Tuesday, April 3, 2007
We're Dolphins Fans Now...
The Gators beat Ohio, so we're officially Miami Dolphins, Heat and Panthers fans now. (We don't need more plush dolls to show it.)
Where's Punxsutawney Pyotr
A groundhog could have told us that there were at least two more weeks of winter last week but somehow we were gullible and thought the weather forecast for 50 degrees would come true. Nyet, nyet nyet. This morning it was 25 as we dressed for court, and it warmed only to about 32 by lunch. So much for Hawaii Five-oh!
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Say “Nimnoga Pajalsta”
Yesterday we got a great care package from Morgan's Nana Marlene in Miami. It included several packs of (delicious) coffee, plus some cool handmade gifts we can use. Thanks Mom! (Note to other adoptive families sending packages to Kaz, that the USPS parcel-post took about 20 days and was $29.)
Today we went to a local event, very much like a youth Cabaret with kids ranging from 4 years old or so up to high school age. People really love to sing "show tunes" and perform. It's all very different flavor, and yet oddly very familiar feeling. We took some great video, and hope to put some of it up on the website.
We've been apprehensive as our stash of DVD's (thanks Laurie!) dwindled and we worked through whole seasons of "Gray's Anatomy," "Monk," and "Six Feed Under." Today - 29 days after arrival - we finally figured out that the DVD's in the rental shops have English tracks and can be rented for 100 tenge (80 cents). Tonight we rented "North Country" which was excellent. The snowy mining and wheat country reminded me of Kostanai. Many first-run movies are available here. They accepted my Florida driver's license for collateral, so I will be returning them too.
We're preparing to go to court, and when we do we will describe it here. But until then we can't talk much about it.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Cue the music for Hawaii Five-Oh please
Twice or three times a day we check the weather at Weather Underground. In normal days we don't even notice if NBC6 forgets to include the temperature in the morning news, but here in the city of Constantine, we want to know how much we're suffering at any given minute.
Thus, we're happy to see Weather Underground predict a temperature for next Thursday's high of FIFTY degrees Fahrenheit. Count 'em FIFTY. We'll go outside in our shorts, I promise. That's actually a temp that we can recall experiencing in Miami within the last decade of winters.
How do the locals - and our esteemed Yankee readers - tolerate not only the cold, but our blather about how we shouldn't be subjected to it?
- Robertson
Thursday, March 29, 2007
30 days and counting
Ok, we have been gone from home for 30 days. Today we ran out of our coffee supply. I have two purse packs of tissues left. Are we there yet????
I am definitely ready to go, because I am looking forward to going back to work. While I've been keeping up, I can't wait to sit in my office and not worry what speed the dial up will be this time!
Robertson is gargling with Vodka, our mini washing machine is spinning with three pairs of socks. (After the gargle, he says the capacity is 10 liters). It is a constant humm in the background. I can't wait to use our machine at home. I believe it could hold every item that both of us packed. Ok, not the coats.
That's because the coats are big enough to require their own ticket on the plane which I hope to soon be on!
I think we will be here another 8 days, leaving on Sunday the 8th.
P.S. Welcoming SPW has hilarious post - read the comments.
I am definitely ready to go, because I am looking forward to going back to work. While I've been keeping up, I can't wait to sit in my office and not worry what speed the dial up will be this time!
Robertson is gargling with Vodka, our mini washing machine is spinning with three pairs of socks. (After the gargle, he says the capacity is 10 liters). It is a constant humm in the background. I can't wait to use our machine at home. I believe it could hold every item that both of us packed. Ok, not the coats.
That's because the coats are big enough to require their own ticket on the plane which I hope to soon be on!
I think we will be here another 8 days, leaving on Sunday the 8th.
P.S. Welcoming SPW has hilarious post - read the comments.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Are you here?
Here's a diagram of the folks who have read our blog this week. There are 55-60 unique visitors per day. (via Google Analytics as of 03/28)
A Chocolate Morsel
For a lack of a better way to understand Kostanay, I have become interested in a big private employer, the Bayan Sulu Chocolate Factory (Google-translated link), which opened in 1974. I discovered this factoid on the Kostanay page of Twin Towns, which seems to be a first-hand report. Their products fill the stores here and include fruit and other confections. We'll see if they give tours of the factory. Good photos are on their website anyways; maybe that will be as close as I get. -- Robertson
Morgan at Piano
and she's not that interested. Actually, she loves anything new. And like all the other kids in the room is immediately drawn to even the worst music. We know! We can't remember the words or music to almost everything we try to sing.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Pink Piggies in Purple Pajamas pick Pretty Petunias in the Pasture
Monday Update
It snowed 2 or 4 inches yesterday, and it continued most of the day and overnight. Weather should go up to 45 by next Saturday, and be clear. But rain 'til then.
We are still waiting to find out about court. We've been assigned to a judge, one with a good reputation, and now the next step is for our agency (MAPS) to follow through with hunting down Morgan's birth mom. The birth mom left sketchy and ambiguous information about how to contact her, so it's quite a task. In a day or two MAPS will be able to go back and say we've duly searched for her. Then, we can ask our judge for a date, which could be as early as this week but more likely will be next week.
Yesterday, Morgan and all the other kids had a low-grade cold, so there was a lot of crying in the nursery and only two kids were in the playpen (some are quarantined - Kelly C. note that S. is fine).
We had throat checks before we could go visit her for the last two days, but yesterday they swabbed our throats with two things, one was salty, and the other smelled like iodine. This is the first time Morgan has been sick with us. She has been tired and cranky.
I'm glad that we get to see this side of her, because we're told the plane ride back is horrible because she doesn't get to sleep for 36 hours or so.
We are still waiting to find out about court. We've been assigned to a judge, one with a good reputation, and now the next step is for our agency (MAPS) to follow through with hunting down Morgan's birth mom. The birth mom left sketchy and ambiguous information about how to contact her, so it's quite a task. In a day or two MAPS will be able to go back and say we've duly searched for her. Then, we can ask our judge for a date, which could be as early as this week but more likely will be next week.
Yesterday, Morgan and all the other kids had a low-grade cold, so there was a lot of crying in the nursery and only two kids were in the playpen (some are quarantined - Kelly C. note that S. is fine).
We had throat checks before we could go visit her for the last two days, but yesterday they swabbed our throats with two things, one was salty, and the other smelled like iodine. This is the first time Morgan has been sick with us. She has been tired and cranky.
I'm glad that we get to see this side of her, because we're told the plane ride back is horrible because she doesn't get to sleep for 36 hours or so.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Tea Party
Today we celebrated Nauryz with the caregivers at the Delphin house. We sat down to a lovely spread of tea and cakes (torts) on little tables and still littler chairs. We also took some video messages from the caregivers to Morgan. She seemed to love all of the attention.
She was more chatty than ever. She said "pa pa". This may or may not have been a result of our recitation of "pink pigs on pretty peg-board puzzle pieces", or "pink pigs in purple pajamas picking pretty petunias" or peter piper, . . . oh you get the idea.
Later, Robertson bought Pampers, pretty pricey! We just can't stop.
We have learned that we might be going to court soon, and we'll let people know when we learn the date. For now, we're enjoying the warming trend as more and more sidewalks are revealed. We have now found the huge open air markets-- the photos are posted on Flickr already.
She was more chatty than ever. She said "pa pa". This may or may not have been a result of our recitation of "pink pigs on pretty peg-board puzzle pieces", or "pink pigs in purple pajamas picking pretty petunias" or peter piper, . . . oh you get the idea.
Later, Robertson bought Pampers, pretty pricey! We just can't stop.
We have learned that we might be going to court soon, and we'll let people know when we learn the date. For now, we're enjoying the warming trend as more and more sidewalks are revealed. We have now found the huge open air markets-- the photos are posted on Flickr already.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Universitet with Yurt
A row of about a dozen yurts were set up on the avenue in front of Kostanai State University for Nauryz.
Nauryz
Today is "Nauryz" — the Kazakh New Year, timed with the spring equinox. It is one of the most important national holidays for Kaz. It's origins are nomadic life. A time to celebrate spring — truly a significantly big deal here. The winters are so long and brutal. It is also a celebration of the local community, the Aul, the Kazakh word for nomadic village. The tradition dates back to Persian culture, so is not unique to Kaz, but pervades all of Eurasia.
With spring comes the birthing season, so it makes sense that the local Nauryz Celebration includes many huge "Shashlik" or shish kebab cook out tents. Since our apartment is on the Central Park, we have a fantastic vantage point to enjoy the festivities. It's a big street party/state fair, with lots of loud, live music and contests. Some of the best include pole climbing, kid (boy group!) singing contests, traditional vocal groups and dance, and amusement park rides. It looks like a lot of the local businesses set up YURTS, which are the traditional Nomad tent. Lots of costumes, and I think everyone in Kostanay is currently strolling in the park.
Historically, Nauryz was an Aul celebration because families could only survive the harsh winters within an Aul. The families worked towards the general good of the Aul, and the Aul helped them out during difficult winter months. Supposedly, Aul also was a kind of "time out" — when the worst of enemies sat down and ate and drank together. This particular aspect of the holiday is certainly being celebrated here in Kostanay.
With spring comes the birthing season, so it makes sense that the local Nauryz Celebration includes many huge "Shashlik" or shish kebab cook out tents. Since our apartment is on the Central Park, we have a fantastic vantage point to enjoy the festivities. It's a big street party/state fair, with lots of loud, live music and contests. Some of the best include pole climbing, kid (boy group!) singing contests, traditional vocal groups and dance, and amusement park rides. It looks like a lot of the local businesses set up YURTS, which are the traditional Nomad tent. Lots of costumes, and I think everyone in Kostanay is currently strolling in the park.
Historically, Nauryz was an Aul celebration because families could only survive the harsh winters within an Aul. The families worked towards the general good of the Aul, and the Aul helped them out during difficult winter months. Supposedly, Aul also was a kind of "time out" — when the worst of enemies sat down and ate and drank together. This particular aspect of the holiday is certainly being celebrated here in Kostanay.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
She hee hee'd
Michele got a healthy laugh out of Morgan today, and she is vocalizing now more than ever. At the Delphin they had New Year's entertainment for the kiddies and performers sang. We took a long walk down to the riverfront area and back because the weather was a balmy 35 degrees F.
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