Day 1: games and engagements in a nearby village

Cori, Rebecca and "A" in the "backyard"

After 30 long hours of travel, we woke up and had breakfast at the hotel. We had an assortment of fruits, breads, juices, and rice. Soon after breakfast we hopped on a van and challenged ourselves by sitting next to people in our group we didn't really know yet. Despite this, we had great conversations about Poly life, sports, Kazakhstan, math, food, and the gym. Finally, we arrived at the house we spent the next 7 hours.

There, we met the owners of the house in the village. The husband served us great home cooked meals and talked about his experience shopping in Kazakhstan and finding different kinds of meats, cheeses, and other ingredients that not many people know how to find. While we ate, the wife talked to us a little bit about the Kazakh children we were about to meet. We learned that most children in the village only attend school up to Grade 9, and although they may continue until grade 11, most are requested by their teachers to stop attending due to limited room and resources. Additionally, not many schools in villages have the same resources that city schools have including english lessons, so we were excited to help some kids practice their english skills.

After lunch we went outside and met with about 40 kids from the surrounding neighborhood to play games. Sanjay, Nick, and Justin led and explained Sharks and Minnows, and we all took turns being sharks and counting down, "3-2-1...start" in Russian and Kazakh. Edith and Rebecca led Red Light Green Light, and then we all played an extreme game of freeze tag. After that, we all split off to play soccer and volleyball with the older kids and Duck Duck Goose with the younger kids. We managed to achieve this with help from two girls who translated the instructions of the games into Kazakh and Russian, and helped us learn a few key phrases. 

Next, we had a quick snack and went off on a walk with the homeowners' dogs, and most of the kids that had joined us for the games. We explored the acres behind their house, aka "the backyard" and walked alongside a river looking at the snow, stray dogs, trees, and horses that adorned the landscape. As we walked, Cori and Rebecca got to spend time with one of the girls who had helped us translate and we talked about our education, families, futures, and her culture in Kazakhstan. Additionally, a couple of students in our group talked to the second girl about American pop culture and discovered that many people in Kazakhstan are well versed in American culture and enjoy many of the same musical artists.

Once we returned to the house, we rehearsed for our musical performance tomorrow at a festival. After that, we had dinner which consisted of the homeowner's famous ribs, rice, potatoes, and amazing broccoli salad. Finally, we played a chaotic game of UNO with the two girls and some local boys. Although there was some questioning about what language "UNO" should be called in, someone said "UNO is UNO," and all was settled.

Homemade BBQ ribs

Ava walks along the "backyard" stream

Our group meandering the "backyard"

Lunch time

our new Kazakh friends

Our dear Kazakh friends

In the "backyard"

A river runs through it

Sharks and Minnows- too much fun

We arrived at the hotel at 8 pm and had a quick debrief about our day. Some notable highlights were the way we were all able to cheer each other on during games despite language barriers, and getting to create new bonds with the girls. It was a really meaningful experience to see that wealth is not just about material wealth as we often see in America. Wealth comes in other forms like rich and new experiences, taking risks, and creating meaningful connections. 

We had an amazing day and we're excited to see what else Kazakhstan has in store for us these next two weeks. Rebecca and Cori signing off for the night. Good Night (or morning if you're 13 hours behind in LA).