Well, I wish that I had a super fantastic story to tell you about how I whooped it up in Kazakhstan and brought in the New Year with much Vodka & Dancing, but I fear that I do not have such a story. I am not sure that getting silly in a crowded bar when you can’t speak the language (thus ordering drinks is hard, saying excuse me is hard, etc.) was such a good idea. Here was my day/night, Laurie and I did some shopping at the indoor market again today; I purchased a pair of sweat pants for Z, the pants to one outfit that I brought from home were too short so I had to get her comfy, and Laurie purchased some gift for friends and family back home. We then ventured back to my hotel, which we just learned is connected to her apartment building (no inside access though, but super close and a well lit walk at night) and we had fajitas for supper. I also ordered a glass of white wine. Come about 9:00 we got our bill and I was astonished to find that my glass of what I must say, was very crappy wine, was more than our meals. Wo!
TIP – Wine is too expensive to drink here, stick with Vodka.
My glass of wine was about $11 and our meals were about $6 each. Yikes hu! And then…………….we went home and went to bed. Loser! You can say it! My lack of sleep is catching up to me now, and I was absolutely pooped by 10:00; I guess that glass of wine really helped to put me to sleep. I am sure that it was at midnight that I heard a bazillion fireworks go off, and I couldn’t even muster up the motivation to get out of bed to look out the window, I was so tired! The good news is that I am starting to get at least 4-6 hours of sleep a night, last night I got a full night of sleep, and it was great! It only took 2 weeks here before getting any sleep. Yikes! Get ready those of you that are to travel, bring good sleeping pills, the prescription kind will do great!
No visits with Z today, so I think that I will head over to the grocery market to get some stuff for the hotel room. Yesterday we were only able to see our babies from 10-12, today we don’t get to see them at all and tomorrow we only get to see them from 10-12 too. Sad! I just worry for her when I can’t come, is she getting any love or a chance to play? But tomorrow night the 5 families that are currently here are going out to go out to eat together. Our French couple, I believe it is John Jock and Marie ?, have made us reservations at a traditional Kazak restaurant with ethnic dancers, dinner and drinks for about $50 a person. I am really looking forward to going, it should be quite fun! I will try to get many photos.
Well, as Sandi put it, I am very content in my new digs, just camping out. :) Today, after a very courageous trek to the store, I decided to make Mac & Cheese for supper. So I got out my hot plate, put it on the only uncovered surface in my room, the lone Dining Chair, and set out to boil my noodles; luckily, no fires on the Dining Cushion. I then strained my noodles, putting my cooking pot on the toilet as I strained my noodles in the bathroom sink, and then I started adding my powdered cheese and went to get the milk (that i just purchased at the store.) I opened up the milk, and to my surprise, it was quite a bit thicker than the milk that I had purchased with Aina. Ummmmmmm, yep, looks like I bought a cream or something and not a milk. Who knew, the writing on the package was written in Russian. :) That would be Mac & Cheese made with water and powdered cheese for supper. :)
So far so good on no tummy aches! This is so very different for me, the queen of tummy aches back home. I am not eating anything too crazy, no street vendor food or anything; however, I have eaten at a couple cafeterias with local food, a Ukrainian Restaurant, baked goods at the indoor market, local milk, tons of food at the hotel, etc. and still no problems. Rock on! And while I am on the topic of the street vendors, it is true, even in -30c weather, the outdoor markets and vendors are still open. Crazy hu! The merchants are totally bundled up but I can’t even imagine how cold it must be. I asked Bayana how on earth they could stand to be outside in this weather all day, expecting her to say that they have heaters or they take shifts or something, and she replied, “VODKA.” Hahaha I am sure that is absolutely true!
Besides walking on sheets of glare ice in my stillettos, I have to be sure to also watch for the open man holes throuhgout the city; this man hole was just outside of an Elementary School Building, no kidding.
And here are some photos of the Mosque (where the Muslims worship) and the Mall that is attached to the Mosque.
12 comments:
Happy New year girl! I am glad you finally got some sleep...and you are not a loser!!! I can't imagine not getting sleep-I am a girl who needs her sleep! Congrats on not burning down the house with your quest for Mac and cheese! Wow-bummer on the $11 crappy glass of wine. How bout beer, is that expensive too? I Heard the Kazakh beer is good and i love my beer! :)
the snow looks so pretty!
We did manage to stay up until midnight, but my son was very mad i cancelled our party but we were all sick. We're all coughing and it just sounds like a choir of coughs. :) He put some chex mix on a plate and said, HERE'S OUR SNACKS FOR OUR LAME PARTY! It was funny.
Sorry you didn't get to see your sweetie today. The market sounds pretty cool though! Glad you're having fun. :)
Hi Been following your Blog. Your little one is so adorable!!! When we were there a whole bottle of wine cost$10.00. You can order a bottle and take the rest with you. I know there were quite a few places, that would not sell a glass of wine, only the bottle, and Aina said to take it with us. I felt strange taking a bottle of wine out of a restaurant, but thats what we did!!! Kazak beer is also very good, and very cheap!!!! Have you checked out the shoes for your little girl at the Mosque Mall. I loved them!!! Marcy
Um, congratulations? We did make it to midnight but watching a movie...
If you can indulge me more 'when I lived in Russia' stories... all of your experiences are bringing back funny memories. We also lived in a hotel for months and months which made for challenging cooking. I remember that I got a fever for the first 2 weeks - just from fighting all of the new germs you're introduced to - but then didn't get sick at all after that and no tummy aches (I, too, am queen of tummy aches at home). Just be careful buying stuff from street vendors (except ice cream is pretty safe and we used to buy shashlik (meat kabob) from a street guy) - even (or especially) the little old ladies (some had been known to cook rotten meat into pastry to sell). And when in doubt, down a shot of vodka with your meal!
P.S. You'll have to ask your translator where to buy decent wine as I know they have it. Consider it a "sleep aid!"
Happy New Year! I am glad you are enjoying your time camping out and cooking just like a camper :)
Good to hear you have gotten some sleep, so maybe I need to get a sleep aid from my dr. HMM was hoping not to do that, counting on tylenol pm but maybe i should be cautious.
Well I hope your in bed sleeping and soon enough you will see your daughter :)
Sandi
I miss no Zahria pictures today! But I am getting quite a chuckle out of your Russian-illiterate adventures! YUCK--cream instead of milk! Breastfeeding lotion instead of baby lotion! I also belly laughed over "John Jock." Yes, yes, I did take French with Tom and Todd Guthrie, and thus can only ask "Will you go to bed with me" in French, but I think that is spelled Jean Jacque.....!
Happy New Year!
Beck.
Yikes - My mother fell in an open man hole when she was 7 years old. As the story goes she was walking to school and the man hole opening was obscured by ice and snow. To this day she has a horrible scar on her leg where she was cut real bad as she fell in the hole. My mother, now nearing 70, was adopted when she was 8 months old.
Happy New Year! Don't worry I was asleep by 11:30, and I don't have any excuses except for being a looser! LoL I hope you have fun at dinner with all the other parents, sounds like it will be quite the night! Congratulations on getting a good night sleep.
Jill xoxo
Happy New Year from Rhode Island to Kaz! You are NOT lame...WE are! We were so tired that we literally went to bed at 7:45pm on New Year's EVE!!! OH DEAR, life has changed!
Thinking of you!
Well Happy New Year from another loser - GRIN! AJ and I finally gave up at 10:30 last night and set the alarm clock for midnight, but I think we slept through it. lol! I told mom yesterday that we were just going to celebrate the Kaz New Year because I knew I'd be awake at noon - Stac
Happy New Year! Wow I'll be careful about manholes when I'm there -scarey! I don't quite understand that... did a worker forget to put it back or did someone use it as an escape? Hm.
I thought when you wrote that you put the pot on the toilet that you burned a big circle on the toilet! (is that a pot on the pot)?
Cnt wait to see more Z pics!
Happy New Year! Great photos, but I'm having Z withdrawal ;-)
What?? Wine is expensive?? I'm in trouble, huh?
By now it must be Jan 2, and your two weeks of bonding must be coming to a close? I'm loving your blog girl!
Shannon
Happy New Year!! Glad to hear things are going well. Before you leave you have to try the SimSum, not sure if that is how it is spelled. The street vendors sell it. It is Kazakh fast food. Ask Bayanna to show you where to get some. They are little pastries filled with cheese, potatoes, meat or cabbage. They are very good for lunch and cost about 25 cents each. You really should give them a try.
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