So last week I had an embarrassing morning. You know (and I know) from my earlier blog that I am perfectly capable of taking the bus to work. I do it every morning. Then last Monday, my host Mom’s vacation was over so we went to the bus stop together. Along the way, she taught me some Kazakh. Sounds good, right? Well…
I had left my wallet at work (so I thought) and had only 30 tenge which is enough for a bus which is 25 tenge but not a marshuka (a van) which costs 35 tenge. Normally lots of buses and marshukas pass my stop so I figured I would just wait for the bus instead of asking Mama to lend me the 5 tenge I needed (approximately 3 cents).
NO buses came with my number! It was just one marshuka after another and when Mama didn’t take a bus, I realized she was waiting to see if I knew what to do. I did know! I just had to wait for the bus to come! After watching marshukas pass me again and again, Mama finally stopped one and pulled me on. What to do! I was now on a marshuka and didn’t have enough money. Then I did what I should have done at the house when I realized I only had 30 tenge, I asked Mama for another 5 tenge. I was so embarrassed for being adult having to ask for money. It didn’t help that the other people looked at me like I was crazy. Who is this Russian looking girl with the funny accent calling a Kazkah woman “Mama” and asking for money?! I was so flustered I almost missed my stop and Mama had to yell to stop the bus and then yell again to say she would pay for me.
This was a lesson to me in asking for help, something I’ve never been good at doing. And I can only think that the buses never came so that I would let go of my self reliance and take the hand of humility.
I had left my wallet at work (so I thought) and had only 30 tenge which is enough for a bus which is 25 tenge but not a marshuka (a van) which costs 35 tenge. Normally lots of buses and marshukas pass my stop so I figured I would just wait for the bus instead of asking Mama to lend me the 5 tenge I needed (approximately 3 cents).
NO buses came with my number! It was just one marshuka after another and when Mama didn’t take a bus, I realized she was waiting to see if I knew what to do. I did know! I just had to wait for the bus to come! After watching marshukas pass me again and again, Mama finally stopped one and pulled me on. What to do! I was now on a marshuka and didn’t have enough money. Then I did what I should have done at the house when I realized I only had 30 tenge, I asked Mama for another 5 tenge. I was so embarrassed for being adult having to ask for money. It didn’t help that the other people looked at me like I was crazy. Who is this Russian looking girl with the funny accent calling a Kazkah woman “Mama” and asking for money?! I was so flustered I almost missed my stop and Mama had to yell to stop the bus and then yell again to say she would pay for me.
This was a lesson to me in asking for help, something I’ve never been good at doing. And I can only think that the buses never came so that I would let go of my self reliance and take the hand of humility.
Here is a picture of what it looks like walking home from the bus stop and a picture of my room in the host home.
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