rants, odes, and ramblings: Pics of life since Babushka

12 October 2008

Pics of life since Babushka

Some more recent pics: Some of them are of my new neighborhood and my host sister, and one is of a class I taught for a while at the university. We took the photo on my last day teaching them, so I'm wearing some gifts they gave me. Also note the stuffed two-humped camel they gave me! They were an awesome class- freshmen applied linguistics majors. [note the one guy- it's not a very popular major for Kazakh guys]

9 comments:

NWO Observer said...: This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.; October 12, 2008 at 7:21 AM
Unknown said...: Whoa where'd this blog come from? I totally just found it and your loosening of drawstrings cracked me up. Sounds like quite an adventure you got goin there. What are you doing afterwards?; October 12, 2008 at 9:18 AM
Unknown said...: o ya if you ever find yourself doing an asian tour further east for whatever reason lemme know.; October 12, 2008 at 9:54 AM
Greer said...: XTina!!!!!!

I am SO glad I finally got off my you-know-what and took a look at your blog! Sylvia and I are putting together a presentation for John's Practicum class about Ongoing Assessment and peanut butter sandwiches (the class will be setting criteria for the ideal sandwich, then engaging in actually making the sandwiches, and then will spend time evaluating their performance and deciding how closely it aligned to the criteria set forth in step #1) ... and one of our study breaks was to see what you have been up to!

Your pictures are gorgeous, your host sister is adorable, and all of your adventures seem fabulous and highly entertaining. We miss you tons, but we are overjoyed to hear and see that you are doing as amazingly well as we always knew you would. And KZ seems to be so much more beautiful than I'd ever have anticipated. Maybe a Graduation trip in Spring 2009 isn't such a bad idea after all :)

We love and miss you very much and can't wait to hear more about your hijinks, shenanigans, etc. Stay safe and happy!

Love,

Greer; October 12, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Unknown said...: It looks so beautiful there! Your host sister is adorable...and i think that Christinoo may stick <3

xoxo; October 12, 2008 at 7:11 PM
Booty:) said...: Styn!!!!!!!!!!! Your photos are beautiful...I especially enjoyed the elaborate spread of food:) Missing you and so excited to see you Happy! Love you lady. xoxo
oh yeah and sweet fit:); October 15, 2008 at 2:04 PM
natalie anne cole said...: hey lady
claire and i are impressed at your professional attire. we are drinking wine and we miss you. keep up the teaching of applied linguistics - we are in awe! your awesome, love nat and claire; October 15, 2008 at 9:14 PM
Kristina said...: Aw, your host sister is so cute. Glad to see you're happy and doing well. :); October 17, 2008 at 9:21 PM
Sylvia said...: XT! I've been thinking of you, wishing we could make a run to watsonville for pan dulce and supertaqueria...
it's indian summer here today - beautiful, but your pics are pretty stunning. can't wait to hear what happens next - you're making me want to take up russian!
miss you! much love, sister!; October 22, 2008 at 3:26 PM

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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

12 October 2008

Pics of life since Babushka

9 comments:

Other great travel blogs!

Babushka!