WOW What a Whirlwind
I lost my internet connection on my last day in Karaganda, so I wasn’t able to post to last entry there, or any others since. But I have been writing none the less, so here are the last few entries.
Tuesday July 4th
It’s independence day in the US today, and it also feels like mine as well. Today we’ve released to fly into Almaty to begin Hayden’s immigration process of becoming a US Citizen. Once he touches down in the United States in Detroit on our return flight home with his Immigration Visa approved; he will become a US Citizen and will hold Dual Citizenship until he is 18 in both the US and Kazakhstan. At that time Kazakhstan requires he make a choice as to his citizenship status, and can only hold one. I wonder what he will choose at that point in hid life.
The flight into Almaty was uneventful, but we flew on a different airline called Air Astana and I felt as if we were flying First Class. This plane is so much different than the other plane we flew on, my mouth hit the ground when I got on. Instead of a plane that looks as if it’s seen better days by years, and that it just may fall out of the sky; this plane was new and actually had leather seats!! Unbelievable. Thought out loud how screwed we’ve been to be paying to fly on the other airline!!
As we left the apartment and said goodbye to Lena, she gave Hayden a small gift; a basket with a cloth horseshoe inside for good luck. She told me to quickly hide it so our driver wouldn’t see that she gave us a present. Sad but true they do not encourage her to become “friends” with any of us. This is a business after all. But I was thankful she thinks of us as friends anyway and told me she would write to us. I ended up not leaving our DVD players for the next folks and decided it would be put to better use in her apartment and she was surprised to receive such a gift. Said her friends (from the US Missy and Kelly) will enjoy using it.
Annie/Lilly along with Hayden and I all flew together and the plane wasn’t even half full so we each got a row to ourselves. Hayden spent the entire flight sleeping, which made it very easy on me.
We all arrived to very HOT and humid weather. Bolat picked us up and told us we wouldn’t be staying in the hotel but an apartment. Said the hotel is full and is charging 170 US a night!! The apartment on the other hand was 100 US a night. Annie and I couldn’t believe it and asked if our apartments would be close by each other, NO we were told. So we decided to share the apartment and split the cost.
We arrived with my one bag and Annie’s 3 bags, got settled in. This apartment has one bedroom and a very large living room area with a bed placed in the corner, alongnwith kitchen and bath. The apartment is very run down, and not nearly functional as our old one in Karaganda. Never the less; we’re only here a few days so we should be able to survive. I’m thankful to be sharing the place with Annie, gives me comfort in numbers. Almaty is a huge city, over a million plus.
Before arriving Annie and I had been trying to work out a way to make it to our med clinic appt and the Embassy without Bolats help; since the fee he charges is simply outrageous for the work entailed. Since Bob’s been through it once already he’s walked me through most of the steps of the processing that needs to get done. I had even set up our own appt at the med clinic today; but by the time we arrived and got our luggage up there was no way we could make the appt I set up. So Bolats appt is set for tomorrow at 9:30 am and we’ll have to attend that one.
Tuesday July 4th
It’s independence day in the US today, and it also feels like mine as well. Today we’ve released to fly into Almaty to begin Hayden’s immigration process of becoming a US Citizen. Once he touches down in the United States in Detroit on our return flight home with his Immigration Visa approved; he will become a US Citizen and will hold Dual Citizenship until he is 18 in both the US and Kazakhstan. At that time Kazakhstan requires he make a choice as to his citizenship status, and can only hold one. I wonder what he will choose at that point in hid life.
The flight into Almaty was uneventful, but we flew on a different airline called Air Astana and I felt as if we were flying First Class. This plane is so much different than the other plane we flew on, my mouth hit the ground when I got on. Instead of a plane that looks as if it’s seen better days by years, and that it just may fall out of the sky; this plane was new and actually had leather seats!! Unbelievable. Thought out loud how screwed we’ve been to be paying to fly on the other airline!!
As we left the apartment and said goodbye to Lena, she gave Hayden a small gift; a basket with a cloth horseshoe inside for good luck. She told me to quickly hide it so our driver wouldn’t see that she gave us a present. Sad but true they do not encourage her to become “friends” with any of us. This is a business after all. But I was thankful she thinks of us as friends anyway and told me she would write to us. I ended up not leaving our DVD players for the next folks and decided it would be put to better use in her apartment and she was surprised to receive such a gift. Said her friends (from the US Missy and Kelly) will enjoy using it.
Annie/Lilly along with Hayden and I all flew together and the plane wasn’t even half full so we each got a row to ourselves. Hayden spent the entire flight sleeping, which made it very easy on me.
We all arrived to very HOT and humid weather. Bolat picked us up and told us we wouldn’t be staying in the hotel but an apartment. Said the hotel is full and is charging 170 US a night!! The apartment on the other hand was 100 US a night. Annie and I couldn’t believe it and asked if our apartments would be close by each other, NO we were told. So we decided to share the apartment and split the cost.
We arrived with my one bag and Annie’s 3 bags, got settled in. This apartment has one bedroom and a very large living room area with a bed placed in the corner, alongnwith kitchen and bath. The apartment is very run down, and not nearly functional as our old one in Karaganda. Never the less; we’re only here a few days so we should be able to survive. I’m thankful to be sharing the place with Annie, gives me comfort in numbers. Almaty is a huge city, over a million plus.
Before arriving Annie and I had been trying to work out a way to make it to our med clinic appt and the Embassy without Bolats help; since the fee he charges is simply outrageous for the work entailed. Since Bob’s been through it once already he’s walked me through most of the steps of the processing that needs to get done. I had even set up our own appt at the med clinic today; but by the time we arrived and got our luggage up there was no way we could make the appt I set up. So Bolats appt is set for tomorrow at 9:30 am and we’ll have to attend that one.
posted by bob and gina | 5:45 PM
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