Tag: Kazakhstan

I did not realize that the school I helped survive as an English school in Taraz, Kazakhstan, has turned 15 years old as of last April (2013). I am surprised, I forgot…

This is my second Peace Corps Host Family, the Orazibetovs. They had their hands full dealing with me since I am, umm, a big trouble maker common for young Americans…

This was my first Kazakh host family during my Peace Corps training in Kapchagai, Kazakhstan. Unfortunately I only spent a couple months with them so I forgot who they…

Here is a photo from memory lane. I am with my Kazakh host sister in Kapchagai, Kazakhstan, during my Peace Corps Pre-Service Training. Amazing, look how skinny I was at…

Taraz was the biggest city next to my Peace Corp's site of Karatau in Kazakhstan back in 1997-1999. I was surprised to see how much it has changed since I left. Here is…

This is one of the very few pictures of clouds over Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan gets about 300 plus days of sun each year. Here is a picture of the Karatau Lyceum before a…

This was my first winter in Karatau, Kazakhstan. It was quite cold, we got a lot of snow. Still, it was so beautiful. I miss the Kazakh winters.

This was my Washington, DC, and International Wall. I spent nearly three weeks in Washington, DC, in the summer of 1998 to get my wisdom teeth removed. On the right…

This was my wall dedicated to Seattle and Vancouver, Canada. I also had a picture of San Diego, California, there as well. Not sure why. My students loved this wall. I…

During my second year in the Peace Corps, I decided to put more effort in designing my classroom. Most teachers in Karatau already did this with the help of their…

I took a picture of this sign in 1997. It was first uploaded unto one of my old websites in 2000. Now, if there is any site or social network page focusing on Karatau…

During my two year service with the US Peace Corps in Kazakhstan, one of the most supportive Peace Corps staff that gave me a lot of support was Galina Petrova. She was…

For two years they kept me company during my Peace Corps service in Karatau, Kazakhstan. We even had sibling fights and arguments, especially Gulzhan (in the tanktop)…

I made a brief visit back in Karatau, Kazakhstan, in October, 1999, passing from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, heading to Talas, Kyrgyzstan. I was allowed to spend a night in…

I found this image of the completed Karatau Mosque today at Picasa: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5bp5zl2bu5rpC3QBTKQ99A

When I lived in Karatau, Kazakhstan, as a Peace Corps Volunteer, there were two mosques in the town. With Saudi funding, the townspeople started to build a new mosque to…

Winter, 1997, in Karatau, Kazakhstan, was the coldest I ever experienced in my life. I was at my Peace Corps site for just a little over two months when winter struck…

This picture was one that surprised me when I saw it in the US. It nearly brought tears to my eyes. If you look at the photo below, look at the girl to the farthest…