2006.09.10: September 10, 2006: Headlines: COS - Kazahkstan: Dallas Morning News: RPCV Shane Pettit writes:Living in Kazakhstan for two years opened my eyes to an area of the world that we rarely hear of in the U.S.
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2006.09.10: September 10, 2006: Headlines: COS - Kazahkstan: Dallas Morning News: RPCV Shane Pettit writes:Living in Kazakhstan for two years opened my eyes to an area of the world that we rarely hear of in the U.S.
RPCV Shane Pettit writes:Living in Kazakhstan for two years opened my eyes to an area of the world that we rarely hear of in the U.S.
"I met so many people who welcomed me into their homes with rugs on the walls and an obligatory teapot heating up on the stove. At countless dinner tables I've eaten beshbarmak (meat, noodles and potatoes), manti (meat and noodles), pelmeni (meat and noodles), vareniki (potatoes and noodles) and other variations involving meat, noodles and/or potatoes. I drank the milk from a camel and ate the delicious meat from a horse."
RPCV Shane Pettit writes:Living in Kazakhstan for two years opened my eyes to an area of the world that we rarely hear of in the U.S.
The other side of the world
My time in the Peace Corps brought me some unforgettable experiences, says SHANE PETTIT
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, September 10, 2006
Until 2004, all of my knowledge about the country of Kazakhstan had come from Harrison Ford's film Air Force One. In this movie, Kazakhstan is depicted as a terrorist nation where all of the hardcore Communists resided after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. But thanks to the U.S. president (Harrison Ford) the Communists are wiped out, and Kazakhstan, along with the whole world, can enjoy peace.
My contract for the last two years with the U.S. government also brought me in contact with Kazakhstan. But unlike Mr. Ford's character, I didn't combat neo-Communists, obtain world peace or win an American presidential election. From June 2004 till July 2006, I was a Peace Corps English teacher assigned to the mining town of Khromtau, Kazakhstan.
Living in Kazakhstan for two years opened my eyes to an area of the world that we rarely hear of in the U.S. Needless to say, the real thing is slightly different from any Hollywood version. Rather than being a terrorist hotbed, it is actually the most stable, peaceful country in its region, though Central Asia admittedly does not exactly provide stiff competition in this department.
Kazakhstan has a population of 15 million, a territory that is the ninth-largest in the world and an authoritarian president who formerly was the country's communist leader during Soviet times. Though a developing nation, Kazakhstan has a lot of economic potential due to its vast reserves of natural resources. Yet there are hurdles that first must be overcome, such as the corruption that often comes about when a country tries to switch to capitalism almost overnight. But this definition of Kazakhstan is not what I experienced.
As the only American living in the small town of Khromtau, I saw little children in my neighborhood begging me each day to play Frisbee with them. Middle school students went crazy over watching English films like Star Wars in class, something usually not allowed at the Khromtau school (having fun in class, that is).
I saw high school students timidly eat their first bite of Tex-Mex food, only to discover that their English teacher wasn't lying when he said it was the best food in the world. There were thousands of talks in Russian with my host mother over endless cups of tea, even though I didn't know Russian for the first 200 conversations.
I met so many people who welcomed me into their homes with rugs on the walls and an obligatory teapot heating up on the stove. At countless dinner tables I've eaten beshbarmak (meat, noodles and potatoes), manti (meat and noodles), pelmeni (meat and noodles), vareniki (potatoes and noodles) and other variations involving meat, noodles and/or potatoes. I drank the milk from a camel and ate the delicious meat from a horse.
Each day, I heard the Muslim call to worship followed by the bells in the onion domes of the local Orthodox church. I've experienced mosquito infestations, completely painful -40 degree winters and wonderful friendships. After some time, I even began to think of Khromtau as home. And now I'm a different person. There are few meals I can't eat. There are few bathrooms that gross me out. And I'm guessing the coldest day this upcoming Texas winter will be like a day on the beach for me.
I would recommend the Peace Corps to anyone who can keep an open mind. From it, I gained some amazing memories and the knowledge that there is very little I can't get through. Even the unpleasant moments become good memories, or at least they become good anecdotes. There are potential academic benefits, a small amount of post-service money to help in readjusting and the feelings that accompany volunteerism. And about the only thing that has become more difficult for me as a result of Kazakhstan is the Texas heat.
Shane Pettit, 26, is a Lewisville High School and Texas Tech graduate who currently lives in Flower Mound. His e-mail address is shanepettit@hotmail .com. More information about the Peace Corps can be found at www.peacecorps .gov.
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Story Source: Dallas Morning News
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