rants, odes, and ramblings: Welcome

21 July 2008

Welcome

Hi all!

If you havn't got the memo yet, here it is: I leave August 17th for

K A Z A K H S T A N !

This blog will be my primary communication during my Peace Corps service. I'd love to personally e-mail all of you with news and updates...but let's face it, this is just way easier.

Also please note that I will no longer be using my Hotmail address. Please change my contact info to christina.baldarelli@gmail.com

Thanks!!

5 comments:

natalie anne cole said...: howdy! welcome to the blog world! i will be a faithful reader. I am sure you are busy preparing to leave...it must be hectic. I know very little about kazakstan, so i am looking forward to learning from you and your blog!

i am on this same site with my vietnam blog. lately i have been posting mainly photos. i have become lazy because of the heat!!!!

check me out at http://nataliecolevietnam.blogspot.com/
take care and write me sometime. i am dying to hear from you!; July 22, 2008 at 10:49 AM
Sylvia said...: This is way cooler than a wiki, I'm not gonna lie... : ) I miss you and I probably won't get to see you before you take off for the 'Stan. (I get back to CA on 8/13.) I look forward to seeing what you're up to though and I wish you fantastic travels and an experience full of good people and great times. Send me a recipe of traditional Kazakh food so I can try it in the fall :) besos guapa; July 23, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Nicole said...: Ok so now i'm on!! I'm so excited for you Styna B!
xoxoxo; July 25, 2008 at 3:42 PM
jimigtrslingin said...: Cool site!
(aside from having to sign up with google to post this comment)
perfect picture of you in the kid's floater in tahoe,,,haha,
look forward to your updates,
catch ya later,
Uncle Bryan; August 26, 2008 at 11:37 AM
Claire Schadler said...: Christina!!! Where are you?? I mean I know where you are, but let's hear some details about life on the other side of the world.

We are all back in school and it's hard and we have to read a lot and it's exactly the same as it's always been.

So, let's hear of some crazy Central Asian adventures. Hope you are doing well.

Claire; September 9, 2008 at 12:46 PM

Frequently Asked Questions

Weren't you going to move to Singapore?

Excellent question. Steffen and I were all set to move to modern, beautiful Singapore when two things happened. The job I was up for fell through, and Steffen's company's project in Nepal started to heat up. So, when faced with a decision between paying two to three times our Monterey, CA rent in Singapore, versus about a fifth of that in Nepal, we decided it was time to do some trekking in the Himalayas :)

What happened to your awesome cat when you moved?

Obviously, he came with us as carry-on luggage. No seriously. He was a little angel the whole way, he is treated like a prince by locals here, and he's loving the abundance of pigeons outside all the windows of the apartment. I know that dogs are cooler, but as long as we're travelling, the Sgaz-man is just about the best pet anyone could ask for.

Where is Nepal?

It's a little country in South Asia, south of China and north of India...I think Bhutan is somewhere nearby.

What's the food like?

Nepal's geographic location makes it a culinary paradise for Steffen and I. Most menus in town are a mix of Chinese and Indian food, with the frequent Continental dish like pizza, pasta, or fish & chips. For about seven bucks, we can both feast on various curries with veggies, chicken, tofu, mutton, or "buff" (water buffalo) and rice, garlic naan, and tandoori chicken, and wash it down with a sweet, yogurty "lassi" drink or an icy cold bottle of Everest beer. There have been Western expats in Kathmandu for so long that you can get pretty much any dish you want.

What about your favorite breakfast?

Oddly enough, most cafes in town offer my favorite breakfast: Two eggs any style, home-fried potatoes, bacon, toast and coffee for about USD $2.50. Like I said, it's pretty much food paradise.

Are you guys working over there, or...what?!?

I'm working on an education project with the Embassy, and still looking for a full time gig in International Ed or language teacher training. Stef's doing the same job he was doing in Monterey - the only difference is that now he doesn't have to take trips over here all the time, because we live here now. We're taking Nepali language lessons, and trying to make friends by signing up for every random event that comes up on the Kathmandu expat forum, including a pilates class, a cat play date, and volunteering to play Santa and Mrs. Clause at the annual American expat club holiday party, to name a few recent ones.

What's the time difference there?

Kathmandu is 13 hours and 45 minutes ahead of California, making it pretty much the most annoying time difference possible. As I write this, my day is just warming up and you're all going to bed.

How are you going to keep in touch?

Although Nepal is, I think, less developed than Kazakhstan (or at least, Aktobe), it's a lot easier to keep in touch from here. We have internet in the apartment, 3G modems in case the wifi is too weak for Skype, and smart phones with What'sApp, Facebook, and all that other jazz. I know what you're thinking: "But will you use them, Christina?" And it's a good question, because my track record with keeping in touch has not been stellar in past sojourns. It's my greatest personal goal to stay more connected, and I hope that all you dear friends and relatives will help me by nagging me about it.

rants, odes, and ramblings

21 July 2008

Welcome

5 comments:

Other great travel blogs!

Babushka!