15th September

15^th September

“Survival is the ability to swim in strange water” Dune

There are a few habits I have brought with me from Japan that I think I will be stuck with for a while. Slurping my noodles, showing numbers with my hands differently, and bowing when I great people. The bowing is dramatic, just a small nodding of the head, but its still enough to stand out, and I cant seem to stop doing it! With regards to showing numbers, in Japan people count to 5 in the normal way, but show 6-10 by placing the extra fingers in the palm of the 1-5 hand, as opposed to separately, in the same style as 1-5.

Sorry for the terrible drawing! And slurping noodles is just easier, and there are no discernable table manners here which it might offend, so that’s ok.

Oh, I remembered that there were knives among the cutlery at the wedding, which I guess just shows that im not eating at expensive enough places here. Although watching the others on my table try and use them, would suggest that most people cant.

I have been playing football everyday, which has been great. The school team (or as many as are able, as many boys are made to do house chores after school – there are so many more here to do, as washing machines, vacuum cleaners etc are not common in the village. I am on the other team, made up of the younger kids, or the PE teachers/graduates. Its not as one sided as you might think, and the last two days we have been beaten. A lot of this is down to a lack of passing (with ages comes self confidence it seems) and putting the worst player in the goal. But still, its fun! Although the number of minor injuries ive picked up just make me feel old, with a pulled thigh muscle from last night the latest on the list.

14th September

14^th September

“There is no escape – we pay for the violence of our ancestors” Dune

While I may not have great access to the internet, I am able to get enough of the news to know that the world isn’t getting much nicer while I am hiding away in Kazakhstan, although at least Libya seems to be nearing an end.

I am a rather frustrated man these days, and I really need to work out how to stop it. Between the Kazakh school system, my local teaching counterparts, and Peace Corps bureaucracy; it seems the world is trying to make my life more difficult.

We finally have a template for a time-table, and, well, look for yourselves.

		Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat
8.00-8.45	1	5v 5v			9a 9a
8.50-9.35	2	10a					9b
9.40-10.25	3	9a 9a					11b
10.35-11.20	4	9b			5b 11b		5b
11.30-12.15	5			5v 5v	10b 10b		10b 10b 10a
12.20-13.05	6				11a 11a		11a 11a
13.30-14.15	1				7a 7a		6b/7v
14.20-15.05	2			6b/ 7v/ 7b	8a 8a		7a 7a
15.10-15.55	3			6a 6a
16.05-16.50	4			5a 5a			5a 5a/7b
17.00-17.45	5			8b 8b			8a 8a
17.50-18.35	6	6a 6a					8b 8b

The different colours show the 3 different English teachers and their classes, which as you can see are often split in two. In fact, the policy in Kazakhstan is that if the class is over 20 students, it gets split whenever possible. Which in theory is great, as there are small class sizes, even in public schools, however, the extra teacher time is usually wasted as the teachers just read out of the text book to the children. I think it’s a lazy attempt at boosting classroom discipline, but really, keeping 20 kids in order isn’t difficult if you are a good teacher who makes interesting lessons. For me, it also means that it’s far harder for me to teach all of the children in the age groups I want, currently being 5^th, 9^th, 11^th- 5^th because they are cute and all of them are still very excited by everything, 9^th as they have a big test at the end of the year involving English (GCSE style), and 11^th as, for some of them (currently standing at 3) they also have a big English test if they choose English (A-level style).

But the biggest problem with the time-table is that I don’t work on Saturdays. This is designed so that I can visit other volunteers in the area and help with teacher workshops or community projects. The school was made aware of this; indeed, Jason’s school has made it so that there are no English lessons on Saturday for him. This means that I now have 2 free days during the week, with seemingly nothing to do! I can do all of the English clubs and lesson planning sessions on Mondays and Thursdays, so I am left with this extra time. I will possibly try and work at the 3^rd school in the area, maybe for an hour or two on Tuesdays, and, just see what crops up I guess.

And this is where the frustration stems from I think. I set high expectations for myself and others, and when obstacles are thrown in the way, it presents things that are out of my control, and therefore are frustrating. Finding out how to gain more control from my situation here in my current task, as well as learning to make my targets for others slightly easier to attain, at least early on.

On a more upbeat note, I just came back from the school’s (possibly) weekly disco. 50tenge, about 30p gets students access to the sports hall, playing all of their favourite pop drivel. It was fun though, and alongside football, its my way of interacting with the kids outside of the classroom. Its my experience that the ‘bad’ kids are often the sporty ones, who are bored with school and have too much energy. Making the English lessons more interesting and hands-on is my primary goal in helping them, but if they feel more comfortable around me, that has got to help as well. So we will see how this goes. I won’t be going to the disco every time though, as the music is terrible!

12th September

12^th September

“A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct” Dune

I finished A call to Arms by Hemingway in 2 days, and while I liked it a lot, the similarities with The Winter of our Discontent were striking to me; similar main character (a quiet American male, fighting in a foreign war against Germans), similar subject matter (war, drinking wine) and a similar outcome (sad ending). I am now re-reading Dune by Frank Herbert, which is pretty much the only serious Science Fiction series I have ever read – Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Red Dwarf don’t count! I first read Dune when I was much younger, and I didn’t appreciate how well written it is! I will enjoy reading all the book (4 I think) that are in the series, even if I remember most of the subject matter.

Back from the wedding, and quite a trip it was! Due to the peculiarities of Kazakh bus travel, I spent 23 hours in total sitting down, within a 48hour period. If only I could read in cars, it would be alright, but alas, it just makes me travelsick.

Right, so, the wedding! I am not sure how an Islamic wedding ceremony is actually conducted, as the major event here is the party. We started with a big party at home at 2pm, many guests, and lots of beshbarmak (I think you remember my thoughts on that food). Then at 6pm, everyone piled into cars and drove to a restaurant (one of many) in Almaty that caters for wedding parties (similar to those in Japan), where there must have been 300 people, mostly extended family – I think my sister had 6 friends there, and the groom, only 2! We then proceeded to eat (beshbarmak again), dance and give toasts until 1am. The Kazakhs and their toasts, they go on forever! If I could understand what was being said it might help, but they really do drag.

Now, as my first host dad is very rich (apparently he is something to do with the government, but I still think he is a gangster!) there were a number of guest singers, who sang 1 or 2 songs and left. At least 2 of these I recognised from the TV here, so they must have been rather famous. It was all pop, of which I am not a fan, but was still pretty cool to have ‘celebrity’ singers there. Ill try and find out their names from my students, and look for Youtube videos for you.

I gave a toast that I butchered rather horribly. Speaking in front of so many people made me rather nervous, and I should have just read it, not tried to say it from my head. Oh well, still had fun! Which is more than can be said for the bus ride home, which took 13hours, 2 hours of which were spent stopped in a city halfway home, and another 30minutes the bus was checked by the ‘narco police’. Kazakhstan is a major route of heroin from Afghanistan - there are only Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan between us (both countries I plan on visiting!)- into Russia, and then Europe. Ganja also grows wild here, so there is a large, probably American funded ‘war on drugs’ here, and at least with the domestic population, it seems to be working. There is very little drug use (although a lot of alcoholism) especially seeing as ganja is free here! But with the large and rather fluid borders and large country, smuggling is a popular occupation.

8th September

8^th September

Success on the Kindergarten plan! Once it was made clear that what I was proposing was free, the Headmistress was very excited about having me come to teach, and indeed, wanted me to come more than once a month. So once I have a bloody time-table I can start doing this. And this will count as a ‘community project’ as well as teaching, which is also great. The three main reasons for my being here are to: Help local teachers improve, help the community in general, and share ideas about USA here and Kazakhstan back in the USA (oops). While this is teaching, it will more about engaging with the community and in a different environment from the main school, where I am mostly based.

As I was walking home today, I passed a man who I have seen around the village before. He walks very slowly, VERY slowly, and when you get nearer the reason for this becomes apparent. He either has a whole prosthetic leg, or a leg brace, but every time his left knee bends, there is a rusty creaking, just like a gate being opened. His age is hard to place, as his face is very weather beaten (and probably plenty of vodka), but it is most likely that he is a terribly aged 40/50 year old, and his injured it during the Afghanistan war, rather than WW2 (or The Great Patriotic War as its known in ex-Soviet countries).

Most of what I have written recently has been about my frustrations in the Kazakh school system, so I thought I would try to write about other things here. And what is more interesting than eating!?

Kazakhstan is the 2^nd country I have lived in now, that doesn’t conform to the European/USA idea of what cutlery is required at the dinner table. Japan of course used chopsticks for every meal – I remember the first times I ate salad and spaghetti with them, and thought it was something crazy and novel. After three years, I think my chopstick skills are pretty good, if somewhat unconventional (apparently I hold them wrong, and then being left handed as well).

Kazakhstan on the other had, is closer to what most of you are used to, apart from the fact that Kazakhs don’t use knives. A standard place setting here is a teaspoon, table spoon and fork. Much like in Japan, if something is going to be cooked that would require cutting (like a steak, or vegetables), they are cut in the preparation stage, and so what reaches the plate is easily eaten without cutting.

This means that the spreading of butter or jam for example, is done with a spoon. Or, as is done by many people, no spreading at all- simply take a mouthful of bread, then a mouthful of jam or butter. Indeed, there is a lot of communal eating, that involves licked spoons/forks being put back into the food that others are eating from, as the traditional way of serving dinner is to place a big platter (or platters, depending on the number of people) in the middle of the table, and people just help themselves. Jams etc are placed in dishes in the middle, and the licked spoons are just dipped back in again. It was shocking at first, and I am still not 100% comfortable with it, but, well, it’s the Kazakh way. And our main concern back home with this style of eating, namely, the spreading of germs, doesn’t seem to be an issue, as none of my family has really been sick, and nothing has spread.

I am heading back to Almaty for 2 days, for my first host-sisters wedding. It’s a bit of a trip (£30 in bus tickets for a start), but it will be my first wedding here, and I am excited, although typically, one of the secretaries from school is getting married on the same day! What is that old adage about two busses coming at once?

7th September

7^th September

“English Literature, where so many frustrated poets end as pipe smoking teachers in tweeds” Lolita

Book finished, and apart from a few dull moments, it really does live up to its reputation as one of the best books of the last century (one of Graham Greene’s “3 best books of 1955”), even if the subject matter is risqué.

There is still no fixed schedule at school, which means for some reason that I have no English lessons today. I have a lot of idea regarding clubs and activities I want to run, but all will have to wait until I actually have a timetable!

I am going to see the Headmistress of the kindergarten today, to float the idea of teaching there once a month, just fun simple games and basic English. Kids at that age are like sponges, and I hope that the fundamentals (numbers, colours, alphabet etc) will stick with them.

Autumn is slowly coming, although the midday temperature wouldn’t tell you. Its been over 30degrees all week, but once the sun drops, so does the mercury.

4th September

4^th September

“Enough. Once science has spoken, one should remain silent”

I just finished reading Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne and liked that quote. The book was interesting, and its nice to finish another classic, although I suffered from my major complaint with books from that period. Namely how the author often diverges from the story, often with rambling monologues. While never ruining the book, they do add a lot of filler. Also the annoying tendency of at least one of the characters for irritating bursts of emotion, of which Axel is guilty in this book!

I am currently reading two books (of course!), one being the text book for the course in Islamic Art that will start at the end of the month. Islam, Art and Architecture by Markus Hattstein is a huge tomb of a book, full of amazing pictures and interesting writing and its very interesting to read. I am much more interested in the architecture of the Islamic world than its art, which is mainly limited to calligraphy, and some of the pictures are breathtaking. It is fuelling my travelling desires… so many great buildings to see! Alas, many are in Iran, Afghanistan and Syria so whether I will ever get to see them is another matter.

The other book is Lolita by Nabokov, an infamous story as I am sure you are well aware, but something I had on the kindle and thought I should read, mainly due to its infamy. I have only just started, and from what I can see, its very well written and the prose is engaging, although the subject matter – well, lives up to its reputation.

3rd August

3^rd August

After yesterday’s rant about the Kazakh education system, I thought I would give a little more information regarding my situation, and what is expected of teachers here.

The most obvious difference is that teachers are expected to pay for all their own school supplies, be it chalk or paper. While is undoubtedly saves waste and theft of school resources, in my experience it just means that teachers do less in the way of creative planning. Why make posters for the room if you have to pay for it yourself etc. The same goes for photocopying and printing. There is only 1 photocopier at my school, in the director’s room, and it has proved a huge hassle to get anything copied.

Sorry if my obvious frustration is rather negative and I hope my mood improves, but its proving hard. Although the new English teacher did appear today, so that’s a start. I hope she will be good to work with, and listen to my suggestions. A focusing of my energies onto only those things that I can control is needed, its just hard to do, when so much that I cant control effects me!

2nd September

2^nd September

School has started! The new English teacher has yet to arrive, so I won’t hold my breath for her. And the timetable won’t be finalised for another week at least, so an end to the chaos of today is something I also won’t be holding my breath over that either.

Although things have only just started, I feel a small sense of foreboding. And that is that while I and my students will enjoy the next two years, I won’t achieve that much for the long-term, which is the primary purpose of my being here. There is so much about the school system here that just seems designed to add hurdles to, frankly, everything. No timetables when school starts, no set rooms for subjects, no giving of grades lower than a C (a 3 here), money spent on electronic whiteboards that no one knows how to use (and intermittent electricity) while there aren’t enough text books, top marks for the kids of teachers and local dignitaries etc. -

But then I have to remind myself that I didn’t come here to change the Kazakh education system, only the English department at my village school and the local English teachers.

So far, I have tried to implement a few ideas that will hopefully make the English department run smoother. 1stly, WE WILL MAKE LESSON PLANS! Yes, we will actually think about the lesson to be taught, before entering the room. This is of course a massive step forward, as up to now, the teachers have just walked into the room and continued teaching from the text book (while is not only pretty bad, but also not owned by a good number of the kids).

In line with that, and in order to make the whole thing less scary, I am trying something that I picked up working for ECC in Japan. That is that, if there is a lesson plan made for a level/age etc, the same one can be used by every teacher! So we have three 5^th form classes, but we only need 1 lesson plan, as the national curriculum is pretty strict on what needs to be taught and when, there is little room for creative freedom. Which suits a fixed lesson plan system perfectly. Therefore if the lessons plans for the 7 forms can be split up amongst the 3 teachers, with my help, it means less overall planning, and a more uniform level of teaching as well.

That’s the plan at least! We will see how those two plans go, and if they allow even more to happen in the future. As I will be here for two years, I HOPE SO! I have 16hours of class time I have to do each week, in a team-teaching role, so as an added motivation to lesson plan, I have linked the amount of help I will provide, with the amount of planning done by the teachers. Lets see if some of the motivational factors I learnt at A-level Business studies are actually true.

31st August

31^st August

“If you cannot change the kings, then change yourself”

A Sufi proverb

A rather empowering message I thought.

First day of school today, although, there are no lessons as there is a “20^th year of Kazakhstan’s independence” event. Which is convenient, as we don’t yet have a timetable of lessons sorted! I was warned it could take up to 3 weeks to do, so what happens regarding lessons until then, I don’t know. Jason’s school across the train tracks has theirs sorted, so this isn’t a nationwide problem. It is certainly annoying though!

In the last two days, I read the graphic novel “Watchmen” as it was highly recommended, and I needed a break from Islamic history. While the plot is interesting, basically how in the 1930’s, after the success of Superman, Batman and other ‘masked’ superheroes, members of society started to fight crime dressed up in their own costumes. And as a ‘real’ novel, I think I could really have enjoyed it, but I have some major complains against the genre of “graphic novels”. Mainly, that their role as intermediary between book and film, makes them a “jack of all trades, and a master of none”. I prefer either having to imagine the book myself, or having it dramatically acted out in front of me, and simply having it drawn just doesn’t work, as it removes the need to imagine it, and isn’t as good as a film. Indeed, the Watchmen movie was great! And I guess I am still rather a snob when it comes to comics, which is basically what this is, albeit just a very long one. Comics are for kids! I cannot understand their allure for anyone past teenage hood, and ill always remember the first time I saw a retiree reading one on the train in Japan.

31st August

31^st August

“If you cannot change the kings, then change yourself”

A Sufi proverb

A rather empowering message I thought.

First day of school today, although, there are no lessons as there is a “20^th year of Kazakhstan’s independence” event. Which is convenient, as we don’t yet have a timetable of lessons sorted! I was warned it could take up to 3 weeks to do, so what happens regarding lessons until then, I don’t know. Jason’s school across the train tracks has theirs sorted, so this isn’t a nationwide problem. It is certainly annoying though!

In the last two days, I read the graphic novel “Watchmen” as it was highly recommended, and I needed a break from Islamic history. While the plot is interesting, basically how in the 1930’s, after the success of Superman, Batman and other ‘masked’ superheroes, members of society started to fight crime dressed up in their own costumes. And as a ‘real’ novel, I think I could really have enjoyed it, but I have some major complains against the genre of “graphic novels”. Mainly, that their role as intermediary between book and film, makes them a “jack of all trades, and a master of none”. I prefer either having to imagine the book myself, or having it dramatically acted out in front of me, and simply having it drawn just doesn’t work, as it removes the need to imagine it, and isn’t as good as a film. Indeed, the Watchmen movie was great! And I guess I am still rather a snob when it comes to comics, which is basically what this is, albeit just a very long one. Comics are for kids! I cannot understand their allure for anyone past teenage hood, and ill always remember the first time I saw a retiree reading one on the train in Japan.

30th August

30^th August

“Eid kuni kutta bolson”

(Celebrate the day of Eid)

Today is the end of Ramadan, and is conveniently this year falling on a national holiday, Constitution Day. Which in itself doesn’t seem to be celebrated much, but it means that people have the day off to do what is seemingly the national past time – (to “Konnak” – to visit family). So that is what I have done this morning - visit my host-brothers and host Uncles houses and drank a lot of tea. I had hoped to visit the Mosque this morning, but it seems my Wahabbi influenced (the version of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia- i.e strict) sister who is visiting, told Almira that woman shouldn’t go to the mosque on such an important day, as it is distracting for the men. This is with the fact that the women pray on a different floor of the mosque. Oh well, i will try again next year.

It is interesting to note that the separation of men and women in mosques isn’t mandated in the Koran - indeed, during Mohammed’s life time, men and women prayed together. Its one of the many interesting things in the book about Islam that I am reading now. This one is less about the actual facts of how the religion is practiced, but more about its history and development, and is therefore even more interesting to me. Especially how much of Mohammed’s early ideas and practices were copied directly from the existing Jewish population of Medina, for example not eating pork and fasting. In fact, at first, Muslims fasted on the same date as Yom Kippur, and it was only later that Ramadan was created as a unique identity.

29th August

29^th August

“Beguun, myen birensha ryet Kumis ishdum”

(Today, I 1^st time khummus drank)

Today I tried the OTHER famous fermented dairy drink of which Central Asia is famous, Kumis. If you remember this photo from my first month in Kazakhstan, this is when I tried the other one, Shubat, from camels milk.

Kumis is fermented horse milk, and, well, it isn’t as bad as Shubat. It is still something I never wish to drink again though. Imagine taking a glass of milk, adding a bit of fizzy water, and a shot of white-wine vinegar. I think would best give a sense of Kumis. It has a slightly fizzy nature, combined with an acidity that reminds me of the taste of stomach acid left in the mouth after being sick.

It is however, believed to have curative powers and a great source of vitamins, but I think this is simply to convince people to drink it!