BESEECH ME, AUTUMN!
A year ago to this day, Pavlodar city and I became friends for the first time. It was 0° C at that time—I did the John Mayer, sensitive and cool look (high-collared and zippered sweater with a tweed jacket on top) in order to stay warm. Today, I have a beard and Michelin man coat. I’m still here, and Darwin proves right again.
Furthermore, I have lapsed into the Siberian form of clean heroine addiction: thermals.
I’ve heard some people attempting to be clever say that they are, ‘naked under their clothes.’ This is not the most clever of remarks, but if we accept this statement, then I will not be naked for the next five months. The thermals, once put on, never want to be taken off. They become a part of you, giving you a warm feeling when all else seems so frozen on the outside. To go without them for even a day, the body ravages with the shakes, the mood becomes extremely aggravated and you just might die from withdrawal. They are my wintry drug. And its hold is just starting. I should come clean around March.
A few weeks back, I took a trip to the local village of Shareeshiganok once again, and photo captured some of the moments whilst riding a bicycle, eating lamb fat and galloping across the Virgin Lands steppe to wrangle sheep, horse and cow. There is now a new volunteer experiencing his first time at that village this week, of which will bring some victory and difficulty. Here’s to victory.
This past week also brought a pleasant turn for English language literary lovers. With the help of a wonderful friend and former student of mine, I have partnered with the Oblast City Library of Pavlodar to form an English and American literature and material room in their central building. The section will feature classic literature from British and American writers, a plethora of contemporary magazines from the States and books with a wide range of subject matter (Geography, Modern Art, Biology, Business, etc.), all available to the public for free. The first part of this on-going partnership was made possible through the generosity of the Darien Book Aid, individual donations from family and friends, and some books from my personal collection. You too can send books for donation to the city library via my post office address. You may personally inscribe the books if you choose, or ask me to do so upon arrival.
The address for any donated books, and my personal address for any cookies you wish to send is (please use both English and Russian variants):
Mr. Andrew Holets
Public Foundation “Challenge”
83 Krivenko Street, Apartment 122
Pavlodar, Kazakhstan 140008
Эндрю Холетс
ОФ “Challenge”
Ул. Кривенко 83, Кв. 122
Павлодар, Казахстан 140008
Also, for the first time since being six years old, I got to register for a library card. I’m hoping to check out a book just as amazing as that first, “A Light in the Attic.” “Лампочка на чердаке” doesn’t seem to have the same whimsical ring though…
An Open Letter to the Philadelphia Phillies:
First off, congratulations on your National League Eastern Division Championship—through the grandeur of overwhelming media coverage of every game and the overblown focus on the Mets’ collapse, every stitch on every pitch was seen in my mind. Romero’s golden left arm, Myers’ goatee of death, Howard’s endless strikeouts and home runs, Burrell’s resurgence, Rowand’s every play a tug at our heart strings and the future, Utley’s prevail, Iguchi’s quotes and little league fundamentals, Hamels’ chiropractor, and that lousy shortstop that used to pop everything up since 2001 finally become the Jimmy Rollins we knew he could be: Gorgeous Season. There was a little, very loud devil sitting on my shoulder that kept telling me to go home to attend the World Series. Thankfully, the angel won out, though only in the result of your playoff death.
I wish to ask you this: Could you please play like that again next season and the next so I can actually attend a playoff game?
Sincerely,
Andrew Russell Holets
Fan since age 9
p.s. Jim Eisenreich is my favorite player of all-time. We used to count his twitches when they'd zoom in during his at-bats. Amazing guy. You should get him to throw out a first pitch when I come back. Eisey!
Finally, I just want to come clean about how selfish we Peace Corps volunteers can be when given the right circumstances. This past week, a fellow volunteer downloaded the new Radiohead album without paying anything, and I asked him to actually put it on his flash drive so I did not even have to spend time on the internet for it, despite it being offered free of charge.
“Человек становится равным тому, чей язык и тскусство он знает.”
-Абай кунанбаев
“A man attains an equal level with anyone whose language and art he understands.”
-Abai Kunanbayev, Kazakh Poet and Philosopher
In honor of Al Gore's Nobel Prize, here is a photo of my lovely director hugging a tree.
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