Around Aktobe

All is well and I’m surviving the 100+ degree days without air conditioning. It's dry, so it's not as bad as it could be, but I can't believe how many people I see still wearing jeans and polyester. I think the heat has gone to their heads!

We’re expecting a cold snap soon – a high of only 90 degrees on Wednesday, which is our Gotcha Day. I can’t believe we only have ONE MORE DAY in that playroom! It is beginning to feel real and I’ve been very busy toddler-proofing the apartment, stocking up on groceries, doing laundry, finding a ride-on toy for Milo (he’s been trying to ride his little toy truck with limited success) and getting some precious sleep.

Alysa and I are having a good time together. She is such a sweet and genuine person and I'm so glad to be getting to know her. Please do keep her in your thoughts because she is under some significant stress right now. She is waiting to hear more from her international adoption doctors about the adorable child she is visiting with. She has some concerns, so she cannot make a final decision until she knows more, which is why I haven't posted much about it.

Milo has been back to his normal, relatively well-behaved self! He has almost completely stopped his pretend biting. I can’t tell you what a bad mommy I feel like not realizing that he was going to mimic me! My family always pretend-nibbles on children as a show of affection, and it never occurred to me that I was teaching him to do it too. Duh!

He is at such a mimicking stage and it’s so stinking cute! He has being doing so many adorable new things it’s impossible to tell you all of them. A few of my favorites are that he now brings me my shoes AND my purse when he wants to go for a walk outside, and he understands me when I say “Where are your shoes?” and he brings them to me too. Smart cookie! He loves loves loves to play peek-a-book in the storage closet. And... he said mama the other day! He was just repeating me, but he said it clear as day. Alysa and Saniya heard it too. We all nearly cried.


Before I become too busy to spend endless hours uploading photos, I wanted to share with you a bigger glimpse of Milo’s original hometown:

I have been spelling Aktobe with a K now because that’s how it is spelled everywhere I look here. They say using a Q is considered correct too.

Aktobe is a medium sized city – about the same population as Cincinnati, Ohio. There is a diverse mix of buildings here. Some are shiny modern structures that would fit into any American city, others look like bad 1980’s rollerskating rink architecture, and many others are crumbling, Soviet-era concrete structures that appear to be on their last leg. There are two universities, one movie theater, one children's theater and lots of shopping and restaurants. The oil industry is growing leaps and bounds here, and chromium mining has been big for some time. I haven't been very far outside my immediate surroundings, but I am certain the "suburbs" of Aktobe would be even more interesting to see.

It is a city that must endure extreme cold as well as extreme heat. In the winter the temperatures regularly dip to 20 below. The dust here can be so thick at times, and I imagine there are a lot of lung problems among the population. But it is much better during this trip than the last. The city is considered to be one of the dirtiest in Kazakhstan, but they have a goal to be the cleanest within two years. I think they can achieve this goal as there seems to be a lot of civic pride here.

The city is in an absolute frenzy of construction and renovation because they were suddenly chosen as the alternate destination for a summit meeting between the Kazakh and Russian presidents. This meeting was supposed to be in a different city, but someone realized that the airport runway in that city was not large enough to land one of presidential airplanes! They only had 2 months notice to prepare for a meeting that would normally take 2 years. So they are spiffing up every building, median and bus stop that borders the route of the presidential caravan. They are even “finishing” the new airport building, which wasn’t scheduled to open for at least another year. They are just completing the exterior and the interior portions that the presidential parties will walk through. The local government told their residents to tighten their belts because their utility costs will go up to make up for the costs of this meeting and citywide renovation.

Everyone spends a lot of time outdoors here. They are always out walking, hanging out on the street and in the parks, pushing strollers, riding bikes, playing soccer, rollerblading, chatting away. You often see old men playing chess. Frank got a kick out of seeing old men gathered around cars, looking like they are up to no good. It's a very community-oriented place.

So many people here are so striking to look at -- especially the Kazakhs. The planes of their faces are like softly rolling hills. If I were a modeling scout, this is where I would come to discover new talent. (Yes, AG, I’ve seen some sizzling hot Russians too!) But I enjoy looking at the very old faces the most. These are the faces of true beauty and character.

Here it is not appropriate to greet people you don’t know on the street or when passing in halls. It’s so against my nature to not at least nod or smile. It feels like I’m being so rude, but I guess it becomes somewhat of a relief not to have to acknowledge every passerby. It usually takes a while for people to warm up to you. The woman at the little store downstairs has finally started smiling when she sees me. The residents in this apartment building now smile at me, as do several of the caregivers at the babyhouse. I think it really helps when you at least try to speak their language.

It’s been very hard for many since Kazakhstan gained their independence from the Soviets in 1991. (Some people would even say, since they were cut off in 1991.) But they are a strong and proud people. They go to work, they go to school, they love, they hurt, they rejoice and they try their best to be strong, provide for their family and live a happy life. They are real…with no artificiality. It is refreshing in many ways.

As with most photos in this blog, click to enlarge:

Fountain at Mosque Mall

Typical Street Corner

Lovers

Typical Apartment Building

Kazakh Restaurant

Mosque Mall Detail

Click to read the model name!

Other Playground at Mosque Mall

Pilot School

The Little Store Downstairs

24-Hour Supermarket Near Old Apartment

Street Vendor

Mother and Child

Mosque

Bus Stop

Business Center

Night Club & Restaurant

New Construction

Shops

Formal Dress Shop

Graffiti

Store Near Orphanage

Russian Italian

Garbage (it's always picked through)

Garden

Wedding Party at Solider Monument

Buses are always jam-packed.

Black and Brown Coffee Shop

Entry Door

Babooshkas