Sin Oil), where regular is priced at 85 kzt/liter, which works out to about $2.70/gallon.

Continuing on, we found the local Боулинг (bowling) center. From the sign, I would guess that they also cater to children with the “Cosmic Bowling” sessions. Given the building activity around the center, I don’t think it will be there much longer before being re-zoned. It’s in a prime location, near the financial and up-scale fashion district.

Finally, after actually walking completely around it, we found the Funicular station. We could see a few vehicles out front, but the gondola and cables didn’t appear to be working. Sad, because I would have really liked to have taken the kids up to the overlook. A bit of fog and haze had moved in since we began our walk, so I suppose it was ok after all because we wouldn’t have had a good view. We’ll keep that on our “Things to Do” list since we have three more days to fill with activities before we leave (including the day we’ll visit the US Consulate to get entry visas!).

On continuing trek toward the much anticipated visit to the Ramstore we walked through the gardens outside the performing arts center, ok, the now empty flower beds where things will be planted again in the Spring, and saw another camel statue. Photo opportunity!

Hilton and Suzanne, new adoptive parents and now our new friends from Virginia, have a friend who has a Hummer back home. While in Petropavlovsk, I saw a few and got a few great shots of a brand new H3 in front of the Black Jack Café. Today we saw a wedding procession comprised of a Hummer Limo and not less than a dozen Land Rovers, all decorated with flowers and ribbons, waiting to turn onto the road leading to Republic Square where we had seen a procession of limos yesterday. Since Cathe and I didn’t get many pictures from our wedding, maybe we’ll do something similar for one of our milestone anniversaries!

Finally, we made our way to the much anticipated Ramstore. I’m not sure who was hoping more for a good internet connection, me or the kids. Both crowded close as I pulled the laptop out of my bag and hit the power switch. Despite all the activity around us, it was as quiet as Get Smart’s “Cone of Silence” around our table. As soon as David saw the “connected” icon in the system tray he immediately launched into his rendition of the Happy Dance. Even though we had trekked well over three miles by this point, both were eager to hit the ice for an hour, and I was happy to have a connection! (I did buy a Nursat iCard today, so I have 7.5 hours of dial-up time to use from the apartment at 175 kzt/hr (~$1.50/hr)). Plopping down at a rinkside take I went to work, and they went to skating.

After I was done synchronizing my e-mail and updating yesterday’s blog entry, and the kids were further worn out from skating, we headed to the store to pick up a few groceries. Both kids are really getting into the shopping routine and are paying more careful attention to what we select since they know it will end up on the table as THE choice of the day. Side note: both Cathe and I agreed that we will make one menu selection for the particular meal, like it, love it, hate it, whatever. We also know that tastes, both ours and the kids’, will take a little adjusting as they venture into the unknown realm of perhaps too many choices. Anyway, we selected some more tomatoes and cucumbers to make a salad, as well as a sack of potatoes, and headed back to the apartment (Cathe: Slug bug silver, parked in front of the store).

As I prepared dinner, I knew that some of the kids’ favorite food items were on today’s menu. My suspicions were confirmed when we were clearing the table and most of the four pieces of bread were still on the plate. That has been our most visible sign of what they do or do not like since they are pretty good about not complaining about things they helped pick out. One of our family ground rules is that the kids need to tell us when there is something they do not like. Another ground rule is that they need to at least eat a small portion of anything we prepare since they may end up liking it anyway. For example, Kate indicated that she didn’t like cheese. But, as it turns out, she really didn’t like a particular type of cheese which was often cut thicker than she likes. Kate devours the type Masha helped us pick out, which is a softer and milder variety. The tomato and cucumber salad also goes quickly. It’s nothing more than sliced cukes and diced tomatoes with some Lowery’s Seasoning Salt (there was a jar in the cupboard) and mayonnaise stirred up together. We will be making that dish often at home!

Thus ends today’s journal entry. It’s nice to be able to know there are only a few more days until our flight home!

A view toward the southwest. I count at least 10 construction cranes in my limited view, and it was a nice sunset.

Passports & Visas

16 Nov 07, Friday, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Day 52. Major events of the day: Happy Birthday Stephen! First real view of the mountains, A long walk, Passports & Visas!, and A visit to the SOS Clinic

Morning Weather Report:
Almaty weather: 30, feels like 30, with a projected high of 45. A sunny, but hazy day.
Meanwhile back in Memphis: Overnight low of 34, but heading back to 56. Forecast has pretty good weather for the next few days. Save some nice weather for our return!

First things first: Happy Birthday Stephen! We’re all looking forward to your visit in December!

Since it was a nice day, I wanted to get out for a walk and some sight seeing. Our apartment is only a couple blocks from the old Parliament building, and there are some photo opportunities. Using Google Earth, I plotted out a course which will wear some little feet out while taking us through Republic Square and a few other sights. By the time I was ready to initiate the trek, it was still a little cool, but sunny. We also had a pretty good view from the back window in the apartment.

We went a different way than on any of our past treks to the Ramstore, working our way down to Republic Square to see the Golden Man statue. Looking back to the south, past the Parliament building, you could see the mountains and one of the many construction cranes. Somehow I even caught a large bird in the frame (it really isn’t an add-in). It would be nice to think it is an eagle, the bird on the Kazakhstan flag. If not, just imagine that it is. While in the square we also paused at a camel statue with a lot of graffiti on it. I wasn’t sure what it was all about at the time, but when we passed by the statue en-route to the SOS Clinic later in the afternoon, there were at lest half a dozen limos and many wedding parties taking pictures. Maybe it is one of the local equivalents to the ribbon trees in Petropavlovsk…

Continuing north on a nice pedestrian walkway, we passed several consulates. I did not see a sign for the US Consulate, but we were really close. I’m told that it is in one of the high-rise towers close to Republic Square. That’s where we will go for our entry interview and visas. Although it was only one block, it was a lot longer than one block in the states, at least a quarter mile. Looking at the shops, we were in a ritzy area which could have easily been transplanted into any large city in the US. Not only did I want to make sure they would be adequately tired to go right to sleep, I also wanted to see the small-scale Eifel Tower we had seen while heading to the apartment.





Remember my comment about the leaf sweepers in Petropavlovsk and how someone could make a mint opening a franchise to sell leaf blowers? Well, it looks like we had better hurry, because one of the leaf sweepers we saw today was equipped with a leaf blower. His pals didn’t have one yet, so there’s still an opportunity! I don’t think the concept is fully developed yet… He was blowing the leaves out of the grass so his buddies could sweep them up. It’s a start though.

As we were walking, the winds shifted and a cold fog came rolling down the hillside, forcing us to zip up our jackets. Up to that point, we had been pretty warm, especially since we were walking at a very brisk pace. Cathe is going to have a workout keeping up since the kids were pressing me to a fast pace which I usually don’t reach unless I’m walking alone. We probably covered 3 miles, with some of that being up-hill, so I hope it does the trick.

The one thing which kept the kids on track during our walk was a promised visit to the Ramstore to get some groceries, including ice cream. Some little things end up being big motivators! I must have planned the route perfectly because then we were about 300 yards from the store, the kids asked, “How much longer?” Although it was still out of sight, I pointed ahead and told them it was just past the next big building. Viola! Spirits immediately lifted, and they wanted to walk even faster. They got to rest their tired feet, and I got to check e-mail.

Good news this afternoon: Masha obtained the children’s passports and got their visas (Thank you Masha)! With a fax in hand, we went to the SOS Clinic for the required check ups. Kate was fine, but David needed one more shot to bring him up to date. The doctor even filled out the US forms which will suffice for school registration, so the kids shouldn’t need much when we get back.

The past two days I have hit home runs in the dinner department. Yesterday we had the equivalent of hot dogs along with mashed potatoes and cucumber-tomato salad. Today we bought a smoked/roasted chicken (didn’t know it was smoked though) and made mashed potatoes and salad again. I know the kids liked it because by the time the plates were clean, there was still a lot of bread left (that’s the touchstone). We’re going to do just fine in the food department.

This past week, and especially the past five days, have been super bonding days. We’ve had our downs, and the children have learned about time-out, but we’ve also had some great ups. We have been forced to figure things out and to work together to communicate. I am truly amazed at how far we have come in such a short time.

Connected at Last!

15 Nov 07, Thursday, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Day 51. Major events of the day: Connected at Last! & Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Since I didn’t get a connection until later today, it’s the mid-afternoon weather update…
Almaty weather: 43, feels like 40. Overcast, haze, damp, drizzle, rain and sleet. Yep, does sound like a wintry day in Seattle! (Gene & Deb: can you confirm?)
Last Petropavlovsk update: “17, feels like 10.” More snow predicted for the next few days there
Meanwhile back in Memphis: Overnight low of 34, but heading back to 56. Forecast has pretty good weather for the next few days. Save some nice weather for our return!

Today’s entry is quite late due to connectivity issues (lack of). The weather these past two days has been dreary, but we have been able to get out between drizzle sessions and missed a couple light rain showers.

Two treks to the Ramstore today. We needed more milk and I wanted to try connecting again. The kids really like to ice skate, and ask when we’re going back. Kate still sticks close to the wall, but is not doing bad. David takes off across the ice and tries a few tricks, but still needs a little work on the fancy stuff (most of his spin-outs ended up including a power slide on the knees). They are going to be pretty scary on rollerblades (watch out neighborhood!). Anyway, we reached an agreement: if I could get an internet connection, they would get to ice skate for an hour. Sadly, they didn’t get to skate this morning.

We returned to the apartment with our bags of groceries. All the contents made it back safely too. Yesterday’s shopping adventure didn’t go quite as well though. One thing about our kids is that they want to help with and be in the middle of everything. I was having a hard time supervising grocery bagging while paying the bill. At least I made sure the eggs and potato chips were in a bag, with the eggs on the bottom as well as ensuring the bread and rolls were in their own bag. It was good up to that point. I was carrying the heavy liquid items while the kids each had two light bags. Proper weight and balance was achieved for our up hill trek back to the apartment.

Unfortunately, I was busily navigating through the lunch time crowd, especially by the bus stop, and didn’t notice how they were swinging and twirling the bags as we walked along until we were nearly to our destination. So, we had an opportunity to discuss being gentle with things when we arrived at the apartment. The bread was fine, but two eggs, a banana, and a bag of chips suffered significant injuries along the way. It’s normal “kid stuff,” and nothing malicious, so I want them to continue being helpful. However, it’s stretching the bounds of my limited Russian and pantomime (and their patience with me) to slow them down enough to show the way to do things without breakage or damage. (things like tossing a sack of potatoes into a bag, on top of the bread…)

By the way, the Ramstore grocery store has a member discount card, just like Kroger or many other stores back home, which gives you a price break on several items. I saw the little “price break” signs but figured we wouldn’t be here long enough to make much difference. I changed my mind this afternoon when I noticed the 2/3 of the items were items which would be discounted if I had The Card, so we headed to Customer Service. As it turns out, all I had to do was ask the cashier and pay the requisite 200 kzt to obtain one. No paperwork, muss, or fuss. Our first purchase saved 400 kzt, so we’re ahead from day one and have another souvenir.

Also like Kroger, the candy, gum, and a small selection of movies and CDs are right there at the registers for parents to contend with. We’ve picked up a couple more movies to add to our collection of “computer-only” movies in Russian. (if you look carefully, many, but not all, have an English soundtrack or at least English subtitles) Today’s addition was В Гости к Роъинсонам (“Meet the Robinson’s”). Since it was a rainy afternoon, I figured it would be better than just watching Jetix (the equivalent of Cartoon Network, and just as annoying to anyone of teenage years or beyond. They got a big laugh at Cathe’s favorite part where a dinosaur is trying to reach the hero but can’t because he has a big head and short arms (watch the trailer online and you’ll laugh too).

Around 4:30 we headed back to the mall to try again. This time I promised ice cream regardless of success or failure to establish a connection, but with the same “no connection, no skating” clause. When they saw the little “Connected” icon in the system tray, both were ecstatic. So be warned, internet connectivity at the Ramstore costs 1400 kzt/hour, but you get two free kids tickets to the ice skating rink. 8-)

While the kids were skating, I received an e-mail saying the kids passports had been delayed a day, which means we won’t be done tomorrow and will have to stay the weekend. Adding to that, the KLM flights leave at 8:10 am, but there’s no flight on Tuesdays so we need extra prayers to avoid further delays. Hopefully the weather will clear up for the next few days (forecast looks good) so we can see the mountains and maybe make a trek up the cable car to get a bird’s eye view of the city.

We stayed up a little than usual, at least for the kids. I was able to get a connection a little after 10 and stayed connected for an hour (this post wasn’t ready then). Although their bed time has been 10-ish, there was an interesting program on Animal Planet (I think it’s called Meerkat Manor) which they were enjoying (and very quietly). Then it was bed time and I had two tired and overtly cranky kids on my hands. Kate wanted to be a Tae-Bo expert and David wanted to be the camera man. Once they actually got to bed, things were ok. It just took a few minutes longer than I would have liked, but they sensed when my patience had nearly run out and didn’t press too far. They didn’t appreciate the 8 am wake-up call, but there wasn’t any grumbling. We’ll try to be active today so tonight I can slide bedtime back to 9 pm (sneaky dad at work! I’m learning a few tricks from Laura in Virginia).

Still Lost, But went to the Museum!

Wednesday, Nov 14th
Second Day of Internet withdrawals! And I thought dial-up was painful!!! At least I'm only 1 day behind in posting (today) which I hope to catch up soon.

Day 50. Major events of the day: A Day in the Museum of Kazakhstan

No connection, so I’m winging the weather report:
Almaty weather: Feels like mid 40’s. Overcast, haze, damp and early drizzle, very reminiscent of Seattle this time of year.
Back in Petro: Probably a lot colder than here! Temperatures up there have bee running about 20 degrees cooler.
Meanwhile back in Memphis: I bet it’s a lot warmer, even if everyone back there thinks it’s cold.

Still overcast, a little foggy and intermittent drizzle, but we could see some of the foothills, and saw the funicular cable car which goes up one of the foothills east of the Ram Store on our morning visit. Well, we saw the towers and cables, but didn’t see it in operation. If the weather clears up a bit I want to take the kids up for a view. I bet it would be spectacular with the snow-capped mountains to the south. (The sign says: "I Love Almaty")

Our first morning trek was to the Ram Store to see if I could get a connection. Nope. Both kids REALLY wanted to ice skate again, but I gave the thumbs-down. Had I gotten a connection, I probably would have shelled out another 1400 kzt for them to skate (children’s rate for 1 hour, with skates, for both… Very reasonable!). We took a different route back to the apartment so I could seek out a place to exchange some dollars. It sure didn’t take long to burn through the last batch I exchanged. I have collected a sandwich bag worth of small change, but I want to get as close to zero as possible. Most of the stores in the mall take credit cards, but the ATM rejected my cash card.

Once you get used to having something, such as Internet access, going without can be a hard thing. Even dial-up, as painful as it is, is better than being disconnected from everyone. When Nikolai dropped us off, I neglected to get a contact phone number since I have Oleg’s cell number, except that when I try to call it from the apartment, I get a recorded telkom message telling me I cannot connect for some reason. Unfortunately, I focused my Russian studies on the phrases and objects I would need to know for basic communication with the kids (which is going fairly well, at least mostly when someone isn’t pouting because she isn’t getting her way, but I won’t mention which of the two kids she might be)!

The Museum of Kazakhstan was very interesting. There’s a pretty good natural history section with a couple dinosaurs and other small fossils and an excellent pre-historic man section before moving into historic migrations, trading routes and so on. There’s a very nice display upstairs on the political history of Kazakhstan back to the 1800s when Russia began colonizing, but mostly focusing on the last 15 or so years since Kazakhstan gained its independence from Russia. Definitely a worth-while visit, and I could have spent far longer looking over the displays if the children would have let me (Cathe will have help from now on!).

Spending my early years in the DC area, I visited many times but didn’t really appreciate all the museums. I have probably visited more and seen more of each museum since moving away, especially during the ten years I lived in Virginia Beach, less than 4 hours away. Although I have now come to really appreciate museums, when younger, I wanted to rush through to see the interesting stuff and found reading the placards boring.

Since arriving Monday and pointing out the Museum to the kids, they wanted to watch Ночь в Музее (Night at the Museum) again (and again). The kids have been alternating between “Gum-Gum” (wanting a piece of gum) and “Yum-Yum” (wanting a snack) to the point of absolute nuisance. It had calmed down a bit, then they saw a small statue at the museum. I’ll suffer a few more days until they wear that out. Oh, remember I mentioned exchanging money earlier in this post? Well, we hit the museum gift shop on the way out. So much for the “extra” cash! We did end up with some nice souvenirs though.

Anyway, sleep (maybe lack of) and boredom is beginning to catch up with the kids. It’s raining outside, so no evening trip to try to find a connection. Maybe we’ll try a game or at least some flash cards after dinner. They will definitely be ready for school and friends by the time we get home!