Non-Prom-ish Event...?

BLOG 22
October 16
Oh I couldn't wait to write this post! The most embarrassing thing happened to Echo and I today... So, we all taught our last lesson this morning. Which was a little sad... but defenitely ok. Anna, Denise, Sarah, and I decided to go to Baraholka Bazaar after the our lessons to buy warm winter stuff. So we did that for a while - I bought some stuff, it was a much better experience than the last couple of trips to the bazaar. We split up and I was free to wander on my own. Staring as long as I wanted at whatever I wanted. Not speaking English - so people didn't stalk me or harass me lol. Plus there wasn't a terribly humungous crowd because it was a weekday. Anyways I could have spent a lot more time there but I really made sure to leave with plenty of time to get back to Echo's for her sister's school dance. On my way to catch the bus to the bazaar Anar yelled at me to come over wearing a black shirt at 4:00... I tried, but I was late.
So once back in Panfilova... Anar yelled at me from a distance for being late I'm assuming. I passed Pat on the way to Echo's, and he said he was going to the ball, he was going to watch one of his student's sing apparently? At a dance? So, I went to Echo's and she said that after talking to her host mom... there was some kind of contest at the school... uhhh? We started over. A bunch of the other volunteers were going to this "Fall Ball" too. Most of them had host siblings or students that were going. Once in the school, it all slowly started coming together. There were seats set up facing the stage. Sam and Pat were in the last row, so we sat down beside them. It was all quite confusing... I had envisioned like a prom or school dance like that. Where it was dark and the student's didn't know Echo and I were there... We would just make it not awkward to dance - like be the goofy people who danced first so no one else had to be those guys. It was weird and nothing like that. People were in jeans... and there was a judges table. Anar, who apparently stayed home from school to prepare for this event lol, was no where to be found. Echo for the past couple days had been criticizing her sister for being so ridiculous about this stupid dance. (She was quite adamant at our little dance party the other night...) Echo and I put two and two together and realized that WE were supposed to perform with Anar on stage lol! She coordinated our outfits, discussed the song, asked the teacher if it was cool that we came, kept talking about the wall being koop adam...(a whole bunch of people) as we were dancing, hahaha the whole time Echo and I were like - this girl is just weird haha. Let's humor her and go along with it. So we're in the auditorium, with the debate - ruin sweet Anar's high school image or embarrass ourselves in front the whole town of Panfilova. I felt so tricked! haha But she didn't mean to trick us. One of her friends ran out to Echo and told her that we should go back stage now. So,after much intense discussion as to how to deal with this horrible situation... We thought it would be best to just go along with it and not destroy poor Anar's shot at whatever this event was that was so important to her. No one was paying attention to what was going on on stage... and we had two guaranteed supportive audience members lol.
The preceding acts were a couple that, once the music started, argued and shoved their way off stage? a poem reading maybe, with a whistling tree boy complete with a leaves and branches costume, and a girl in head to toe leopard catsuit who sang off key. Echo and I were cracking up behind the curtains. Anar was giving directions and directions. I felt like some 30 year old creep trying to go back to high school and be cool haha. It was weird. So we did our 5th grade Cinderella line dance awkwardly and improv-ed the rest haha. People were taking pictures and recording it. People that I play frisbee with! Oh man. They know my name! (One of our convincing arguments was that this wasn't the school we taught in and we taught our last lesson this morning anyway) I decided to go back to being "Noelle" and lose the whole "Nina" persona haha. Who would have thought that some stupid electric slide-ish dance would be such a hit in Kazland. They loved it they were clapping to the beat and everything. I died. Woldim (Kazakh) The main thing was that Anar was happy. And she was. She said we did super :) She owes us. HA
As we made our way off stage... after what seemed like a song of eternity, our crowd of trainees had grown and they came and congratulated us. Very nice of them haha. My neighbor was there. Andrew's host mom. What a disaster lol. The rest of the acts were either very scandalous or break dancing. Apparently Kazakhs are into the hip hop video-girl scene, which is a stupid fantasy that I can't wait to break. Make them realize how uncool and demeaning that is to women. These are kids. Makes me sick. Anyway, so the conclusion is that I'm still unsure what the real point of this whole thing was. Some sort of fashion show, vegetable decoration, talent show, homecoming, cooking contest. And that's no joke. I left before the prizes were announced. Later on, Johnny, Echo, Laura, and I went and watched Halloween at Andrew's. Echo said we won 2 place!! LOL I've never won a talent show... never even been in one actually. Echo said the closest she has ever been is 3rd in a spelling be hahah. What a strange strange day. I can't wait to see the pictures.