Things I think I thought

Some (more) first impressions:

• This place is so cool! How is it that western nations have no real idea of the 9th largest country in the world?

• This is the easiest gig I've had as I am in one of the most developed and emerging nations I have visited.

• This is the toughest gig I've had. The language is problematic but I am getting there.

• I am truly fortunate.

• What the HELL was I thinking?!

Lynne is embracing meditation and has (re)taught me about patience. Where are you? Here. What time is it? Now. I am less intimidated than last week but still have no command of the language so need to try and gesture my way through. I returned to the Green Bazaar last week to buy 1) one screw, 2) one bolt, 3) one washer, 4) two wire nuts. The first three were not too hard as there is a huge hardware area. It is next to the meat area which is about the size of two basketball courts and where is sold any part(s) of any of the following; beef, horse, mutton, birds, goat, pig, other to be identified later. But I digress.

The first three items were easy to procure. I could sort through the stalls and buy with no trouble. But you should have seen me try to explain with gestures what a wire nut is and did they have one. After considerable laughter and scoffing at my expense wherein folks would scurry to their stalls and return with, well..not a wire nut, I gave up. I think they were relieved that this wanker was leaving and they could get back to whatever they were doing until I showed.

I'm finding I am tall here. It is rare to see someone my height. What isn't rare to see is doting fathers. They are everywhere with their kids in tow. Unemployment is high and that might be contributing, but it is refreshing to see dads on the street with their kids. 

School has started so every student is in uniform. Today I saw a group of boys aged 5-7 in suits and ties. They were delighting in taking rocks and throwing them into an oak tree thereby causing acorns to cascade down on the folks waiting for a bus. The whole suit thing threw me off, I was looking for bare feet and shorts. Speaking of which, I was advised that no one wears shorts here. Well some do and, as it has been about 90+ most days, I do as well. Besides it isn't as if I couldn't be made for an expat if I wore jeans.

Today I screwed up my courage and took a bus that circumnavigated the city. It was a 2 1/2 hour tour as it were and cost the equivalent of 35 cents. Almost all dwellings are the old Soviet style cinder block and mortar with little reinforcement. Oh, and literally crumbling. Given that this is a seismic zone we are one quake away from some big trouble.

I gave my first talk to a group of docs from the southernmost oblast (province) yesterday at Polyclinic #2. As we walked down the hall I noticed that there we several ward style rooms with folks lying down getting IV’s.  Most were receiving Actovegin, some pure Russian snake oil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actovegin). But like Shannon says, if it gives one a reason for an hour nap, where's the harm?

Tonight I go to a reception at the consulate for the regional coordinator of PEPFAR. I hope to meet some of the expat docs and get the low down on the private and parallel health care system that all countries with underwritten health care seem to have. It is expensive and thought to be better but like most places that have it, it isn't. It's just parallel.

Finally two things I think I thought but was mistaken (read WRONG)

1. Cars. I thought they would be old and tired. Nope they are new and FAST and often reckless. AND it seems like every tenth car is a Subaru. Also I saw a Highlander with a sticker on it that read, “Lachman Toyota, Miami.” The ignition was hanging out. I’ll let you connect the dots.
2. We are represented here by America’s finest, fast food that is; KFC (the most frequent by far), Burger King, Hardees, and whatever “Texas Chicken” is. No McDonalds so far although I haven’t seen every corner of Almaty.