Once a taxi stops, I need to make sure I can communicate where I want to go. Luckily, the school is well known and I happen to live above a well know cafe. If I am going someplace else, I sometimes need to resort to drawing pictures or doing pantomime. After agreeing on a destination, I have to negotiate the fare. An average ride to school is about 700 tenge (I pay a "foreigner tax" and never get a price as good as the locals) which is a little under $4 for about a 10-15 minute ride (depending on which streets are closed off).
To get home, I take the bus for 45 tenge ($.25). One of my colleagues described it as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Two people operate the bus: the driver and the young person who collects the money and herds the people on and off. Don't get on his bad side! The driving is erratic and the horn is always beeping. Sometimes, even though I don't understand Kazakh, I know the driver is cursing all the others on the street.
Old people are given deference, so I usually get a seat :). This time, the driver made the young man collecting the money give me his seat next to the driver. He insisted I sit and then put American disco on the radio for me. He was quite pleased with himself.
Today, Hotel California was playing on the bus.
When it is close to your exit stop, you pay the collector and make your way to the door. It is an experience not to be missed.
It's great hearing from you and seeing you on the bus. Keep playing that american music and you'll have a friend for life. Better than an angry bus driver, that's for sure!
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