Entertainment

I will say once again, that I work with an amazing International Staff.  It's a good thing.  Think about it:  how limited are your entertainment options when you don't speak the language?  Also, Taraz isn't exactly a mecca for entertainment.  So we hang out together and make our own fun.  Here are a few pictures from some recent events:

Pizza Party:  I supplied crusts, sauces, olives, carmelized onions, and cheeses.  Anything else, you bring yourself.  We all made pizzas to our own liking and shared.  It was casual, easy and fun.

Charlene and Stephen waiting for her creation to finish baking.

Here it is!  A Hawaiian from the S. African contingent.

Aaron making a BBQ Chicken pizza while Rae samples the ingredients

Another recent event was the Ladies Brunch and Make Up Seminar.  Rachel, Ben's [English teacher] wife, is a makeup artist.  She brought over her box of tricks, I made brunch, and Ben was our token male, bartender, and photographer.  We had both international and local teachers in attendance.

Everyone looking on intently.

Rachel using Rae as her model.

Rachel helping Anar with eyeshadow.  Who knew you used different techniques for Eastern eyes than you do for Western?

 Showing off our new eyebrows.  Scary!

I unfortunately don't have pictures of our most recent event: movie night potluck.  George and I chose a movie from the 1970's: The In-laws.  Everyone brought what they wanted with enough to share.  My favorite moment of the night:  Larry made a fantastic meatloaf.  Ben, one of our Brits, was so excited.  He'd heard about meatloaf and wanted to try it.  He gets a piece and says, "It's meat! In a loaf!"  Apparently, he always thought meatloaf had nothing really to do with meat and everything to do with bread.  He loved it and took all the leftovers home!

I am blessed beyond belief with friends and colleagues here.

Marching

All students are required to do pre-military training in Grades 11 and 12.  All boys are required to spend 1 year in military service after graduation.  I think if they go right to university, they can put that year off until after schooling.  The girls can decide if they want to serve or not.

We have a wonderful military teacher here at NIS.  I can never remember his name (I am much better at remembering if I see the name written), so I call him Gunny.  The rest of the International Staff have picked that up.  Gunny is amazing with the kids -- and he is very involved in everything with the school and he is extremely funny.  Even I understand he's funny, and I don't speak Kazakh.

Since the beginning of the year, he has been working with the Grade 11's teaching them how to march.  I get to watch them out of my office window -- and hear them.  Just a couple of weeks ago, there was a marching competition between the Grade 11 classes: 11A through 11H.  It was a big deal. Officers in the military, along with some administrators, were the judges.  Let me share some of it with you.

The event began with each class forming their unit in their assigned place in the courtyard.  Each class represented a different branch of the military indicated by their uniforms.

That was followed by the national anthem:

Gunny then presented our troops to the highest officer in attendance.  I don't know his rank, but he was important.

Then they marched, sang and marched, and marched some more.  They did several rounds of the courtyard, saluting the judges' table as they passed.  The second group that comes around on this video were clearly the winners.  I was very proud that most of them are in my IELTS class that meets twice a week.  They are great kids.

Now that the marching is over -- and the weather is beautiful-- instead of marching, I see dancing outside my window.  Everyday, the kids go out and dance.  No one is too cool.  They just have a good time.