Holding Pattern

I know, I know, NOT what you want to hear. Me either, but progress is being made and things are settling down. I’m trying to be flexible and patient, but patience is hard to find when you NEED to make a decision on a child that you are becoming more attached to with every visit.

The circumstances were unusual in one sense and completely normal in another – no one’s fault – but agonizing all the same. If it weren't for several things, including my own need for some extra reassurance on the medical front, I would likely have the IA doctor evals complete and could rest easy, or would be moving to the next steps in finding the right child for me. I expected to be WAY past this part of the process by now. Should be. Want to be. With every ounce of my being.

As of right now, I am awaiting one review with the IA doc that should occur within the next couple of hours. Trying to stay occupied, awake, and not stress until then. I'm keeping a positive outlook.

Meanwhile, I'll bore you with the day to day life thus far. I HAVE INTERNET!! I have also figured out how to light the stove without blowing up the building (fingers are only a little singed), I can say about three things in Russian that can actually be understood, I have run the little washing machine despite the Russian manual and my clothes actually came out clean, the same color and in one piece, I have a few new towels, sheets, and a buck-forty super lightweight nightie that was The Find thus far. Yes, it is hot here. Yes, the clothes I packed don't help. Live and learn.

I've now experienced the infamous brown waters of Kaz in person. The hot water was off for most of the day and when it comes back on, those old rusty iron pipes come with it!

I have ventured out a couple of times on my own. There is shopping very close – retail therapy is a great distraction. Have managed to stock up at the grocery store and discovered that everyone and their brother goes to the market on Friday evenings between 6:30 and 8. Reminded me of Costco on a Friday after work, just on a much smaller scale.

Have been to the nearby mall several times as well. Earlier this week, Regina and I both bought vin-til-ya-tars, otherwise known as fans, in a meager attempt to stay cool. The one in Regina’s apartment had given up the ghost the day before and the ones in the shop were exhibiting the same symptoms. Took several tries before the eager sales woman found two that were working. And they weren’t cheap. We made a bet on whose “Made in China” fan dies or burns up first. Burning up seems to be a common occurrence with anything electrical here.

Mentioning burning up, I have not sweat so much in my life. Seriously. Ugh times 10. I know, TMI. If it weren’t so miserable and embarrassing, it would almost be funny. Here I am hair dripping, make-up long gone (except for the mascara smeared all over under my eyes), red-faced, clothes soaking wet and stuck to me, and everyone else in the queue looks like they just stepped out of the salon with not a sticky drip of moisture in sight. I somehow thought that it was at least as or more arid here than in Denver. I was wrong. The nice woman at the little cold case counter in the mall actually chuckled after I was pushed aside several times by more assertive shoppers and asked only for a BIG bottle of water. I think I may have been panting.

My favorite experience so far was in the produce market. A portly grandmother-type gave me a smile (rare among strangers here) as I wandered by, so my choice of which stall to buy from was made. There was a man talking to her from my side of the stand, that I’m pretty sure was Mr. Portly. I pointed at the oranges and apples and help up 2 fingers, pa-jul-sta, and the games began. Mrs. Portly bagged up my order, while Mr. Portly tried to get me to buy two of everything else they had. He was laughing and teasing and it felt really good to make even a passing connection with someone here. I’ll be visiting them again soon.

So now that I have entertained you with the scintillating accounts of my shopping adventures, I’ll tell you what I have so far determined are must haves:

• a BIG plastic drinking glass and/or cup. A single can of Coke will fill the average glass in Kaz 3 or 4 times. Think Dixie cup. The kind that went into that little dispenser stuck on the wall in your bathroom when you were a kid. If you want to have a nice big glass of anything in your apartment, bring your own. I couldn’t even find one in the mall.

• Eurosurge -- the power fluctuates here constantly.
  

• Learn some Russian!!! I started too late, but am happy I at least can count to 10 and mumble a passable please, thank you, and good morning. And, of course, the much needed Pampers. ;) I have never been good with languages, but it is interesting how my college French is coming back to me, along with my grade school Spanish. Not sure why being talked to in Russian has me thinking in French. Very strange. As for Russian, I often think the one or two word response, but somehow cannot get anything coherent to come out my mouth. Not that that is particularly unusual for me anywhere! Regina is amazing. She carries on entire conversations like a native, while I'm still mumbling "je ne sais pas."