Saturday, December 26, 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone who is reading this blog! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and learn about my life in Kazakhstan.

I hope you all had a merry Christmas, wherever you were and whatever you were doing, or just a very merry 25th December, if you don't celebrate Xmas. I wish you a wonderful New Year's as well.

As you can tell, I've fallen far behind in my blog. I hope to catch up sometime soon, however I am very busy at the moment. I am trying to keep up, and hopefully new posts will be coming soon!

We had a wonderful Christmas--hard-fought for--and today (Saturday, 26th December) was awful because we had to work--a full day of school. Sophia was sick by the end of the day.

New Year's is soon and we will be in Germany.

Happy Holidays to all!!!

Love,
Elizabeth & Sophia

Driver Mess-Ups, Friday, 4 December 2009

Today the driver was not there when we went to go home. We went inside to ask about him. It turns out that the two Filipino teachers who work on the Turkish side of the school had gotten out there earlier than us, and he had left with them.

I waited for him to return in the teachers' lounge, with the other two Filipino teachers. They had been waiting on the first two! They hadn't known that they had already left. Well, I said, there will be room enough for you two now, so get ready to go.

Luckily, they didn't. Just then my phone rang. It was Valerie. The driver had turned around with the two teachers still in the car!!! He would come back later for the other two teachers.

Valerie, Sophia and I got in the car.

Apparently, these two teachers had gotten out first, and so he had started off with them. Then the vice principal called, told him that Sophia and I were still at the school, and rather than first drop off those two teachers, he turned around. We're guessing that the emphasis is placed on Sophia--she's a child, she shouldn't have to wait, especially in the cold.

Still, it's pretty silly. He could have just dropped off the first two! We/they don't live that far away!

My Shower - Thursday, 3 December 2009

It was time to pay rent again. I was better prepared, and so was my landlady. I showed her into the living room / Sophia's bedroom, where she could sit at a desk and do the calculations for my utilities, etc. The principal came by to pay rent.

A month ago, this was right after the light in my bathroom had been fixed, and I remember wishing that I had shown him my shower, let him see just how filthy it was.

I have tried cleaning it, and I have talked to Christie about it. She said hers last year was pretty disgusting, and they had to recaulk it.

So I showed it to him. He couldn't understand. "It's black!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah," he said, "that must be the plastic."

What? My shower is black because whoever put it in decided to use black plastic/caulk/whatever?

He couldn't understand why I think it's so disgusting.

How I miss clean showers.

Why you shouldn't take away Christmas the day before a parent meeting - Thursday, 3 December 2009

There were parent meetings that week, and the 1st grade one would be today. Valerie had learned about hers, first, and told me--hers would be at 5. So when my Kazakh teacher told me, I said, yes, I knew.

Then today I learned that the meetings were at 6:00. Valerie had purposely changed the time of hers so that she wouldn't have to stay late.

So we would be at the parent meeting until 7 or 8 pm, with no food!! Sophia eats a tiny lunch, due to her excessive pickiness, and usually is quite cranky by 5:30, when we usually leave.

Guess who wasn't happy?

Guess who had half a mind to start the parent meeting with a long rant about how the teachers were being mistreated and how the children ran free and wild and unsupervised?

Give me credit for being polite and positive during the meeting. Dock off points from our principal for pissing off his teachers right before a parent meeting.

I played the Sophia card--it's late, she's hungry--plus "I didn't know we'd have to stay so late!" and my Kazakh teacher and assistant said that I could go first, quickly talk about what the kids were doing in English etc, and then sneak out early. My parents hardly speak any English anyways.

Valerie had created an English assessment for the children--basically, show them the flashcards of all the words we've learned and have them say what it is, plus a few other things, such as count to 20, answer "How are you?" and read a few words. I had worked hard to finish all these assessments and record them in my gradebook. (My gradebook is just a cheap copybook with grid paper.)

Valerie had gone home sick and not finished hers (she came back for her parent meeting). I hadn't been able to talk to her, so while I had scores for every child, I couldn't quite say what they mean. Later, I learned that Valerie's students on the whole scored about 80 to 100% correct--including sentence structure, "It's a," "It's an" etc--whereas mine scored on average 50% accuracy, far less if you count sentence structure. I gave credit for anything that sounded like "It's"--Valerie only gave partial credit for that. Wow. Her students' English is SO much better than mine!

But that night I didn't know all that. I only knew what my results were. Parents asked who was the best. I've noticed that hiding students' grades from other parents is not common practice around here. Teachers post lists of every students' grade, so that everyone can see.

But I didn't say who was the best, or the worst. Just tried my best to explain what was average in my class.

Really, I would like to talk more to the parents, to tell them what we're doing. But it was so late and I was hungry!

The Kazakh teacher started talking in Kazakh and showing pictures of the class, and so I snuck out. Sophia was in another room watching a video. Kids were NOT in the parents' meetings, the assistants were supposedly watching them.

Valerie was stunned when I popped my head into her room to ask if she was ready to leave. How could I be finished earlier than her, when her meeting started an hour earlier?

Well, for one thing, her parents speak better English! For another, the first half of her meeting consisted of a powerpoint slide and information about Kazakh. For another, she stuck around and answered individual parent questions.

Since that meeting, however, I have found that the parents engage me more when they pick their kids up from school, they ask more questions, and I have been able to talk one-on-one with many. I've prepared a sheet with the lyrics from all the songs we sing, plus some sheets with the vocabulary items that we have been studying.

Just--inform me in advance of parent meetings, find a way for me to eat before them, and, above all, don't take away Christmas right before a parent meeting!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Another reason to be frustrated - Wednesday, 2 December 2009

So it was a long, frustrating meeting. At least it was Wednesday, and Sophia had dance. So it wasn't like she was sitting in the classroom, bored, with no one she felt comfortable with, right?

Wrong. When I got to her room, I asked her about dance. She hadn't gone. I asked the assistant. "Oops," she said, "I forgot." Except she had remembered to take the other girl.

WTF - Wednesday, 2 December

Today was a pretty miserable day. We had a meeting at 4:00, but good, I thought, Sophia will be in dance. I even reminded her before I went to the meeting. At the meeting, both the principal and vice principal were there. Usually it's just the v.p. It's an English-language-teachers meeting; the Kazakh teachers have their own meetings, which make sense since those are conducted in Russian (or perhaps Kazakh).

So: Christie asked about duty. She has duty on the first floor. Just one person to monitor the entire first floor during every break. The first floor consists of two hallways and the large front lobby. It is also where the first and second grade classrooms are. It is where the children run wild, screaming at the tops of their lungs, wrestling, during every break. And one teacher to watch them.

So Christie requested that there be two people on duty on the first floor! But we don't want to add to teachers' workload. I suggested that since the break is like their recess, then the assistants should be in charge of the class. But they are, I was told. But they can't watch every child, since some children are running down the hall, some are in the classroom, etc. I said that when I was a classroom teacher, and I took my kids to recess, I had rules and one was that they had to stay where I could see them! It was a big deal, being able to see all of my children at all times. Very stressful, but very important!

Well, then we got onto rules. I said I didn't know the rules; when I was on duty, if the children are running around and chasing each other, should I say something? The principal said that the kids knew the rules, and yes I should enforce them! I basically looked like an idiot for asking. Then, the v.p. said that the kids are not supposed to run in the hallway. He was sitting right next to the principal who said NOTHING! After I had (earlier) complained to him about the kids running in the hallway during break and his response to me was that this was their break and they don't get to go outside because it's too cold and kids will be kids. Now I looked like an idiot for not knowing that the kids weren't supposed to run in the halls. I was mad, but held my tongue.

Then I said how in the US, before going in the hall, to recess, etc, I would always give the rules--every day, and repeat them. Children need to know what the rules are, they need to be repeated. Children forget, repetition is important.

So Christie said that she gave the kids rules and her students knew them, and the principal said of course I could make my own rules, why hadn't I done that? Again, I looked like an idiot who didn't think to create my own rules. Well, when I arrived, the kids were running wild, and I am rarely in my classroom. I can create rules for the short time that I am with them--and I do--but if I am not in the hall to enforce my rules, and no one else does, well, then the kids will learn pretty quickly to ignore me (which they would anyways, not understanding me).

On to another topic, they said that a Kazakh national holiday is coming up, and we would have Wednesday and Thursday, 16 and 17 December, off. But the government had yet to decide if we would get Friday off. If we did, then the government would declare that that coming Sunday would be "switched" if you will, with Friday and be a regular work day. We would have school on a Sunday!

Oh! But let's make this worse. Earlier I had gone into the principal and asked for Christmas Day off, and said that the other teachers, being Catholic, wanted it off too. A week later he had called me into his office and told me that he had given it some thought, and, yes, we could have Christmas off. Overjoyed, I went and told the other teachers, who were extremely grateful.

Well, apparently he had given it some more thought, and the v.p. said that they had learned that the English language Mass is in the afternoon and so we would be allowed to leave after 6th period, around 2:30 pm.

This was too much. "I'm not working on Christmas and I'm not working on a Sunday either," I said. I sounded pretty stubborn, but goodness, I had never thought I'd have to make this point! You might as well ask me to come in to work at midnight, this is so unheard of!

The other teachers just bowed their heads in obedience while I repeated my statement. Valerie came to my defense and attempted to explain to our principal just how important Christmas is to a child (Sophia) and you can't ask a child to go to school on Christmas Day!!! Gotta love Valerie, she'll be out of the country by then, and here she was taking a stand for me, someone she'd only met about 2 months ago.

The principal finally said that I could have Christmas Day off, the others had to work. Some Christmas this will be. I had already invited them over to my house, to celebrate Christmas, exchange presents, eat food, sing songs, whatnot. By the time they get off work, they'll be exhausted and it will be almost time for church.

Then, after all this, I managed to bring up the RSOL issue--how learners of the Russian language are really just left out and miserable. Got the standard, "We understand this is an issue, yes this is something we need to work on" that we get for a lot of complaints and then nothing happens. Once again, Valerie spoke up and talked about what she'd seen and how she agreed with me. Letting them know it's not just me being a complainer, that this is a serious issue.

After the meeting, I talked to the principal about getting tickets to visit my brother in Germany. I had already asked the dates we'd have off for winter break so that I could get tickets. My bank card here does not work for Internet purchases, and the principal said he would come with me to a travel agency to buy tickets and pay in cash (rather than help me get a card that I can use on the Internet).

Well, after two days of going to pay for Internet in cash, I wasn't in the mood to go out and pay for something in person again. I talked about how in America we can do everything on-line! Well, he said, isn't there an expression in America like "no pain, no gain"? (He didn't use that expression, just one similar to it.) Basically, he was nice about it, but implying that Americans in general and me in particular are lazy. Later I thought of a proper retort: So do you take your kids with you every time you go to pay for something? Who does the cooking and cleaning? It's a whole lot easier doing stuff the long way when you don't have a child in tow, when you have two people sharing duties.

He also talked about the virtue of dependence--interaction with other human beings, realizing that you're not alone in the universe, you can't do everything yourself, you can rely on others. This is all great, and maybe Americans are too independent, but when you have to rely on your super-busy boss with whom you are pissed off in order to buy tickets to Germany, well, it's not so great.

In the end, I think the day was about cultural differences, miscommunication, and mismatched expectations and assumptions. The principal was clueless about Christmas; I hadn't previously stressed the importance of Christmas because I hadn't expected such difficulty in getting it off. The principal was used to a two-parent household and not using the Internet and credit cards so much; I was used to a culture in which single-parent households are able to survive, where you can get by if you have no one to depend on. Etc. Etc. I hope I can take away some lessons from this, and I hope he can too!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Supermarkets in Astana - Monday, 30 November 2009

There are 3 grocery stores/supermarkets near our home. Anvar is a the closest, perhaps two or three blocks' distance away. It is rather cheap--bread especially--but towels and kitchen supplies are expensive! It's nice in that it has a lot of everything. The upstairs contains drugstore-type items (think Rite Aid or Eckerd, not pharmacy) It has a small selection of toys and school supplies, even some clothes. I've bought her tights there. The upstairs also contains the liquids--juices and alcohol.

The downstairs has bread; baking supplies (we've found powdered vanilla, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, etc!), dairy products, etc--what you'd expect in a grocery store. And a counter where you can buy meat and a bakery section that looks yummy.

There are cubbies near the front entrance where you can put your sacks, lock them with a large key, and get when you are finished shopping. I've learned to come with a large duffel bag, so that we can carry our drinks (juice and soda) home.

Like stores in Europe, you must bag your items yourself. This is frustrating. I have never been able to open plastic bags easily. Often, the cashier will finally help me.

There are a lot of workers, mostly women, standing around everywhere. They are usually very friendly, and one who speaks some English has come to recognize us and greets us in English.

Sulpak is the second closest to our home; I've heard that it's cheaper, but haven't done much shopping there to tell. It's a bit further than Anvar, the bread isn't as good, and as far as I can tell, it doesn't have mozzarella cheese (needed for Sophia's pizza). However, it is located near Eurasia, the large shopping complex, and on buses 4 and 14 routes. Also, it has an ATM for our bank.

It is a bit smaller than Anvar, and definitely more cramped. A bit dirtier, and most of the cubbies for baggage check have lost their keys.

However, a big plus is the small restaurant located in the front. Sophia noticed the hot dogs there on our first trip to Sulpak. This is great when we go there after school. I can feed her first. We went there after attempting to pay our Internet on Monday, and I marveled at the fact that she had two hot dogs and a Sprite for 185 Tenge--barely over a dollar. Where in the States can you get that deal?

Also, birds seem to love the restaurant, and everywhere we come, one flies in and fascinates Sophia throughout her meal.

The other store is Ramstore, whose symbol is a kangaroo. This store is a bit further of a walk, and it's the one we went to before church on Sunday. We have only gone twice; Christie had told us it was cheaper. I don't think it is. It's located in what should be a mall, but is mostly empty. It is very, very clean, spacious, and nice. This is where Valerie found Parmesan cheese, brown sugar, and cake mix. It's worth going to at times, but Anvar still tops my list.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Paying for Internet, Part 2 - Tuesday, 1 December 2009

I was going to leave early with Sophia, take the bus and pay for the Internet, but then Irene said that Sophia was invited to go skating after school. Well, I didn't want to deprive Sophia of that, so I hung around the school until 5, when her dad showed up and was ready to take the girls skating--just for an hour. They left, and then I ran to get my winter gear on and get to the bus stop. I didn't have my winter boots on, so I would have to run home and change. It was far too cold to be walking in regular dress shoes.

I got there just as one bus left and I'm sure the other people waiting there wondered how crazy I was, to be out there wearing regular dress shoes and thin tights. Crazy because I'm used to having a driver.

Finally, a bus showed up--Bus 14. No way was I in the mood to wait 10 minutes in the freezing cold while the bus changed drivers--as sometimes happens on the route home on bus 14. I looked at the time. 5:25. I called Christie. She was getting ready to go. Wait for me, I said, I'm coming.

I left the bus stop just as the bus I had been waiting on--Bus 4--showed up.

So the lesson is this: It is faster to take the driver than the bus. Even if you leave half an hour early. Better to wait on the driver than head to the bus stop, freeze, and still not get home any earlier.

I got home, changed into my new, over-the-knee boots, and out the door I went. Ready to see if these boots were worth it!

Without Sophia, I'm a fast walker, and I enjoyed striding quickly through the snow, in the dark cold, on the way to Kazkh Telecom. I timed it. 30 minutes from when the driver dropped me off to when I reached the Internet store. About 20 minutes walking. The store is not far from Eurasia, the huge and expensive shopping complex where we bought Sophia's hamster so many weeks ago.

I went to the kiosk machine, it still was not working for L/C. So I guessed a button at the "take-a-number" machine, pushed it and took a number. It looked like the button that the IT guy had pressed for me a month ago.

It was my turn within seconds, I went to the teller and said, "Ya ne govoriu po-russki"--I don't speak Russian. Then I handed her the post-it note with my L/C number and monthly free.

She understood! I paid and got a receipt! The whole thing took about 5 minutes!

Which means paying the monthly Internet bill takes about 1 hour 5 minutes, given the getting to and from the store. How I miss paying for things on the Internet!

Paying for Internet, Part 1 - Monday, 30 November 2009

The IT guy had told me that I must pay for my Internet by the end of the month, and I must pay in cash, in person. Friday had been a holiday, and I wasn't sure if Kazakh Telecom would be open, and Saturday and Sunday were weekend days (though not sure if that makes a difference around here). So Monday we had to go pay it! We let the driver take us home, I changed into my super-warm boots, and then we caught bus 19 to the store. In there, it was not as easy as the IT guy had said it would be, and if I had remembered to take his number with me, I would have called him!

You're supposed to take a number and then wait. Except you have about a dozen options of what you're there for--you press the corresponding button and then get a number. Well, I don't know which button was for paying for Internet! Luckily, a guy nearby spoke English and tried to help. He found out that I wasn't supposed to wait in line, there was a kiosk machine and I was to use that.

He stood in line with me for that (only about one person in front of me) and then tried to help. Earlier, I had double-checked with the IT guy--the post-it note with the L/C number and the monthly fee was all I needed. Just show it to them, no need to even speak, and they would know what I meant.

Well, he had no clue and the worker at the machines had no clue. It looked like a telephone number, so he tried that (the machine asked for a phone number). I took out my real phone number, he tried that. Finally, he realized--or someone told him--that whatever L/C means, it's different from using a phone number. My guess--since I do connect through my phone--is that the telephone option is for dial-up and L/C means something like DSL. ('C' is Russian for 'S', if that matters.)

Well, for some reason, you couldn't pay for L/C today, he said come back tomorrow. I was worried that my Internet would be cut off--but I had a sneaking suspicion that Kazakh Telecom doesn't work that quickly, and I'd still have Internet the next day.

I think I could have paid at a booth, in person, I don't know.

So we walked home in the cold, did some shopping, and got home late. And tomorrow will be another late day.

Friday, December 18, 2009

So you're thinking about teaching internationally?

It has come to my attention that people I don't know just might be reading this blog, and that's wonderful! Just in case I have readership who's interested in teaching abroad, I thought I might post a few pointers... Or, rather, steal a few pointers.

What follows is a list that Valerie, the other American teacher at our school, has created and posted on her web site. Things to look for before signing a contract at an overseas school. Considering she's taught at 4 (or maybe more?) international schools, and that she admits that all schools have had their flaws but that this one takes the cake--she's quitting--I think her pointers might be useful.

To quote her:
"For the people who are new at all this. I have found when I have a phone or skype interview with a school I am not the interviewee I'm the one giving the interview. So just some important things to ask about not in any particular order.

1. How many foreign teachers work for the school?
2. How many foreign teachers have re-signed contracts for another year?
3. Can I have a foreign teacher's contact information? (Always try and talk to someone there before you sign anything...sometimes they might not give you the best information but over all this is a good way to get a feel.)
4. Is health insurance provided? If not, find out how much doctors' fees are!
5. Of course, salary? Overtime pay? Afterschool activity pay?
6. Will I be working weekends?
7. Ask about paid vacations!!
8. If I'm sick and can't work what happens?
9. Do I get transportation to and from school? If not, how will I get there?
10. Free airfare?
11. Accommodation...this is a big one...make sure it's furnished with everything from a bed to plates and silverware. (You don't want to buy all that stuff if you aren't going to stay long in the country.) Also is it shared or single? Do I pay utilities or does the school?
12. Cost of living...on average how much do other foreign teachers spend to live each month? (Then you can see if how much you will be able to save).
13. Will the school pay for all visa fees? Including translation of documents, police reports, medical examinations, etc.
14. How many students in a class?
15. What's the level of the students?
16. Will the school help me get language lessons for whatever language it is they speak there?
17. How long has the school been operating? (This is important...new schools are usually disorganized and hard work as the teacher resources are limited).
18. Is there a teacher resource center?
19. Is there teacher training? Paid or unpaid?
20. Is there an end of contract bonus? Or any incentive bonus?
21. Is so and so city safe?

I think that's about it...of course you will want to ask about the city a little more.

Make sure all these things you discussed are located and understood in the contract before you sign it. (Some schools can be shady and try to pull fast ones...like my current school...I am quitting my job b/c they lied to me on so many occasions and it's just an awful place.

Hope this is helpful."


My added points:

1) Don't assume that anything is real or official! Our school had a 22-page "Recruitment Handbook" that we downloaded from their web site, it is full of falsehoods. --Eg, there was a list of everything that would be in our apartments, this was not true. I still lack a bunch of basic kitchen items plus an ironing board because I've yet to go out and buy them myself (I will get reimbursed, however). I think that whoever wrote it was simply dreaming of what the school will look like in the future.
2) Get in writing anything that is the least bit important. In your contract is best. My contract says I work Mondays - Fridays, and here they have me working weekends. When Valerie brought up that our contract does not say weekends and that in some countries, you can take a school to court for this, we were told that the court would not side with her, that the admin. doesn't want to work weekends either, but they have to.
3) Basically, you can handle anything for a year, is my philosophy. Don't read this and get too scared to take a job. It's a good adventure, and I'm very glad I chose to move!


However, IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN, some added points:
1) Ask how many children are foreigners. If you've been reading my blog, you've noticed how the foreign kids aren't treated too well. A school with a high percentage of foreign kids ought to do a better job handling them.
2) Ask how many teachers are foreign. What about the activity teachers and assistants? My child does not feel comfortable here because most of the staff does not speak English.
3) Ask about the teachers' experience and training in dealing with foreign children. Ask what the school does to help foreign children feel welcome. Just because it's an international, English-language school does not mean that foreign children will feel welcome there.
4) Get specifics on how your child will be provided for when you're working and school is out. This school thinks that as long as someone is in the building, my child is being watched. This is not good enough for me. I want my child to be supervised. I don't appreciate that they allow her to roam free in the hallways, and that she frequently gets lost while looking for me.
5) Ask about the level of English instruction and do they learn to read? Get specifics. For example, all of the children here are still learning English, and so they are not learning to read in English. My child skipped the 1st grade due to this, and is still very far behind in reading and writing. The school claims on its web site that children must know English in order to be accepted, and that they follow the British National Curriculum, but this is not true.

Once again, I'm happy that I accepted this adventure! If nothing else, this is a learning experience for Sophia and me, and something that will look very good on my resume!

Meat - Monday, 30 November 2009

The students were awful today. Mondays can be such a headache, they are a bad start to the week. I have the first two periods free, and then grade 5 math for one period. Then I have one period of English, one of math, lunch, and then two of science. Argh. I hate teaching science. They aren't in the mood to sit still, and the science books revolve around discussion--teach everything through discussion. Well, we can't do that so the books are useless.

Valerie received a call today from her fiance, saying that the electricity had been turned off. The electricity company had been hounding them about unpaid bills from the summer--well, they had just moved in at the end of September! Christie had lived in the apartment last year, but she had been gone all summer and had returned in August to another apartment. Who was supposed to pay the bills? The school, of course!

I don't know why it took this long for the electricity to get turned off, but it did. Valerie was not happy!

When her fiance called the principal, the principal called him in. He tried then called Valerie into his office and tried to talk both of them into staying longer. But, she explained, her fiance's visa expires on the 27th. They have to go to Almaty before then to get her a visa for Uzbekistan. They can't stay much longer than the 19th, the date she had given him.

I was in the teacher's lounge when the secretary came to see me about what I thought was a meeting. She called a few other teachers and before I knew it, she was leading us outside!! It was freezing.

By the side of the school, at the edge of the parking lot, lay dozens of plastic bags containing raw meat. We got to choose our own and take it inside.

And do what with it? I took a red-stained bag and carried it inside. Eric placed his bag on the floor in the teachers' lounge. OK. So I did the same.

I asked what kind of meat it is, and was told cow. Later, I was told lamb. That's okay. I'm happy to have meat--it's a heavy bag, maybe 2 kilograms is my guess? Maybe 5? I froze it and await a time when I'm in the mood to cook more than an egg (and remember to thaw it first!)


What an interesting present.

The Newest Arrival & Advent Begins - Sunday, 29 November 2009

On the bus to church we met the newest Filipino teacher. As far as I know, she had been accepted for the job at the same time as the others. She was supposed to arrive with them, but something had been messed up at the letter-of-invitation level, and she only now just arrived.

She will be in the other side of the school, with two of the Filipino teachers. This is the Kazakh-Turkish side, where classes are taught in Kazakh (I think). This side is much larger than ours, it goes through high school, and the English teachers are truly activity teachers. They teach various grades, from grade 1 through 12, and just a few lessons per grade per week. They have no room but rather go to the various classrooms to teach. The Filipinos are in charge of teaching communication, and local teachers who have some knowledge of English are in charge of grammar and vocabulary. Some English-teacher partnerships work out well, some don't. Some of the grammar-vocabulary teachers get rather angry if the communication teacher accidentally teaches grammar or vocabulary; others are a bit more understanding that you can't teach a child how to ask to go to the toilet without first teaching the vocabulary ("toilet")!

Anyways, this new teacher has been long awaited and will not be heading to our side of the school.

Her trip over was a tad shorter than the other Filipino teacher's--a flight from Almaty (former capital of Kazakhstan) rather than a 12-hour train ride. I was surprised, however, to see her on the bus on the way to church. She'd just arrived and now she was heading off to church!

All of the Filipino teachers had moved to new apartments. The guys moved to an apartment whose description sounds wonderful--large, brand new apartment, brand new appliances. But it is located rather far away from just about everything including grocery stores and bus stops. It took 2 buses to get to church. Considering how you pay every time you get on, this isn't good!

The female teachers bargained with the administration. They moved into a larger apartment, with 2 bedrooms plus a living room. They will share--two to a bedroom--and in exchange for saving the school money, and not each requesting their own bedroom or flat--they are asking for free Internet, utilities, etc. This sounds smart. They've gotten used to living with each other, and living with others sure provides a better atmosphere than living alone. It's too cold here to step out just to visit a neighbor. So now they have room, and will save money on other things. The school saves money too.

They live in the building next to mine, but I still miss them. The Turkish science teacher got their apartment, he was moved in before I had a chance to open my mouth and shout, "I want it!" Their former apartment was the same size as mine, but much cleaner. Plus, what does he need pink, sparkly walls for? And they had a bathtub (still do) which will be so nice for Sophia!

However, my apartment is nice, and on the third floor. Yes, they have an elevator key, but sometimes it doesn't work, and then they walk. That wouldn't be fun with a 7-year old.

Last Sunday, I had noticed a sign at church that was in Russian and German, advertising an Advent music service. My minimal Russian and German combined to help me understand the sign--very simply, an Advent concert on Sunday, 6 December, at 7:30 pm. Today Mass ended early, and since it was very cold and the latest teacher had only just arrived, the others went home. Sophia and I chased each other in the snow while waiting for 7:30. Meanwhile, people kept arriving, and I began to wonder how many people our church could fit!

Finally, we went inside. The small church was packed, but we managed to find a spot in the far back. The Kazakhstan National Choir, dressed in black evening wear, stood in a double line in front of the altar (men in the back, women in the front). The pianist came out to applause. Then they started singing. I know that Bach had been listed on the program, and the music was very good--classical, German Christmas music is the best way to describe the genre. The singing was in German. Sophia was bored!

I enjoyed it--a free concert--but it wasn't enough to entertain Sophia, and so after a while we crept out.

Advent has started!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Happy Eid al-Adha - Saturday, 28 November 2009

Friday we had no school due to a Muslim holiday, Eid al-Adha. It was last minute's notice. Valerie had worked at a school in the UAE and said that it was like that. Due to the Muslim holidays being on a lunar calendar, there is no way of knowing the exact date of a holiday until it is very close to the holiday. I looked this up on wikipedia. Apparently, there is some sort of algorithm for determining when the holidays will occur, but this either isn't exact or it's too complicated, or something. The dates for all the holidays in the future are listed as "calculated" and for the dates of previous holidays, some were off by a day, and the calculated dates and the announced dates are shown. Wow.

I didn't mind having a Muslim holiday off, and I didn't mind being asked to come to the school on Saturday to celebrate the holiday. The translation was wrong, however, it was just a "feast" or really a nice meal. I had hoped it would be something festive, something Sophia could enjoy.

I slept in the teachers' lounge while Sophia had dance--hey, the assistants do that during school. After dance, Sophia and Irene managed to convince Irene's father to take them to a play place, and I was left childless. Which was good, because the feast was simply a nice meal with a bunch of grown-ups, and it wouldn't have Sophia thinking nicely about Muslim holidays.

Some tables in the cafeteria were pushed together, silverware, etc, were on the tables. The salad had cucumbers and tomatoes; the main dish was a pile of rice and some cut-up meat (lamb, probably). Tea was served, of course, and I could choose between bubbly water and regular. I chose bubbly.

I sat patiently, looking at my food in front of me, while the food was being served, but soon noticed that there was no standard for when to start eating. I mixed my salad with my rice and meat, and noticed that while some people mixed their food together, some people ate everything separately (my mom would like that!)

The Turkish English teacher came by and poured us generous amounts of kefir, a thick, sour milk-like drink that is supposedly really good for you. I grew up on skim milk, and can't stand just about any other kinds of milk. I did not like it. Erica, the Filipino teacher who also received a large serving of kefir, plugged her nose and downed it while the rest of us cheered. (Luckily, the Turkish English teacher was not nearby, I'm not sure he would have been pleased with how little we liked the drink.)

The principal then stood up and gave a speech first in Kazakh and then in English. He explained the origin of the holiday, which differed both from what I'd seen on wikipedia and what occurs in the Christian Bible. (Wikipedia and the Bible do not contradict each other.) According to wikipedia, the celebration is about when Abraham was willing to give up his son Ishmael for God. He left Ishmael, the son of a slave, and Ishmael's mother in the desert. At first, they were going to starve and dehydrate, but then a miracle occurred and there was a river, and they and that place prospered and thrived.

According to the principal, the celebration is about when Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Ishmael for God. He was going to kill him but then an angel stopped him. Instead he slaughtered a sheep. (In the Bible, that happens to Isaac, not Ishmael.)

So I'm not sure what the correct story is. However, the principal's English was good enough to know the word "slaughter" and know that my last name is the same (almost). I was only half-listening when I heard him call out my name. I nodded and said yes, yes, my name is "slaughter."

Then the Kazakh History teacher stood up and talked for a while in Kazakh. We figured out that he was saying thanks, and I teased Erica that she should say something in Filipino, and then I'll say something in French. However, soon several people were talking about Erica giving a speech, and before we knew it, she was standing up and saying thanks. My shy-ness won out and I refused to give a speech. Then Eric, another Filipino teacher, gave a speech, and then an elderly Russian woman whose job I do not know, stood up and gave a speech. She talked about how welcomed she was in Kazakhstan, and how Kazakhstan was now her home. (That was all of the whispered translation that I caught.)

The principal then stood up and announced, in Kazakh and English, that we would be able to pick up our meat on Monday at 5:00. He said it was tradition on this day, to give away part of your sacrifice to those close to you, and so everyone would get some meat. I overhead the accountant translating this into Russian for the elderly Russian lady, who must have felt lost with all the Kazakh and English going around! (And she was sitting next to a Filipino, that's one more language!)

Desert resembled some of the Greek pastries I have eaten before, and everyone slowly starting milling out--nothing formal. I learned that the Filipinos had used the driver this morning, and I took the driver home with them. Irene's dad had said that they would not be gone long, so I went home to enjoy my peace and quiet before they returned.

When he dropped Sophia off, she was sulky--until Irene decided to come over. Her dad said yes, and Sophia perked up and suddenly I had two little girls in my charge. Her mother busily made sure her scarf was on tight, gave her a water bottle, and kissed her many times. I've noticed how her mom's parenting style closely resembles that of a middle class American's. I doubt she'd let Irene run through the streets unsupervised, like all these local kids I see. (I can't comment on the Kazakh kids I teach. I don't know if it's a cultural thing or a class thing, to let kid roam so freely.)

I then spent 6 hours with the two girls! Irene's parents originally had said that they would just go to a movie, and then be back, but it was dinner time when they finally called. My theory is that they were enjoying their alone time--I know I do when Sophia's away! When they did call, Irene talked excitedly in Turkish and then hung up (she has her own phone) and told me that they'd come later. In the end, they called several times before deciding to come pick her up--each time, she told them in Turkish that she was having fun and didn't want them. I didn't get to say, "Yes, they're having fun, but it's getting late and Sophia needs some alone time."

I fed Irene Sophia's traditional dinner--cheese pizza--which she loved. We had planned on going to the store that day, and were completely out of drinks. So I took the girls to the little mini-mart that is in Christie's building, right next to ours. I bought them both a soda and a Kinder egg. Kinder eggs are German, and they are hollow chocolate eggs with a surprise toy inside. A big hit with kids. Also, the most expensive candy in Kazakhstan, nearing a dollar for one egg. Both girls had tiny, scantily clad fairies in their eggs. Why you need to make a children's toy where the butt crack is defined, is beyond me! (That's how tight these fairies' clothes were! You could see every curve and crack!)

Irene loved Sophia's hamster, and I'm sure she's begging her dad for one now. They had a good time, but a long time, and with young girls, a long time is never smooth. There are always arguments and issues.

I'm glad I got to have Irene with us, after all the times that he's taken Sophia somewhere or had her as a guest.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Bargaining at Artyom - Friday, 27 November 2009

After the English-language library, Sophia and I headed onto Artyom, which was a short bus ride away and we probably could have walked.

I was hoping to buy Christmas supplies, but while there were definitely Christmas decorations, there weren't a whole ton and they all were expensive. A plastic tree will cost around $100. Not sure I'm ready to spend that much money.

Christmas here is New Year's. The majority of the country is non-practicing Muslim, so of course Christmas is not exactly celebrated. The Russian Orthodox Christmas is on a different date than December 25.

So it is nice to see so many New Year's decorations that are identical to our Christmas decorations. Some signs say "Happy New Year" in Russian; others say "Merry Christmas" in English.

While I did not get anything for Christmas, I did do a good job shopping in general, I think. I had wanted to buy indoor shoes for Sophia to wear at school. Most of the children change from their warm outdoor boots to cute indoor dress shoes. We found a cute pair that was a bordeaux-like color, thus matching her uniform. The man asked 2000 Tenge for them, I asked for 1500 Tenge. He then said 1700 Tenge, to which I said 1600 Tenge. He raised his eyebrows at me--perhaps surprised that the American knows how to bargain?--and sold them for 1600 Tenge, a little over $10. I still think I paid too much. He may have been impressed that I could bargain, but he still ended up selling the shoes for 1600 T.

Then we bought Sophia's dance leotard and shoes-I didn't try to bargain, the prices were cheap enough. But then we walked past a shoe store. I have been wanting over-the-knee boots for some time now. They look so warm! My below-the-knee boots keep my legs quite warm, and outside, with my coat and boots on, only my knees, fingers, and face get cold. So over-the-knee boots would definitely be good.

So I saw some really tall boots and had to pop in to see if they sold my size and what was the price. To my surprise, the pair they had out fit me perfectly! And the boots are really easy to put on (due to the zipper). Plain black, nothing fancy (I don't like bling-bling!) How much? 7000 Tenge. Wow. That's not expensive. (Under $50.)

Oh, but really, I didn't need an extra pair of boots! That was hard to communicate in Russian. The worker called his sister, who was nearby and spoke slightly better English. He also showed me the tag--9400 Tenge it said. So he had already offered me a deal.

The sister was interested in where I work, and seemed a bit disappointed when I told her that the school was only for children. However, she still wanted the school's information, which I provided for her.

Finally, I asked to buy them for 6000 Tenge, and I got them for 6400 Tenge. Hey, I wanted boots that fit me, weren't expensive, and covered my knee.

I was quite proud of my bargaining successes. Each time I shop, I get a little bit better. When I return to America, I may have trouble accepting the sticker price for items.

English-Language Library Again - Friday, 27 November 2009

Today we went with Valerie & her fiance to the English-language library. It was so nice to have her fiance around. Really, I highly recommend finding a Russian-speaking boyfriend/girlfriend to anyone who plans on visiting Astana. It is very useful. (And, she points out, it really helps the school. He can deal with the landlord, paying the bills, taking her to the hospital, whereas the rest of us need the principal or someone else from the school for all of that.)

I had the brochure, on which I'd written the buses that would take us there, as well as the bus stop needed. Bert confidently showed this to the bus attendant, as well as talked to him, and the attendant let us know when to get off. I looked around me. I had a slight feeling that the library was across the street and down some, but I was not at all sure. Bert again took out the brochure and asked someone, who pointed us in the correct direction (the direction I was thinking about).

The library is behind other buildings, so really hard to find if you don't know what you're doing.

Valerie loves to read, and she and her fiance love to watch videos, and so this place was wonderful for them. Sophia enjoyed looking through books and eating chocolate cake.

Her fiance made a face when he saw the banana nut muffins. He just couldn't comprehend why someone would make something so disgusting.

For about $3 I got 4 "snowball" cookies, one slice of chocolate cake, and a Fanta soda. Not bad!

Sophia got Disney's "The Lion King" book, a book on painting activities for children, and a read-aloud book of folk tales from Central Asia (that one I picked out). I convinced her to get the movie "Crocodile Dundee." She's in an Australia kick right now, after getting a book about kangaroos from the library last time. And I wouldn't mind seeing that movie again.

We all stayed for about an hour, and then Valerie and her fiance headed home while Sophia and I played in the little playground that was outside the library. It wasn't too cold, but there was a light powdery snow falling, and it was nice.

Glad to have an English-language library. Just wish it was a bit easier to get to, so I could always return my DVDs on time!

Tuesday - Thursday, 24 - 26 November 2009

Sorry, but I've fallen behind in my writing, and I can't quite remember much from this week! Nothing special. Just read tons of Facebook updates about Thanksgiving, luckily it was never that big of a holiday for me. Sophia went home with Irene after school on Tuesday, which gave me a chance to go grocery shopping without her (always nice!)

We heard a rumor that Friday was a Muslim holiday and hence there would be no school. It wasn't until Thursday that this was confirmed. There were three of us in the hallway when the vice principal told us this. We stressed to him that we were not planning on not coming to school simply because the students had told us there was no school. Just as we had not planned on coming to school this past Saturday until that had been officially confirmed. We like to follow the rules, and we like to know what the rules are. Our complaint wasn't simply about working on a Saturday, it was mostly about not being officially informed. Same goes for having a holiday on Friday.

I checked the school calendar that I had finally received. The holiday is not listed.

And wouldn't it have been something to mention when we weren't happy about working on a Saturday? That a 3-day weekend was coming up?

So this week was great. Usually the last day of the week is Friday, and I have 6 classes on Friday, and that leaves me little time to prepare for the next week. (Two Fridays in a row--which is what we had when we worked on Saturday--is not fun at all!) So ending the week on a Thursday, when I only have 3 classes, was great. I was relaxed, I was prepared for the next week.

All good. Not a bad week after a rough start.

It tells you something about the school.... Monday, 23 November 2009

Allie is in Sophia's class, she's the student with the hamster whose mother helped us buy our hamster. Her family is moving to Malaysia after the New Year. The private school in Malaysia that she'll be attending has a pretty tough entrance exam, and Christie spent quite a bit of her time tutoring Allie one-on-one in the evenings and on the weekends.

Last week Allie went to Malaysia to take the entrance exam. Guess what grade she qualified for?

Let's review first. She's in an expensive, private school. She's in the 2nd grade. She has received a substantial amount of private tutoring from a qualified teacher, who not only had books from England but also had copies of previous exams from the same school.

So she should definitely have been prepared!

She qualifies for the 1st grade at this school in Malaysia.

So I definitely don't feel bad about having Sophia skip 1st grade here!

Learning Russian - Monday, 23 November 2009

I love my 5th graders (have I mentioned that before?)! I tell them that I am learning Russian just like they are learning English. Except that they don't understand my difficulties--the Russian language is so easy, they say!

Today I asked them how to say "I'm hungry." And Kozhabi, just an amazingly wonderful student (yes, I LOVE my 5th graders!) told me something that I tried to repeat. Then they all started laughing, "No, teacher, don't say that!" He had taught me a bad word (or something bad, I didn't learn what it was. Maybe I was just saying, "I'm a chicken.")

Then they taught it to me correctly.

He wasn't being rude, he was laughing and he obviously knew he wouldn't get away with it, that I wasn't going to go off and use that word in front of, say, the vice principal, and get in trouble and/or look stupid. It was very funny and I'm glad that we can joke like that, without the kids getting out of control.

I think, also, that it is important for them to see (a) that the foreigners appreciate their language and culture, and (b) that a teacher is struggling with learning a new language, just like they struggle with learning English.

But I've already forgotten how to say "I'm hungry." I can say "I want to eat," however, which does get the point across. And I can say, "Breakfast is tomorrow"--"Zavtrak zavtra" because I think it's funny how similar the two words are. (Yes, I know that English has tons of words that are rather similar as well as actual homophones. "The deer is dear" is a fun sentence to say, too.)

Languages can be fun. And my 5th graders are great!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Sick again! - Monday, 23 November 2009

I didn't go to the library on Saturday, and it's closed on Sunday, and my Scooby Doo DVD was late. The library closes at 7 pm and it's about 30 minutes to get there, maybe more, considering walking to the bus stop and waiting for the bus takes time.

So I decided to go with Sophia, leaving school a little bit early to take the bus and not use the driver.

At the bus stop, she complained that had a headache. By the time the bus arrived, she was howling. On the bus, she starting screaming/crying, "I'm going to throw up!" Great. Luckily I was holding the plastic bag that serves as her lunch bag. I quickly took out the tupperware-like container and juice bottle, and she threw up in that.

The bus was getting more and more crowded, and I didn't look around to see what other people were thinking. I was amazed--Sophia managed to get all of her vomit inside the bag. No mess.

We got off at our stop and walked home. She was so miserable she did not even complain about walking.

When we arrived at the apartment, she vomited over the side of the stairs while I called the Filipino teachers. They had been at the school when I had left, early. Now they were already at home! Why hadn't I taken the driver?!

Lynn came down with the elevator key and not having to walk up 3 flights of steps helped Sophia.

I realized then that if I have to go anywhere, it's just as quick to take the driver home and then catch a bus.

Sophia slept sound until 9:30 pm and then woke up and thought it was morning!

Luckily, the next day she was better.

Valerie had gotten sick again, and the doctor said she should have her tonsils out! Oh, no! From what I've heard, you don't want to have to go to the hospital in Kazakhstan, even in Astana. She said she wasn't going to have them taken out, at least not until she got a 2nd opinion in another country.

(Update: Valerie decided that the infection that the doctor was worried about was the same infection that she'd had earlier, not a new one. She is allergic to penicillin, and so the medicine she'd taken previously had not been too strong. She took more medicine and seems to be healthier. Her tonsils are currently still in.)

Toilets - Sunday, 22 November 2009

Today we walked to Ramstore, a grocery store that has Parmesan cheese!, and from there took the bus to church. On the bus, we surprised Christie and several others who had caught it several bus stops earlier. When we arrived, we were happy to see that we were early, for once! I didn't have any groceries that required being kept cool, but the church is cold enough for refrigerator items.

However, we did need to use the restroom. This is a small, new church, serving a tiny minority of Catholics in Astana. Would it have a bathroom? We looked around the inside of the church and didn't see anything, other than the room for perpetual adoration, and a closed wooden door with no sign. I wasn't about to go peeping in strange doors.

We went outside and I saw that the church was much bigger than I had thought. It is connected to two other buildings--the convent perhaps? And it has a downstairs. Wandering around the church, we could look inside the windows to the basement. And there we saw a lit hallway and signs for toilets! We hurried back inside--they were behind the wooden door I had not tried.

We could not find the stairwell lights and so made our way down in darkness. The downstairs was quite large, hallways leading somewhere, but we didn't explore. We just used the toilet.

There was a sign above the toilet in Russian. It seemed to be saying something about toilet paper. At the American library's bathroom, there was a sign, in Russian and English, saying "Do not put ANY paper in the toilet." I was confused--does this include toilet paper? Here, I was wondering the same thing. A look in the trash can ("rubbish bin," I'm learning it is called) informed me that some people had definitely thrown away toilet paper. Maybe.

The toilet seat lid was off the toilet. I noticed that under the sink there was a faucet with a bucket under it. What was this for? I wondered.

Then either Sophia or I forgot to throw away the toilet paper, instead putting it in the toilet. This was when I realized that the flush was broken.

Luckily, my previous experience with a non-working flush had prepared me for this moment. I now knew what the strange low-lying faucet and bucket were for. I filled the bucket and then poured water down the toilet bowl. It worked.

I've never had to give so much thought to toilets in my life.

I'm-fine-thank-you-and-you

If you want a good laugh, come to our school, pick any child, and ask, "How are you?" You will get a very rhythmic "I'm-fine-thank-you-and-you." Ask another child and you will get the same exact answer, same rhythm and everything. Some children see me in the morning and cry out in one breath, "Good-morning-teacher-how-are-you-I'm-fine-thank-you-and-you." Really and truly you have to hear it to understand the rhythm with which they say it. I can bob my head to the motion.

My first order of business was changing my name from "Teacher" to "Miss Elizabeth." That being successful, I copied Valerie and started stressing other answers to "How are you?" Every morning we go over "I'm great!" "I'm happy!" "I'm sad." "I'm angry." (They love this one!) "I'm scared." (Also a hit.) "I'm tired." "I'm sleepy." (Also a hit, as I emphasize being sleepy by laying my head down--they love to lie down and pretend to fall asleep.) "I'm hungry." "I'm hot." "I'm cold." It's a lot of fun, but invariably, when I ask them, "How are you," they churn out "I'm-fine-thank-you-and-you."

You really want to laugh, ask a kid how old they are. Understandably, this question is nearly identical to "How are you?" Still, it is funny to ask a kid, "How old are you?" and hear "I'm-fine-thank-you-and-you." One of my 5th graders had a birthday recently, and when I asked her how old she was, I got the standard reply. The other kids picked up on this and laughed and corrected her. She laughed too and gave me the correct answer. (Eleven.)

I'm not laughing at the kids or making fun of them. It's very cute, and it's a sign of how much English they know--they know enough to answer the question--and how little they know. How much work we have to do. My kids now, if I ask how they are, they'll give the standard reply. I'll ask again, emphasizing the words, and giving them a look, and then they'll think and give me a better reply. Getting better!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Working on a Saturday - 21 November 2009

I think having school on a Saturday affected my 5th graders the most. They sorely missed sleeping in and watching cartoons, and their English is good enough to express this to me. On Monday, 23 November, I noticed that a lot of students were not well behaved. My 5th graders were still excellent, but complained that they were tired and grouchy due to having had such a short weekend.

I had brought the Scooby Doo DVD that I had taken from the English-language library, to watch during the last period for English. I lent it to another teacher, and since it worked in her computer, I figured that it would in mine. I didn't get it back until 7th period started, and then I discovered that not only did it not work in my computer, but the IT guy had already gone home!

Luckily, my assistant was on my side--the kids needed to watch a video, not do more work. She helped me figure out a plan--the room across the hall was empty. She quickly went in and set up the video--it worked! So we went in there to watch.

Scooby Doo has an amazing amount of complicated vocabulary, which I had never noticed before. Why can't they use simple language? (Of course, I don't mind that when Sophia's watching, I want her vocabulary to improve! But it drastically cut down on my students' comprehension and enjoyment--they got a bit restless.) However, our recent story was about the characters hearing a loud noise and thinking it might be a monster, so they run and hide. Our vocabulary words for the unit included "monster," "I'm scared," "run" and "hide." Working on varying answers to the question, "How are you?" we had been working on "I'm hungry" as well as "I'm scared" (and others). So Scooby Doo was good for this vocabulary! They run and hide a lot, and Scooby and Shaggy are always hungry!

The parents came early and we got to go home earlier than usual. Valerie did not show up. She had said that she would, if they would let her only come for the classes she had that day, but they never said anything. In the end, they let us all go once our last class was over. So another example of faulty communication and expectations. The whole fight over her working Saturday could have been diffused if there had just been communication! (Or, at least, part of it.)

Romanian Squid Meat - Friday, 20 November 2009

I had bought what I thought was fish (breaded, fried, frozen, like fish nuggets) and cooked it. It was rather good, and as I examined the package I noticed that part of its description transliterates in "calmar" and there was a picture of a squid on it. Well, calamari is squid meat. I was more curious now about exactly what it was, but I wasn't in the mood for the painstakingly slow process of trying to type the package's words in Russian and then using google translate. The package had descriptions in multiple languages, like every product you buy here, but only one was using the Latin alphabet. I wasn't sure what country or language "MD" was. So I copied some of what it said and then tried to find a program that could tell me what language it was in, so I could then use google translate.

This was harder than it sounds. One program concluded that it wasn't sure, maybe it was a mix of French and Romanian? Finally, another program gave me a more definite answer of Romanian. This seemed to be the correct, as google translate was then able to do a decent job of translating from Romanian into English. Nothing special about the ingredients or directions, and it was definitely squid.

Don't think I've ever come across the Romanian language before. It's amazing the obscure languages I come across here. Wonder if MD stands for Moldova?

Re-resignation - Thursday, 19 November

Well, before autumn break it was mentioned that we follow the Kazakh school calendar, which has the students returning to class on a Friday, and so we, being a private school and thus able to make changes, would not have class on that Friday (13 November), but rather on a Saturday (21 November). Valerie was not at the meeting at the time this was announced, and we all nodded our silent agreement that this was okay.

When it was announced that we would get most of the break off, I really thought Mr. M, the v.p., also said that we would not have to work on that Saturday.

Then, this week I heard that we would have classes on Saturday. However, I wasn't sure, and I knew that the local teachers always work on Saturdays, so I wasn't sure if "classes on Saturday" meant the usual extra-tutoring lessons.

Valerie said she would not work on a Saturday, and if no one told her she had to, then she wouldn't come!

They never mentioned it at the meeting on Wednesday.

On Thursday they posted signs outside each classroom, in English and Kazakh, that there would be a regular school day on Saturday.

So now Valerie knew.

She went to the principal to complain. She did not want to work on a Saturday, she had not been informed early enough to complain or to even discuss it.

Later I learned more from her--they had a huge, blow-out fight. She had left his office, knowing her own temper well enough to know that it was time to leave. "I'm not coming, dock my pay," she said as she left.

He followed her into the teachers' lounge and there was the fight, with students, parents, and other teachers able to listen. (I was in the 3rd floor teacher's lounge and thus unaware.)

She went home and wrote a 2nd resignation letter. She emailed me and I did my best to check it. It was good, I think. Instead of listing her complaints, she summarized her previous jobs in 3 different international schools in 3 different countries. She listed the pros and the cons. She tried to show where she was coming from, why she was so upset at certain things.

She listed 19 December as her last working date, as our contract says we only need to give one month's notice.

She also attached the 2-page "Terms and Conditions" documents that we both were emailed before we signed the contract, as well as the 22-page document titled "Recruitment Handbook" that we both had read while considering the job. She highlighted in red everything that these documents had said that were not true.

As much as I'll miss her--as a friend as well as a colleague who carries a load of 24 lessons a week, that is bound to be spread out amongst us other teachers--I do believe it is in her best interest to go. She is not happy here, her fiance has not found a job, she has money saved from previous jobs and the capability to find other ESOL jobs. She has no reason to stay here.

Just as she had compared this school to her previous schools, I mentally did a comparison. So far, this school wins by a landslide. It's worse for Sophia, the old school--which wasn't that great--beats this school in terms of Sophia--how it responds to her educational, emotional, and social needs. But for me, well, right now I only have 21 lessons a week. I have so much free time!

That will go pretty soon...

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

What do the assistants do? - Wednesday, 18 November 2009

Today we had a faculty meeting. I was going to bring up the RSOL issue, but the meeting was running late and no one likes it to last too long. Especially me, because once 5:00 hits, the assistants supposedly stay with the kids, but the kids can run free--and confused, lost and bewildered, if they don't speak Russian.

Valerie brought up, once again, what is the point of the assistants? There is no handbook, and no job description. She explained what assistants do in the US--help the teachers with copies, cutting, filing, etc, as well as discipline. She was told that, sure, she can ask her assistant to help her with that, but that's not really the assistant's job. As the teacher, she should do her own work.

The assistant is the class's assistant, not the teacher's. Still, it is unclear! And, Valerie made sure she said, we wouldn't mind getting a job description for ourselves either! It's not just that we want the assistants to help us--we want to know what they are expected to do, what we can ask them to do (and they must do for us, not simply because they're feeling nice)--but we want to know what we are expected to do too!

Today, they discussed the attendance slip. The matter was discussed as if they were clarifying a few points about it, as if we were already using it. I had seen the slip once or twice and had wondered about it. No one had ever told me that we were taking attendance. Now I learned that I had been supposed to fill one out at the beginning of every lesson.

I did not want to sound lazy, but I thought that taking attendance at the beginning of every lesson is a waste of time. Why can't the assistant, who is with the students every day, take the attendance at the beginning and then mark as students come late or leave early?

Because it's my class, and this is my job.

Then I learned that if Michael, my Saudi Arabian student, comes to school and never comes near my classroom, and I never see him and thus have no idea that he even left his house that day, that he is MY responsibility. If he is at school and does not come to my classroom and something bad happens to him, then it is MY fault.

What about my assistant? I asked. You just made it very clear that she's the class's assistant, not mine. So shouldn't she be in charge of Michael, since I have no clue he's even at school?

No, I am still responsible for him.

I am serious. I have not seen that child for weeks. His sister is usually in my grade 5 math class, but not always, and I don't usually ask her if her brother is here. I had assumed that he was sick (he had been out for a week due to illness) but recently someone mentioned that he was in the hallway. So apparently he is coming to the school, and thus I am responsible for him.

See what a messed up school this is? At my former school, if a kid did not come to my classroom & I did not know he was there, I would mark him absent and a parent would be informed. If he came and then ran away, then, well, I'd be stressed, but I also would be aware of the time he ran away, and I could quickly get someone to help me chase him down. (There was a first-grader last year who was notorious for running away and driving his teacher--and the principal--crazy!)

But this is ridiculous.

Come on, people! Parents are PAYING to send their kids to this school! Try to make it worth their money!

ESOL / RSOL - Wednesday, 18 November 2009

In the US, we have something called ESOL - English as a Second or Other Language - and every year the district's ESOL teacher would have to give several presentations or talks to all the teachers, about sensitivity and how to handle ESOL students. Even if you didn't have any ESOL students, you were required to attend. Not much, but something.

Well, now I'm teaching ESOL and what I'm concerned about is RSOL - Russian as a Second or Other Language - students. Every class has at least one of these. Sophia is one.

I've mentioned before that the foreign students are LOST. Confused, perplexed, bewildered, scared, sad, upset, lonely, you name it.

According to the local teachers, these kids understand them when they speak Russian.

Really? Sophia's wide-eyed, dumb-faced look seems to convey to others that she understands, but I know that she doesn't. Not only by her look (she doesn't even pretend to understand when she doesn't) but also because she tells me. Many kids aren't so open-faced as she, they try to look like they fit in. (Perhaps she does this, too, I'm not with her all the time.) No one wants to look like the fool. No one wants to stick out as the "other". So nodding your head when a grown-up is talking gibberish, really fast and without expression, sounds like a great idea to a kid.

How often these RSOL kids are stuck in a class that's going on in Kazakh or fast Russian, and they are expected to sit quietly and do nothing, or, worse, to understand! I would like my ESOL kids to understand, but I understand if they don't, and I am quickly learning how to make myself more understandable--gestures; slow, articulate speech; repeat, repeat, repeat!

Today during Etud (Study Period) they were reviewing Kazakh as usual. My Korean students--who are not in the class for the Kazakh lessons but rather are in Beginner's Russian--were sitting in the back, bored. My Korean girl must have said or done something--she is a quiet, timid girl, with a very soft voice. Whatever she did caused my Kazakh teacher to yell at her--not overly harshly, but enough to put this timid girl to tears. The Korean girl then put her head down and cried softly. What else could she do? She was sitting in a classroom, completely lost and confused, the lesson was in a language she did not understand, about a language she understood even less, and she was yelled at by the teacher.

I felt miserable for her.

From what I've seen and heard, the other RSOL kids are pretty much in the same predicament. The local teachers aren't mean, just clueless as to what it's like to not know the language. These kids can follow some basic commands, can say "da" and "nyet", and so they think they understand.

They do not.

We need RSOL sensitivity training, because this is supposed to be an international school! Even if it were just a local school, the teachers should be sensitive towards the needs of all the children, not just the locals!

Packages - Wednesday, 18 November 2009

So it cost my mom $53 a package, and so far only one out of three has arrived. I had finally decided just to give up and let it be a nice surprise when and if it arrived. So it was definitely a nice surprise when one finally arrived.

What do you want from America when you live in Kazakhstan? Well, I wish I had asked for my Christmas stuff earlier. Now it's too late. But books for the children was on my list (I had left about a hundred behind, and so she sent some). The crucifix I had forgotten. Magnets for the fridge (I have souvenir magnets from different places I've visited). And, best of all--Parmesan cheese, Mac and Cheese mix, Ritz Crackers and Rice Krispie treats for Sophia.

She finished the Parm. cheese in less than one week. She gobbled down pasta so hungrily as if she hadn't eaten in a year. The Rice Krispie treats lasted as many days as there were treats (about 8, I think) and the Ritz crackers are still here. They serve as her lunch.

I'm ready to be pleasantly surprised with the arrival of one of the other two packages!

(Update: The Ritz crackers are finished as of Wednesday, 9 December 2009.)

Monday, December 7, 2009

I am a rich American - Wednesday, 18 November 2009

First: Packages. Valerie's parents had mailed her a package when she was still in Uzbekistan, waiting for her letter of invitation. They wrote the school's strange-sounding address in English and took it to the local post office. The package arrived before she did.

So, I excitedly told my mom that same address and that using the post office works. Mom then mailed me one a package a week for three weeks.

I told her to stop after 3 weeks and no packages. (Valerie's had taken 10 days!) 4 weeks passed and no package. I learned from Valerie that around the time that I had arrived, her mother mailed her another package, and this one had yet to arrive. So that arrived-in-10-days was a fluke.

So now, on 18 November, a full 6 weeks since my mother mailed the first package, I was sitting in the teachers' lounge when an assistant handed a note to another assistant (who spoke better English) to give to me. It was a slip explaining that I had a package awaiting me in some place in Astana. Somehow the librarian had had the slip, and she had given it to the assistant. I was happy to learn that a package had made it Astana, I was unhappy to learn that it was who-knows-where and had to be picked up.

I went to see the secretary, who told me that the principal knew about it and that Valerie's had arrived too. He would make she we were driven to this place.

Good.

Then: The secretary came to see me. With her was a short middle-aged Kazakh man. He was carrying a box.

"This is your driver," she said; "he has your package."

So... Now the foreign teachers have a driver ("chauffeur", if you will) and he was sent to pick up the packages.

Most of our students have drivers, and all of us had been told during the interview process that we would be picked up by the school bus. Christie was content to walk, at least not when it was absolutely freezing (below minus 10) or extremely muddy or icy; I was content to walk, and was equally content to pay the bus fare (because Sophia was not content to walk). The Filipinos were not content to walk. It was freezing cold (the Philippines, of course, are even warmer than South Carolina). They also could not afford the bus far--60 Tenge, or 40 cents, each way. Valerie was not content to walk--it was too cold, plus she had been promised a driver.

So... I had never raised the issue. My previous school certainly had not provided transportation for its teachers! Of course, we were all local. But still. 40 cents per bus ride equals $3 tops a week. So much less than what I had been paying for gas. (Sophia rides free, although I suspect that if I admitted that she were 7, I might have to pay. Every now and then they ask me how old she is, when I answer, "Six" they nod and move on. I haven't answered "Seven" yet, and she knows that when she's on the bus, she's six.)

We have seen many colleagues riding the bus--even the vice principal. I can't see why we should be treated any more special than him. And no one's a local, everyone is new to Astana, if not Kazakhstan. (The v.p. is Turkish, so he's foreign too. He even has a story about being arrested for being outside without his passport! After a couple hours in jail he managed to bribe his way out.)

So I was surprised that we had a driver. Sophia, of course, was happy.

We then learned that he only has a small car and so we must work out whom he picks up when. The head English teacher, a Turkish guy, worked it out for us in the end--he would pick up the Filipinos first, at 8:15, and then come back and pick up Valerie, Christie, Sophia, and me at 8:30. He would pick Christie and me in front of our apartment (Christie is close) and Valerie in front of the pharmacy by her building. We got the later time because of Sophia--having a kid means it takes longer to get ready. I couldn't complain! Although there are 5 Filipinos in one apartment, with one bathroom, and so that means it takes them longer to get ready, too.

I later learned that the guys still had to walk; there wasn't room for them in the car.

The first day that he was to pick us up, I was in disbelief. At 8:10 am I was not yelling at Sophia to hurry up so we could catch the bus. I was saying, "Oh, we have time." This was great.

There still were kinks to work out. He couldn't pick up Valerie and Christie, Sophia, and me at the same time. And the short drive to Valerie's stop from our place requires a U-turn onto a street that is super-busy during rush hour, so it takes 5 minutes or longer. We finally worked out that I would text Valerie as soon as he picked us up.

One morning, I was pleased that Sophia and I were out early (this was before we had worked out to text Valerie, and I knew that I was the reason she had waited in the cold a couple days in a row, so I really wanted to be on time!) Christie had texted that she would be walking, and when the driver asked, "Ann?" I just assumed he had confused Christie with one of the Filipino teachers and said that no, she was not coming. She we headed off.

Then he received a phone call, which he passed onto me. It was Ann, still in her apartment with the other 2 Filipino teachers. They had been running late that morning! Oops! Their running late coincided with my running early. We worked out that, since we were near Valerie's stop and Valerie was early as usual, we would go to school first and then he would come back for the others. They ended up just-on-time, which really is late (by the time you get inside the school and put your things away).

The Filipinos had originally told him 8:10. One day they were "on time"--8-15--and we ended up being late. I think traffic gets worse the closer to 9:00 you get, and so those extra five minutes at the beginning really added up, and we were dropped off with only a few minutes before 9:00.

That Saturday we had to work, and when he dropped us off, we think we said, "Zavtra"--tomorrow. Well, Christie and I waited quite a while Saturday morning and he never showed up. She texted Eric--we didn't know that the boys weren't using the driver--who texted back that he was still inside the apartment. We assumed this meant that the driver hadn't come, and so we walked. Sophia was in a good mood and was willing to walk.

Goodness! We had gotten so used to having a driver that I hadn't put on my snow-boots. I was wearing nice heels and thin tights. Sure, I almost never wear those tights in South Carolina because it's too warm. But here I was freezing.

We arrived late, and I taught 1st period while still wearing my coat.

When I explained to my students (grade 5) why I was late, they could empathize. Another student said her driver had been late that day, also.

We later learned that the other teachers, in their extremely broken Russian, had managed to get the point across to the driver that they needed to be picked up on Saturday. We hadn't stressed, and so he hadn't come for us. Oh well.

It's nice to have a driver. And I'm sure he doesn't cost the school much. He likes us, and he's given us candy. But it really makes me feel set apart from the locals. I belong more to the class of the students than the class of my co-workers.

But it's really nice not to have to put on so many warm clothes in the morning! Being picked up from the front door is great!

Dance Update - Saturday, 28 November 2009

Sophia didn't go to dance the next day. Although I told the assistant in her class, the class celebrated a birthday. The assistant said they would go after. I was in a teacher's meeting, and when I came downstairs after it, I learned that Sophia had not gone to dance. She had no idea why. What fun it is to be in a school where you can't communicate. Sophia often has no idea what's going on. (And I wouldn't complain as much if this school didn't claim to be international and English-speaking.)

The next Monday she went to dance, and was so very happy afterwards. Wednesday also she went to dance. That Saturday we had school, so no dance. Friday, 27 November we went back to Artyom and I found a leotard for 1000 Tenge. I was quite proud of myself to be able to do that on my own. I knew to look in a sports store, and all I said was, "tanser" which is, I think, Russian for "dance" and the workers knew what I was asking for.

The black leotard they showed us not only fit Sophia perfectly and was identical in style to those of the other girls', but was also 1000 Tenge-- 1/3 of the price of the leotard in Eurasia. We also bought black dance shoes, to match the leotard. The secretary had thought that white shoes wouldn't match a black leotard, and I didn't want a white leotard, for fear it might end up being see-through.

Saturday morning, 28 November, we showed up for dance 10 minutes before 10, the time I had been told it would start. The dance room was locked, so we went to the teachers' lounge, where we found the dance instructor playing games on the computer. Around 10:15 she got off the computer and put on a game for Sophia. Then she left the room. I followed her and asked, "Kogda dance?" (When is dance?)

Oh, yes, she said, now, 10:00, and she waved Sophia on. I went with Sophia and the other girls--3 from my room who weren't with Sophia on the other two occasions that she had danced. Sophia's friend Irene was there too.

How strange. I am not sure about this system--is it just show up for a lesson if you so desire? Or are they grouped somehow?

However, Sophia is in dance, she does enjoy it, she has the proper attire, and so far, I haven't had to pay a dime (or Tenge).

Friday, December 4, 2009

Dance - Tuesday, 17 November 2009


Now that I had Internet, I finally got around to researching Sophia's rash and the medicine that had been given to her. On Saturday I googled "cold rash" and found a forum where parents were discussing rashes on their children that sounded pretty similar to Sophia's.


While it is perfectly true that someone can develop a rash in reaction to cold, dry weather, I was stunned to learn that it is also perfectly true that someone can be allergic to the cold. Not develop a rash that looks like an allergic reaction (what happens to me when I wear jewelry; I doubt I'm actually allergic to every piece of material that touches my skin; my skin is simply sensitive and easily irritated). But it is possible to have an allergic reaction to the cold--your body has a histamine reaction to the cold. Wow.


So I decided to try giving Sophia Benadryl every night. I still had a decent-sized supply of Children's Benadryl that I had brought with me from the US. For a short while, I had been giving it to her every night, but since I didn't think her rash was due to allergies, I had stopped. The rash had started before she had been exposed to anything in this environment--clothes, food, etc--other than the cold weather and water (which she doesn't drink, she only uses to brush her teeth in and take a shower, which she does rarely). So I had highly doubted that it was an allergy.


Her rash was getting worse--very red and spreading all over her body, even on her neck and starting to get on her face. I was applying lotion at least once daily, which she hated.


So I started, once again, to give her Benadryl nightly. I even stopped applying the lotion as much, not out of any experiment but because it was such a hassle. (And the rash is not due to the lotion, I got the lotion about 2 weeks after the rash had started.)


Remember how earlier I had thought that the rash was going away? During that period, I had been giving her the medicine prescribed by the school nurse and Benadryl. I had stopped giving her those medicines.


To my surprise, her rash has been improving! While she still itches, it is not terrible and you can barely see a rash on her body.


I checked the medicine that the nurse had prescribed--it appears to be a Russian form of Zyrtec. Of course, had I known that earlier, I probably wouldn't have given it to her, as I highly doubted it was an allergic reaction. And I was a bit angry that I hadn't been informed as to what it was--I had been double-dosing her on allergy medicine without knowing it.


So my daughter's rash is due to an allergy. I'm still skeptical of the allergic-to-cold theory, although it is definitely the best. And, of course I have to laugh. What kind of a mother am I? My daughter is allergic to the cold, and I bring her to one of the coldest places on Earth!


I checked the other medicine that the nurse had prescribed, the black tablets that dissolved in water and Sophia hated. I had assumed they were some kind of vitamin. Wrong. They are "activated coal"! Used to purify gold, treat sewage, treat poisoning in people, and in some folk remedies for irritable bowel. Really? Well, I don't feel too bad now that Sophia didn't take that much.


So I double-dosed my child on allergy medicine (for a while), gave her coal that is used to treat sewage, and took her to one of the coldest places in the world when she might have an allergy to cold. Wonder what I'll do next?

(Update: We have completely stopped using the lotion. Her rash is almost non-existent. She takes Children's Benadryl nightly and I take the Russian Zyrtec for my allergies.)

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Ouch! Monday, 16 November 2009

Our projectors our nice, and today I was backing up to point to something that was being projected. Backing up near a desk is never a good idea, and today I tripped over the edge of the desk. (Actually, the edge of the mini-cabinet; none of the desks have drawers, and so they are all next to cabinets that serve as the desks' drawers.)


I banged my foot pretty badly and I went sprawling backwards. The children gaped at me. Normally, in a situation like this, I try to make a joke of it--lecture the desk for hitting me--basically try to save face, move class forward as quickly as possible, and show the children how to react positively when you make a fool of yourself in front of others. But I was stuck wondering how on earth I could do this with students who don't understand me?


Luckily, my brain worked fast, and as I staggered up, I realized how I could express myself in a way they could understand. I had just introduced a new method of discipline--four simple rules and a chart of student names that I keep on a clipboard (similar to what I've done in previous years!) If they break a rule, they get a "mark" (like a tally mark) next to their name. Each mark equals one minute that they must stay at their desk, with their head down, during the 10-minute break.


So I looked at the desk, explained that it had broken Rule #4 --Hands and feet to yourself--and gave it a mark on my clipboard. The students laughed, and that eased the tension and allowed me to move on in the lesson. My foot smarted, but I was laughing too.