Burabay

This weekend the school administration invited the international teacher team, their local team teachers, and the families of the international teaching team (in that order) to an all-expense-paid weekend excursion to a resort town in Kazakhstan called Burabay. None of us knew quite what to expect after being told it was a "resort for children" and being required to sign a poorly translated fire safety code that heeded us not to "dry clothes racks in window halls" and told us to store our explosive materials in "designated areas at nighttime". Just another example of the problem we run into all the time here, bureaucracy misrepresenting and confusing an issue mostly by means of poorly translated documents conveying the menial information and the important stuff never being mentioned. This weekend has turned out to be the most enjoyable time I have had yet in Kazakhstan and has given me so much more than a chance to bond with my team teachers, it made me feel at home. This could be because of the birch and pine trees everywhere in this area, the mountain air (which we were informed is a product of the tree spines putting off some substance that mixes with the air and is good for your health. I think they mean oxygen, but I'm not sure), the good company, a chance to do something other than school, and some outdoor physical activity.

There is nothing like a slight sunburn to cure stress. Team building to the Kazakhs is not much to do with discussions and silly games, the only time we did that was when the Canadian took over. Instead team building is having fun. Team building is not working with your colleagues. Possibly the most fun we've had up here has been at the "disco" dance parties we've had each night here. The resort has some funky lights and big speakers which they have pulled out each night and pumped a range of songs from techno to Shakira to the Macarena to a strange techno mix of "Hit the Road, Jack" which they play several times each night. In America we have interesting inhibitions when it comes to dancing. We don't really do it unless we have set out to do it. But in Kazakhstan it seems to simply be an after dinner activity. LIke Karaoke in the Philippines or dessert in America. Watching someone get their groove on is insightful. Somehow seeing a woman you've only seen the the classroom setting all of the sudden be pushed into the middle of a circle and begin to shake her head, hair flying, fists tight, feet sliding back and forth, you begin to appreciate that woman as a person, not just some person you work with.

For me this weekend was a gesture of appreciation and it feels so good to be appreciated. The school recognizes that we are far away from home in a new place and often stressful situations and they have reached out to us to say, "our home is your home," to say, " you are wanted here."