Some Funny Stories

The other day, while my training group was leaving our school after a long day of Russian, we were bombarded with the usual, "Hello!" (snicker-snicker) "How are you?" (he-he-he) "What is your name?" (pull friends towards you sheepishly and laugh or run away). Basically, just the usual Almalybak interactions with local children. So, we nonchalantly answered their questions and then AC (the local Almalybak celebrity, and fellow PCT) asked one of the young boys how old HE was. They, as a general rule, aren't prepared to answer these questions, but if they do answer it generally means they have been taught the appropriate english response, and they are almost always correct. This particular little boy (who couldn't have been more than 3.5' tall) looked up at AC and confidently replied, "I'm 20!". We all started laughing and AC replied, "No, you aren't". The little boy was insistent that he was 20 years old. After switching to our minimal Russian we asked him how old he was. 12. :) When we corrected his mistake, he smiled largely and laughed with his friends. By the way, I still have a hard time beliving he was even 12 - these kids looks SO young.

On that same day, I also saw a man herding his sheep through the streets of Almalybak, twice. And every morning I pass a woman and a man who are "walking their cow(s)". Technically, they are taking them out to the fields behind my house, but when you pass them on the streets with ropes tied to the cows, it pretty much looks like they are just walking their cows. I also pass a donkey on the way to school every morning, always tied somewhere different to "graze" for the day. I've named him Donkey (Shrek, anyone?).

I have seen a young school girl dropped off at school by her father in their garbage truck (military-issue). The dad had to get out, walk around, open the door and hoist the daughter our, all the while I just walked on by smiling.

I have officially given my first autograph, to a group of four school girls on the playground during lunch. That is always a funny experience.

Being woken up in the middle of the night (when my window is open) by Donkey, down the road, hee-hawing is terribly frustrating, but I still can't help but smile.

The kids yelling "Hello" is getting a little old, as are their 3 other English phrases, but the boy who yelled "My mother's name is Dana!" the other day, deserves some credit. :)

When my host dad got home late from work and we saw eachother in the hall upstairs and he proudly said, "Good Morning!" in perfect English, only to be laughed at by his wife who realized his mistake, is in the top 10 moments for sure. Especially because Aida (my host mom) then brought it up at the dinner table so that everyone could have a good laugh at my host Dad's expense (including Dad). I noticed he hasn't greeted me in English since, however. :)

Hearing about Ryan S.'s host mom saying that "plants are bad for the environment too!" when he tried to explain his vegetarianism to her, will not ever cease to amuse me. I mean, come on, plants ARE the environment.

Also near the top of the list is AC's video of the donkey eating weeds, only to see, as the camera zooms out, two little boys smiling from ear to ear atop the donkey. AC calls it the Kazakhstan Gas Station.

I'll try to write about the much anticipated food subject soon!