Kazakhstan - Entry # 8 - Children's Day

May 10, 1999

Greetings to all our friends. It has been a very long time since I have written, but our lives have gotten so much busier. As Lydia recently observed, "It no longer seems strange to be in Kazakhstan!"

Every year here they have a huge celebration of Children's Day, which started in Turkey, in 1920. Several thousand children gather at the Palace of the Republic to demonstrate national costumes and dances. Both of our girls were included in a group of 12 children to represent the Almaty International School. For reasons that were unclear to us, the group wore costumes from the American West, cowboy hats and western gear, and performed a type of square dance routine. I was given an invitation to the event and a map to the palace, which is the size of a civic center, with a special gate marked VIP on it.

When I arrived, I realized for the first time the power and status of the special embassy plates we have on our van. I was allowed to park the car along the side of the road where others were not. I realized this later when I noticed the police slowly cruising down the row of cars and using the loud speaker to call drivers to come and move the cars. I couldn't understand the words, but I noticed that people would go and move the cars. I walked over to the cars, but realized that all with the embassy plates were not being moved. Meanwhile, the children were marching up the parade grounds in their groups with wreaths of flowers and national flags to enter the stadium like the opening of the Olympic Games. Rose was carrying the wreath in their group and I tried to get a photo but didn't get a good one. As I rushed to get in position to take the photo, I was taking the camera out of my belt bag and security officers rushed towards me until they realized it was only a camera. I had scared them and their reaction scared me and I failed to get a good picture.

Finally the large crowd of spectators started to move towards the building. As I got closer, I realized that the large group of people was only being allowed to go through a gate the size of two people. This was for security reasons, I guess. As I got closer to the gate, I wondered if I would need to show my invitation. I had my hand on it in my jacket pocket. But I quickly realized that I was squeezed so tight by the crowd that I could not get my hand out of my pocket. Without incident, I was moved/pushed through the gate and then free again on the other side. We traveled as a group towards an inner gate. As I approached that gate, I realized that the guards were yelling at most of the people, again in a language that I couldn't understand. When the guards saw the invitation in my hand, they reached through the gate and the crowd and pulled me by the shoulders into the building. Once inside, women who gave me a small flag of Turkey greeted me. I followed the crowd up stairs and into a very large auditorium. I moved to the front to take a photo of the decorated stage, which had very large banners on it. Soon I came to a roped-off area and a young man in a tux stopping every one and sending them back, saying over and over, Protocol! Protocol! I got the message and sat down in an unmarked section and took some pictures. Soon, however, large groups of people came and sat near me and waved small tickets at me. It was clear to me that I was in their seats and I wondered where I was to have gotten a ticket. I took out my invitation and approached the guy in the tux to see if he could point me towards the tickets. With a huge smile, he escorted me to the "protocol" section and I finally understood.

In the huge banners on the stage, a male child wearing a Native American costume represented the Western cultures. The different children's groups were organized by what we call culture centers. My favorite dancers were the ones dressed in Russian/Kozak soldier uniforms. Others were Korean, Indian, Turkish, and Oriental. The walls were hung with flags from Turkey and Kazakhstan. My girls were backstage with a group of very young children who could not speak English, but came forward and very carefully recited for them the nursery rhyme, "Jack and Jill" in perfectly articulated English. The show was wonderful, opening with hundreds of children on stage leading the audience in the Kazakhstan national anthem, then two hours of various dance groups in different national costumes dancing to their own national music. At the end, each group was called forward and given a huge boxed gift. Later we found out that each child received a backpack with the logo and date of this year's National Children's Day celebration. Rose is using hers for a school backpack. It was a wonderful event to introduce us to the variety of cultures that live here and I am so grateful that the girls somehow got to be involved in something so enjoyable and educational.

A few days later, we hosted a going-away party for Ted's boss, who was transferred to Armenia. Sixty to seventy people were invited. Three cooks came to cater the food. It was all a little overwhelming, but fun. Two buses brought people from the embassy downtown, so twenty-five people arrived at once, filling the house so completely that I couldn't easily walk through it any more. But people kept coming and somehow all fit in. After wonderful food and many gag gifts, music was put on and the dancing began. A good evening, but too many people to meet and visit with for me.

A week later, we used the same party decorations and had two more parties, one for Rose's 10th birthday, and one for Ted's rotating dinner-and-poker-playing friends. For Rose's birthday, we served potato salad and deviled eggs, because those were foods that she was missing from the United States. As I looked around at the 12 girls at the party, I realized that not one was from the United States. It was a good party with Lydia and another older sister in charge of the party games. It was interesting to meet parents who do not share a common language, but to realize how well the children can communicate.

Another exciting event was the arrival of our shipment after three months on the road. It was like Christmas magnified 50 times. Everything to be unwrapped, appreciated, and then to decide where to put it. Then of course, a mountain of wrapping paper, which was hauled away in a truck. When we leave this country, they will bring the wrapping materials back and we will have to pack it again. We have had the shipment for a week now, and we are still unpacking boxes, hanging pictures on the wall, and assembling shelves. It does make our house seem more like a home where we live. My quilt is hanging on the wall like it did in West Virginia and the mantle clock Ted made for me is chiming above the fireplace. Ted has his grill in the back yard and we have had friends over for grilled meat and a keg of beer. Ted still hasn't had an opportunity to start his home brew as of yet, and he has to go out of the country this week, so it may take a bit longer to get a batch fermenting.

I am turning over some soil for a small garden, a little each day. People here have brought me small parts of plants, which I am rooting and planting in pots for houseplants. One family brought mums to plant outside for blooming in the fall.

Two weeks ago, we got a small kitten from Ted's Russian teacher. It has been years since we have had a cat and this tabby, Bernie, is very loved and cared for. Ted is still allergic to cats, but this was his decision and he is coping with it. It has taken us all a bit to get used to a small fur ball flying out of nowhere and tripping us in an attempt to tackle our shoelaces, but it is sweet when she curls up and falls asleep purring on our laps.

We acquired our first woven woolen rug. Ted bought it in Kergystan on a business trip. It is about 50 years old, but in very good shape. We put it in the entryway and it adds a lot of beautiful color to the living room.

Well, let me hear from you. I miss you all. I will get Ted to change the pictures on the web site before he leaves town this week. Happy Mothers Day to my mother and all of you who are mothers!! Mothers Day started in West Virginia, so is unheard of here. But we celebrated it here in this house. It must seem that all we do is celebrate. It is a good life!

Brecken