3-5-o8 AND 3-6-08 March 5, 2008 Flight from Frankfurt to Almaty was a 7 hour flight (one hour less than last flight) except when we got on the plane it was smaller and we did not notice any TV’s. When asked of the stewardess if there was to be a movie she replied “NO BUT WE HAVE MAGAZINES”. They do, unlike America, offer free newspapers and magazines to all as you get on the plane. Again, came the constant “want water, want beverage, want juice?” Followed by some mixed snack l oz. in a bag. We did get a hot deli sandwich which was very tasty and 2 chocolates in a box – very posh. One nice thing that I noticed that, unlike any other flights I have taken, is they let you sleep if you want to. Jennifer was sleeping when meals came on both flights and when she awoke we asked to have her meal and they brought it all warmed up no questions asked. We were given a piece of paper each to fill out on the plane. I almost threw it away. It had a stamp across the front looked like some kind of magazine subscription request. I then realized it was the customs form. None of the airline stewards could offer any help in filling this out. It was very confusing due to the fact that they were asking WHO INVITED US AND OUR REASON FOR BEING THERE. Jennifer was getting paranoid on the way this was filled out because she was there on Adoption business and I had to write specifically tourism or personal pleasure~ we were not sure. A girl from Almaty helped us translate this information. Some of it SHE didn’t even know and asked her friend from Karaganda to translate. Then they asked for a # which we found out meant out passport #, then realized the DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION was the organization inviting Jen in to the country. But not me. Then figured out I was invited by the USA Dept of Tourism. OK got that all straightened out. Phew. I told the stewardess that we were told to bring water and something to eat because nothing in Almaty airport would be opened that early. She was so nice and gave us a big bottle of water and a bag full of club sandwiches left over from the flight to take with us. She said they were only gonna throw them away anyway. March 6, 2008 Arrival in Almaty (actually seems like last flight took an entire day but was only 6 hours, due to the time difference we arrived at 12:45 am – Jennifer’s Birthday) After getting our luggage, which surprisingly enough, made it there ok. Not too many people in this tiny tiny airport to help out. We got herded through the customs counter to a woman who did not speak any English again, grunted something at us (which we could only assume meant passport and that customs paper), stamped it and we were on our way (still not asking to declare any money brought in with us). Then some official looking person that kept asking us “if 3,000 ok can go through”. This did not happen-thank God! Anyone could have followed us out of the airport. Instead this official kept saying “go through with 3,000 or 7,000!” Wish he’d make up his mind! AND tell us what was the difference b/t the amounts. On the other side of the door was the outside of the airport which scared the hell out of me. I told Jennifer we are not leaving this airport until we are sure of this money thing before we get arrested for customs evasion or something. Again no one in sight to meet us as we were told to help translate this 3,000 7,000 mess. We weren’t even sure if he meant Dollars or Tenge (their money). We went through the door and were met by 15-20 men all looking like derelicts forming like a runway for us to pass through shouting something at us, we assumed must mean Taxi. We kept notioning to them we were waiting for someone, but our someone was not there. Fear built in us as we realized that all we knew is that LOLA was meeting us, did not know what she looked like or a phone # to call her. 15 minutes later… NO LOLA… men are leaving us alone except for one that kept hand gesturing that our ride wasn’t coming and we should go with him. That might have been ok if WE KNEW WHERE WE WERE GOING. (We later found out this was the norm of how the rest of the trip would be. Getting info and it being inaccurate or just completely the opposite of what we were told). Just take it on blind faith that they will be there. After 20 min. (we were lucky. Some of other parents waited l ½ hours) A woman came up and said “I’m Lola, sorry late” we grabbed our luggage and started for the curb, I looked around and said the Jenn where’s the other bag, Lola said nastily, “He’s got it already.” Surprise to us we were told cab driver would not handle luggage. The ride to the apartment was quiet. No,”how was your trip” or welcoming comments. Felt like a ride through Harlem. When I asked her if she could take us around Almaty later that day she replied “ I can’t be with you I’m busy”. Again they told Jen we would not be left without an interpreter. Drove to this dingy section of town and made us get out in slush and mud to walk down an alley with our suitcases. The driver did help us and dragged our suitcases through the mud. We walked up to a metal door which she briefly told us a code we must use holding down all 3 buttons at once. Once inside that wonderful aroma of cat piss hit our nostrils and dirty bowl of cat food inside we were waiting for the rats (one thing we realize about this country is there are no screens on windows. no roaches~ as bad as it was, because they’d freeze their little wings off). Once inside she ordered “Take shoes off” boy would we get to know THAT phrase! Almost in a sneaky manner looked behind her and bolted the door and told Jen to give her $25 and $25 for the driver. Then told Jen we would go to orphanage later that day which was what Jennifer had expected to Pick her baby on her birthday. Nicht! Wrong again! We had to sleep and by the time the flight from Almaty got to Karaganda and got to apartment it would be to late to go to orphanage. Jennifer was really upset. Never showed us around the apartment just walked Jen out by the taxi, pointed down the road, and told her to exchange her money there in the morning. Then pointed down the right and said “walk one block this way and one block that way and you will come to a souvenir shop just ask anyone they will know it” (name escapes us now). And she left. We went in bathroom no toilet paper Jen found some napkins in kitchen to get us through until morning. (which was really only 6-7 hours layover) There were bars on the windows and we were on the first floor. Boy were we tired Jen started to cry. We both felt like someone was gonna knock on the door and say “Vinny sent me” it was like a scene out of the Godfather or a Black Market Baby Ring. No friendliness at all~ all very sneaky and secretive. All she said was the driver will pick us up later – uh this is the same guy you just locked the door in front of! She was going to be with him so I guess that was OK. We were so tired and went to lay on the bed (which is being very kind) It was a slat bed with a mattress on it (no thicker than 3 inches) no box spring, just a spring running through the mattress, and very close to the floor. It was as hard as a rock and we thought we’d never make it if the beds are like this the entire trip! OUCH! I told Jen to leave the light on we really didn’t know how to escape this place if need be and to get two big knives out of the kitchen. She did and we slept with them under our bed. Oh by the way, Lola was gonna leave without giving us her phone #. We asked, she said she’d “I’ll just be there”. After insisting, we got her #. We didn’t even know where we were if we had to call her or the police for that matter. When we woke up later that day, before the flight, we tried to make tea, I had brought with me, except no matches in apt. to light stove. Also a Microwave with no microwavable cups. We decided to have water WE brought with US and some AIRBORNE vitamin tablets, which substituted for our Orange Drink like tang. Made the most of it and had left over un-refrigerated sandwiches from the plane. Actually our apartment in Almaty was quite nice and airy, big rooms but no shower curtain. The bathtub was built on a platform and you really had to climb into it. We found the shower curtain and rod but it wasn’t able to be fitted to that shower. We took showers without the curtain and got the floor all wet – ahhh tooo bad that’s their problem. Luckily we brought own shampoo and soap. We then dried ourselves, in what I refer to as a Cheese Grater for a towel…NO DRYERS here even in hotels and orphanages just use drying racks. Ventured out to get money exchanged. Walked up to a little room off the street which we know is where we were to do this but when we entered, a man with a machine gun at his side followed us in and stood behind us. Jen was at the counter trying to talk to someone, again that knows no English. I turned around to see this guy and thought WHAT THE HELL and said “are you the police?” He must have understood b/c he nodded and I said “OH GOOD”! Jen did her thing thank God she brought her calculator. She has been great the whole trip knowing exactly what they need. They were all laughing at us (little did we know we would have to get used to THIS also). I asked the policeman, “How do you say goodbye” he said “goodbye” lol. (Which NO ONE says that here, so again he was being a wise guy). We then went (not around the corner as instructed by Lola) but many city blocks and endured the stares as we walked in mud and muck and slush and got sprayed by cars. Clothes here were 10,000 Tenga which was $100. for a teeshirt you can but in Target for $20. Walked all over trying to ask people about the souvenir shop that “everyone” was supposed to know about~ and know one did. THAT’S PROBABLY BECAUSE NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD VACATION HERE TO WANT A SOUVENIR. And THAT will also be the reason we’re not bringing any home for anyone! Haha Jennifer’s bringing back the biggest souvenir and will just have to share Emma with everyone! Back to the apartment and 20 minutes before we were supposed to leave for airport Lola called and said she wouldn’t be coming with the driver and to pay him and leave the money for the apartment on the table. This was the guy she didn’t want to let in the house that morning. Jen tried to call her back for something and it wouldn’t go through just a fast beeping sound NOW WHAT DO WE DO? FELT STRANDED! Jennifer had a melt down and stated she really didn’t know if she could go through with this for 3 weeks if this is what is was going to be like. I gave her Birthday card and she cried more. I told her any time she wants to call this off I would support her no matter what but maybe we should just tuff it out until we get to Karaganda. The driver came in and didn’t say anything to us just took off his shoes and walked in kitchen we didn’t know where the heck he was going - looked at the money on the table for the apartment and got Lola on the phone without saying anything to Jennifer. This was all a surprise to Jen she didn’t even know he looked at the money and handed the phone to her with Lola on the other end. Lola replied “you didn’t leave the right money, I told you 11,000 Tenga and you left 10,100. We were not used to the money and she never explained the money to Jennifer. We just had picked the money up and couldn’t get her on the phone to explain it to us in English. Then Jen had to make change with the driver what a mess. He was obviously not happy. Again all seemed to underhanded it cost us $91.00 for a 6-7 layover when we found out we could have stayed at a hotel at the airport for $58.00. They love to keep control here to their benefit. Jen cried the whole way to the airport nothing I could do to console her because it was to be such a beautiful experience and nothing was the way it was explained to her. Every time she read someone’s blog, or their adoption site, they all seem to have such wonderful experiences and good times and nothing bad to report. Jen is probably the only one with enough guts to actually have reported the true experience instead of sugar coating it. Jennifer has had such a hard time even thinking of re-living these few days so she’s completely skipped them in this journal. I said we have to go back and fill in those days and Jen said “I just can’t do it”. So, I am writing this a few weeks later and have learned by all the responses to her postings of this event – that in fact other parents are coming forward and saying “hang in there we know what your going through and it will get better”. Don’t you think it would have been nice to know what to expect before we got here? We got to the airport and waited about 45 minutes and off to Karaganda we flew. The flight to Karaganda was only one ½ hours. I was so surprised to see little overhead TV’s on such a short flight.”Will there be a movie, I asked” the steward replied “oh yes” GREAT – how stupid of me – he passed out headphones which plugged into Russian music. When the movie came on, it was not a movie, but in fact a documentary on how they welded and layed the train tracks in Kaz and Almaty. Ok better than nothing – NOT – it was all in Russian! We both tried to sleep instead. Good snacks and flight went well. Landed in Karaganda, went to meeting area and OLGA our interpreter was waiting for us and noticed us and Jen knew that was her from pictures. Jen sail “Olga” she said “yes” and shook Jen’s hand with a big smile on her face. WOW things were already looking up, what a difference. She said she had to wait on other side of little doorway while we picked up luggage. We got a cart (they’ve always been free in Germany and Kaz) loaded our luggage on it pushed it literally 10 ft. and Olga replied “You can’t take the cart passed here” (why couldn’t she tell us that while we were loading it) lol She took us to the driver who also helped with luggage, we were told not to expect this, and drove to our condo. Very appealing when we drove up, definitely like this already. The complex is a gated one. Then it hit when Jen said, 'we're on the 5th floor right?" (againg thats what she was told ) and she told us we were on the 7 th floor. Ok no problem, “where’s the elevator” “there is none” Jen and I just looked at each other. The driver, Olga and the two of us managed to get to luggage up 79 STAIRS. A quick look around our beautiful condo. And down 79 stairs to go to grocery store. What a hoot. Nothing we can read, nothing packaged in anything that would resemble a picture that would give us a hint to what was inside. A cow could mean butter or cheese. We grabbed a few staple foods, laundry detergent, dish soap etc. No lettuce to be had in all of Kaz. (They don’t do lettuce). It was getting late so Olga ran around getting the stuff we asked for and put it in the cart, very nice of her but we didn’t know where to get it next time when we were alone. Mayonnaise comes in a little squeeze container that resemble the sips drinks the kids brink to school, and not much bigger than that either. It has a potato on the front, some have olives on the box, yeah we were supposed to know that was Mayo. No bread with preservatives, it’s sliced but hard as a brick – maybe the inner 2 inches of each slice is soft. Off to the register with this cart that glides front, back and side to side, weird feeling, so you don’t actually TURN you cart you just guide it. The checker does no speak English and shows us the amount on the screen. 16,000 Tange!!!!!!!!!!!Oh My God – Jen whips out her calculator – Jen says that’s only about $130.00, I could now breathe again. Went back to condo, up 79 steps carrying groceries and 5 gal jug of water. Asked Olga where a nice restaurant was to take Jennifer for her birthday. She gave us directions to a place within walking distance of the apartment. Got changed and went down 79 steps again ( we don’t need a gym here ). Up one long block, a left and a right and we were there. Walked down into a basement type establishment, to find it was indeed a Café with two people in it a cafeteria type tables. OK Happy Birthday Jen. So far this Birthday did not compare with her 30th skydiving. Jennifer had 2 dried frigadel type hamburgers and kind of coleslaw and I had beef wrapped in a noodle kinda like a big wanton, which was very good and of course, a coke. The whole thing came to about$12.50 includes tipping. Can’t say I don’t take you to the best places! We liked the place and the menu and decided we would come back again someday for a lunch. We asked the owner what time they opened up and she “said ONE” and held up 10 fingers! Ok still don’t know what time to come back, I guess we’ll just wing it. Walked home. The apartment is actually awesome.5 bedrooms, 2 baths, "spiral" wooden staircase, glass surround shower with a remote control, has all the bells and whistles, CD music, mirrors, jets that you can program to hit you anywhere, a heater lamp and even seats if you want to program I for sauna, but serioursly when I get in I just want to say “beam me up Scotty”, a huge jacuzzi tub, chandeliers in every room, and heated floor in one tiled area of living room. A huge living room upstairs with beautiful curtains, fancy furniture and nice surround sound stereo. But the beds are just like Almaty. The water has a yellow tint to it but the bathroom SMELLS so bad like a sewer....it makes , you gag to go into the bathroom. The water from the kitchen sink doesn’t smell or seem discolored but we’re not taking a chance on drinking it. We found that there are no English channels except one and that one they interpret over in Russian so you can’t understand it anyway. We sat in our upstairs living room and Jennifer hooked up the DVD and we tried to watch “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” but we fell asleep, - just as well we have to make these movies last like our food from home. Figured out how to play music on it. I got up in the middle of the night couldn’t sleep. Tried to get the movie back on, touched something, and the DVD won’t work – that was the end of that for the entire trip – watched TV downstairs on a little TV with a #2 in the corner we still have not figured out how to get rid of. So what!