THE RICHNESS OF A LANGUAGE

They say that the Russian language is a rich language full of a variety of words and tenses that are used to describe different things in the world around us. One might ask, “Just how rich is it?” Well it’s not only rich but very complex. I learned this fact a while ago but was struck again by it the other day when discussing how to say my name in Russian.

The fact is that Russian has six cases and it uses masculine, feminine, and neutral endings for words which combine for some pretty complex combinations with speaking. What I found out about my name is that it has at least five endings to it which is pretty cool when you think about it. I don’t even need any extra nicknames when I’m in Kazakhstan because they already say my name five different ways. Let me give you some primitive examples of how my name might sound when using it as different parts of a sentence. That is the key actually…the ending of the word all depends on what part of speech the word is being used as in a sentence.

In the Russian language, the ending of my name changes in five different ways…
1. Joel is going to work
2. Joelah is not going to work
3. Karl gave the book to Joeloo
4. Karl talks to Joel about work
5. Joelom
6. Joeleh

The Russian language is difficult though, and I haven’t even figured out how the last two cases work, so I can’t give you a correct sentence to match those forms of my name. Either way, it’s pretty fun to see how a name changes in the language. I’d say it is a rich language even if it is difficult to pick up.

- posted by Joel @ 11:29 PM

 
CELEBRATING ANOTHER NEW YEAR

Kazakhs like to celebrate holidays. I believe that I mentioned before that January 1st is the biggest holiday celebration of the year. Well the people here enjoy celebrating the New Year so much that they actually have three different New Year celebrations.

The first, and most important, is January 1st, but there is a second New Year celebration during the second week of January. This celebration is for the former Soviet New Year that they recognize as another opportunity to enjoy a time of festivities. This second new year is not a national holiday (for obvious reasons), but the people still remember it.

As if that weren’t enough, there is a third New Year celebration in the middle of the month of March. Last Monday, all people in Kazakhstan celebrated the Kazakh New Year on March 22nd. This is a national holiday and it is definitely promoted by the government which wants to continue to promote its own traditions and cultures in an effort to separate Kazakhstan from its past. In fact I think that this day is promoted even more by the government than any other day.

Even the day before the celebration, the preparations had already begun. As I was returning home from English Club I saw that part of the main street downtown had been blocked off to allow preparations to begin for the next day’s celebration. Up and down the road that had been blocked off, I saw that people were setting up what could be considered the equivalent of Kazakh Tepees. They call these traditional Kazakh homes, yurts. These one room homes are easily transportable on large flat-bed wagons that were pulled by large animals (oxen, or water buffalo I’m not sure) so that Kazakh nomads could move from place to place when needed. They don’t look exactly like a tepee, but rather like a cylinder shaped base with a domed roof (similar to our modern domed tents used for camping). There are still holes at the apex of the roof where you can visibly see large and flexible wooden branches that criss-cross with each other and bend over and down the other side of the dome. The inside of the yurt is actually quite roomy and filled with colorful carpets from floor to roof. Tables are situated low to the ground and people usually sit on the carpet when eating. So these are the traditional homes used by Kazakhs throughout history.

In addition to the yurt display, there were some concerts and dance presentations taking place on stages throughout the area. I also heard (but didn’t see) that there was a small parade with a marching band and traditionally Kazakh dressed people walking and riding on horses and camels. A lot of people from Karaganda and the surrounding villages came in for the special day to celebrate the New Year.

Another significant aspect of this celebration is that Kazakhs consider this to be the official first day of spring. The weather was pretty nice on that day, but I’m not convinced that it’s really the first day of spring because just yesterday we had a storm blow in and hit is with rain in the afternoon and snow in the middle of the night. Of course, this actually could be a normal spring for them, and I’m just not used to this type of weather where I come from. Either way, at least we can celebrate having crazy and unusual weather for the New Year!

- posted by Joel @ 2:14 PM

 
COLD WEATHER CONTINUES TO LINGER

It’s nearing the end of March now and I saw that the temperatures in California are nearing perfection…at least I think so. About 65-70 degrees is the most beautiful weather in the world.

And I’m dying to see and feel that just about now…

Today the temperature was a bearable but jacket-required 20 degrees farenheight. Like most of the rest of the people here, this is the time of the year when the weather can become a little bit depressing. The snow and ice is still spread out on the ground wherever the sun does not shine. I remember when I lived in North Dakota how anxious I was to wear summer clothes again. As soon as the temperature reached the mid-50s, I was tempted to start wearing shorts again even though it wasn’t quite the right timing.

But there is a shimmer of hope on the horizon. The spring sun is beginning to come out and the temperatures aren’t expected to drop below zero for any extended periods of time. I’m already anxious to break out the shorts and short sleeves as soon as the temperature permits. Although most people don’t wear shorts in public during the summer, I think I’ll have reached the point where I’m not worried about being looked at strangely because I look different…that’s been the story of my life the last seven months as it is. I have it a little easier than some foreigners here because I look a lot like a Russian native (I’ve been told that by more than one Russian native), but as soon as I open my mouth, smile like an American, or walk with a “I’m a foreigner” strut, people know that I’m different and they definitely are watching. Everybody is watching.

Here in Kazakhstan the men do not normally wear shorts in public, and I’m not completely sure why. In general, most don’t even wear shorts when playing sports in an indoor gym unless it’s soccer. Some have told me it’s because of the culture, which often is a culture of assimilation. For obvious historical reasons, many people are afraid of being independent from what society dictates they should be. Some students have told me that this is one reason why they like American culture. People aren’t afraid to be an individual; that they can be whoever they want. I see pros and cons to that. People can go any direction they want and it’s a freedom we have in the United States, but so often we forget about others and leave them behind at the same time in an effort to be an individual in a society that raises so many people who need the help of others who are blessed with more than they are. Not that it is any different here. It seems that no matter what the government or economical set up of a country, a minority of the people end up in the top few spots and a majority end up in the middle or bottom of the pile all scrambling to get out.

- posted by Joel @ 6:56 AM

 
I LOCKED MYSELF…INSIDE THE HOUSE!

Only in Kazakhstan can you do this, or at least only in Kazakhstan can I manage to do this. Yes I locked not only myself, but six other people inside a friend’s apartment during a recent visit to Kokshetau, a city in the northern part of the country. We traveled there for the weekend to visit two other teachers and to celebrate the birthday of one of them. It was a big surprise for her and an enjoyable trip for all of us. It was an eleven hour train ride up there and we stayed a little more than a day, so we almost spent as much time on the train as we did in the city, but it was a lot of fun.

Well back to this interesting situation of locking everyone inside the apartment. We were staying at a friend’s flat for the evening after the birthday party and seven of us had come back around midnight after the party had finished. As we came inside the entry way, we began to shed off our shoes, hats, and coats that were vigorously protecting us from the violence of the wind and snow we had just experienced on our walk from the bus stop. I was the last one inside the flat and as would be normal I proceeded to close the door behind me and lock it. Most flats here have two doors: An outer door with a lock and an inner door that is not as strong but also has a lock. At my flat, we usually lock both doors at night for security reasons. As seemed normal to me, I closed and locked the outer door and then shut the inner door. Unbeknownst to me, my big mistake was coming up. After shutting the inner door I turned the lock that would allow the square shaped deadbolt to slide into the metal sleeve that was attached to the outer molding of the frame.

I thought that all was well and that we could begin to relax until one of the residents of the flat quickly noticed what I had done. There was a gasp and then another gasp from the other resident, and then there were a lot of blank stares and questions about what had just happened. What had just happened? I had no idea. It turns out that I had just used the lock that was broken. Apparently this inner door lock had been broken for about three years and they had never locked it since the last time they had used it. The lock would slide into the metal sleeve when you turned it closed, but it would not open back up when you wanted to get out because the locking mechanism was too weak to bring the stop back into the closed position. It was during that first experience they were locked in the flat for several hours until someone could come and pry the door off the hinges from the outside!

Suddenly I felt quite embarrassed with what I had done even though it was completely an accident. The rest of the guests were just as surprised as I was, but then again they weren’t surprised that it had happened here. We tampered with the lock a little bit in an effort to try and get it to open, but they were right on target when they said that it didn’t work. We were locked in the house. It was an unusual feeling. I looked at it on the bright side though because at least were about to go to sleep for the night and we had the next morning to figure out what we were going to do to get out of the house.

Morning came and I found the residents of the flat evaluating the lock and experimenting with ways that they might open it up and free us from our imprisonment. Perhaps against my better judgment, I decided to join the battle and lend a helping hand in an effort to redeem myself for my actions the previous night. I got out my trusty old bike tool (it was my substitute Swiss Army Knife) that had a set of screwdriver heads and Alan wrenches on them and began to look for a way to detach the lock from the molding of the door frame. Eventually we found two Philips screws inserted into the locking sleeve and I removed them. After fiddling with the lock a little bit more, I was surprised to find out that I was able to loosen the sleeve enough so that it would not rub up against the door stop and prevent it from retracting. It worked! The lock was unlocked. I was saved! Well we were all saved and it called for a celebration…so a couple of the teachers went out and got coffee to bring back for breakfast. I was relieved and happy to see that I actually overcame a battle of man versus mechanism…it was a rare victory for me. That year in the Home Depot door department really did do me some good! Thank you Millworks Team!

So now that we were able to get out of the house again, we did enjoy an afternoon of sightseeing and walking around the city. We saw several statues such as the ones pictured below and we had a good afternoon visiting with our friends.

A Statue of a Russian Solider Waving a Flag


A Statue of an Early Kazakhstan Leader...and a Current Kazakhstan Teacher

- posted by Joel @ 11:31 PM

 
LADIES, THIS DAY IS FOR YOU

Last month I shared with all of you about a special day for men that is celebrated at the end of February. It is supposed to be for men in the military, but it has spread itself out to include all men of any age.

Well today, March 8th, is a much bigger day for those of the female persuasion who live in Central Asia. Today is National Woman’s Day, and it is a much bigger holiday than Men’s Day. It’s a little like Mother’s Day in the states, except that all the women that are close to you in your life should be congratulated for being a woman and for all the great qualities that they have. Blessings should be bestowed upon them in the way of flowers, food, and compliments.

On Man’s Day, the ladies in our class presented the men with cards and compliments, so the guys in my class decided that we would not be outdone by their thoughtfulness, and we decided to plan a little complimentary celebration of our own for the lovely ladies in the 4pm Business-English class. Upon my suggestion we decided that we would prepare and serve dinner for them at my apartment. We took time planning this out after class, and the ladies were quite surprised and excited about the prospect of being served by the guys.

Today’s time of fellowship was a great example of service and fellowship as four gentlemen came to my place early in the afternoon and prepared a dinner for the ladies who would show up in the evening. When they arrived, we sat them all down in the living room and refused them entrance into the kitchen for the entire evening. Not one plate would be washed and not one hand would be lent for helping by them today! It was all on us guys.


As they had presented cards to us, three of the gentlemen spent time beforehand in the living room coming up with a poem or a greeting to write on a card for each lady in the class while the rest of us prepared the food in the kitchen. We presented the cards to them while they ate.

It was such a blessing just to see the smiles on their face and to give to them a little bit of the service that they are so faithfully expected to always show to men in such a culture as this. Kazakhstan culture usually demands that the woman be the stay-at-home parent (unless there is only one parent, which is very common also) and clean and cook. Not that this is a dishonorable job at all, but all mom’s out there know how nice it is to have a meal cooked for them once in a while and so these ladies appreciated it just the same.


After the meal, we took some pictures together and the ladies went back to their homes while we stayed to clean up. There was a lot of food left over so the men stayed around for a while and took some time to relax from their efforts while I taught them how to play a new card game. We enjoyed a good time of fellowship and after everyone finally left I finished cleaning up and found myself to be completely wiped out from the day’s events. However, it was well worth the chance to celebrate this holiday, and it was a good way to honor the ladies on their special day.

- posted by Joel @ 11:28 PM

 
WHY DID HE HAVE TO DIE?

The new movie about the death of Christ, The Passion of Christ has been all over the news lately and has caused a lot of controversy among just about every person from every group or background. Everyone seems to have to have an opinion of the latest Mel Gibson flick that has been labeled as the most violent and bloody portrayal of the crucifixion of Christ in modern times. Many people said this is a wonderful portrayal of love and sacrifice, and it really shows what Jesus went through when he died. But I’ve also heard many people saying recently is, “Okay so we see how horrible it was to be beaten, scourged, spit upon, mocked, and hung on a cross for six hours, but this movie doesn’t explain why Jesus had to die, it only shows how disfigured a man could be after getting beaten by a Roman cohort of 300 soldiers.”

This is exactly the question that was asked of me by a friend last night at our weekly discussion, not because of the movie, but because of some previous discussions we had about the death of Jesus. My friend wanted to know if there was any other way for mankind to be saved and why did Christ allow himself to be subjected to such torment? Was it because he was a weak man who couldn’t defend himself (see Matthew 26:52-53), or because he wanted to show his love for us? Why would anyone choose to show their love for another person by being crucified?

As we looked into the words of Jesus, Himself, we saw that He came down to earth for two reasons. He came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). So the whole purpose of Jesus was to die as a ransom for the people of the whole world. But if Jesus is to be a ransom for us, then what are we being held in captivity by? Why should we need to be saved by anything? What is it that is holding us captive to cause Jesus the Lord take the form of a man and come down to give His life for us?

Well we studied further and found out that Jesus came to ransom Himself and save us from the most ruthless terrorist ever known to roam the face of the earth: Pride. It has held every one of us captive and from the day we were born and has been the source of our sin and our wrongdoing. He and I read how our futile lives were inherited from our forefathers (1 Pet. 1:18) and that we needed to be cleaned and rescued from the captivity of pride and sin that separated us from God.

We saw how our payment for sinning was to be given the death penalty, but God the Father provided us with a gift that would allow us to escape that penalty (Rom. 6:23). Jesus came and took my place in death because it should have been me on that cross dieing because of my own sins…it should have been you on that cross dieing for your own sins…each one of us should have been on that cross taking responsibility for our actions…but Jesus came instead. And that is wonderful news for us.

If you saw the movie, you now understand how much pain and torment Jesus experienced, but do you understand that He did this for you and for me to save us from experiencing that for ourselves? The sacrifice of Christ and of God the Father was the greatest sacrifice in the history of the world. I don’t know any father who would choose to give his only son to die for a group of people who hated him, who were disobedient to him (that group being the entire world), and who did not want to acknowledge that they had chosen not to follow God, but to follow Pride as their master. I certainly wouldn’t want to do that to my only son. But the love of God is greater than I can understand

…and that gives me more joy and peace in this life then anything else ever could.

Approximately 700 years before the death of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah prophesied the exact details of the crucifixion of Christ

…so his appearance was marred more than any man and his form more than the sons of men…he was despised and forsaken of men…and like one from whom men hide their face…surely our grief He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried…But He was pierced through for our sins, He was crushed for our iniquities…and by His scourging we are healed…the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.

About 30 years after the death of Christ, an eye witness to His crucifixion named Peter penned these words about the purpose for his death. Peter was there when the prophecies were fulfilled and he came to realize that the enormous suffering that Jesus endured was all for the sake of you and me so that we would not have experience the same thing

…knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you…who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats…and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, for by His wounds you were healed.


- posted by Joel @ 6:31 AM