Testing the moral fiber of our compass!
What does that mean? For me it means everything here, on the other side of the world, is testing who we really are. What kind of person we have become with all western luxuries has it made us wiser when it comes to enjoying life and family? I’m happy here, just me and my husband and soon our child (I hope). I have to admit we’ve been spoilt here too; our new friends Kim and Jean have taken us under their wings and shown us many hidden treasures and the secrets that they hold. We would have discovered the treasures eventually but the secrets can only be told by a foreigner that has been living here, like our friends! We are not, by far, victims of any circumstance…this will be a trip (Vacation for us) and the best kind, togetherness!!!
On a lighter note,
Our Thursday and Friday have flown by;
I already went through an internet card (500 tenge). I plan on writing my blogs first on word then transferring the info this way I might be able to last for a week on the card.
We do like our apartment however we will be moving, so please stop sending gifts to this one!!! Ha! ha! ha! Our apartment is on the ground floor and the floors are directly on cement, which in turn keeps everything really cold up until your knees. We brought duck tape and sealed all our windows, it did help, but it is coming from the floors. So bring duck tape future pap’s.
Our friends Kim & Jean & baby Noah, brought us on a city tour by foot, there is lots of places around are apartment to do groceries, there is a couple of places to buy baby articles, like umbrella stroller (they got a nice one). And there is even a recreational spot (I think they have bowling) at the Atrium.
Our Ectaco is fully charged and we plan on using it, because it takes me to long to look through my dictionary when I want to say something of meaning…like you are so nice thank you for all your help!
The people that we’ve encountered on this journey have gone above and beyond to help us. Although I do have to say for my coordinator in Almaty, stop worrying and stop saying sorry…we are grown ups!!! She is such a mother, but a good one!
I still do have my sinful luxury of wine and I get to sample different ones, like I said it’s a vacation, just kidding! In all seriousness, they do have some wines that I know but nothing fancy, like I’m used to (for now). If someone could find a good bottle…I am that someone!
Bring sauces in packets, can someone fed-ex me some, and my Tim Hortons…that would be a nice surprise! They do not make pasta dishes here so it is very limited, I will be creative but I will miss Pesto in my pasta! We brought gravy St-hub style for our friends, we rarely eat sauce like that but now I would. I think I bought some ground mouton today…that will be our Saturday night party dinner, but I would prefer to eat with our buddies before they leave on Monday morning!
And today Saturday, we will be off to find our little munchkin, so keep your fingers, arms, legs and whatever else you can cross, crossed!!! It is never a sure thing; the child could be too old or too ill. We aren’t picky, we just want healthy and as young as possible.
Friday, December 28, 2007
WE GOT IT EASY!!!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
We're flying first class ...next flight
WE ARE HERE...WHERE DO WE START!
Well we left as planned on the 24th of Dec 2007...got to the airport in style thanks to Kent and Mandy, they sent us a big bad limo, people at the airport were expecting to see movie stars and then they see us, with our jeans, our big kanuks and our backpacks. I told people at the airport that we are going hiking in Kazakhstan!!!! Our plane was on time and we were off to our next destination...
Amsterdam;
We took a canal tour because we had at least 7 hours to kill, we took a taxi ride from the airport which was an adventure in itself! At first we were trying to take the train but to buy the tickets got way to confusing...and just finding our way around the airport (sleep deprived and all) drove us nuts. When I say us I mean Me, Daniel, Isabelle and her mom Micheline.
Next stop...
Almaty;
What a trip, we slept maybe 2 hours on a 6 hour flight, which turned into a 8 and 1/2 hour if not 9 hour flight. We were getting close to Almaty airport when we had to detour and go to Astana airport because a small private plane crashed...So we flew to Astana and parked it there. Finally after 1 hour re-fueled and took off to our destination. Once landed things got a bit scary and foreign, nobody speaks english anymore, even the people on the plane that were speaking english, all of a sudden couldn't understand a word we were saying!!!! Oh well when in Rome... So I started to speak my version of RusEnglish, Dan followed the style and we accomplished getting into the country. We picked up our 4 giant suitcases, which we will never do again (I think I want to leave Dan's green one here). Tryed to get a trolly, that needed aggression (Dan followed what everyone was doing) and then I watched as Dan, watched our luggage turn on the belt a couple of times. I asked Dan why he wasn't picking up the luggage and he said " where are they?" Now, everybody knows who did the packing!!!! Let me just mention he was sleep deprived.
By the way, there is something very very strange around here, you are not allowed to take any pictures of anything that is in or around a gouvernment establishment, including ourselves up against a wall!!! I did manage to sneak a picture of us on our next flight to Uralsk.
Now back to the Almaty arrival, we (the 4 of us) were spotted by our lovely coordinator Sveta, she was waving to us like a mad woman from across the window. We didn't know her, so we didn't wave back...we just kept saying (with hand gestures) are you waving to us? She would nod yes and we would look behind us just in case she was talking about someone else...this went on for about 3 times until she mouthed SVETA!!!! We are such dorks! I asked her how she knew it was us and she said we aren't pushy enough, she doesn't know me yet, ha! ha! ha!
Then our darling Sveta brought all of us to Vladmirs small car and could only fit our luggage and 2 people, so me, Dan and Sveta walked to our hotel (5 min) which turned out to be not our hotel, just a place to put our luggage until our next flight 8 hours later. So once we did that we proceeded to our real hotel, which took us 1 hour to get there (lots and lots of traffic). I thought we would have time to rest up but, we ate breakfast went to our rooms washed up and then off to the bank which took another 1 hour to get there and another 2 hours in there and then another 1 and 15 minutes to get back to the hotel (now by the way it is a mad rush) we are going to be late for our flight. Sveta has a panicked look on here face the entire car ride, we passed out in the back seat and got jolted up by a crazed Sveta saying" we have to run, run, run" but where? We jump out of the car half asleep running in circles. We needed to pick up our luggage first and throw it into the car (again never bring too much luggage) and run to the airport, check-in and wait for the car with our prized luggage. Sveta had called from the car to advise the airport to wait for us, yet she and one of the flight attends were talking angrily at each other. Just to let you know it went really well because we bought first class tickets (apparently you have a lot of pull) and the plane was late anyways, the joke was on us!
Uralsk
First class was a nice final touch, I would definetly recommend it to anyone. Once in Uralsk (3 hours) we disembarked on the run way outside (it reminded me of old movies). We followed the crowd to...well to the parking lot and then I started to say "niet,niet"everyone was a taxi driver, it kind of felt like we were in Jamaica except for the unbelievable cold and what they were offering (if you get my drift). So, we found an entrace to what looked like an airport arrival, looked for anybody that could look like our next coordinator and we spotted these 2 young beautiful girls holding signs with our names on it. I screamed Elvira is that you??? Yes, Yes who are you? We are the people that will be depending on you for a long long time!!!! HELLO URALSK!!!
To be continued....
Saturday, December 22, 2007
HICCUPS
WELL THE FIRST HICCUP WAS OUR VISAS/PASSPORTS...WE GOT IT YESTERDAY WITH; ALOT OF PANICKING, CALLING AROUND, CHASING THE POSTMAN UP AND DOWN THE STREET.
2ND HICCUP; WE FOUND OUT THAT WE ARE GOING THERE TOO EARLY(2.5 WEEKS EARLY), SOME KIND OF CONFUSION AND THEIR IS NO CHILD AVAILABLE FOR US. SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS AS A 2 WEEK VACATION (KIND OF LIKE SURVIVOR/THE AMAZING RACE) BUT YOU NEVER KNOW THINGS COULD CHANGE ONCE WE ARE THERE...BUT WE ARE AWARE THAT WE WILL BE THERE FOR NOTHING!!!
WITH A LITTLE LUCK AND LOTS OF PRAYERS, THINGS COULD SWAY IN OUR FAVOR!!!!
KEEP PRAYING EVERYBODY FOR US TO MEET AN AVAILABLE HEALTHY CHILD
