BLOG #14
Oct 2
Today we went to a traditional Kazakh concert in Almaty! It was so cool! It was sort of like an orchestra, but with traditional Kazakh instruments... (I wish Grandma R could have seen it) There were dombras, (if I had the internet I would look up the names of the different instruments lol ...but that's not exactly realistic...) viola-like string instruments, bagpipe-like, some kind of flute about the size of a fist (sounded like it was wooden but I couldn't see it), big dombras, yeah I don't know lots of interesting instruments. One instruments that sounded like a gazoo haha. Opera singers... I've never seen opera singers actually sing... it was a show in itself! I really liked the concert... the musicians were dressed in traditional kazakh outfits - I took some great pictures. It made me want to be a director :) ...maybe when I get home! lol.
Not much else special happened today. Had our language lesson. I taught two classes. Neither went so hot lol. I think I confused the pants off of my fifth graders... we learned the possessive s ('s). We ran out of time (surprise) The zavouch (assistant principal, in charge of scheduling) double booked a room... so the kids and I were hanging out in the hall for about 5 minutes after our bell rang, waiting for a room... The military teacher took his students outside to march so we were able to use his room while they were gone. I would not be able to function this way for my real career, like these teachers. There is no way. I don't know why these teachers let the scheduling be so disorganized! But I'm only there for 2 more weeks... then I can actually put my roots down. Maybe all schools don't function this way - but the other trainees' school is nothing like ours in this way.
So in the fifth grade... this one kid kept talking - he has family that lives in Ireland, so his English is the best, and he thinks he can just goof off in the meantime- so I kept yelling "Abish please!" "Turn around please..."and so on... lol he would pay no attention to me and this other student would stand up everytime I would say something like this. I was confused... What's this kid doing? haha "Sit down please." I would motion with my hand... and continue telling Abish to stop talking. This went on for a couple of minutes.... Later, when we were doing dialogues, I learned that "Abish"s name was actually Azamat haha and the real Abish thought I was talking to him and would stand up every time I yelled "Abish, please!" Oh man... these kids probably thought I was nuts. Those two boys come to English Club regularly and I thought I knew their names well enough to use them in class... I guess not!
Another little tid-bit, my host mom just came into my room with a candle right... she did this before when I didn't have a light and I thought she was just going to leave the candle for me to be able to see. Instead she said something to me... of course I had no clue what she said lol.. I tried to motion that I didn't understand and thank her for the candle haha turns out the candle wasn't for me but instead she just rubbed the candles on the walls of my room then left awkwardly. I asked Aigul about it the next day and she said that my host mom was getting rid of the bad spirits in the corners of my room. Interesting. Rest assured, family and friends... my room is bad-guy spirit free.
Oct 2
Today we went to a traditional Kazakh concert in Almaty! It was so cool! It was sort of like an orchestra, but with traditional Kazakh instruments... (I wish Grandma R could have seen it) There were dombras, (if I had the internet I would look up the names of the different instruments lol ...but that's not exactly realistic...) viola-like string instruments, bagpipe-like, some kind of flute about the size of a fist (sounded like it was wooden but I couldn't see it), big dombras, yeah I don't know lots of interesting instruments. One instruments that sounded like a gazoo haha. Opera singers... I've never seen opera singers actually sing... it was a show in itself! I really liked the concert... the musicians were dressed in traditional kazakh outfits - I took some great pictures. It made me want to be a director :) ...maybe when I get home! lol.
Not much else special happened today. Had our language lesson. I taught two classes. Neither went so hot lol. I think I confused the pants off of my fifth graders... we learned the possessive s ('s). We ran out of time (surprise) The zavouch (assistant principal, in charge of scheduling) double booked a room... so the kids and I were hanging out in the hall for about 5 minutes after our bell rang, waiting for a room... The military teacher took his students outside to march so we were able to use his room while they were gone. I would not be able to function this way for my real career, like these teachers. There is no way. I don't know why these teachers let the scheduling be so disorganized! But I'm only there for 2 more weeks... then I can actually put my roots down. Maybe all schools don't function this way - but the other trainees' school is nothing like ours in this way.
So in the fifth grade... this one kid kept talking - he has family that lives in Ireland, so his English is the best, and he thinks he can just goof off in the meantime- so I kept yelling "Abish please!" "Turn around please..."and so on... lol he would pay no attention to me and this other student would stand up everytime I would say something like this. I was confused... What's this kid doing? haha "Sit down please." I would motion with my hand... and continue telling Abish to stop talking. This went on for a couple of minutes.... Later, when we were doing dialogues, I learned that "Abish"s name was actually Azamat haha and the real Abish thought I was talking to him and would stand up every time I yelled "Abish, please!" Oh man... these kids probably thought I was nuts. Those two boys come to English Club regularly and I thought I knew their names well enough to use them in class... I guess not!
Another little tid-bit, my host mom just came into my room with a candle right... she did this before when I didn't have a light and I thought she was just going to leave the candle for me to be able to see. Instead she said something to me... of course I had no clue what she said lol.. I tried to motion that I didn't understand and thank her for the candle haha turns out the candle wasn't for me but instead she just rubbed the candles on the walls of my room then left awkwardly. I asked Aigul about it the next day and she said that my host mom was getting rid of the bad spirits in the corners of my room. Interesting. Rest assured, family and friends... my room is bad-guy spirit free.
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