Happy New Year! Today is one of Kazakhstan’s most celebrated holidays so the city is buzzing with people shopping in preparation for this evening’s festivities. From what I hear there will be much life in the city and many fireworks at midnight……..can’t say that I will be up that long, too old!
This morning I was able to see Z from 10-noon but was not able to see her this afternoon. Tomorrow is a total day off, so I will not be able to see her tomorrow either. Big Frown! Our morning was filled with some play, a bit of cuddling and a new little treat. This morning I brought Zahri in a pacifier looking treat holder; how is that for a description. This thing is shaped like a pacifier but where the nipple should be, there is instead a net where you put a treat for your teething babies. I put a piece of ripe banana in there this morning, and in Z’s not-picky-at-all-I-just-want-to-eat style, she ate it right up. She loved it!! Here is a photo of her with her banana filled pacifier looking net treat. hehe
The caregiver from Baby Room #2 also stopped up for just a bit to chat with us, and she let Bayana know that when Z was in her group, she used to cry a lot and always wanted to eat. Zahri, Cry? Z never really cries. I can only think that maybe she was teething, or hmmmmm possibly she was flippin’ hungry? I would cry too! I say this with a little laugh as she is such a wonderfully content baby that it surprised me to hear that she cried a lot. The being hungry comment didn’t surprise me at all, she is a growing girl for goodness sakes.
Well, it is official, I have switched hotels and am now slumbering at the Hotel Dastan. My translator said that she never knew of this single bed dormitory style room, so for all upcoming single travelers that prefer to stay in a hotel, but don’t want to pay hotel prices, this is a great fit! I think that I am paying about $50 a night! Rock on! I was paying $110 a night, so this is saving me huge. The location here is much better as well, I am now near the Mosque Mall and within walking distance to the indoor Market & several restaurants. I am sure I will be just fine here. My room is clean, I have internet, a TV and a fridge. As for the smoky smell that I was worried about, I must have been smelling something else when I viewed the room, the room is not smoky at all. Feweee! I even have an outside sitting deck, just in case I want to hang my laundry out to dry. Bonus! Hehe
Last night I was told something very interesting that I want to share, but please don’t take this as the Bible since I haven’t yet double checked the stats. I met a group of people that work with the Oil Fields, imagine that (the Amsterdam is the place where the higher ups with the Oil Fields tend to stay and hang out) and I was told that the ratio between men and women here is 5 women to every 1 man. I asked why this was??? And I was told that it is due to WWII. This gentleman had said that during WWII some approximately 1.2 million men left and nearly 875,000 never returned. In each city in Kazakhstan you will find a statue of sorts with a forever burning flame (a true flame that always burns) in remembrance of those killed in WWII, so I know there is a lot of truth in what I was told. I was also told that this imbalance between men and women has lead to the men being very dominant over the women, possibly the women have learned that there is little choice of men so they become submissive to the men they have? This would kill me! Hehe Now this is only my own thought, nothing of research or statistics, but might it be possible that this is why the women here are always dressed to the nines? This is how you find a man, to look the best and be the most attractive? I guess it is no different anywhere in the world, but it just surprises me so how these women are so darn cute and trendy and always dressed up, even in these insane temperatures and conditions. Just a thought. Hmmmmm to ponder it. Seriously, the women here are amazingly beautiful!!!!!!!!
"No I didn't give you the gift of life, but life gave me the gift of you!"
Monday, December 31, 2007
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13 comments:
Happy New Years Christy. I'm sorry you do not get to see Z today but I hope your able to have some fun tonight. Your never too old to enjoy New Years Eve 1/2 way around the world :)
Sandi
Happy New Year!! Soon enough you will be up with Zahri, banging pots and pans. Stay up until midnight, will ya? When will you again get to celebrate the Kazakhstan New Year? ;-)
Still enjoying the stories and photos!
Shannon
Happy New Year and I am so happy you decided to stay!! What a blessing for little Zahri. You will be fine!!
Laura
fellow skm
congrats on your new digs!!! it sounds great and i'm happy for you. Z is probably content now becauase she knows her momma! Have fun on new years eve. we are all sick over here-my family got me sick. It's a drag. we're all coughing up a lung.
but, i'm sure we'll stay up cuz Sean won't let us go to bed early. :)
Happy New Year! Celebrate good times, come on! Z is a cutie. I bet she had been crying because she was lonely and wondered where here mommy was. Now she's content because you are there. The new home looks very cozy.
Happy New Year Christy! How amazing to start 2008 with your new daughter! Wishing you both health and happiness!
Quaintance
Happy New Year! You'll likely only be in Kaz for one New Year's Eve, ever, enjoy it! (Easy for me to say -- I'll be in bed in Colorado before 11!)
New digs look fine -- bit cozy -- but worth the trade-off in money and time spent with Z.
Best wishes for a wonderful 2008!
Alysa
I am so glad that you decided to stay - I am sure you made the right decision. I just knew that being a mommy would come naturally to you! I hope you are taking every moment to soak up the culture so that you can share all of that experience with Zahri!
I liked the idea (someone posted it yesterday, I think) about sending you care packages. Since you didn't plan on staying this long - what can we send you that would make you more comfortable and how do we send it?
Well, Happy New Year! It doesn't get more exotic than Kaz - enjoy every moment!
Audrey
Seriously, I just can't get enough of your beautiful pictures of Z. What an absolute delight. I am addicted to reading of your experience in-country. All the emotions, the joys, and how you are now practically getting to know the city like a local. It's just wonderful.
Congrats!
Your new digs sound perfect for your trip. Glad that everybody was flexible.
When I was living in Russia (not too far from Aktobe actually), I felt like a real frump. The women would sew the fashions they saw in the magazines and were always made up. I, on the other hand, was the "Eddie Bauer" girl. Of course I was also economically stable on my own which probably made a difference. Although it used to annoy me that they American men in our group (no matter how old and how creepy) had no problem getting young beautiful Russian girlfriends. And they took well advantage of it and of them. And they had the audacity to accuse us American women of being femi-nazis and man haters because we wouldn't be subservient to them as well. Yah right - get real!
Happy New Year!
HAPPY NEW YEAR Christy! I hope you are enjoying it and will have lots of stories to tell Z about it when she gets older. stacy
Happy New Year! Can you post a picture of your friend Laurie? We keep hereing so much about her, it would be nice to put a face with the name. Give Z a squeeze from me!
Liz
happy New Year! I am happy you decided to stay. We are also debating between 1 versus 2 trips, not sure yet, but I think it would be so hard to leave. Zahria is so beautiful.
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