Today, we took one last stroll through the neighborhood, visited a beautiful gallery, trekked to a well-renowned artist’s shop, and explored a supermarket. Suffice it to say, on this last day, we helped contribute to Kazakhstan’s economy. We also stopped in at the US Consul’s Space Maker for a Q & A with a US diplomat. The discussion lasted much longer than expected. The diplomat was very generous with his time, addressed many complex and challenging questions, and was forthright about representing the US. We closed the evening with a time of reflection, acknowledging how our group members made this travel program so fun for each other and highlighted key themes from the two weeks. It is now 2:20 am, and we are packing up for the airport. We cannot believe that this adventure in Almaty has ended, but the memories, the lessons, the conversations, the discoveries, and the pushing of our comfort zones have certainly made this travel program a truly transformative experience. We thank Ms. Bocquin for conceiving of and organizing this travel program, family members for their support of our participation in this unique travel opportunity, and for Poly’s administration for supporting such special learning experiences.
Today, we woke up to a majestic sight: every corner of the block was covered with fresh powdery snow, which only magnified our excitement for the day ahead. We started our adventure with a trip to a Kazakh grocery store, called a “Magazine”. There, we were astounded by the variety of snack options that the shop offered. We bought several exotic chip flavors such as lobster, kebab, and cucumber flavored Lays. Next, we took a 40-minute bus ride to the outskirts of Almaty to visit a village. Once we arrived, we instantly noticed the improved air quality and cozy vibe of the village compared to the city. We took a quick stroll to the house and were immediately greeted by several of the dogs living there. We learned about the international school program and the intriguing backgrounds of the various teachers and planned what games we were going to play with the Kazakh children who were going to visit later. Once the children arrived, we split into three groups by age and pl...
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