Morning weather report: 34, feels like 23. Projected high: 39 with rain all day. (definitely an in-door activity day!)
Meanwhile back in Memphis: Overnight low of 33 (Getting close to the freezing mark!), and heading back to a high of only 55 (sounds more like Petro weather back in October!)
Yesterday I really got a first-hand view of the impact of the global economy here. On the way to the RBS, we were behind a Japanese car (Toyota) with Russian license plates, in Kazakhstan, followed by a Russian car (Lada), driven by Kazakstani’s of Russian descent (versus the more Asian Kazakhs) with an American in the back. (Sorry about the blurry picture, we were bouncing along the road and the lighting wasn’t all that great) On the way back today, I spotted a car with German license plates from Tübbingen, a town I remember from my past trips to Germany, further exemplifying the globalness of the local economy. We have even spotted a few Hummer H3s and a Cadillac Escalade, along with other vehicles from around the world. A couple weeks ago I also spotted a SUV with Temporary Tags from Virginia. Now that’s global!Today has been rainy and getting colder. We topped out at 38 around noon, and the temperature has been falling since. Masha indicated that today’s weather is “more normal” for the fall than the “unusually warm” weather we have had up to now. “But it’s not cold yet!” she says. (I’m glad we won’t get to see the REAL cold temperatures of January and February! High temperatures through the weekend are not forecast to get above freezing, with a few nights dipping into the low single digits. Tomorrow light snow is predicted. Outdoor activities will be limited to a few brisk walks to the market.
There were a few questions from home regarding Christmas and how it is celebrated here. We already knew that Orthodox Christmas is observed on January 7th instead of the Christian Christmas on December 25th, but weren’t sure what people here do to observe the holiday. I asked the kids if they knew what Christmas was, and they quickly answered, “To celebrate the birth of Jesus.” Right on the mark there!
Masha was kind enough to fill us in on how the holidays are celebrated in Kazakhstan:
In Kazakhstan, New Year’s is celebrated more then Christmas. Around December 20th we decorate the house and buy a New Year’s tree. All the stores are decorated much like in the US. Ice City is also built in December on Constitution Avenue in one of the open squares.
For New Year’s Day, we visit with guests. Some people celebrate with a big dinner in restaurants while others celebrate at home. Every family makes their favorite family dishes. There is nothing special for the New Year and Christmas, but many families make PELMENI (meat in dough, boiled or steamed), which is really popular here. There is also plenty of wine, vodka and champagne to help celebrate...
Children have parties at school and go to events at the theater. Santa Claus is called DED MOROS ("Grandpa Frost"). He always comes with his grandchild who is called SNEGUROCHKA (SNEG means "snow") They bring gifts to the kids, so on January 1st, the children find presents under the New Year's tree. Christmas is on the 7th of January and is more of a quiet family holiday. We stay at home with our closest family and friends, but don’t give presents to each other.
Thank you, Masha!
Today’s visit was focused on the basics. After a quick snack of favorite sandwiches (Kate loves PB&J, while David enjoyed his Ham & Cheese), we got down to the business of covering the basic “Who, What, Where, When, How & Why” terms. Since we will be on our own in just a few days, we are trying to make the most of Masha’s assistance in building communication skills.
We slowly reviewed the basic questions and how to ask for the things that we will need such as, I’m hungry, I’m tired, Can I have something to drink, Where is the bathroom, and so on. More than a few pouts when we didn’t let up on the drills until we had reviewed everything, but we made it through. Kate and David are quickly catching on and understand that we have a lot of work to do in the next few weeks.Finally we worked our way through the flash cards and notes and got to do a quick e-mail check to see what new questions friends and family have been asking. Kate and David already feel like they know some of you and are looking forward to meeting in person.
Alas, it was once again time to head back to the RBS, but we did get in one more photo. Kids are kids everywhere!
No comments:
Post a Comment