Join me on the bus...

This is a FUNNY blog entry that I hope will give you a glimpse of Kazakhstan and adjusting to life here. This is funny now, a few days later but it wasn't so funny then :)

Last Thursday I had to meet my roommate for a lunch meeting at 1:00 on the campus I am working on. I had only been to the campus a few times and really didn't know my way around the city very well. Usually, I just ride with people to campus but Thursday, I had to take a bus. I left at 11:45 to give myself enough time to get to campus and explore the area and campus a bit. I asked what bus to take, walked to the bus stop and got on bus 70. After about 20 minutes, I realized that it was not going where it was supposed to go. I remained hopeful until we got on the highway (it is DEFINITELY not supposed to go there). My next thought was, well...at least I'll end up back where I started...right? We turned down a dirt road and I got a little nervous. I had no idea where I was, don't speak enough Russian to understand where we were headed and was on a bus in the middle of who knows where Kazakhstan. It was now about 12:45.

All of a sudden the bus stopped and the driver told everyone to get off. I got off and stood there looking like a lost puppy. I called my roommate but she was driving and couldn't talk (big no no to talk while driving and VERY dangerous), so I was on my own. People started to get back on the bus, so I followed. Then everyone got off the bus and got on a different bus, so I followed again. At this point, I'm pretty frustrated. The bus starts to go again and we finally get back into the city. I didn't recognize anything but knew I was closer than I was fifteen minutes before. I finally got off at some random place. I started to walk and look for street signs. Picture it: I'm bundled up because its cold, I'm stopping at every corner trying to read (in Russian) the street signs. I have to stop because I have to sound out each letter :0). Finally, I find Abai but didn't know which direction to go. It is now about 1:25. Side note: I was also sick and probably should have been in bed anyway. I knew that if I went one direction - I would get to campus and if I went the other I would get home - but I didn't know which was which. I got on a bus and figured I would end up at home or at campus and I told Dad that it was up to Him :) Around 1:50 (10 minutes before a book club with some students) I arrived at campus. I was thankful I arrived in one piece but man, I did not want to get on another bus that day! My 25/30 minute bus ride turned into about 2 hours!! I thought this would be a great taste of culture for you!

To add to my cultural day, I had a meeting at 7 that night. I waited until 7:30 and one person showed up then. We call this Kazakhstan time (always late). The others couldn't come apparently so the meeting was cancelled. This is something that is very normal here. You plan something, people can't come but they don't let you know! MANY other small cultural things happened that day and lets just say - I was ready to go to bed and end that day! Dad's mercies are renewed every morning and I am thankful for that :)

**I found my way to campus just fine the next day**