Are You a Kaz 23, or the Parent of a Kaz 23?

Peace Corps Kazakhstan is getting ready to accept another group of volunteers in March. As a product of the worldwide expansion, Kazakhstan's program has moved to 2 PSTs a year (one in March, and one in August). If you happen to be a Kaz 23 Volunteer set to leave for staging on March 9th, I encourage you to join the following Google group:

http://groups.google.com/group/kaz23

Here, you can post questions to current volunteers as well as connect with others in your group. If you're a parent who's stalking the blog circuit desperately trying to get more info about "the 'Stan place where my son/daughter will be living for far too long", feel free to join the group as well. Or, you can message me directly with your questions (I know my mom felt left out of the information circuit). In general, here are the most important points I wish I had known:

-The baggage weight/restrictions that Peace Corps published in the staging packet were more like "guidelines" to deter you from bringing every possession you own. Not a single person measured our bags, and all of the overweight bag fees were paid by Peace Corps. That being said, they aren't kidding when they tell you to bring only what you can carry. We had to lug our belongings over considerable distances, and nobody can help you carry your things when everyone is already maxed out. Additionally, Peace Corps will give you 30 pounds of things when you get here (water purification system, medical bag, Russian dictionary, training books, etc) and none of us factored this into our carrying capacity.

-It's useful to have a smaller duffle/weekend bag. I maxed out the baggage limitations with a large backpacking bag and 2 rolling suitcases. Though these were useful for the "big move", they have proved pretty useless on weekend trips in-country, or even short vacations out of country. I use a local rice bag for this purpose, but it would have been nice to have brought my own for short trips.

-Office supplies can be found in Kazakhstan, but certain items are so bad you shouldn't even bother. I am NOT a teacher, so I am not responsible for bringing my own classroom supplies, but I have had to use the basics now and then for trainings (markers, pens, posterboard, etc). I brought 3 packs of Crayola markers, 6 packs of crayons, 3 rolls of Scotch, a 2 sets of permanent markers. The crayons and scotch can be bought here, as can sticky notes. Permanent markers or regular markers will dry out instantly if you purchase them locally. If you're prioritizing office supplies, put markers on the top of the list and don't bring pens and notebooks. Those things you can get here.

-Buy shoes in America, but buy winter clothing in Kazakhstan. Shoes here are only designed to last one season (if that) and will cost what seems to be an arm and a leg. Invest in shoes before you come, and rest assured that Peace Corps will take you to the bazaar in Almaty to purchase winter clothing after site placement is released. Chances are, the winter clothing you bring will be so strange here that it's better to wait just for integration's sake. The North Face jacket that was popular in Texas is not so popular here because it lacks the obligatory fur, tassels, zippers, and faux leopard print. Bring what's comfortable to you if you already have it, but otherwise, save your money for when you go shopping in Almaty.

-Bring your own coffee, french press, or mini-grinder if you are a caffeine addict. Kazakhstan is all about the tea, and its coffee is only instant (read:mud).

-Invest in quality anti-virus software and a surge protector (on higher end converters you can get a surge protector built-in). In a lot of smaller towns, electricity does not run on a constant current, and during PST, I lost my first power cord from a surge and had to have another one mailed to me 6 weeks later. Not convenient.

-Bring less clothes. In Kazakhstan, it is not out of the ordinary to repeat outfits in the same week. Often, my coworkers wear the same outfit (or a slight variation therein) on back to back days. Moreover, I drastically misjudged what is "fashionable" and "work appropriate" despite the best of intentions. It is important to bring clothes for a variety of activities (fitness, hiking, swimming, teaching, riding the train, going on vacation, lounging, etc) but plan to buy some clothes here just to fit in, and plan on seeing your co-workers wear the same outfits week in and week out. You don't need 7 work shirts and 4 pairs of pants, but you DO need your favorite hoodie to remind you of home when it's -40 outside.

-There is no way to bring it all, so don't fret trying to. Your daily life in this country is linked to your site and that site's geographic location. The differences between North and South are extreme, and you will have to buy things here for site-specific integration/comfort. If you accept that you really have no idea how your life will be, you'll stress less about bringing the things to make other people happy and more about bringing the things you know you'll miss. Like brownies, tampons with applicators, and peanut butter cups.

-On that note, tampons with applicators don't exist. In most places, tampons don't exist. Fact.

-REMEMBER TO BRING PRESENTS AND PHOTOS FROM HOME. This cannot be stressed enough. You will live with 2 host families before having the opportunity of finding your own apartment, and you should bring both families a gift. You should also bring "extra gifts" to give to your school/Director/counterpart when you go to site. Good gifts include American candy, candles, or souvenirs from America. Prepare a photo album of your daily life back home: your family, where you went to school, a picture of your house, photos of your town, etc. If you think the photo is boring, it's the exact thing they will want to see. Last, if you really want to please a crowd, bring one of those "famous places in America" map that has little pictures of all of our landmarks. Chances are they've heard of some of them, but they've never seen it laid out visually. One day your Russian will be good enough to explain it all, and when that day comes, you'll be so happy to have such a small, silly little thing.