Count down

Baby girl is still not feeling well but trying hard to rally at the the playroom party.

Beehet told me yesterday that I can bring Maya home to the apartment on Wednesday as long as she is better. Funny. You'd think she would get better faster in the apartment away from 100+ kids passing germs around. Anyway, that is my campaign pitch.

A bit about Kazak pop culture....Driver's choice of music in the car is primarily American Rap and club music. Second runner up is Beyonce. And believe it or not some Celine Dion and George Michael. Everyone here has a cell phone and the rings are most often an American song. God knows how long it will take upon my return to get the most commonly heard song on the radio or on a cell phone out of my head - Smack That. out on the floor....smack that... gimme some more....tappin' my foot as I type.

I just came from dinner with a new Mom adopting a gorgeous baby girl, Julianna. Elise is a single woman from New Jersey. We have the immediate East Coast bond. She arrived at dinner frenzied, fast talking and animated as only East Coast people can be (God I miss that), telling me she is fed up with everyone staring at her and pointing to her head!! On her walk to the restaurant she was stopped on the street by several stern looking, older Russian women. They scolded her by pointing to her hatless head, where is your hat stupid woman!!!

As adults we learn to be polite, wait your turn, say excuse me and thank you. Not here. Survival of the fittest. What is that about? Why are they so angry? Leftover oppression? And why are they all so skinny? A genetic fight to stay alive? As Americans we haven't had to fight for anything except for the remote in a million years. Anyway, for such a rude bunch they are surprisingly soft spoken. I've learned to say the very few words I know in Russian looking down and in a whisper. So Elise has now had the ephiphany we all seem to have our first week...push, shove, scowl and mumble. How quickly I move from proud to critical huh? I am proud. I just find all of this interesting. Some would say the same of my home state, New York.

The deal about the hat is this. The belief here is that being cold causes colds. That is why the babies are bundled up so tight they look like stick figures. Nobody walks in public without being covered with hat, scarf, coat, and boats. Even the men. On the day of court Gusanna wore this cute little black skirt on her 22 year old size negative zero body, black pantyhose, and boots. Cute as a button. It was freezing and windy that day. Beehet took one look at her and in a Motherly, concerned tone told her to cover up her legs. She threw a scarf over her legs in the car. I asked Gusanna about it. She said that Beehet is worried about her fertility. What??? If she gets a cold down there she won't be able to have children. I really try to be respectful of the crazy old wives tales here but couldn't help laughing. Now, whenever she wears a skirt I shake my finger at her.....remember your fertility...

The count down has begun. I'm actually crossing out days on my calendar like a prisoner awaiting parole. Love my beautiful daughter's country but time to go home.