library, banya

Lots to update about. As much as I love having a record of what I’ve done and hearing from friends and family who read this, I still don’t actually enjoy writing it.

I’ve been getting into more of a routine, yoga twice a week, reading in the kafedra for a few hours each day, and then reading somewhere else the other half of the day. Walking around the city as much as I can. Yoga is less and less confusing, especially after reviewing parts of the body.

I joined the national library. Expecting it to be a mess of red tape to join, all it took was an id photo and 150 tenge (1$). The red tape waits inside. An ex-pat friend joked “maybe you overpaid”, considering how much of a hassle both obtaining and reading the book you want is. The stacks here aren’t open like they are in the US, which means no browsing in your area of interest. It’s even more frustrating, because there is only a few word description of each book.  Though you should feel free to browse through their… card catalog. I am thankful that I paid attention in 4th grade library class. After finding the code of the book you desire, you have to find a librarian to order it for you, but only after hassling a few of the wrong librarians can you figure out which part of the library you should be asking for your book in. There are no signs to help you get to the right place. One entire afternoon was spent being sent from one floor of the library (“Your book is Russian. You need to be at the Moscow desk”) to another (“Your book is an art book. Why would you come to my desk for that?”) After visiting close to every desk, I finally found the appropriate librarian, who was inexplicably the one in the Turkish cultural room. The library has a bunch of cultural rooms, with Iran’s being the most happening. They’ve always got food and a gathering of sorts. Anyways I finally have some really useful sources, and now it’s time to buckle down and start trudging through. Of course allowing you to take books out would be too convenient, and their copier is “broken”, so I had to pay to get all the books scanned.

Margaret’s apartment is right by the baths, so last Friday we finally braved the banya.  I had only gone to a private banya before, so this was quite an experience, especially as a foreigner. There were very few clear directions, so we managed to do most things incorrectly until we were instructed otherwise.  By the last trip in and out of the hellish steam room, I had lost quite a few layers of skin. I felt reborn. And very dizzy.

On Saturday I went to Gorky Park with a new journalist friend David, where we tried out the ferris wheels. The rides in the park are charming in that questionable safety way. Then we went to a barbeque at the house he’s staying at, where two other journalists live. The house is enormous and on the edge of the city. These houses are the new style for the very rich in Almaty. They’ve popped up in recent years, close to one another and hiding behind tall gates.

I’m really enjoying the days I spend reading in the Kafedra. Sometimes it’s a bit loud and busy, but it’s nice to be able to take breaks for tea and cookies with the professors, and joke around with the younger people who work in the department, Bagdat, Rustem, and Ascar. They are teaching me bits of Kazakh, and laugh at how I butcher every word. In my defense, the sounds of the language are very challenging.

Weather here is EXCELLENT. Couldn’t ask for anything more. It’s been around 60 degrees and sunny every day. The leaves are turning orangey and falling.

Itunes is positive I live in Germany. I do not know enough (any) German to fix this.

We are almost out of apples! I can’t believe it. I made a few batches of apple cookies, all of which were gobbled up.  This may in part be due to the fact that I live with a 15 year old male.  However, at the university, I was told very matter-of-factly that I cook well enough that I will be able to find a husband, as though I should have been very worried if it were otherwise. I have indeed gotten a few proposals, mostly from Ascar, who seems less and less like he’s joking.