The Perfect Weekend (one)

The Perfect Weekend

I plan to move to Taraz in a couple days to work at my new site, but it’s days like this that make me wonder if I made the right decision. (Of course, it’s a weekend, and that means I’m not at work.)

Saturday was the KVN Zhambyl Oblast Finals. Our team got a late start practicing, but we spent all day Friday running through our skits. I had a small role. I would read a few questions in Kazakh and sit there while they sang some songs. We left for Taraz early in the morning and on the way our van stopped in a field of wild flowers to take pictures of the group. We also rapped and sang to the sounds of Kairat’s sweet guitar playing during the ride. I felt like I was with a group of people who I was really friends with, and we were just hanging.

The competition itself flew by. I doubt I’ll be asked to be on a team in Taraz, so this is probably my last competition. We ended up placing second and winning a digital camera. I also broke the news to the team that I would be moving to Taraz. They were sad, but eventually agreed I could probably be a more effective worker there. (They also claimed we were going to Astana in the winter. Of course, no one had ever told me that. I maybe could have held on to make my dreams of being a Kazakh Superstar come true.) After the competition, I met someone from my new organization and we looked at an apartment together. It’s near the center and furnished, but soooooo small. I’m going to live there at first, but I want something bigger with a balcony I think. But for now I just need to get into the city to start my new job. I made me way back to my site and stayed up late watching a movie in Russian with my host brother.

Sunday I slept in and then worked in the garden some. Nurdalet and I threw the Frisbee around and then played soccer in the street with some neighborhood boys. I watched some KVN on TV, spoke with some of my Peace Corps friends on the phone, helped make dinner (okay, I watched. But I was about to put some of the dough through the noodle-cutting-out-machine before they stopped me. Okay, I also watched them work in the garden, but I did use a scythe for a little bit for photos which unfortunately didn’t work.), and now I’m just working on some computer stuff.

A great weekend. Fun, relaxing, completely local. I’m going to miss the days like this. I know I’ll eventually make friends in the city, but for now I’m leaving this support system for something unknown. And I’m leaving weekends like this.