One More Step Toward Home... - by McP

This morning we continued a little family tradition. Just like six years ago when I took baby Mac to get his passport photo done, I took Cal today to get the photo that will grace his Kazakhstan passport - the document that will allow us to leave this country and come home!


Emil snapped this photo just before we walked into the camera shop for the passport photo. The building in the background is Hotel Kazakhstan, once the grandest hotel in the former Soviet Kazakh Republic. In our photo made during this task six years ago, I am holding Mac in about half a foot of snow! It is a bit cooler today, and raining, but still no "cnyk" (snow).

You may remember that six years ago there was a portable building outside our old apartment, where a woman operated a makeshift bar for vodka shots at 25 to 50 tenge a shot. Back then, when I brought baby Mac back from his passport shot, she stopped me and asked to see him, and when we stepped inside she gave to me as gifts for Mac a big plastic model of Hotel Kazakhstan, and a paperweight of the Mir space station. Around the corner from the photo studio I took Cal to today was our old apartment. We walked around while waiting for the photos to be processed, but the portable building was gone. Emil said that the city had cracked down on the makeshift bars. Since it was about the size of our goat barn (and about as clean), it was no great loss. But I am sorry the old lady didn't get to meet Cal.


Last night we went to the best restaurant we have been to while here. It is a little Italian place called "Mama Mia's". We all enjoyed a great meal. The food was obviously fresh and it was a very comfortable setting.

Today we went to the office to sign some more papers. It is now apparent that we will get no break in our timeline, and still have two full weeks (from tonight!) in Kazakhstan. While I know this greatly disappoints Alison, I am o.k. with it. Rarely does a father get to spend this much quality time with his family. I do miss everyone back at home, however.

At the office they have been celebrating their tenth anniversary as an establishment. The Altynbaeva Sisters are three impressive women -a neurologist, an accountant and a lawyer - who have obviously enjoyed a successful decade in putting families together and giving these children a better life. They put us all together, and for that I will forever be so very thankful. It has been good to see them again.


While at the office I thought this flower display celebrating the ten year anniversary would be a good photo oppotunity. I think it is especially good of Alison.


Baby Cal has definately bonded with Alison! The women who work at the office of course look much like the women at the Baby House in Esik. When they again came to make such a big deal over the baby, he would not give them any smiles or anything. Instead, he would turn toward Alison's shoulder and hold her tightly.

After we discovered an error in the paperwork we where there to sign (Cal's middle name was misspelled), Alison and Cal went back to the apartment and Alina, Mac and I went to their favorite place at the Ramstore, "Poctyk'c" (pronounced "Rostick's")- the fast-food chicken joint with the indoor playground! At this place the three of us have had many philosophical discussions and other conversations. Today Mac suggested that I take this photo for Senoria Maria Gonzalez at St. Nicholas - as she requested that we document some of the exotic foods we find in Kazakhstan. I'm not sure if this really qualifies (photo below), but I'm proud that he remembered her request! - McP