April 22, 2008

Maria & Svetlana

Today was a very slow and uneventful day.  Svetlana and Maria spent much of the day at the Department of Education verifying paperwork and adoption status on the available children.  They do not usually do this but have had several incidents recently that made them more comfortable doing this first.  They came by our apartment and we discussed several options but are not able to make any decisions until all the paperwork is verified.  We spent some time talking about general things and then they left to complete their research.  They will call us tomorrow to let us know what the plan is for that day.

Nick and I walked to the grocery store to replenish some basics such as cereal, milk and bread.  I thought I would talk about a few general observations since there was not a lot going on today.

The people are all very friendly and nice although no one ever looks at you or smiles at you.  We mentioned this to Maria, who is always smiling, and asked why they do not smile like she does.  She said that is just the way the people are and that she sometimes gets in trouble for smiling in court.  She said the judge tells her everything is good but you need to stop smiling.  Court, and the judge, are very serious. Maria told us “but if everything is good, why shouldn’t you smile”.  Nick and I like her more and more every time we see her!

I have not seen an obese person yet.  There are some slightly overweight people, but not many.  I have also not seen a fast food restaurant yet and the grocery store has very little processed food.  The cereal, or as they call it muesli, is made from grains, dried fruits, nuts and seeds.  I love the mixed fruit flavor the best!  Most of the bread is whole grain and comes in a dense, hard, whole loaf.  It takes quite a bit of strength to cut through it.  Many of the food items come in bags instead of boxes, even the local milk.  When we asked Maria where the potato chips are located she did not even know what they are.  And of course they were located right next to the beer.  We asked her to recommend a good local beer and she showed them to us.  We have tried a different one each night and have found them to be very good.  The bottle is bigger than what we are used to so Nick and I share one.  Svetlana said the fast food and processed foods are starting to come.  Her 11 year old son loves fast food and French fries and she said he has started to put on weight.  She tries to warn him and get him to stop but said he loves it too much.

Maria and Svetlana said another reason many of the people are not obese is because most of them walk everywhere.  It may be because they can not afford cars but is also that everything is close since this is a small town.  Nick and I have noticed there are always a lot of people out walking.  The weather has been very nice, about 70, since we have been here so the people have been anxious to get out and walk after a long cold winter.  The snow just melted recently.

The women all dress very nice and they all wear high heels.  Maria and Svetlana were laughing today and said it is just what Russian women do and the Americans are always surprised by it.  Even when it is freezing cold the women usually wear a short skirt, thick, decorative stockings, and high heeled boots.  You see a lot of boots, which of course helps keep the legs warm if you are wearing a short skirt.  You see people walking around wearing jeans, but they said you do not wear jeans to the orphanage or to court.  Even when women wear jeans it is usually with high heels.  You see very few sneakers.  Maria said in the winter you see every different kind of hat you can think of and they are usually very colorful.

Those are my main thoughts for now.  It is interesting seeing such a different culture and learning about them.  This is a truly an experience that will not be forgotten.  We are forever thankful for Maria, Svetlana, and Sasha as we would never be able to get around without them.

The Hrenko Family

Adoption Journey to Kazakhstan

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