Clowning Around

What an awesome surprise to be met by two clowns at the train station when I returned from my UK vacation a few weeks ago!  Those who know me know that something like that would have probably embarrassed me to death a few years ago but living here, you just have to "get over it" and have fun!  



My train pulled into the station and as I started to climb down the stairs with my luggage, I was met my my friends Nadezhda and Marina dressed in clown costumes, Yura who gladly grabbed my bags, Ember who was taking pictures in paparazzi style and Ken who was shooting video.  I had a sneaking suspicion that something was up earlier in the evening when Marina texted to ask what wagon I was on but had no idea I would be met by such an entourage!  I think it was pretty entertaining for those around us and it was a great way to be welcomed home!

Golden Tree

A small paper tree made from gold foil left over from a cigarette box sits on the corner of my desk. It was a small gift from a young man named Slava. Olya and I went to a local rehabilitation center today to see their work with kids and adults. I had heard about this program last year and finally had an opportunity to meet with the head doctor who invited us for a visit. The small facility is set back in one of the micro-regions in what used to be a small kindergarten. The grounds were well maintained with flowers and plants and some of the adult clients were pouring cement on the areas of the building needing repair. We made our way to the second floor and was met by a young nurse who unlocked the barred door to let us in to the patient area. We met briefly in a small room that served as an office, therapy room, classroom and exam room depending on what the need was at the time.

After gaining an understanding of the program and the population they work with we moved on to a small room containing 4 beds, each one occupied by a young man with a recently shaved head. One boy was lying on a cot with an IV drip of who knows what. The other three boys introduced themselves and responded openly to our questions. The 16-year-old had arrived three days before by order of the court. Apparently he had stolen a car and had been given a sentence of 2-years on the local juvenile jail. Since he has a problem with drugs/alcohol, he will need to get a clean "bill of health" from this center before moving on to finish his time. His "cousin", Slava was in the cot next to his and in the window was a picture of a woman and in response to my inquiry he said it was his mom. During the conversation, Victor, age 13 stood by quietly with his hands clasped behind his back. His tiny frame made him look more like a 9 or 10 year old but his face, with awkward glances of curiosity mixed with timidity indicated that he has seen more than his fair share of life experiences. In those short moments of interaction I was made aware of another group of kids at risk of falling through the cracks. Before leaving the boys gave each of us the craft they had finished as a "thank you" for visiting. For me, it will sit on my desk as a reminder to be doing something more for these kids. Olya and I brainstormed some ideas on how we might provide some games, activities and crafts for these kids. We would also like to see some volunteers from the community coming in and just spending time talking and trying to encourage them. We will also see how we might use the Youth Impact program to give them some much needed skills and hopefully this visit might open some doors for us to the local juvenile detention facility. I wish Slava knew how much his gift meant to me today...

Normal or Expedited Service?

I guess I am not the only one who has a challenging time dealing with visa issues. One of my British friends needed to obtain Kazakh visas for 6 people. Since the embassy website was down, e-mail wasn't working and they were not answering their phones she decided to drive down on a Friday to submit her applications. Since they were leaving the following week, it was pretty important for them to obtain the visas quickly. She arrived in time, submitted the forms and was told that each one would be $40 each and would be available Monday morning after 9. Knowing that she wouldn't be available to pick them up she asked if expedited service was available. She was told that service was available for an additional $22 each. Great! She asked if she could stop by in the afternoon to get the visas and was told, "no, those would be available Monday morning after 9 a.m." Okay, so you can go for either normal service for $40 or expedited service for $64 and both available Monday morning after 9 a.m. Hmm, I guess normal service would be the way to go huh? Fortunately a friend was available to pick them up on Monday so it did work out ok. Never a dull moment!