Sara Holbrook author/poet/educator
January 24, 2008
At the open air market place, some vendors keep candles in their vegetable cases to keep the cucumbers from freezing. That’s how cold it is. Imagine doing your marketing outdoors at minus 20F. We did visit a couple of modern malls, but couldn’t afford anything there. In fact it was at the Green Market,
January 21, 2008
Alamty, Kazakhstan does not have soft edges. It is not warm and fuzzy. The sharp air that pinches the nose matches the looks from strangers pushing in line and the spike heels on the women’s boots. The straight lines of the Soviet style high rises are persistently drab in a public housing
January 20, 2008
This was a fun two days. Teachers from five locations in Central Asia were in attendance, some coming in on delayed flights and others after their bus was hung up at the border. Conference coordinator Maura Martin had requested that we bring coffee for the start of the conference. Coffee? Isn’t that a staple found
January 16, 2008
Inside the airport a gray mist hovers, gathering in intensity toward the vaulted ceiling. It is -30C/-2F outside and dark outside with few lights and no moon to reflect on the snow when we land at 5:30AM. The first person we are greeted by is a fellow in a soviet style wool grey uniform with
January 13, 2008
Packing the suitcases, weighing out what’s most important, repacking. Taking Starbucks to the teachers in Almaty and books and more books. More books. Can I get by with two pairs of shoes? The official list posted on the fridge. We notice Max put his name there, as if we would go to Capital University,
January 10, 2008
Oh lone mosquitofor whom love is but remote,your translucent wings have brought you hereby some mistake.By whose warm butmisguided invitation have youcome to visit my bedroom onthis January night?Poised as you are beneath my lightI ponder your presenceknowing not where you are ought to bein dead of winter.Is it winter?The temperature today stretched itsmercurial arms
January 5, 2008
Well, not entirely at home. At Aunt Becky’s. On New Year’s Eve day, the entire grand-crew (minus Sara Kelly) went for a ride out to Michael’s sister’s barn to visit the three new sheep, the goats, the horses and the three tortoise eggs (don’t touch). Becky is a vet her family has a menagerie!
January 3, 2008
No, we are not planning a trip to ski the Rockies. We are planning two trips almost back to back and now that the holidays are over, we are beginning to organize ourselves for travel. First, we are off to Kazakhstan where the temperatures are -10F. Then we are home for a week and
January 2, 2008
I’m reading Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert . I don’t know if it is because of the book or because of some spotlight on ABC news last fall, but people seem to be into this three word thing. So I got to thinking about
December 28, 2007
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — Enraged crowds rioted across Pakistan and hopes for democracy hung by a thread after Benazir Bhutto was gunned down Thursday as she waved to supporters from the sunroof of her armored vehicle.
The news came just as Michael and I were in cleaning mode — Kelly, Brian and
