Peace Corps Journals / Kazakhstan / all updates

'Social Justice' Christians - you're in ...

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:31:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Matt's Existential Musings)
Just to bolster the point that 'social justice' is a biblical mandate which has been passed down to us in the traditions of the Holy Church and carried forth by many throughout its history here are j ...
10 reads

Culinary Bliss

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:21:58 +0800

(Kazakhstan / 6,785 Miles from Oz)
12 Mar – Sean and I have had our share of struggles during this vacation to India yet the culinary delights to be found here help us to forget those frustrating moments. It is now day 10 and we ...
8 reads

Spring has finally arrived in Pavlodar!

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:28:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Susan and Paul in K-stan)
Well that's a little bit of an over-statement or maybe a true representation of spring in Siberia. Too soon to tell. We have moved on from -20C and lower to above -10C. But now it is warm eno ...
8 reads

Welcome to Soviet Apartment Land

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:47:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Wide Open Spaces)
After returning from my vacation to Turkey I became quite ill with some affliction bearing pneumonia-like symptoms. For the past week I have been recovering though my cough is still enough to riva ...
12 reads

African Hut Syndrome aka The Posh Corps

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:49:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Steppe-ing out)
Sometimes I feel like I didn't really join the Peace Corps. I have acell phone hot running water and weekly access to the internet. Icertainly don't feel very hardcore. Other countries h ...
9 reads

Pointless video post - Ангел О.К.

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:30:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Matt's Existential Musings)
I wish I could say with absolute certainty for Slot's sake that no ducks were harmed during the filming of their music video - but given all the feathers flying around you never know. Anyhow пр ...
6 reads

Walking it Off

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:09:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / My Life in Kazakhstan...)
I'm not gonna lie to you - I had a bad day. I'm feeling pretty low. So I couldn't just sit around my house and wallow in self-pity (because I ran out of tissues... and therefore I had to keep myself f ...
11 reads

Turkey Not Just For Thanksgiving

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:43:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Wide Open Spaces)
Though this post is a little delayed I thought I would regale you with stories of my travels to Istanbul Turkey. Two weeks ago I found myself in a warmer climate sipping Turkish tea eating Bakl ...
4 reads

Russian Update or In my opinion we don ...

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:08:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / The Adventures of Hotard)
In my opinion we don't have time and will be late People tell me my Russian is getting good but it still has a lot of gaps in it. I can watch movies and sitcoms pretty easily but the History Cha ...
14 reads

What I Do (Part II)

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:03:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Becca's Blog - Peace Corps in Kazakhstan)
This is the second of a two-part post about my work as an NGO Development volunteer in Peace Corps Kazakhstan and will detail my actual activities and responsibilities with my organization community ...
2 reads

the poo-flinging monkey children are out and about

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:40:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Меня зовут Филлип)
and thus i know that spring is here. this is actually a really funny story. i was walking back home with sipra becca and a local friend named Malika. sipra tells us 'that little boy just threw mud a ...
0 reads

the poo-flinging monkey children are out and about

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:44:00 +0800

under construction

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:54:23 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Cicada)
workin’ on it…
5 reads

Social justice and the revolutionary nat ...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:04:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Matt's Existential Musings)
I write this in part as a response from a High Church perspective to Revd Eugene Cho's excellent question about the role of 'social justice' and 'economic justice' in the Church. Though we may be ver ...
2 reads

March & it's a wee bit warmer in Kazakhstan

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:20:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Raj in Kazakhstan)
Last Summer the Kazakhstani government passed a bill which banned access to almost all blogging websites. Since mid-January this censorship took effect so my blog is currently being updated through ...
7 reads

belated post

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:08:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Меня зовут Филлип)
everyday i lay in bed trying to go to sleep. and everyday the same thoughts invade and disrupt my struggle for inner peace and sleep. so i have finally done what my brain keeps telling me. write a blo ...
1 reads

Untitled

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:54:59 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Women and geeks first!)
Next round of sg_fic_uoa is up! I obvious can't tell you which fic I wrote but the voting post is here.
5 reads

Two Completely Random Things

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:41:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / My Life in Kazakhstan...)
Wait no. Make that three things.First of all - Mom! That note WAS meant to be for you. I told the girls that I would write a note to my mother like so... and if they wanted to copy me they could. :) ...
6 reads

March 8: Kinda a big deal.

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:53:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / K-Chuck's Kazakhstan Experience)
Imagine what would happen if you forgot your girlfriend's birthday. And then you didn't get her a present for Christmas. And then for Valentine's Day you sent cards to all of her friends except her ...
5 reads

What I Do (Part I)

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:37:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Becca's Blog - Peace Corps in Kazakhstan)
So I realize I haven’t actually posted too much yet about what I actually do at my job as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Shymkent. While cultural exchange constitutes the last two goals of the Peace Co ...
12 reads

No arms or no legs?

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:42:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Three (thousand) Cups of Tea)
How I obtained the position of a respected teacher at a secondary school in Kazakhstan is beyond me. However I like to use this current state of power that I am entirely under qualified for to my adv ...
6 reads

Signs

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:27:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / The Adventures of Hotard)
This is a great article on the exit sign around the world. I don't remember exactly which variation they use here but it certainly is "The Running Man." I always thought it was funny th ...
0 reads

Untitled

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:10:38 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Women and geeks first!)
Pimping again: baseballfantasy! We've got four teams now! Tell your friends!
8 reads

Untitled

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:18:22 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Women and geeks first!)
As crash blossoms go this is epic:Joseph Berger died retired business executive.Somebody got paid for that headline you guys. ::wince::
4 reads

Happy International Women's Day!

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:33:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / My Life in Kazakhstan...)
Well it's International Women's Day here in Kazakhstan (take a minute to think about that one....yeah.) and so here's a peek into what I've done to celebrate it. First of all at an E ...
10 reads

Untitled

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:55:57 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Women and geeks first!)
So that six-word life sentence thing on LJ's front page recently? Mine has been "I will never leave this restaurant." I worked ten days straight anywhere from four to nine hours a day (not counting ...
7 reads

Untitled

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:18:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Steppe-ing out)
I have a confession to make: I'm a terrible teacher. I don't knowmost of my students' names. I've come up with plenty ofjustifications: I have at least 200 students some of them onl ...
14 reads

Updated Wish List

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:16:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Sarcasm Doesn't Translate)
Wish List: ** by things that I need urgently and * by things I always need.0. * Good toothbrushes and mouth wash. Listerine please?0.5 *AAA Duracell Batteries1. **Water-proofing spray f ...
4 reads

A Day in My Life (PC Kazakhstan)

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:38:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Aaron and Dawn in Kazakhstan)
I feel pretty good about educating Americans on Kazakhstan: Peace Corps Goal #3. I think I've given about a blog entry a month. I've also uploaded photos to Facebook emailed friends and family an ...
1 reads

48 Hours

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:40:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / The Adventures of Hotard)
(This happened back in Janauary; the month when interesting thingswere still happening)This past weekend managed to be really busy for me. It doesn't alwayshappen that way but I decided to write ...
9 reads

February = cable TV

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:33:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / The Adventures of Hotard)
My friend Kyle recently posted that February seems to be a rough monthfor PC volunteers in Kazakhstan. I'd agree. Even though I'm down southand don't have the -40 cold they do up north Fe ...
15 reads

My Paper For Kimep

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:31:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / One Steppe at a Time: Two Years in Kazakhstan)
Here is the paper that I wrote for this months conference in Almaty. I hope you guys like it. As always the opinions presented are my own and not those of the Peace Corps or the US government.Lear ...
6 reads

Untitled

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:27:43 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Women and geeks first!)
Remember baseballfantasy. Tell your friends!I just have to code in the ability to advance a runner on an out (sac flies and sac bunts) and then I'll be done with the working guts of Betty the Basebal ...
0 reads

Untitled

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:01:31 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Women and geeks first!)
For that "when you see this" poetry meme and also for lofro and for Lou and for all the martyrs.the lesson of the mothby Don Marquisfrom "Archy and Mehitabel " 1927 i was talking to a moth th ...
0 reads

Heatin’ Up!

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:31:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / On the Other Side of the World)
With weeks of moderate temperatures (read anything above -5*F) I hardly know what to do with myself. And things are heating up not only in regard to weather but my schedule as well. On Monday thoug ...
3 reads

things that make me happy

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:53:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Меня зовут Филлип)
thick girls in cute clothes solid rain water nice people on the bus internet at home street popcorn too loud lady gaga dubbed kids shows talking to my mom peppers purple hair eyebrow situati ...
12 reads

Off to the Embassy

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:54:16 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Brian's Peace Corps Adventure: Dispatches From Siberia)
In a few hours I’ll be heading off to Astana. Tomorrow I plan to visit the U.S. Embassy to learn about what materials may be available through the Embassy for the English language resource cente ...
8 reads

how to spend your 17th subzero Sunday...

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:38:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Susan and Paul in K-stan)
Last Sunday we did something only a group of frozen homesick ex-pats would do. You guessed it a robot costume competition.Our friend and fellow volunteer Emily has been in KZ for 18 months.&nb ...
22 reads

Untitled

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:20:35 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Women and geeks first!)
Okay guys it's a ridiculous hour of night but I feel like it's now or never.baseballfantasy.A while ago I wondered out loud "Wouldn't it be fun to have fantasy baseball that's truly fantastic? Lik ...
6 reads

A Big Thanks

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:46:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Sarcasm Doesn't Translate)
This is a big THANK YOU to all of my friends who have sent me a care package or mail while I've been in Kazakhstan. I just received another one yesterday and it reminded me of how lucky I am to know ...
5 reads

How do you solve a problem like us?

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:29:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Matt's Existential Musings)
For me it's another case of 'I like your reasoning but not your conclusion' with regard to Evan Thomas' article in this week's Newsweek.I think Mr Thomas is completely on the right track when he di ...
6 reads

"We'll now return you to your regul ...

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:15:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / K-Chuck's Kazakhstan Experience)
February seems to be one of those months that always kick Kazakhstan volunteers in the groin. It is the shortest month of the year but it tends to be the time when people are at their crankiest. ...
11 reads

Can't think of a catchy title - back in K-stan

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:07:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / All other countries have inferior Potassium)
Well it looks like it’s time to open this book again and write another chapter about life in Kazakhstan. This time I suspect it will be a little different… I’m back in Kazakhstan and gettin ...
23 reads

Guest Teaching at Balkashana Sec. School

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:27:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Raj in Kazakhstan)
This past week I was a guest teacher at Balkashana Secondary School in the Sandiktau county town center of Balkashana. As of now Peace Corps plans to place a volunteer at this school in November. Th ...
15 reads

Spring is on the Horizon and S'mores

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:37:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / chris in kazakhstan)
Hello everyone First of all I have started to receive a few letters back after a three month process and they look great! Thanks again to everyone who received and replied; I plan to give the fir ...
15 reads

Back to America

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 09:57:39 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Tales from KZ)
Sunday February 28 2010. 7AM At 1:40 PM Saturday February 27 2010 I returned to America. 2 and a half years since I was last here – a few days longer to the day. Since then I’ve be ...
12 reads

Reflections on the Caucuses

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 09:44:35 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Tales from KZ)
Thursday February 25 2010 Flight from Yerevan Armenia to London England There is still much more to describe about Central Asia but as the Caucasian part of the trip has most immediately concluded ...
8 reads

Untitled

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 08:17:49 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Women and geeks first!)
"The Biggest Loser" really needs to incorporate some kind challenge that involves mopping a medium-sized chain restaurant. And I won't even talk about the invasion of the high school kids. (Though it ...
3 reads

Febuary 27th '10 - Celebrating Military Service

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:38:00 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Raj in Kazakhstan)
Kazakhstan embraces its military history. February 23rd was Soviet Army Day a holiday where respects are given to all men who served militarily under the Soviet Union . About 80% of the men I’ve me ...
4 reads

Untitled

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:21:36 +0800

(Kazakhstan / Women and geeks first!)
So yesterday was supposed to be my day off but in the interest of racking up more hours I volunteered to worked 8pm-1am. I thought I would be finishing my service training (just two months after star ...
5 reads