Exploring- Oct 9

Hi everyone!

First of all, I want to thank my fabulous friend Maureen for the wireless internet modem. I can’t even tell you how fantastic it is to be able to check email and blog from my comfy sofa in the apartment where we are staying. And also, thank you to every single person who left comments here in the apartment log about how to use the washing machine (don’t laugh you people who have never been to Kaz, it’s hard to figure out in Russian!), what restaurants are good, how to get around, fun things to do. It is all priceless advice for us to have. And Rin has loved all of the toys people left too- the balloons are a particular hit. And there are lots of utensils and other helpful things. I have a very distinct memory of Peter in Astana desperately trying to open up a can of corn by pounding on it with a screwdriver. No need of that here since we have been totally set up with everything we could need. But most of all, it’s just nice to have a voice from the States when we are so far from everything we know. It gives a sense of home to know that we are not the first to tread this path.

We have been slowly getting over our jet lag and getting our bearings here. This city is pretty nice. And it’s very different from Astana. Being in Kaz at a different time of year is nice too (no mosquitos!). I just love Fall anywhere around the world. There is that crispness in the air and people bundled up against the cold. It’s just so cozy to be all wrapped up in warmth inside a coat and hat while the world around you is frosty. I love it. There are trees everywhere (Birch maybe? Poplar? I dunno) and all of their leaves are bright yellow. They are all painted white at the bottom (I’m assuming a bug deterrant of some kind) and it makes them really pretty. Our apartment is nice enough. The shower does no more than spit onto my head, the oven door fell off this morning when I opened it, and the bed is harder than the floor but we are very happy to be here. Most importantly it is close to everything. We are a couple of blocks from the city park and just a few minutes walking to the Ramstore (supermarket) and a pretty nice mall with everything we could need. I was very proud of the fact that we did not get charged for overweight baggage (unheard of for adoptive parents) but the honest truth is that we didn’t even need all of the stuff that we brought.

We have sort of just been trucking along so far. We did go to the baby house Friday and meet the one child who is currently available and I am glad we did because Rinat was driving me bonkers asking when we were going to see the babies every second of the day. His three year old self doesn’t really accept “I don’t know” as an answer. Of course when I actually held one, he was none too pleased (which the caretakers thought was really funny) but he’ll get over it. We will go back when there are more off the registry. So for now, we’re just hanging out and getting to know the town that our baby (cross your fingers, knock on wood, find a lucky clover) is from.

After the baby house, Oxana showed us around the town a bit and we went to the McDonald’s type place in the mall and then got some supplies at the Ramstore. After nap on Friday, we headed to the Ramstore yet again in search of something, anything that Rinat would eat that didn’t involve bread or loads of sugar. So we found hot dogs and they were, thankfully, a hit. Yes, I know, not the healthiest thing but better than being hungry. He ate 2 of them and that kept his belly full enough that he slept until 4:30 the next morning which was great.

 

On Saturday we got up and I made Ramen for breakfast (which always reminds me of a fabulous soup breakfast I had in Siem Reap, Cambodia- remember Ted and Liz?). Then we finally made the Shrinky Dinks that Rinat has been asking me about since he saw them in our luggage as I was packing to come here last week. Once it was light enough (and warm enough) to go somewhere, we went for a walk around the ‘hood to see what we could see. There were people sweeping everywhere with brooms made of twigs and then burning the leaves. I just love the smell of fire. It’s so primal and comforting. Rinat had fun ‘hiking’ in between the trees and listening to the crackle of the leaves under his feet. It made me slightly nervous because there are these random uncovered manholes with a very large drop down to the sewer all over the place but I noticed that people stick a long stick in them to mark them so he was careful. Along the way, we found some small community playgrounds and played hide and seek, ‘football’, seesaw, walking on the tires.

 


Eventually we ended up at the circus building and played there for a while. Again, there we about 10 or more people sweeping the dirt away from the brick plaza and a bunch of teenagers planting something in the grass. Across the street is the mall where we went to get some lunch. There’s a place on the second floor with a fab-u-lous latte and I can’t even tell you how happy I was to have it. It was an actually, just like at home, kind of latte and they even made a heart with the foam. So yum. And I don’t know why but all of a sudden I just can’t eat enough. I guess I haven’t really eaten to much for the last week (nerves and all) and my body is finally making up for it. I don’t actually feel nervous anymore and I guess my body can tell. In any case, I ordered a burger and they didn’t have the one I wanted so I just randomly pointed to another on the page. Let me tell you that this burger was not just big, but gargantuan. As big as a dinner plate and probably 4 inches tall. It was like one you’d find at those places where if you eat the whole thing you get it for free. And the burger was not just a regular burger, but a mixture of minced onions, spices, and meat so juicy that it dripped down onto the plate. Rinat kept telling me that my ‘meat puddle’ was getting deeper. It was good. Real good. Then it was off to the Jungle Park for a few more rounds of bumper cars, the smooshy playplace with the ball pit, Whack-a-mole, a kiddie ride that went round and round and up and down, air hockey, ski ball, PacMan, and a few other things I have a feeling that we are going to be living at that place.

And here we are. It’s Sunday morning and we are just getting geared up for our day. We’ve already done more Shrinky Dinks, watercolors, and now I am making some breakfast. We’re doin’ alright.

Love to all, -m