I spent the last hours of 2010 with other volunteers at one of my sitemate's apartments in one of the tallest buildings in the city center. We had a great view of the city and were in perfect position to take in all the New Years festivities. There are no official city fireworks displays, but that's alright because every family sets off their own. For the weeks leading up to the 31st you can buy fireworks of every imaginable variety on every street corner. On the stroke of midnight we were standing on the balcony of the 12th floor drinking champagne and watching hundreds of fireworks explode across the city.
(Photo courtesy of my man James)
Because New Years is such a major holiday here, most of the country come grinding to a halt for at least a week around January 1st. My organization closed down for 2 weeks of rest and relaxation to gear up for the new year. The first few days off were nice, but eventually things got a bit dull. I did some research for a grant that I'm looking into writing to fund a peer training program, read, lazed about, and was generally unproductive. The holidays were nice, but I was ready to get back to work on Monday.
I ended 2010 on a bit of a sour note, feeling generally unproductive and more than once wondering what on earth I'm doing at an underdeveloped NGO in southern Kazakhstan. I'm happy to report that the new year has brought with it a new sense of purpose and determination to get things done. Also a new sense of winter. Much of December treated us to above normal temperatures that required little more than a light jacket. Now that real winter has set in with its below freezing temperatures, my poorly heated office is a tragic scene in which my coworkers and I spend the day in giant down coats with hats and hoods pulled down so that not much more than our eyes are visible. Hopefully only 2 more months of this, before the pleasant breezes of spring arrive.
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