Funny Sign

Here's a sign I saw in the Frankfurt airport.

How do you interpret this???

Extra-Curricular Activities

Here's a dance class for college students that we
stumbled into while walking around Almaty.
They were teaching how to do the waltz in one of
the city's major parks.

Here's a question from one of my students:

• Do they have afternoon programs like we do?

One thing I discovered was that many children that I talked to in Almaty and in Ust-Kamenogorsk participate in after-school programs. Some of these are done at school, some are done elsewhere (at a dance studio, recreation center, or a specialty school. Some of these are free for students, but some have a fee. I spoke with some teachers who voluntarily run clubs or activities for their students, just like we do here. Here are some of the after-school activities that either students or parents told me about:

• Drama club
• Martial arts (I spoke with kids who did karate and tae kwon do)
• Sports teams
• Horse-riding
• English class
• After-school art class
• Music lessons
• Dance class

Overall, my impression was that these programs are important to families here. Several parents told me that they were willing to make sacrifices in order to send their children to after-school art, music, dance, or other classes.

Questions about School Lunch

Here's the lunch counter at Gymnasium #10.
See the fresh baked goods on the shelf?!!

Cafeteria Food

• About the cafeteria food, do they eat the same thing everyday or do they have choices? 
• What type of food are the students served at lunch? 

They have delicious food here for lunch! It is freshly cooked each morning, and there was very little or no pre-cooked, frozen, or processed food served here.
Here are some things I ate in the cafeteria during the week I was here:

• Main courses were often noodles or rice with vegetables and beef or chicken with sauce. Sometimes they also had meat-filled pastries. 
• There was always soup available too—vegetable soup or soup with some meat. 
• They had lots of freshly baked bread, rolls, buns, and other kinds of pastries. 
• A variety of salads were available each day—these were always quite different from our typical green garden salad.  They usually had some combination of carrots, onions, cabbage, and beets with a creamy sauce. 
• Hot tea 
• Fruit juice 

Lunch is served very differently here. There is not a scheduled time for lunch like we have. Students come to the cafeteria on their own or with a few friends during one of their 15 minute breaks. They choose what they want from the menu and pay with cash.

Freshly baked bread was always available for lunch.

Dealing with Allergies

• How do they deal with allergies when serving food? 

Students who have allergies will avoid foods that bother them. The cooks will tell students what is in each item if they ask.

Ceramic Dishes and Silverware

• Do they use washable plates, bowls, silverware, or cups? 

Yes, they do. They use many, many fewer disposable things across the whole country than we do, and therefore they create much less trash than us. At the cafeteria students use ceramic plates, cups, and bowls, glasses, and regular steel utensils. 

This is the lunch crew at Gymnasium #10.
They are so nice--and great cooks!!

Meat

• When they get their lunches is there horse meat in them, or do younger children and students not eat that? 

Horse meat is a regular thing here; they think of it just like we think of cow, pig, lamb, or chicken meat. Young and old people eat it just the same. I do not know if it was in one of the many different dishes I ate for lunch; it might have been because they nearly always contained meat.

Fancy Cafeteria

• The school’s cafeteria looks like a 4 star restaurant. Are you sure the schools aren’t fancy? 
• The school looks pretty fancy with the awesome cafeteria. 

Are you talking about the cafeteria in the Altynsarin School? It was very fancy, with tablecloths and and decorations. This is not typical of schools here though.

Cafeteria at the Altynsarin School in Almaty.  Even though
this is a public school, families are "asked" to pay extra
money for their children to attend.  I was told that this
is common for the best schools here.

More Student Questions about Kazakhstan

About Kazakhstan

• If you were to live in Kazakhstan, what would you do and why?

If I lived in Kazakhstan, I would love to teach at Gymnasium #10. I really liked the faculty and students there, and I also liked the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk a lot.

Here's a view of one of Ust-Kamenogorsk's two rivers,
the Ulba and the Irtysh.  This is the Ulba.

• It seems like a highly populated place.

I visited two large cities in Kazakhstan, but the country as a whole has a very small population for its size. Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country in the world in land area, and its population is the 60th largest. Most of the land in the country is dry steppe (treeless grassland), which is not good for agriculture. Consequently large parts of the country were never settled. To make a comparison, Kazakhstan is larger than all of the United States east of the Mississippi River. The combined population of these states today is around 179 million people, whereas the population of Kazakhstan is just under 17 million.

• How are you doing there? Is it fine, cool, or awesome? 

It has been awesome! I have met so many nice people and had wonderful experiences. I feel like I have made friendships in Kazakhstan that will last a lifetime.

• Are their restaurants fancy, and is their money similar to our money? 

Just like here, some of the restaurants are fancy and some are not. I ate in some of these fancy and formal restaurants, but also ate from carry-out kebab shops and food stalls at the market.

Here's a menu at one restaurant where I ate.

Their currency is called the Tenge, and 150 tenge = one dollar. Here is what their money looks like.

Tenge bills: 10,000, 5000, 1000, 500 & 200

Tenge coins: 100 (front and back), 50, 20, 10, 5, 1

 
• Why was education a priority when they became independent? (from Jordan) 

This is a great question, Jordan. I am going to throw it back to all of you students—why do you think education was a priority for the newly-created nation? After I hear from a few of you I’ll share what I think too.

Suggestion for Mr. Dent

• You should have brought me. 

I really wish I could have! You would have loved meeting these students and experienced another culture. How are your Russian or Kazakh language skills????

Hotels

• When you arrived at 2:00 in the morning were you tired or sleepy, or did you sleep on the plane? How is the hotel? Is it comfy? Do they have good service? 

I was very tired! I did sleep on the plane some, fortunately. Both hotels I stayed in (one in Almaty and the other in Ust-Kamenogorsk) were very clean and comfortable, and the staff in each were very nice and helpful. We have houses here in the USA but in your writing you said there are a lot of apartments. I was wondering, do they also have houses?

Here is a neighborhood of houses in Almaty.

Here are some more houses in Almaty.

Time Difference

• Is there a time difference in Kazakhstan?

Kazakhstan has two time zones, and I was in the Eastern Time Zone which is 10 hours ahead of our time in Charlottesville.  In other words, when you are in school in Charlottesville, they are probably home in bed!

How Loud is Kazakhstan?

• Kazakhstan seems like a very nice and calm place. How loud is Kazakhstan? 

The parts of Kazakhstan that I visited were no louder or calmer than Charlottesville.  The marketplace was loud . . . the parks were quiet . . . the countryside sounded like bird songs and the wind blowing . . . the city sounded like cars driving and people talking.

I loved the way they displayed their goods in the market.

Your Questions about Schools in Kazakhstan

Feeling Welcomed

• In the schools, did the teachers and students invite you and make you feel welcome? 
• Did they know you were coming because of the singing and dancing and Snow White play? 

Yes, they had prepared for us. At all of the schools I visited, guests were treated extremely well and shown the highlights of the school—student performances, school awards, teacher awards, and tours of the school. The two visits of Almaty schools were very formal and had been very carefully planned. April’s and my arrival in Gymnasium Number 10 was also a very special event. They welcomed us with a traditional Russian tradition of giving bread and salt and a Kazakh tradition of showering us with sweets. We felt like such honored guests!!

Subjects

• Do all the schools in Kazakhstan have so many subjects? 
• Do they have any other lessons there that we might not have regularly? 

All of the schools here teach that my colleagues and I visited teach at least three languages—Russian, Kazakh, and English. Some of them—like Gymnasium #10 and Altynsarin School #159—start teaching more languages in elementary school, such as German or Spanish. Others are specialty science/math schools and teach extra classes in the sciences. All of them teach physical education, art, music, history, and science. Many of the schools we saw also have a class called “self-actualization,” which was described as a class on personal psychology/well-being/inter-personal skills. I would like to learn more about this one.

My Favorite School

• Which school do you like the most? 

I like Gymnasium #10 in Ust-Kamenogorsk the most, because I have so many friends there now!

Altynsarin School's Awards

• What are some examples of national awards that Altynsarin School #159 earned? 

These are some of the awards that the school and its teachers have won:

• Best school in Kazakhstan (2001) 
• Best school in Kazakhstan run by a woman (2004) 
• Best school library in Almaty (2005) 
• “Teacher of the World” of Innovative Technologies 
• many other faculty awards have been won by teachers, but I don’t remember their specifics.

Swimming Pools

• Do they have pools or other swimming areas there? 

They have numerous recreation centers with pools. I spoke with several students who said they go swimming there regularly.

Performances

• Are there a lot of performances there, or is it like a talent show? (from Hiro) 
• Do they have performances often? 

Gymnasium #10 had a lot of performances while we were there. One was a concert celebrating the 35th anniversary of the school. Kids did some incredible singing and dancing performances. Another day there was a primary school show, and then there was a big celebration of the school’s 10 years as a foreign language specialty school. It’s hard for me to know what they ordinarily to when guests are not here. Also, we have a lot of performances at Jouett, but they are in the evenings; for example: band concerts, plays, orchestra concerts, and chorus concerts in the winter and spring. I think Gymnasium #10 also has a talent show like we do later in spring.

Textbooks

• What do the parents do if they can’t afford textbooks? (Kellen) 

Schools support students who can not afford textbooks. They will give them textbooks.

School Day

• At what time do the students get out of school? 

In many schools in Kazakhstan, it is not uncommon to have students coming and going at different times or coming in shifts. For some come at 8:30 and leave at 2:30, and others might come at 11 and leave at 4 or 5. In one of the schools I visited in Almaty, the primary school students went to school either from 8:30-1:00 or 1:00 to 5:00.

Overall Comparison

• How are the schools compared to the schools here? 

Hopefully all of the answers to these questions and others will help you get an impression of how their schools compare to ours!

• What else will they change besides schools? 

I'm not sure what you meant by this question.  Could you explain what you're asking about?

What books are popular for teens in Kazakhstan?

Students from Gymansium #10,
My student, Simeon, asked a good question which you can answer better than I can. He wants to know what books you like to read. Add a comment below if you would like to answer him.

Here's one that I saw in a bookstore in Almaty today:

Jouett students--does this look familiar????

Yes, Ray and Marcus, they do wear Jordans in Kazakhstan . . .

Here's an advertisement for an
Air Jordan store in Almaty. All they
sold were Air Jordan sneakers, and
it looked like they had a hundred
different varieties.

. . . but not very often. I walked by an Air Jordan store in a very fancy shopping district in Almaty today. They cost even more here than they do in the U.S.! That's probably why I haven't seen anyone actually wearing them.

On recess, playgrounds, and sports

Recess/Break

• Do the children get break, recess, or free time?
• Do students have a break like us too?
• What are some of the favorite and most common sports that the kids play at recess?

Students do not have recess like we do. They have breaks between classes that are between 10 and 15 minutes, and they are free to go outside and play at this time. I did not see them playing sports during this time, but mostly running around and playing with each other or just hanging out. It might be different in later spring when the weather is more predictably warm.

Playgrounds

• Do they have a playground at school, because I know we don’t?
• Do they have playgrounds in Kazakhstan?

Gymnasium #10 does not have a playground, and I think that most schools also do not. They had a large field which was shared by them and another school. However, there are many, many playgrounds here! I saw a small community playground in nearly every square between 4 or so apartment blocks. They are small; here is one example:

Sports

• What sorts of sports do they do other than swimming?

I surveyed one class, and they did the following sports and activities in addition to swimming:

• soccer
• hockey
• basketball
• tennis
• karate
• gymnastics
• horse riding
• volleyball
• track and field
• dance
• chess

On students in Ust-Kamenogorsk

Here are some of the questions you have asked about students in Ust-Kamenogorsk.  I have grouped them because some questions are the same or similar.

Free Time

• What do the students do after school, and what do they do in their free time?
• Where do the kids hang out after school? What do the kids do for fun after school?

Here is what the kids told me:

• go to a friend's house to play
• ride bikes
• play sports, like soccer, tennis, hockey, volleyball, or basketball
• go swimming at a recreation center
• play on the computer (online multiplayer games are popular here like they are at home)
• hang out with friends
• take a class like karate, music, foreign language class, computer class, dance, or something else
• read, draw, write, or do some other things on their own
• play outside
• help their parents around the house

Playing in the street

• Is it normal for kids to play in the middle of the street?/Why are kids hanging out in the middle of the road?

No, this is definitely not done!  In the photo I previously posted, it might like the kids are sitting on their bikes on the street, but they are actually in a section of the street that is like a median where cars do not drive.  It is between the two opposite lanes of the street.  

Dances

• Do they have dances and prom in Kazakhstan?

I don’t think so, but I still have to check on this.

Rules

• Do students ever get to do what the grown-ups get to do, and do they have the same rules as us? (from Destiny)

Destiny, what kinds of things are you wondering about? They have basically the same rules as you—respect each other and obey teachers and other adults, come to class on time, etc.  They might have a few different rules here and there but they are minor. 

Dress

• How do students dress compared to us? (Keshon)

Students wear a uniform in every public school in Kazakhstan. At Gymnasium #10, elementary students wear one uniform and middle and high school students wear a slightly different one.  After school, students dress pretty much like kids in Charlottesville. 

I don't know this young man, but I asked if I could take his
photo, because I have seen people wearing this same
sweatshirt in Charlottesville!  Doesn't he look like he
would fit right in?

Comfort around Students

• How do you feel around the students?  Did you feel like you fit in with the children? (from Min Su)

Min Su, the students here are so welcoming and very fun to be around.  They were always coming up to me and practicing their English.  They would ask me to take a picture with them or ask for my autograph.  I felt like a real celebrity.  The students here remind me of Jack Jouett students.  If they were not wearing uniforms I might forget that I was not back home!

Students had done some beautiful artwork to welcome us.

Now I will answer all of your questions!

Jack Jouett Students,
You have asked so many great questions!  I have grouped them by theme and will answer them in different posts for each theme or topic.

April and I left Ust-Kamenogorsk today and are now back in Almaty. It was very sad to leave the students and teachers of Gymnasium #10. I was only there for one week but felt like a beloved member of the school.

Response to Mr. Kishore's Students' Questions

Xinran, Saqib, Jacob, Nathan, Ryan, Tairon, David, Alec, Sam, Tillar, Tannya, Tammy, Tyler, Diana, Mr. Kishore, and other students,

Great Questions!  I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond; I have been busy learning so much here!   First I want to let you know that I have shared the things you want them to know.  Xinran and Saqib--they were very interested to hear that so many people move to the U.S. from countries around the world.  Students and teachers I talked to were surprised by how many different countries are represented in Jack Jouett school itself.  Mike and Akmal did a wonderful interview in Russian which talked about Jack Jouett, and the students were so pleased to hear Russian-speaking students at our school. Mike and Akmal--they loved this video! 

Also, Jacob--I shared what you said about Americans eating a lot of processed foods (and that fast food is very popular too).  They had thought that was the case based on what they have read and heard about the U.S.  Everything I have eaten here is very fresh and natural/home-cooked.  I also told them that there are many Americans (like my family) who eat mostly fresh foods and not much processed food. 

Here are the answers to your questions:

1. When does school start and end? How many days a week do you go to school? – Nathan, Ryan, and Tairon, 8th grade; David, 6th grade

• School starts at 8:30 and goes until about 2:30.  There are more students than classroom space at Gymnasium #10 (and the other schools I have visited here), so some students come later and stay later.  On Monday students come in earlier (8:00) for an assembly in which students are recognized for special achievements--academic, sport, and other types.

2. What do kids do in their free time? – Alec, 6th grade and Sam, 8th grade

• I have asked many students this questions.  Here are some of the things they have told me:
• go to a friend's house to play
• ride bikes
• play sports, like soccer, tennis, hockey, volleyball, or basketball
• go swimming at a recreation center
• play on the computer (online multiplayer games are popular here like they are at home)
• hang out with friends
• take a class like karate, music, foreign language class, computer class, dance, or something else
• read, draw, write, or do some other things on their own
• play outside
• help their parents around the house
• Do these sound like similar things that you do?

3. Do people have a lot of portable electronic devices? – Tillar, Tannya and Tammy, 6th grade

•  I have seen a lot of students with cell phones, and a few with tablet-type devices. They are not allowed to use the cell phones in class, but they use them in the hallways during breaks sometimes.

4. What holidays do you celebrate? – Tyler, 8th grade

• Nauryz is a big holiday here.  It takes place on the Spring Equinox, and it celebrates the end of winter and coming of spring (kind of like a new year beginning).
• New Year's Day is also celebrated very widely.
• Independence Day is celebrated in October.  It celebrates Kazakhstan's independence in 1991, and it also commemorates a famous student protest against the Soviet Union in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 1986.  Many students participated in this protest and some were killed by Soviet soldiers.
• Some people have told me that they celebrate International Women's Day on March 8th here.
• May 9th is an important holiday.  It is the date of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, which is known as The Great Patriotic War here.  The Soviet Union, including Kazakhstan, suffered tremendously during this war.
• July 6th is Astana Day.  This is a celebration of the birthday of Kazakhstan's new capital city, Astana.  It is also President Nursultan Nazarbeyev's birthday.
• Some people here celebrate Christmas, which they celebrate in January according to the Russian Orthodox calendar.

5. Do they study the Quran in school? – Saqib, 8th grade

• No, as far as I know they do not study the Quran. Public schools are secular (non-religious), like they are in the U.S. They do learn about religions in school though--this is a survey of various faiths in the nation and around the world.

6. What sort of patriotic stuff do you have to do in school? – Diana, 8th grade

• What I have seen in Gymnaisum #10 is that they sing the national anthem during their Monday assembly.  They do not have a daily pledge like we do in the U.S.  They have a school anthem written by a former administrator which is sung at celebrations and events.  

Arrival in Ust-Kamenogorsk

On Thursday April and I came to Ust-Kamenogorsk. Galina and Natalya, two English teachers from Gymnasium #10 (a gymnasium is a humanities-focused school here) met us at the airport, and two more English teachers, Elena and Anastassiya, gave us an orientation to the city. It is exciting to be in a new and smaller town and be able to explore a little more on our own. The city has about 300,000 people but feels quite small and intimate.  Around the city there are many, many factories and tall chimneys belching out smoke. Many people here talk about how poor the air quality is due to all of this industry. Here are a few scenes from the city.

The New Mosque
There are mountains all around the city, and the scenery
here is quite beautiful.

Here are some kids hanging out after school.

Ust-Kamenogorsk has a tram as well as an extensive
bus system. Tickets for the buses are ~55 cents and for the
tram ~45 cents.

Here is a typical apartment block; there are literally
scores of these all around the city. The photo of the tram
shows a good example of these apartments in the background.

Kirov Park is my favorite park in the city (there are many).
Among other things, it has many characters and other
things from Kazakh and Russian folktales.  Above is
a tiny version of Baba Yaga's house.

This is my favorite Kazakh folk character--Aldar Kose. He is
a trickster who is known for getting the better of rich and
greedy people in Central Asian folktales.

Here is Baba Yaga herself!

Some Pictures

Altynsarin School (#159)

This dance class performed two dances for us.

The first of many beautiful songs sung this morning.

A high schooler plays a kui (traditional Kazakh song)
on the dombra (their national instrument).

Cute performance of Snow White . . . and her prince comes!

The director (principal) of Altynsarin School (on the left) is
a no-nonsense leader who also will gently place a
reassuring hand on the back of a nervous student as
she performs in front of the class.

The school library has many shelves and a few good
places to study.  It has books written in Kazakh,
Russian, and English.

This young lady performed a beautiful flute piece by
Kazakh composer Latif Hamidi.

First grade students recite poetry.
They also sang and played the dombra for us.

This is an open room where students can study or
have a break.  Notice all the chess boards!

Students dine in the cafeteria before going home.
At this school, lunch is free for 1st-4th grades and
costs less than $2 for older students. The healthy
meal are cooked here each day.

You can see we were treated to a lavish lunch.

All students at School #159 have swimming
lessons twice a week.

Physics and Math Academy (School #90)

This middle school class begins the performance
by singing Chattanooga Choo-Choo.

Fourth grade students perform a well-rehearsed
ballroom dance.

Another moving kui played on the dombra.

Unfortunately my camera battery died after this!
Here are a few more photos from yesterday.

Around Almaty

This beautiful felt carpet is an example of what the nomadic
Kazakhs would use for the walls and floors of their
yurts in years past.  The shapes symbolize rams' horns.

Memorial to General Panfilov and the 28 Kazakh soldiers who
died as they successfully defended Moscow
against an invading German army division in
World War II.  Here it is known as The
Great Patriotic War.

This square stands faces Panfilov Park and the WWII
monument.  This afternoon a group of local
college students was having a ballroom dance lesson.

During the lesson, the teacher called out instructions from
the top of the steps and blared music on a
portable sound system.

Almaty is famous for its apples! Here are some at the
city's largest market, the Green Bazaar.

The beautiful Orthodox Christian Church of
the Ascension reminds us of Almaty's
beginnings as a Russian outpost and fort town.

I didn't get a close look, but the name of this little
restaurant intrigued me!

Dear Mrs. Megginson's Students . . .

I enjoyed receiving all of your thoughtful questions!  I have tried to answer them all, so you should read through the comments to find the answers.  Other interested students might want to check them out too, because they asked some very incisive questions.

Schools #159 and #90

Today we visited two public schools in Almaty--school #159 (named after Kazakh writer Ibrahim Altynsarin) and school #90 (Mathematics and Physics Academy).  These are two top performing schools in the city and have even won numerous national awards.  We saw and experienced so much here that I find it difficult to be brief!  I will write about some highlights, and please feel free to write in questions if you want to hear more details about anything.  For the shortest version, look through the photos in the next post!

School #159

Altynsarin School #159 is a tri-lingual school which teaches mostly in Kazakh.  Students learn Russian and English language and literature too, and they teach some math classes in English too.  This school has won many national awards, and when we got to see the talented teachers and students it became more and more clear why!  Upon arrival we were treated to a handful of talks and outstanding performances by students from elementary, middle, and high school.  I then sat in on some an 8th grade English class and an 11th grade history class.  In English, the day's topic was comparing cultures through music, and students took turns giving presentations on different aspects of the topic.  For instance, one boy played the dombra, one girl sang a solo r&b song, another played a classical Kazakh composer on the flute, someone else gave a talk on Michael Jackson.  Their preparation, talent, and eagerness were all quite impressive!! 

Humbling Hospitality

After touring the school, the principal--a 42-year-long educator who has been principal since the school opened in 1992--and several teachers served us lunch.  I had a lot read about the incredible Kazakh hospitality, but everything I read was an under-exaggeration!  They treated us like royalty with a table overflowing with homemade food and specialties.  It was quite humbling, especially when I compare it to the meager hospitality I usually show my guests. 

Schooling in Shifts

We left the school at 1:00, and the majority of the students were walking home at the same time.  The school has enough room for 800 students, but it has 1200 enrolled--so they come in two shifts (except for the oldest grades, who stay all day).  One group comes from 8:30-1, and the next comes from something like 1:30-6.  All of the students walk to and from school.  We learned that having two shifts is common in Kazakh schools, since they do not have enough school buildings to accommodate all of their students. 

School #90

Next we went to Math and Physics Academy #90, which has a reputation in the city as a top math & science school.  One chemistry teacher there even showed us some original research and publication that students had done in conjunction with the faculty at a local university.  Here classes are taught in Russian, although students also have Kazakh language and literature class from the first grade onward and begin learning English in late elementary school.  The seriousness of the students here was as clear as were their high ambitions--something like 95% of graduates from this school go to a university upon graduation.

Again we were treated to some performances, this time a ballroom-style dance performed by 4th graders and a stirring dobro performance by a teenager.  The principal (they use the term "director") was very eager for us to see many different classrooms, so we (a rather large group of around 14) entered many classes, and the students were urged to ask us questions.  The students seemed more reticent here, and it often took some coaxing to get them to volunteer either questions or answers to our questions. Finally, we had a sit-down discussion with a group of around a dozen high-schoolers who had questions for us and answered our questions for them.

Commonalities

However, it became clear throughout the afternoon that there are more commonalities than differences between children here and in the U.S.  For instance, they spend free time in similar ways (hang out with friends, play sports, electronic games, talk on the phone, ride bikes, swim), they have similar goals and ambitions (get a good job, go to college, study medicine, become an engineer, study abroad . . .), and they have the same type of genuineness and candor that so often sets them apart from adults. 

Education in Kazakhstan--Growing Pains

Today our group was fortunate enough to meet some local educators and education experts who taught us a lot about the education system here.  It is evident that many people here value education as a way to improve their own futures and their nation as a whole.  It sounds like they had a difficult transition from the Soviet system of education to their own system in an independent Kazakhstan, which began in 1991.  But they have come a long way. 

After hearing a lot today from the professionals, I am eager to go to visit two schools tomorrow.  In the morning we will go to a Kazakh-language school, and in the afternoon a Russian-language school.  When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and Kazakhstan gained its independence, all schools were taught strictly in Russian.  Kazakh children (but not Russians, who made up about half of the population then) were allowed to have only a very small amount of Kazakh language and grammar instruction, but all subjects were taught in only Russian.  When Kazakhstan became independent, they wanted to begin teaching (at least some) in Kazakh, but they faced many problems:

• There were no Kazakh textbooks or other materials.
• Teachers had not been trained in Kazakh, so few people were able to teach math, science, history, etc. in Kazakh.
• In addition, schools buildings were often in bad shape and needed lots of repairs.

Kazakhstan is currently in the midst of a program they call Reform 2011-2020 (this was created by the nation's Ministry of Education).  By 2020, they want to achieve the following things:

• have 12 years of public school (It was 10 in 1991 and is 11 now.)
• build over 500 new schools (There are ~7400 now, so that is around a 7% increase.)
• increase the number of 3-language schools from 33 too 700 (These teach math, science, history, literature, and other content in Russian, Kazakh, AND English.)
• have free textbooks for all students by 2015 (Right now students have to buy their textbooks each year.)
• 90% of all schools have e-learning opportunities (Today around 600 schools here have this.)

These are ambitious goals, but the country has significantly increased its funding of public schools over the past few years and appears to be making a strong attempt to achieve them.

Dear students . . . about restaurants

So far I have had breakfast, lunch, and dinner here. Here are a few observations I have had:

• Breakfast is very different here!  This morning we were served things like salad (lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, with yogurt-mint dressing), roasted tomatoes, and lots of meat (sliced cold cuts, meat dumplings, and roasted and boiled sausages--beef and horse, no pork), along with familiar things like fruit and bread.
• Many restaurants serve what is called a "business lunch" here and in other former Soviet countries, and the history behind this is quite interesting.  During the socialist Soviet era, a big lunch was provided for workers at work.  This practice was very helpful, because many people did not have a lot of money, and this helped to keep them well-fed.  When the Soviet Union dissolved and private employers replaced the government, many workers still expected a big lunch to be provided.  However, this was too expensive for the employers, so restaurants stepped in and began serving a "business lunch" which was a big meal at a relatively low cost.  
• We ate dinner at an Uzbek-style restaurant, and they served many traditional dishes.  One was the famous dish "beshbarmak" which translates to "five fingers" because it used to be eaten with hands.  It has noodles and boiled meat; different kinds of meat can be used, and horse was served here.  They also served an interesting and tasty salad with potatoes, mild radishes, and horse meat all cut into matchstick-size pieces.  Since several of you have asked, I can tell you that horse meat did not taste very different from beef, but it was much more tender and lighter in color. 

Welcome to Kazakhstan

What a long few days!  We arrived at Hotel Dostyk in Almaty at 2:00 a.m. Monday morning; this was after leaving Charlottesville at 3:00 on Saturday afternoon.  It was very easy for me to unpack in the hotel . . . because my luggage did not arrive on the plane.  Looking on the bright side--this gave me a chance to put my Russian language to use immediately (I am glad that "are you able to help me?" was one of the phrases I learned; I have used it several times already.)  Fortunately, I had a premonition that this would happen, so I packed everything I needed for a couple days in my carry-on bag.  So it has not been a big problem so far--but I do hope that it will arrive tomorrowon the next flight from Frankfurt!

One member of our group, Kristi (a high school teacher from Missouri), has had a much more difficult time.  Her visa had the wrong date on it--despite the fact that she had submitted her paperwork correctly--and the border guards did not let her into the country.  The rest of us (there are ten teachers in our group total, along with one exchange coordinator) were dumbfounded but could not do anything to help.  She had to take the plane back to Germany, where she is currently working with the American consulate and the Kazakh embassy to try to get the problem fixed and come back as soon as possible.

Professor Mendikulova

That episode colored our initial arrival, but today has been much better.  I have learned much about the history of the Kazakh people and the country of Kazakhstan through a lecture with historian Dr. Gulnara Mendikulova in the morning and through a tour of the city with a very knowledgeable guide in the afternoon.  I could go on and on about this country's captivating history but I will spare you, dear readers.  One thing has really become clear to me today: the control of a nation's historical narrative is a very, very powerful tool.  It is clear that the Soviets used this control to facilitate subjegation of many groups, including the Kazakhs.  Since 1991, on the other hand, regaining control of their own history has been helpful as Kazakhstan defines its identity as an independent nation.  What a fascinating place!

Our tour guide was full of stories
about Kazakhstan and his beloved
city of Almaty.

Heading Out!

I'm leaving for Kazakhstan this afternoon at 1:24, with one stop in Washington, DC, and another in Frankfurt, Germany.  I won't arrive in Almaty until Sunday night at 11:55 (Kazakh time)--a total travel time of nearly 24 hours and a distance of over 7000 miles!

News Story

Can you believe I was working
during Spring Break?!
Photo courtesy of NBC29 News.

A big Thank You goes to reporter Molly Balkenbush of NBC29 in Charlottesville for this nice story on my participation on Teachers for Global Classrooms!

Yes, my students have asked what they serve in McDonald's in Kazakhstan. I think Kazakhstan happens to be one of the few remaining countries without a McDonald's though!

We'll find out soon . . .