Home at last, home at last...

What a busy week it has been.

Monday of course was court.  We had a nice pre-court visit with Nurai at the Baby House then headed over to court.  The actual court session was quick and painless and we left with an immediate decision in favor of our adoption of Nurai.

We left court, drove over to register her passport application and then headed back to the Baby House to take a quick group shot of the four of us post court.

As you can see, though Tougy was done with all pretense of holding it together by this point in her napless day, KJ and I were just beaming to finally be here at this moment, a family of four.

Nurai, as you will see more clearly in shots later, greeted us on this last day with a bit of a battle scar.  Of course the care giver initially walked in and handed her to us without saying anything about the obvious bruising to her cheek, then seemed surprised when we asked about it.

Turns out it was a bit of a love bite from a friend and left distinct upper and lower gum marks.  Thankfully no teeth were present.  Poor Nurai, though honestly she seemed unaware, or at least unaffected.

Following our quick trip to the Baby House, it was back to our in-country team's office to sign the last bits of paper, review a timeline and settle up payments for our apartment, our translator, our driver, and our coordinator's fees.  

By this point we were all just ready to flop down on our pillows and await the morning.  We were emotionally and physically drained and had little to offer to the outside world.

 

Tuesday we flew from Shymkent to Almaty and had a most beautiful sunny and blue day -  observed mostly from our hotel window.  We did get out for a mid-afternoon walk up to Tsum to find the oft-mentioned 'third floor', home of the best selection of Kazakh curios, but the was the extent of our outing.

We stayed at Hotel Kazhol and had a very nice two room suite with a true king sized bed(well box spring anyway) and a huge bathroom.  We had stayed here once before as we were leaving the country after our failed initial trip in July 07 and had a horrible dank, tiny room, with a small box spring for roughly the same price of around 170USD.

The exchange rate difference helped a lot as then it was 115/dollar, and presently it is 150/dollar, but I also know that the hotel as a whole has undergone some rather major renovations and changes.  All in all very pleasant, and as a room, far better than our 500/night Hyatt Room in December of 2007.

As we were flying out on KLM rather than Lufthansa, we got a full night sleep before heading to the airport at 7am for our 9:20 flight.  The flight left right on schedule and we had a comfortable row of four in the middle for the three of us.

By this point, I was well and truly sick with something and spent much of the flight alternately shivering under a hat, jacket, hood and blankets, and then sweating and clammy in just a shirt.  KJ did an amazing job of holding it all together and guiding the three of us home.

Tougy really didn't sleep that first 8 hour flight to Amsterdam, nor did she sleep during our 2.5 hour layover, and so KJ had to stay awake with her and be the one to keep her busy and content to sit quietly in our seats.

For our flight to Boston we were in the back of the plane in a middle row of three and again Tougy refused to sleep for the first 5 hours of the flight, only finally relenting to close her eyes and lay down for the final 2.5 hours of a 20 hour travel day to Boston.  At this point, KJ finally got to close her eyes as well.  And to think, at one point I entertained the idea of making the return trip for Nurai alone - yeah right!

Of course, Boston still does not mean we are home and so we are met at the airport by KJ's mom who lovingly drives us the last 3.5 hours back to Boothbay.  Tougy slept the whole way, and I through much of it while KJ sat up front with her mom.

Arriving back at the house was magical.  To see Tougy's excited dance when she got out of the car and saw her dogs was just such an exclamation point to the whole journey.  At that point, it was over and we were home.

Well, that part was over anyways.  I will write more and put up photos and video soon.  I hope that all our stateside friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that the rest of you are happy and well.

It was so nice to come home and actually see the blog, and fun to be able to look through all of the Nurai photos from beginning to end and to see the changes in both her spirit and her physical abilities.  I know that these next few weeks will pass quickly and that we will soon enough find ourselves making plans to return to Kaz.  More soon.  Take Care.

Done and Done!

The courts approved our petition and we are now the proud parents of TWO Kazakh daughters!

The day was long and all of us are a bit wiped out.  Don't get me wrong, we are thrilled that it all went well, but now, with all the anticipation released, our collective energies have just found new lows.

Certainly looking forward to a throwaway day tomorrow in Almaty with little to do but sleep, eat, and get ready for Wednesday's longer flights.  All that is left at this point is just to sit and await the paperwork's completion - from home of course.

Take Care.

Sunday afternoon here in Shymkent and we are just waiting around and clicking our heels together.  Before we know it, I'm sure we'll be singing John Denver too.

KJ and Tougy just walked over to MEGA to pick up a few more things from the Ramstore to get us through the next 36 hours, but apart from that it has been a mellow relaxing day here at the apartment.

We tried to postpone it as long as we could, but as of this morning we could resist it no longer, and so we dove right in and packed everything up.

Preparing the pack-out is such a wonderful time.  The nostalgia over what has been mixes with the anticipation of the familiar and all that lies ahead and you just find yourself in a slightly dreamlike space.

Tomorrow(monday) we visit Nurai from 1-2 then go over to our 2:30 court appearance.  Assuming that all goes well, we will then register and submit our paperwork, settle up our local accounts, and go to sleep one last time here in Shymkent.

Tuesday we board a 10am flight to Almaty, arriving before noon, and spend the rest of the day without any real plans.  Hopefully we have good weather as it would be fun to go back up to the top of Kok Tobe.

We took the tram to the top with Tougy on our way out in December of 2007 and spent the afternoon walking in the snow with Jen, Marshall, and Aila Robinson.  This time it will be just the three of us.

After what is hopefully a fun and relaxing day in Almaty, we wake up Wednesday to head home.  Thankfully, the return trip on KLM takes only 17 hours to Boston, and because of all the time zones we cross through, we arrive but 6 hours later.

Our plan at the moment is for both KJ and me to return, most likely in early January, for a quick trip to bring home Nurai.  If we fly Lufthansa, we can leave on a Saturday evening and arrive in Almaty just after midnight early Monday morning.

Mid morning that same day we would fly out to Shymkent, go the Baby House to meet up with Nurai, spend a few hours here in town, then board the overnight train back to Almaty.

Arriving back in Almaty early Tuesday morning, we would have four solid business days in which to get things done before flying out early Saturday morning and returning to Boston Saturday afternoon.

If it all works out, we would only be away from Tougy for a week.  After Thanksgiving we will open up the bidding for whomever would like to babysit Tougy in our absence.

These past fews days in Shymkent have really been very nice.  As expected, we visited again with Nurai in the spacious Music Room and everything went great.  She is such a trooper and was full of smiles and snorts and giggles.

When we get home we will post some more photos as well as some video from our time here to try and give you a better sense of her wonderful personality.  I think you will fall for her just as we have.

Yesterday we took a little journey over to the zoo which was surprisingly large, though to a large extent, vacant.  It did have a few surprises however such as a female Bengal Tiger and two cubs, and an unusually high number of different bears in variously small concrete enclosures.

I don't really know what else to say at this point.  We are a little checked out now that just a quick visit and court stands between us and home.  I will write a bit tomorrow night after court to let you know how things went, but then expect not to have much to say until we are home in Maine.

Tougy is so excited about seeing her dogs and her room and of course her friends at school.  She has done so well here with us this past month and we are so grateful for all that she has done to be helpful.

Fun to think that Thanksgiving Day back home will be exactly 2 years after our court date for Tougy's process.  November and December will be packed with special days for both girls as they move through their lives.

Nurai will turn 1 on 28 December, though unfortunately, most likely without her family around her.

For those who missed it in an earlier post, her full name will be:

Nurai Alia Anson Morrison

Nurai of course is the name given to her by her Birthmom and means 'shine of the moon'.  Alia is a Kazakh name and is the name of a famous female warrior.  Anson is a family name on my side of the family and most recently was my uncles middle name.

Take Care.

Yeah, things were better today...

As you can see, our swanky new digs are a far cry from the dregs of old.  I cannot tell you how amazingly different everything was given this new space in which to visit with Nurai, though I think you can no doubt feel the difference in the photos.  Such a wonderfully different vibe.

Nurai was a completely different child as well today.  So devastating to think that as she approaches eleven months old, this is likely the first time she has been given the space and opportunity to roll around and explore.

She was incredibly chatty and inquisitive.  She maneuvered herself in full circles and numerous times brought herself up into crawl position, though never actually made any way.

Tougy was wholly different as well.  She finally had the space and permission to be a toddler during our visits and could move around, run, jump, climb, and be noisy all without getting so much as a sideways glance from us.

It was so liberating to not bear, nor transfer on to Tougy, the stress that came from visiting in the hallway outside the director's office.  I can tell you it was a great day and yet I feel both joy and sadness watching Nurai blossom.  The joy is obvious.  The sadness comes from thinking of what could have been, and perhaps should have been.

Sad also to think that beginning next week and continuing until we return, her days will reinvent themselves into hours of idle awaiting.  I don't fault the Baby House nor its staff necessarily for the fact that the children get so little attention and development, it is a mostly a matter of finance, but it is sad none the less.

As you can see, given our new found privacy and space, we also forwent the masks today.  I can't help but lament the absurdity and randomness of this measure.  KJ and I were asked to wear them, Tougy was not.  Our translator wore one, our driver (who moved around the baby house far more than any of us) did not, some of the staff wore them always, some never, and some always seemed to have them at the ready near their chin.

All the same, it was nice to interact with Bounder in a more intimate and personal way and for her to see our facial expressions, and our faces in general.  Sure there is voice and tone and other things to latch on to, but primarily she is bonding with a face and learning to respond to our expressions.  To strip that away in the overly optimistic hope that our wearing a mask will keep the children healthy has been just another frustration to this point.

So now we have one more of these wonderful visits to look forward to tomorrow before our last weekend here.  I am grateful for the chance to visit Nurai in such conditions, and for these to be our parting memories as we prepare to leave for a number of weeks.

I don't yet know what Mondays schedule will look like, though as our court session is set for 2:30 and as the music room is not available until after 1:00, it seems unlikely that will will have anything but a hallway visit Monday.

We have asked if it might be possible to return to the Baby House following court to hold her again and to tell her of the courts decision and to take another photo of the four of us before leaving.

It is difficult to second guess what might have been, but given that we came over to Kaz intending to stay the duration of the process, I imagine that the likelihood of that having happened would have been infinitely greater had we been able to visit Nurai in conditions such as we had today.  In time it will be but a piece of our story, but tonight it weighs heavy upon us still.

Today's photos of the four of us are actually the first we have taken together.  So glad we finally had the space and light to do so.  It was so very nice to leave the flash in the bag all day long as I have never been fond of flash images, but obviously had little choice until now.

I am thrilled to finally have some of the sorts of images of Nurai that we have of Tougy from her process.  It is an important part of her life and I am grateful to have images that now honor both the gravitas and humanity of the moment.  We love you Nurai and are overjoyed that we will all soon be a family.

Take Care.

We will see if Blogspot lets us on tonight.  It has been a day to day thing around here for whatever reason.  Though we still can’t view our blog by going to aitugan.com (it just won’t load), until the last few days we had been able to log in to our blogger account and create new posts or edit old posts.  Now we seem unable to do even that.  We will see if tonight is any different.

Much has happened since we last spoke, so let’s dive right in. 

Nurai is doing wonderfully well.  She is bright eyed and cheerful, has a wonderful little giggle, and of course those sweet dimples. 

She is doing very well with both sitting and standing, and on a few occasions has gotten up into a crawl position with her knees under her and done that gecko mating dance thing of ramping back and forth whilst terrific grunting noises emanate from some primordial place within her tiny body.

A steady hand placed in the small of her back allows her to play upright in a sitting position for minutes at a time before the inevitable forward flop, while a single hand gently under an armpit allows her to stand and rock quite successfully for five or more minutes at a stretch.

Visits to the ‘Cell’ continue as they have since the beginning, though today may have marked a real, if grossly overdue, changing point.  I don’t want to belabor the point, but it truly is a tiny space measuring 4’6” wide and 4’8” long and bounded by 3 walls and a table.  I spend most of the visits sitting on my ankles because my legs simply take up too much valuable space otherwise. 

Making matters worse is the fact that the Baby House Director’s office is just a few feet away from our space.  On a number of occasions when Tougy is acting up or being loud, a head will pop out of the doorway and look disapprovingly at us and ask what is wrong with her.  It is truly maddening.

 I mentioned that today, day 22, may have been a turning point because as I was visiting with Nurai, a woman I had never seen before was standing at the director’s doorway motioning for me to pick Nurai up off the floor and indicating through Russian charades that the ground was cold and the baby would get sick. 

Having been witness to the irrational fear of cold a number of times before, I dutifully ignored her and attempted to get back to my visit, but she was persistent and began a tirade of motions and words to which I eventually looked up and responded ‘Nyet’ with a haphazard wave-off with my hand.  

Well that wasn’t the end of that.  She disappeared for a bit but then came back with one of the baby house higher-ups and asked where Zhenia (my translator) was.  A few minutes later I see them all talking at the other end of the hall, and not long after that, Zhenia asks me to come downstairs and talk with the Baby House folks. 

As it happens, the woman I tried to ignore is the Director, not of the Baby House, but of the children’s rehabilitation center in which the Baby House has temporarily set up shop while renovations continue at the official Baby House.  Confusing I know, but essentially at the moment, she is higher than the Baby House Director, and as such, asked them to find a more suitable place for us. 

Turns out, with just two visits left, that the large, sunny, warm, and carpeted Music Room is vacant from 1-4 everyday, and ‘would we mind changing our visit time’?  Well damn that sure seemed simple.  Couldn’t have thought of that, oh I don’t know, maybe three weeks ago.

That visits had been so impractical as the four of us in the small space is the reason why we, on several occasions, have left one of us back with Tougy at the apartment while the other visited, and certainly played a large part in our decision to return home immediately following court. 

Now of course, as this new and vastly superior space looms, we are frustrated by both the loss of bonding and development that could have occurred over the past 3-plus weeks, and that which may have been had our plans been to stay a little longer. 

Why Kaz adoption is so full of such trials is really beyond me.  We try and remain positive and want desperately to believe that our agency and its affiliates want both what is best for the child and what is best for the family, but really, it is difficult at times to see the logic in the choices made and the degree of confusion that results from the seemingly arbitrary withholdings, misdirections, and mistruths. 

On this topic, we recently found out that Aitugan’s birth mom was reportedly from Shymkent.  We heard this a couple weeks ago from our in-country coordinator here who had spoken with her counterpart in Astana with whom we worked in 2007.  This was certainly news to us. 

As we approached our court date for Tougy’s adoption, we had been given a long and fairly detailed story about whom the birthmother might have been, but it never involved a location I assure you.  As KJ spoke with this our old coordinator today for the first time since we left Astana, it was suggested that we were told, but must have forgotten. 

No, I don’t think so.  Given that we have clung to every detail we were given and still remembered the story exactly as it was retold to us again today, it is truly not possible that the one detail we did forget was that the birthmother had a hometown, and that that hometown was here in Shymkent. 

A further confounding mistruth(is that less accusatory than saying lie – we still need her help) was confirmed today.  I hesitate somewhat to write this for we now know that Nurai is a wonderful completion to our family, but you all know we had our doubts and fears early on, so I will just be honest. 

We were specifically told to show up here in Kaz ASAP as there were two available children that matched our criteria.  As you know, we spent a considerable amount of energy and money moving our travel date up as much as we possibly could and were on a plane four days later.  

Soon after arriving at the Baby House that first day, we asked about other available children and were told another family ‘from America… or maybe Europe’ had arrived ahead of us and was bonding with one of the children. 

Well we were suspicious then, grew doubtful as weeks went by and we never saw sign of them, and know now that we are in fact the only family to have visited since the Baby House moved the facilities a few days before our arrival.

So why the lie ( okay I said it), and why the false hurry up over kids we were never shown.  You just want to call them out on their crap, but at the same time they are all you have here in country and you need them to continue.  It flat out sucks!  Deep Breath…

So we have a court date as I think I have mentioned previously, and that day is next Monday at 2:30pm.  As we are now to be visiting Nurai in the new space at 1:30pm, I am doubtful that we will get a full visit in on Monday, though we have asked to return to the Baby House after court for a final visit. 

We then plan to spend Monday night here in Shymkent, fly Tuesday morning to Almaty, then fly Wednesday morning from Almaty to Boston through Amsterdam.  You may recall we had hoped to meet up with Sara, Adam and Rylie Tennen in Astana for a few days and then hoped to spend some time in Almaty with Gary and Stephanie Karp… well plans change.

The Tennens arrived here in Kaz a couple days ago now and, as seems to be happening with greater frequency, were shown children who fell entirely outside of their Homestudy/USCIS approvals.  They are en route to a different city here in Kaz in the morning in hopes that their child does indeed exist in Kaz. 

As for the Karp family, I have not talked with Steph to know exactly what has happened, I just know that their travel plans have been delayed and they remain at home.  Our hearts and thoughts go out to both families.

We are looking forward to being home, and have been led to believe that court here is a simple and straightforward affair with little if anything to fear, and so we hope for a smooth last few days here in Shymkent. 

Continuing with the idea of being honest, this process has been very difficult emotionally for all three of us and has taxed us all in ways we probably don’t yet fully realize.  Having Tougy here with us this time has been the biggest difference, and while we certainly can’t imagine her not being with us this whole time, it changes everything. 

For her, the lack of peers, structure, familiarity, and general freedom has been palpably difficult, while for us, the lack of personal time and down time is draining.  We are with Tougy all day long and then try to take care of other things, like this blog, after she is asleep, but she is not sleeping well or regularly, and as a result neither are we. 

The lack of freedom to plan and move through your day as fits the needs of the family is also difficult.  Of course this was the case in Astana as well, but then it was just KJ and me. 

Hoping that whatever time our in-country team has selected for a given anything will agree with Tougy’s schedule and current position along what seems to be a limited continuum ranging from merely tired to wiped out is taking its toll on all of us. 

The amount of energy expended coaxing and cajoling Tougy to hold it together for ‘five more minutes’ repeatedly throughout the day leaves us all on the empty side and there has been little with which to recharge or rebalance.  Tougy so misses her school and her friends, and I miss it for her as well. 

Likewise, I selfishly miss my freedom.  I love Tougy dearly, but that doesn’t mean that I would choose to spend every minute of every day with her.  Sounds like such a horrible thing to say, but the things that make me happy and recharge my soul and, in that state, enable me to be a good father, are things that I do alone, mostly through working and creating with my hands.  Being removed from those parts of me leaves me depleted and seemingly incapable of being both the father I want to always be for my kids, and the husband I want to be for KJ.

And so we are looking forward to home even though it will mean leaving Nurai here without us for the time being.  It is a depressing prospect, though we know that as a family of four, it is what is best as the five hours a week that we can spend with Nurai at the Baby House can’t quite account for all that is forsaken in the remaining 163 hours of the week. 

It will be with mixed emotions that we turn and head for home next week and we will think of Nurai constantly and look forward to the day we are all together as a family forever.

Take Care.      

Turkestan - the country that isn't.

Today's field trip took us north and west of Shymkent a bit more than 100 miles to the town of Turkestan where the impressive Mausoleum of Khodja Ahmed Yassaui was commisioned by Timur, or Tamerlane as he is more commonly known in the west.  Construction began in 1399, but when Timur died six years later, work on the project ceased, and the building remains unfinished to this day.

Yassaui was a Sufi mystic who lived in the early 1100's and, without wanting to plagiarize my guide book nor make up something that is perhaps incorrect, I'll just say that he helped bring Islam to Central Asia.

Of course after Tamerlane commissioned the mausoleum to be built on such a grand scale, the town and region took on greater importance.  It is now a most important pilgrimage site and draws a great many pilgrims each year.

Because of its importance within Islam, the area surrounding the mausoleum has become the burial place for a great many former rulers and military leaders and their families.  This mausoleum from the 15th century was built for the remains of Rabi'i Sultan Begum.  (don't ask me who she is, this isn't a history lesson, these are photographs, just roll with it.) 

Lots of Islamic design and architecture really resonates with me.  I appreciate the symmetry, the robustness, the graceful arches, and the calculated engineering that such structures exhibit.

Details around the dome of the Begum mausoleum with its repetitive arabic script.

Had to put myself in at least one photo.  That's me in Landscape Pose with camera bag on hip.

The impressive, if unfinished, front portal of Yassaui's mausoleum.  Still present are a number of the original timber supports jutting out from the building at regular intervals.  On the front face of the building you can see the grid pattern of small holes.

In the main portal you can see a mix of original and modern day supports and scaffolding.

The sides and back of the building are finished with tile mosaics in geometric designs consisting of arabic letters and sayings from the Qur'an.

Each of the three finished faces of the mausoleum employs a different mosaic pattern and inscription.

This dome lies above his burial chamber within the mausoleum.

I loved the Escher-esque feeling to the back side of the portal, with its various stone stairways, doors, domes, and angles.

This was the only interior shot I was permitted to make.  This is the present day mosque inside the mausoleum.

These next three are from the inside of a Hamam that was built in the 1500's.  There are 5 domed chambers in all.

I have long been fascinated with domes and had the opportunity to work on the construction of 8 mud brick dome buildings of this same style while in the Peace Corps.  

This last shot is the ubiquitous Saturday afternoon wedding party.  In this case visiting the mausoleum for good luck.

I promise more about us here soon.  We are well and are loving our time with Nurai.  We have our court date set for Monday 23 November, not as early as we had hoped, but it will do.  Take Care.

Bazaar Time

You just knew I was going to end with a bang didn't you?

Such a fantastic afternoon at the Bazaar.  Incredible to think that this town sat along the fabled Silk Road and has served as an active market town for centuries.

We met some of the most wonderful and friendly people we have yet met in Kazakhstan, here this afternoon.  Of course not everyone welcomed the camera, but by and large, the sellers were very curious and wanted to see their pictures on the back of the camera.  Sure makes me wish I had a small printer with me.  We will definitely try and head back before we leave.

I love markets like these.  There is so much vitality and rawness to it all.

I think that it is a wonderful thing for Tougy to be exposed to as well.  We stopped and took a long look at a pile of stomach lining and talked about what it was and then watched women stuff all sorts of bits and parts into the large sausage, and then we ogled at the feet and talked about to which animal they had been attached.

The Bazaar really had a bit of everything as I tried to represent, though I left out the clothes which hold little genuine fascination.  Absent however were the short skirts and stiletto heels, as heavy woolens and flat heeled boots reign supreme with these working women.

I find it interesting/telling that when asked about interesting things to see and do here in Shymkent, our translator could not think of anything apart from the Mega Mall.  Even when asked about the Bazaars, he mostly dismissed them saying they were old and dirty and had lots of flies.

Our time here in Shymkent is so very different than our time in Astana in 2007.  There we ate out after nearly every visit to the Baby House with our translator trying restaurant after restaurant and talking about all sorts of things ranging from politics to religion, to family.

Here in Shymkent we have yet to spend any time with any of our in-country team apart from going to and from the baby house, and signing legal documents at the office.  They know absolutely nothing of us nor we of them.  The one person with whom we can communicate directly, out translator Zhenia can best be described as pleasant.  Dull, robotic, disinterested, but pleasant.

Our coordinator here, Farida, is all about business, though it is not exactly clear what that business is.  Like Zhenia, she is not rude  nor discourteous, but seems to have little time for us nor interest in our process apart from making it happen.  Of the hour or so that we have spent in her presence, the bulk of that was to sign documents.

Our driver Nurshai is the one who really seems to be the interesting one, though unfortunately we cannot communicate directly with her.  It is she that seems connected at the baby house, and it is she who fields our questions about Nurai and finds out details for us about her beginnings and present life in the Baby House.

It isn't that I lament the lost opportunity to make life long friends as much as I am surprised that there isn't more anima within these people, more of a spark of interest within what they are doing and whom they are doing it for.

You get the sense in asking questions about the local area, or details about the baby house that they have never been asked such questions before when in fact it must be about all they are asked by the families with which they directly work.

Our time here in Shymkent is already drawing to a close.  We have now completed our 14 day bonding period and should find out tomorrow the date for our court appearance to petition to adopt Nurai.  It is presumed that it will be late next week, and that being the case, we will in fact make a trip up to Astana to visit Tougy's baby House and to see some familiar sights with her before heading home.

She is excited, as are we all, to get back to Maine.  Yes of course it will be difficult and frustrating to have to leave Nurai behind for such a lengthy time, but that it will be such a long time only reinforces our decision to return home.  I honestly cannot imagine doing a Kaz adoption in one trip the way the timeline seems to be giving the protracted amount of time required on the back end of court.

It used to be that you had court, you waited through the 15 day appeal period for the adoption to be official, then you had your 'Gotcha Day' wherein you brought your child out of the Baby House and began a 7-14 day paper-chase clearing through Almaty and heading home.

Now that Gotcha Day may be followed with between 4-6 weeks of in-country paper-chasing and waiting, how many will stay through that - especially in winter?  Not us.  Not this time.

The week has been a good one apart from the fact that all three of us got a stomach bug on consecutive nights, beginning with KJ Sunday night, then Tougy Monday, and finally me on Tuesday.  KJ had it the worst, we felt worst for Tougy, and I was the worst at feeling sick.

As a result of all of that, on Tuesday, I visited Nurai alone and Wednesday KJ visited alone.  Though I was sad that KJ and Tougy did not get to visit on Tuesday, it was nice to be there all by myself with Nurai, and not to feel like we were playing in a human 'shuffle the tiles' game as we visited in our penalty box.

As far as photos of Nurai go, it was understandably a slow week for that as well.  Apart from the general inability to remain inspired given our repressive enclosure, that two of the visits were solo also detracted from the available pool of visual intrigue.  But tomorrow is another day, and certainly this afternoon's spiritual rousting will help get that feeling back again.  

Take Care  


P.S. - In the interest of looking at prices, the exchange rate since we have been here has held steady at 150 tenge = $1.00, and most things are sold per kilogram, so therefor 2.2 pounds.