Dawn. Halfway between darkness and light, east and west, squalid and picturesque, past and future, full of hope not yet realized, the forecast depending on so many factors. Kazakhstan changes each time we visit, always wealthier in finance, industry and technology. But always down the street (or in it) are symbols of a land slow to change. Today’s throwback came in the form of a horse drawn cart common on the farmlands near the village of Arkhangelskaya.
We are also halfway through a process; nearing the end of a three week trip to Petropavlovsk, hopefully culminating in a legal adoption on Monday the 29th. A second trip is in the future, hopefully a 4-5 day jaunt around June 24th. We hope to have everyone home by July 1st.
We spent this afternoon with Rinat and Zarina as Sholpan is still hospitalized (but apparently improving). We built a quite challenging crossword puzzle and played some indoor games. We had a doughnut break that was very much to Rinat’s liking; Krispy Kreme will seem like paradise. We created a “care package” for Sholpan including snacks, juice, a book, and a brown teddy bear. Svetlana will deliver it this evening.
Not much else to report here. We while away the hours eating meals and talking to other Americans, wandering out to the local shops, and occasionally visiting cafes. Today we returned to the Arabica coffee shop for cappuccino and ice cream. We miss you all very much and look forward to being back in the US on Tuesday.
