Joe Ragan

Last week I took my neighbor, Nina, to Saran (a nearby city).  Most of her family is buried in the city cemetary there.  She was unable to go on their remembrance day so I had promised to take her.
I must tell you that I do not like going to cemetaries (and my opinion hasn’t changed [...]

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The city of Karaganda unveiled a new monument last week.  The main street in town is named after a Kazakh poet, Bukhar Zhirau.  You can read about him here.
Here are a few photos…

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June 1 was Children’s Day in Kazakhstan.  Since it fell on a Sunday, our church had a special program honoring children.  Several children participated by singing songs, reciting poems and both sermons spent time reflecting on children.
After church I drove back to my apartment and noticed the park near my apartment full of people.  The [...]

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I heard the familiar sound of shrieks and laughter. I really didn’t need look to see what was going on. I kind of knew what was happening. You see, the sun was up and the day was warm (almost hot… upper 80’s)… but after a long, cold winter the children earned some [...]

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I went to Astana last Thursday. I attended a town hall meeting with the US Ambassador, Mr. John Ordway. He is nearing retirement and so a new ambassador is going through the process to be appointed by the senate. On Saturday the US Embassy opened its gates to US citizens living in [...]

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I am planning a trip to the US in November to see my sisters for Thanksgiving. I decided to see what type of prices British Airways had. It would not be convenient since I would need to travel to Almaty to fly from there. Any extra luggage would be a real hassle [...]

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Wow!  The weather here has been spectacular recently.  The temps rise into the upper 70’s and lower 80’s during the day and drop into the 40’s at night.  The trees near my building entrance have finally bloomed.
It is incredibly beautiful now.  The days are getting longer with the sun coming up really early and it [...]

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Monday while driving in the city, I saw this…

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Today is Victory in Europe Day in Europe.  It was on the day that WWII came to an end in Europe.  The Soviet Army celebrated their victory on May 9.  Since last Saturday officials in Karaganda have been preparing for the celebration.
They have closed the main street twice in order for troops, etc to have [...]

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I noticed some tress last evening which finally have green buds.  Hopefully, this means that spring is finally coming…
It still gets around freezing every night, however, this weekend promises temps in the 70’s!!!
Yippee!

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