5

My promise to write things down, was, to be blunt, a lie. Sorry.

Still, is there anything new to report? My life in Kazakhstan has, so far, been rather monotonous. School from 8am till 6pm, the mornings spent studying Kazakh, and the afternoon devoted to teaching and observing my fellow trainees. There are 10 of us here in our village, Tusdy Bastau. 4 Californians, 1 Texan, 1 New Jersyite and a Montanan. An eclectic mix of ages/interests and personalities and I look forward to spending the next two years with (a few) of them. We will all be in the East of Kazakhstan, which, given the size of this country is rather a large area to cover, but none the less, what is a 7 hour bus ride in a country that takes 48hours to travel from the east to the west.

The weekend is coming, and I hope to spend as much of it outside as possible. Its already dangerously close to 30degrees, so the window for ‘outside fun’ is rapidly closing. While its not the humid heat of Japan – less of the constant damp clothing that was my bane for 3 summers there – the daily dry throat is starting to grow old.

Especially as I have started running again. No bicycle, and less time currently for hiking have forced me into it, a necessary evil. And as long as there is someone to talk to, mainly Jason as the moment- thanks buddy- it isn’t as bad as I remember. I haven’t run ‘for fun’ since I was 16, so to say ‘started again’ might be pushing it a bit. Still. I am not the slowest in our group, so my ego is enjoying the running, even if my legs aren’t.

Not much time for taking photos either, which is a shame. I am doing the best I can, and I have been assured that I will have plenty of time when I arrive at my site. That, coupled with – in theory at least- a more rural and authentic environment should provide me with plenty of victims/targets.