Today was certainly interesting! There were only 12 preschoolers today (yesterday was 16 and we had planned for 40 for these two days based on their enrollment... but many Kazakhs celebrate Christmas on January 7th so there are still quite a few of them on vacation) but they sure were a handful! It was a nice surprise to walk up to the classroom and find one of the girls at her locker; she took one look at us, her eyes got wide and she spoke (in Russian) with great excitement. Anastasia translated after she had traipsed away, saying the little girl said "thank goodness you are finally here!" I think the kids were more comfortable with us today, which may have been the source of rowdiness. Also, a boy who was sick yesterday was back in class and he proved to be quite the handful. He wrestled and hit other boys and when out of games he would slam his fast against the bench he sat on; it was quite alarming, he seemed to have strength beyond his years. When told to stop he would immediately continue, and it took his teacher coming over and pulling him to her side to keep him somewhat tame. I felt so helpless, he would be hitting a boy next to me and all I could do was pull him off and say nyete or "no", but he would go right back to it, usually fight away from my grasp. Not only was it not my classroom (so I was unsure if I could participate in classroom management) I had a hard time figuring out how what to do with this situation. I couldn't communicate how his actions were affecting others, and that was discouraging. But thankfully, the resources I had available (Anastasia) were extremely helpful. She jumped right in and repeatedly talked to the boys. I wish I knew more about the school and its students, such as if this boy was thought to have some sort of behavioral disorder or difficult home life or something else, but I guess the best I can do is care while I'm there.
The first thing we did as a class was put together a puzzle I'd brought from the States; it was my gift to them and it seemed like it would be a good activity, especially since we'd exhausted many of our ideas in the three hours of instruction yesterday. The puzzle was a puzzle of the United States and each state was a piece. This made for a very uniquely shaped array of puzzle pieces, we thought it would take them a while. They were so quick and seemed so excited to do it, I was very happy :) They worked together so well for their age and we were able to practice creative nonverbal cues with them. The box had a picture of the puzzle and sections of the puzzle were color-coded, so we would point to the picture on the box, the particular piece they were "puzzled" over (ha! puns...), back to the box and the color-coded area it belonged to and then to the puzzle strewn about the floor. It seemed to work pretty well! And for those particularly hard pieces, we had Anastasia :)
After some stories, some games (we taught them "Musical Chairs", "Simon Says" and "Hot Potato"), they started their art project (a fold-up penguin we'd found in a book) and finished just in time for us to leave! Jetlag seems to be off and on for me; yesterday was great and I felt that I had finally conquered it, but today I was tired and sluggish again. Good insight to remember that my students, especially ones who have just moved to the country, have more than just social adjustments to make. Yes, the language barrier and differing customs can be awkward and scary, but they aren't the only things to worry about! Keri and I have basically been on our own for two out of three meals a day. Thankfully it's not been a big problem for us, we figure things out pretty well and know we have help from Anastasia if we need it. But for students new to the United States, their families may still be figuring out how the appliances work, or how to buy food, or how to get their sleep patterns on the right schedule. People might go without eating or sleeping in figuring these things out, and it's important as a teacher to remember the importance and potential confusion caused by basic physical needs.
So I now sit, writing my journal, in Tim's apartment waiting for him and his family to come home from vacation in Malaysia. An hour or so after their arrival, our car will come to take us to the train station where we will board the train for Almaty. We're excited and talked a lot to Anastasia about public transit in Kazakhstan, but we're also nervous about what experiences this trip may bring. If it's okay with you Suzie, we won't really have Internet access when we're there and I would rather leave my hunky clunky laptop in Astana since we may be carrying our luggage around with us for a long time. Would it be alright to reflect on our trip to Almaty when we return? You would probably hear from me late Saturday night or early Sunday morning your time. If not, I'll try my best to find an Internet cafe. I will be taking notes of key experiences throughout the weekend as well :)
Okey dokey, this is where I sign off. Dasvidanye, talk to you soon!
Chels
P.S. I'm super excited, putting myself out there in language is paying off! I'm learning some basic Russian, it's been really helpful in navigating around :) fun fact, in Russian "Astana, Kazakhstan" is written ACTAHA, KA3AXCTAH... I love learning :)
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Day 3: Horse Sausage
Why hello :)
First off, sorry if my titles for my journals don't make sense... they're kind of fun ways for me to remember the little, funny experiences and the small cultural differences I've encountered :)
Today was fantastic, very nerve wracking but very good. The Kazakh preschool was incredible, the kiddos were so stinking cute and incredibly well behaved! This Kazakh preschool, or kindergarten as they call it, costs 7000 tenge to attend (which equals out to around $50 USD) and goes from 8am to around 6pm depending on when parents get off work; they provide three meals a day to these kids, and use china to eat food in! Just thought that was interesting, in America most wouldn't dream of giving a 6-year-old a china plate and bowl to feast out of, it's disposable or plastic all the way. But these kids are so well behaved, their craft time we planned was so organized and each child had a job. Kids even put out place settings for lunch for their fellow classmates! Anyway, we taught them "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and also taught them "I'm a Little Teapot". They then sang us a song, in English, that was ten times more complicated! Never underestimate children :) they could also count to 25 in English and we helped them learn words for colors and shapes during art (they made a snowman). Some of the kids were shy, possibly because they didn't understand what we were saying, but they were all very sweet and kind-hearted. Full of energy, too! Especially during one of the books we read to them (Anastasia translated, poor girl hardly had a voice because of a cold too...) about finding circles and triangles in the world.
I'm beginning to realize how scary it must be for students to be in a place where they don't speak the language. Keri and I successfully communicated to a store clerk, "what time does your store close?", but it took a lot of time, patience, gesturing and writing. I'm trying to encourage myself so that I'll speak the little bit of language I know, like speciva or rakmiet (thank you), prujalista (please/you're welcome), salaam (hello), priviet (how are you?/hello) and dasvidanye (goodbye). I've had some native Kazakhs laugh when I turned around, or they've replied in English... this can be a little discouraging, it's scary to put yourself out there and risk embarrassment to learn the language. But I quickly realized that by withdrawing I won't get anywhere; it may be strange and seem awkward, but attempting communication through multiple means and a new language is the best place to start. I can only imagine how intimidating it is for our ELL kids, and I think experiencing it has been more helpful than any study or assumption can be. I'll keep trying to immerse myself in the language, as frightening as it is, and hope that I continue to catch on. I'm beginning to learn their alphabet, and can read some things! It's really exciting :)
After preschool, we went back to Anastasia's apartment where she lives with her parents (both very very nice) and her mother cooked us a traditional Russian lunch: borsch, boiled chicken with spices, mashed potatos, bread, cucumbers and tomatos, followed by tea and numerous cookie types that have me salivating as I'm thinking about it :) we talked with her mother (through Anastasia of course) and had a great time. Then Keri and I made the stupidest decision of our life: went for a walk outside our house. We first went to the market in our apartment building and the staff have been very nice so it's good practice in interacting with Kazakhs and Russian-speaking people in a less-stressful situation. It was bitterly cold today, I had hand warmers on my face. Not smart. But we are relatively frostbiteless and I think I'm getting over my jetlag finally! Keri maybe not as much... it's been so nice having the two of us here, thank you for that insight. It's made reflecting on this experience and debriefing very fruitful, and also fun :)
In all, great day for preschool. Can't wait to go back tomorrow! Thanks for answering all my questions, everything sounds great. Prayers would be appreciated for our trip to Almaty, we're all realizing how hard it will be without a translator on our trip and are now very nervous. I'm sure it will be fine... I'm sure there'll be plenty of stories from that as well :)
Well, До завтpа (or do zavtra which means "see you tomorrow" in Russian... learned that in preschool today :) ), hope all is well for you!
Chels
First off, sorry if my titles for my journals don't make sense... they're kind of fun ways for me to remember the little, funny experiences and the small cultural differences I've encountered :)
Today was fantastic, very nerve wracking but very good. The Kazakh preschool was incredible, the kiddos were so stinking cute and incredibly well behaved! This Kazakh preschool, or kindergarten as they call it, costs 7000 tenge to attend (which equals out to around $50 USD) and goes from 8am to around 6pm depending on when parents get off work; they provide three meals a day to these kids, and use china to eat food in! Just thought that was interesting, in America most wouldn't dream of giving a 6-year-old a china plate and bowl to feast out of, it's disposable or plastic all the way. But these kids are so well behaved, their craft time we planned was so organized and each child had a job. Kids even put out place settings for lunch for their fellow classmates! Anyway, we taught them "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and also taught them "I'm a Little Teapot". They then sang us a song, in English, that was ten times more complicated! Never underestimate children :) they could also count to 25 in English and we helped them learn words for colors and shapes during art (they made a snowman). Some of the kids were shy, possibly because they didn't understand what we were saying, but they were all very sweet and kind-hearted. Full of energy, too! Especially during one of the books we read to them (Anastasia translated, poor girl hardly had a voice because of a cold too...) about finding circles and triangles in the world.
I'm beginning to realize how scary it must be for students to be in a place where they don't speak the language. Keri and I successfully communicated to a store clerk, "what time does your store close?", but it took a lot of time, patience, gesturing and writing. I'm trying to encourage myself so that I'll speak the little bit of language I know, like speciva or rakmiet (thank you), prujalista (please/you're welcome), salaam (hello), priviet (how are you?/hello) and dasvidanye (goodbye). I've had some native Kazakhs laugh when I turned around, or they've replied in English... this can be a little discouraging, it's scary to put yourself out there and risk embarrassment to learn the language. But I quickly realized that by withdrawing I won't get anywhere; it may be strange and seem awkward, but attempting communication through multiple means and a new language is the best place to start. I can only imagine how intimidating it is for our ELL kids, and I think experiencing it has been more helpful than any study or assumption can be. I'll keep trying to immerse myself in the language, as frightening as it is, and hope that I continue to catch on. I'm beginning to learn their alphabet, and can read some things! It's really exciting :)
After preschool, we went back to Anastasia's apartment where she lives with her parents (both very very nice) and her mother cooked us a traditional Russian lunch: borsch, boiled chicken with spices, mashed potatos, bread, cucumbers and tomatos, followed by tea and numerous cookie types that have me salivating as I'm thinking about it :) we talked with her mother (through Anastasia of course) and had a great time. Then Keri and I made the stupidest decision of our life: went for a walk outside our house. We first went to the market in our apartment building and the staff have been very nice so it's good practice in interacting with Kazakhs and Russian-speaking people in a less-stressful situation. It was bitterly cold today, I had hand warmers on my face. Not smart. But we are relatively frostbiteless and I think I'm getting over my jetlag finally! Keri maybe not as much... it's been so nice having the two of us here, thank you for that insight. It's made reflecting on this experience and debriefing very fruitful, and also fun :)
In all, great day for preschool. Can't wait to go back tomorrow! Thanks for answering all my questions, everything sounds great. Prayers would be appreciated for our trip to Almaty, we're all realizing how hard it will be without a translator on our trip and are now very nervous. I'm sure it will be fine... I'm sure there'll be plenty of stories from that as well :)
Well, До завтpа (or do zavtra which means "see you tomorrow" in Russian... learned that in preschool today :) ), hope all is well for you!
Chels
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Day 2: Spongebob Squarepants
Hey there!
Today we stopped by the school and planned for our lesson at the preschool. Sounds like we'll be teaching a full three hours tomorrow and are in charge of planning it! Question that Keri and I had: can this be one of our lesson plans? We're also planning a lesson for Thursday, can that also be one? Or should we split them up? Totally up to you :) after that we had a Russian lunch and went to the Oceanarium to see the Fish of Kazakhstan. And yes, we saw Lindsay today for the first time and spent some time with her! Sounds like her Polish family is great and she's attempting to beat jetlag like the rest of us :/
These experiences have already molded how I will approach new students. It's shown me what it feels like, not just helped me to assume it. I was realizing today how much patience Anastasia has with the three of us in understanding us and working with us. That and simple functioning is ten times harder when she isn't around. I hope to always be patient and always offer endless support to my kiddos so that they are less likely to feel these insecurities in the school setting. I'm beginning to realize how we put our most difficult foot forward in going to the Kazakh (completely Russian-speaking) preschool first followed by a weekend in another city without our translator... it'll be growing for sure. The preschool tomorrow will be quite the experience, and planning for it was truly unique. We had to consider every tiny detail, moreso than usual, because of our language barrier. What would be best for the kids? What songs could we teach them that have minimal, easy English? Would reading this book confuse them more than entertain them? A lot goes into planning for these things, I'm so thankful to be getting hands on practice.
I really wish my reflections made more sense, I apologize if they don't... jetlag still has a hold on my brain. But it's now 8pm my time, off to bed! Hopefully tomorrow I'll be full of insight and stories from the day ahead :)
Chels
Today we stopped by the school and planned for our lesson at the preschool. Sounds like we'll be teaching a full three hours tomorrow and are in charge of planning it! Question that Keri and I had: can this be one of our lesson plans? We're also planning a lesson for Thursday, can that also be one? Or should we split them up? Totally up to you :) after that we had a Russian lunch and went to the Oceanarium to see the Fish of Kazakhstan. And yes, we saw Lindsay today for the first time and spent some time with her! Sounds like her Polish family is great and she's attempting to beat jetlag like the rest of us :/
These experiences have already molded how I will approach new students. It's shown me what it feels like, not just helped me to assume it. I was realizing today how much patience Anastasia has with the three of us in understanding us and working with us. That and simple functioning is ten times harder when she isn't around. I hope to always be patient and always offer endless support to my kiddos so that they are less likely to feel these insecurities in the school setting. I'm beginning to realize how we put our most difficult foot forward in going to the Kazakh (completely Russian-speaking) preschool first followed by a weekend in another city without our translator... it'll be growing for sure. The preschool tomorrow will be quite the experience, and planning for it was truly unique. We had to consider every tiny detail, moreso than usual, because of our language barrier. What would be best for the kids? What songs could we teach them that have minimal, easy English? Would reading this book confuse them more than entertain them? A lot goes into planning for these things, I'm so thankful to be getting hands on practice.
I really wish my reflections made more sense, I apologize if they don't... jetlag still has a hold on my brain. But it's now 8pm my time, off to bed! Hopefully tomorrow I'll be full of insight and stories from the day ahead :)
Chels
Day 1: Chocolate Butter
Hi Suzie! Hope all is well in Snowkane :) this has already been an incredible, eye opening trip... I don't know how newcomers to America or any country for that matter do it! Without Anastasia, Keri and I would probably still be munching on our protein bars we packed for travel emergencies, unable to figure out the key to his apartment and not knowing where to go.
We've been learning so much about the culture and about the city itself; this place is incredibly, buildings bigger than I've ever seen! And each one of them is a different architectural style. It's been great :) the buildings somewhat represent how I feel the culture is somewhat: no windows in storefronts. Anastasia was talking about how Americans smile and say hello to every, rather boisterous, while many Kazakhs lived through the Soviet Union and their lives were forced to become private. When Anastasia took us to the supermarket earlier, I foolishly was snapping away with my camera when the doorman/bouncer came and frantically spoke to Anastasia, asking why I was taking pictures. He then asked me to put away my camera and I of course did, but the fear in him was palpable. *Disclaimer: this is simply an observation, not a judgement; I believe it is simply a cultural difference and I do not take offense* The people seem to feel inconvenienced when you ask for help or attention; most of the time they continue talking to friends (if they are store employees, etc.) or watching television (as was the case when Keri and I stumbled down to the market in our apartment building to get basic provisions like 2.5% milk (looked better than the 3.2%...) and chicken and tortellini-like things which according to Anastasia aren't tortellini at all). It seemed that in both Russia and in Kazakhstan there are a lot of unmanned stores and areas, which is interesting considering how many police were around. There's kind of this feel of, "I'll get to it when I get to it, and you'll just have to deal with it" that's so foreign to me. In America, everyone is asking you questions and pushing items on you, but not here. I'm trying to pick up on who is Russian and who is Kazakh; thankfully, I've been noticing the difference (although Keri and I did remark how we felt they all looked similar... sounds familiar, hmm? Quite like a commonly held American misperception of other people groups). I tried to practice my Kazakh, but it has only ended up towards a Russian... and of course when I whip out what little Russian I have, yes, I am in the presence of a Kazakh. Thankfully they all speak both, but I did get some laughs :) was worth it, I've been trying to be proactive about practicing my phrases!
Today was wonderful, I'm having the time of my life and am learning so much it's ridiculous. Today was a driving tour of Astana (too cold to walk, my nose hairs were freezing before stepping out the door... was -22F today at some point I believe), a large pyramid-shaped entertainment center and a Kazakh lunch. Tomorrow is hopefully the museum and Anastasia did mention the Astana acquarium followed by a traditional Russian meal at her home. I'm learning quite a bit, I dunno if I could ever truly capture it all here and jet lag has my eyes drooping as we speak, but tomorrow will be a more rested day and more experiences to share!
Peace and blessings,
Chels
We've been learning so much about the culture and about the city itself; this place is incredibly, buildings bigger than I've ever seen! And each one of them is a different architectural style. It's been great :) the buildings somewhat represent how I feel the culture is somewhat: no windows in storefronts. Anastasia was talking about how Americans smile and say hello to every, rather boisterous, while many Kazakhs lived through the Soviet Union and their lives were forced to become private. When Anastasia took us to the supermarket earlier, I foolishly was snapping away with my camera when the doorman/bouncer came and frantically spoke to Anastasia, asking why I was taking pictures. He then asked me to put away my camera and I of course did, but the fear in him was palpable. *Disclaimer: this is simply an observation, not a judgement; I believe it is simply a cultural difference and I do not take offense* The people seem to feel inconvenienced when you ask for help or attention; most of the time they continue talking to friends (if they are store employees, etc.) or watching television (as was the case when Keri and I stumbled down to the market in our apartment building to get basic provisions like 2.5% milk (looked better than the 3.2%...) and chicken and tortellini-like things which according to Anastasia aren't tortellini at all). It seemed that in both Russia and in Kazakhstan there are a lot of unmanned stores and areas, which is interesting considering how many police were around. There's kind of this feel of, "I'll get to it when I get to it, and you'll just have to deal with it" that's so foreign to me. In America, everyone is asking you questions and pushing items on you, but not here. I'm trying to pick up on who is Russian and who is Kazakh; thankfully, I've been noticing the difference (although Keri and I did remark how we felt they all looked similar... sounds familiar, hmm? Quite like a commonly held American misperception of other people groups). I tried to practice my Kazakh, but it has only ended up towards a Russian... and of course when I whip out what little Russian I have, yes, I am in the presence of a Kazakh. Thankfully they all speak both, but I did get some laughs :) was worth it, I've been trying to be proactive about practicing my phrases!
Today was wonderful, I'm having the time of my life and am learning so much it's ridiculous. Today was a driving tour of Astana (too cold to walk, my nose hairs were freezing before stepping out the door... was -22F today at some point I believe), a large pyramid-shaped entertainment center and a Kazakh lunch. Tomorrow is hopefully the museum and Anastasia did mention the Astana acquarium followed by a traditional Russian meal at her home. I'm learning quite a bit, I dunno if I could ever truly capture it all here and jet lag has my eyes drooping as we speak, but tomorrow will be a more rested day and more experiences to share!
Peace and blessings,
Chels
Sunday, December 26, 2010
So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye!
Well, everyone, the time has come and there's no turning back now... KAZAKHSTAN!
I should have daily Internet access and will be in contact with my Faculty Supervisor over in Spokane seeing as how she's as nervous as I am (we're the first Whitworthians to pilot this trip, she wants to make sure we don't die), part of which includes daily emails of my activities so I've decided that I'll just be posting them here instead of flooding your emailboxes with stuff. Sadly, I probably won't have time to post daily pictures, but there should be some at intermittent times! Anyway, I'll be in Astana for the majority of the time, which is the capitol up north, and will visit Almaty, the former capitol down southeast. I fly out the afternoon of New Year's Eve and will arrive on the 2nd of January, teach in a public preschool for a week, and then help out in a 2nd grade classroom at the Quality School International in Astana. Everything is in order or soon will be, but prayers would be much appreciated. I know that God creates these opportunities for us to learn in multiple aspects of life, and I look forward to seeing what those truly are (although I've speculated). I can't wait to share it all with you when I get back!
Peace and love,
Chels
P.S. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! It was a wonderful holiday season and I am in love with my family, so to those of you that made it so special a thousand thanks. And with that, catch ya on the flip side :)
Friday, December 10, 2010
Go Grandma Go!
To the toughest lady I've ever known, an immense source of joy and blessing to all she meets, and one of my favorite people in the whole world. I love you Grandma, fight the fight! Got all my best prayer warriors working for you and Aunt Tanya :)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Check and Mate
Should really be working on a research paper right now (it's going to be an epic victory if I can pull this one off), but just wanted to let y'all know, well those who were waiting with bated breath alongside me, that my Washington Educator's Skills Test (WEST-E) for my biology endorsement has been conquered :D passed by two whole points (which is technically one question... eek) but they call the student who finishes last in medical school doctor, right?! So I am certified and ready to go! I'll be able to teach in Washington state after student teaching :) I cried, jumped up and down, all the usual. Thanks for believing in me :)
Another quick story I thought many would appreciate. I came home from a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving (thanks to all who made it so special :) ) to find more snow than I could shake a stick at. I parked two blocks away and trudged through about a foot and a half of snow (the sidewalk was nonexistant and snow plows filled them anyway), in some areas 3 foot snow banks, with the huge bags of goodies and provisions my mom sent me off with. After falling multiple times into the snow along the way with my comically oversized luggage, I finally made it inside. And promptly realized that my pants zipper was not only down, but flayed open. I thought I'd noticed a draft... at least it was dark when I got home, I'm pretty sure I was a walking sideshow. Best part?! It gets better and better! We got probably a foot and a half continuously throughout the day yesterday and the prospects only look whiter. Imagine me, the most balanced and coordinated person this side of the Mississippi *insert sarcastic tone here* trying to walk down my killer 55 degree driveway to get to a sidewalkless street of cars going 45mph around a slight corner before my house. It's awesome.
Oh, and I got my visa for my trip to Kazakhstan while I was home! Oh the joy! Tis beautiful, and I'm now in the process of applying for a train ticket to Almaty and finding housing there. We were suggested a little B&B called "So Young's Happiness Guesthouse"... looking into it though, kind of sounds like... well, let your imagine roam free.
Alrightyroo, gotta jet to do SOMETHING for this research paper... oh, and exam this afternoon. Been working hard to finish the year strong with homework and have also been spending numerous hours preparing for choir tour, can't wait to get the ball rolling! Hope you're all safe and enjoying this holly jolly holiday season. Love you all like you wouldn't believe :)
Peace and love,
Chels
Another quick story I thought many would appreciate. I came home from a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving (thanks to all who made it so special :) ) to find more snow than I could shake a stick at. I parked two blocks away and trudged through about a foot and a half of snow (the sidewalk was nonexistant and snow plows filled them anyway), in some areas 3 foot snow banks, with the huge bags of goodies and provisions my mom sent me off with. After falling multiple times into the snow along the way with my comically oversized luggage, I finally made it inside. And promptly realized that my pants zipper was not only down, but flayed open. I thought I'd noticed a draft... at least it was dark when I got home, I'm pretty sure I was a walking sideshow. Best part?! It gets better and better! We got probably a foot and a half continuously throughout the day yesterday and the prospects only look whiter. Imagine me, the most balanced and coordinated person this side of the Mississippi *insert sarcastic tone here* trying to walk down my killer 55 degree driveway to get to a sidewalkless street of cars going 45mph around a slight corner before my house. It's awesome.
Oh, and I got my visa for my trip to Kazakhstan while I was home! Oh the joy! Tis beautiful, and I'm now in the process of applying for a train ticket to Almaty and finding housing there. We were suggested a little B&B called "So Young's Happiness Guesthouse"... looking into it though, kind of sounds like... well, let your imagine roam free.
Alrightyroo, gotta jet to do SOMETHING for this research paper... oh, and exam this afternoon. Been working hard to finish the year strong with homework and have also been spending numerous hours preparing for choir tour, can't wait to get the ball rolling! Hope you're all safe and enjoying this holly jolly holiday season. Love you all like you wouldn't believe :)
Peace and love,
Chels
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