Monday, April 24, 2017

New to me...

Today at work, I actually feel as if I've completed my first constructive task. It was a small task of visually inspecting a boom arm that places concrete in a desired area. It wasn't difficult or intensive, but it was SOMETHING. Works been soooo boring otherwise. I am challenged daily to not fall asleep. Even the little video game I play on my phone isn't entertaining because I play so much. I've started putting more time into practicing Russian at work. So at least I'm not just staring at a wall, or walking around the job site with no direction. Also, recently I've been planning this trip to Spain, so that takes up a bit of time also, and gives me a future vacation to work towards. But even with all that, I've got free time coming out my ears, which is ironic because outside of work I have no free time! Fuckin way she goes...

Yesterday was pretty eventful for me. I went to lunch at a really great place called 'The Chef', a brand new restaurant that has it's own farm from which it sources the menu ingredients. It was really great. Afterwords I met with my new friend Elena, a masters student and English teacher here in Astana. We went to a nice cafe in a small library, Eagilik Books & Coffee, that has English printed books and had some delicious coffee and cake. After relaxing and talking in the cafe for a while, we went to meetup with a few of her English students. I participated as a guest in their speaking club, asking questions of the students, soliciting responses in English as a way for them to practice conversational English. Mostly we talked about travel, life in Astana, societal norms and behaviors, and just generally anything that came to mind. Luckily US politics, or any for that matter, never really came, as I am totally indifferent to these types of conversations. I find them to be mostly unproductive exertions of energy.

So that was a new experience for me, and something I was nervous about, but it went swimmingly. We went and met Elena's classmate/friend for pizza afterwards, and eventually ended the night afterwards. What a full day! I was beat.

I'm really excited about Spain! I'm hoping my friends Emily and Jordan are gonna join my sister and I for the trip in Spain. It's gonna be awesome! I've found out that when we're going to San Sebastian there's an annual jazz festival happening with concerts on the beach. I wish I could bring everyone I know with me. Well, gonna get back to work, or uhhhh whatever.

-Till next time.
What I tend to eat on Saturday or Sunday during the evening. I found some good salami and cheeses. Also found a horse salami that I've yet to try.

Beer and Beef. Had a pretty good burger, good drink selections, and some live music. Definietely WAY CLASSIER than most places. I was out of place with my T-shirt and jeans. Won't be going back.

So on my way to lunch at The Chef, this was a surprising scene of military trucks and tanks. A little bit up the road there was a large march of soldiers up and down the street. It was some type of preparations for the upcoming Victory day, celebrating the fall of the Nazi's.

Accidentally walked by the US embassy. A nice sight to see my home country's flag.

A swanky butcher shop, that was closed. I'll have to go back and check it out.

A nice gift from Marina, the headmistress of BrainPower, the school where Elena teaches and I met with the English students. It's a little ceramic Kazakh Yurt.

The cake in the office the day after Easter Sunday, with dyed quail eggs.

Sitting with the speaking club at the BrainPower school. You can see it was a mixed group of old and young alike.

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