Night Life

Posted by Chris Flack, DelegateI tend to obsess over these things. Anything I post on my own blog has been in a notebook or on my desktop for about a week before it makes it online. All of that to say, I’m going to forgo my neurosis and just tell you about our “night life” for the past few days.I was a little disappointed to hear that my and Kenny’s host family backed out at the last minute, but now I can’t imagine a better situation. We’ve been put up at Ken’s big house (view from the balcony).

We had 1 night with Kiikzhan, 1 night on our own, and the 3rd night Ken was back with us. We’ve definitely not missed out on much. We went to the square with some kids from a sort-of-foster-care home. Music, roller-blading, and hours of tag filled the night.

With the kids at the Park

Sunset at the Square

The next night we got to visit Aben’s house for dinner with his family. The meal was amazing. Then we sat and traded stories over tea, cake, and watermelon for another few hours. I was afraid it was getting late (by American standards) and I really didn’t want to leave yet. Apparently the night was nowhere near over. Aben went to the closet and came back with a few pairs of rollerblades. We walked to a nearby park and played games with Matt, Sara, and Aben’s kids for another few hours. Our third night, we were invited to a party with the office staff. Peter, a former driver for Interlink had been in town and wanted to have everyone over for dinner. Beth, Sara, Olya, Ken Baskette, Kenny and I arrived and visited with the family while lamb, chicken, and fish shashleek (Kazakh BBQ) was prepared for us. Olya, Kenny, and I walked the kids to the store for candy and some toys. Right after we got back, Peter picked up two of his friends. Both of them were Peace Corps workers in the area. After introductions we all talked and ate till nearly midnight, when we finally parted ways and went home for the evening. All in all it’s been an incredible few nights. Not all parties and fun. The kids have been amazing, but I imagine you’ve heart those stories from others. I’ve just been really impressed with the staff here and the opportunities to get to know them and see some of the workings here behind the scenes.