My first Kazakh host family was in Kapchagay during the Peace Corps Pre-Service Training. Their job was to teach
me Kazakh and learn about Kazakh food and culture. They were a unique
family but nothing like my Kazakh host family in Karatau.
Kazakhs in the south are very different from their counterparts in
the Almaty area. When I met the Orazimbetovs for the first, they had
prepared an apartment for me. But by the late afternoon, I had moved
in with the Orazimbetovs. Azan, the School Director, thought it
would be easier for me to live with a family. He was right. I could
not cook any meals from scratch.
The first night was memorable. I can still remember the palau
(pilaf) my host sisters made. It was very delicious. I had eight
host sisters and one host brother. You can guess it the youngest was
the son aptly named Shurik or "Thank God" in Kazakh.
It was just like a real family. I miss the meals we had together. I
miss Kazakh culture.
My first Kazakh host family was in Kapchagay, Kazakhstan. They
tried to convince the Peace Corps to let me stay in Kapchagay.
The Peace Corps said no. I have no regrets.
Here is Gulzhan, my Kazakh host sister, on the right. It was the
anniversary of the Karatau Lyceum. It was nice and warm during
the day. Then it froze and snowed the next day.
Karatau hosted a Talas Region event at the Palace of Culture.
The competition was between schools in the local region. My host
mother (Adigul), two host sisters (Aizhan and Gulzhan), host
brother (Shurek), and host father (Asan) are in the picture.
I took this photo of my Kazakh host family photo with four of my
Kazakh host sisters. I took this photo the day I left Karatau in
June 1999.
One of my last photos with my Kazakh host family in June, 1999.
One of my last photos with my Kazakh host family was in June
1999. I wrote a farewell speech to the people of Karatau. Aizhan
helped me write this speech.
When I was working for ACCELS
in Kyrgyzstan, I was able to make a side trip to Karatau in November
1999. On our way to Talas, I spent a night in Karatau. It was the
last time I got to see my host father, Asan. We did get to speak
again in May 2015, when I visited Gulzhan and Aizhan in
Aktau. Unfortunately he passed away in 2019.
With Gulzhan's help, I visited her and Aizhan in May 2015.
They lived in Aktau, a seaside city on the Caspian Sea. Aizhan and Gulzhan picked
me up at the airport. It had been nearly 16 years since we last
met. In this photo, we are all at the Caspian Sea.
Amazing! Look how 16 years makes in photo quality. My old
Fuji camera took the last photo in November 1999. My iPhone 6S+
took these photos.
In the sixteen years since I last saw Gulzhan, she learned to
cook. I still remember the last meal she made for me in Karatau
back in 1999. She made some great lagman.
I am with my Kazakh host sisters after 16 years.
I am with my Kazakh host sisters.
