Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Video Encyclopedia of Kazakhstan

If you're curious to learn more about Kazakhstan - take a quick look at this video from Video Encyclopedia of Kazakhstan. It's a good introduction to the country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1sejRTP6NY

Friday, March 7, 2008

Things are moving along!!

Our week started off on the right foot with the news that our dossier was on its way to Kazakhstan and it's ending with equally good news: our dossier has arrived in Astana (the capital) and is in the capable hands of our agency's coordinator there. It will be presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday. We can't wipe the smiles of our faces!

Monday, March 3, 2008

Youppi!

We just received news that our dossier has finally been sent overseas. We're so excited! I yelled Youppi and our little guy asked what the fuss was about. It's a tad difficult explaining all of these steps to a 4 year old... but he was just happy because we seemed so excited.

It's one step closer to meeting our baby girl. What a fantastic way to start off the week. Now begins the next phase... waiting until our dossier is registered in Kazakhstan. This will probably take a few months. We will next be notified when our file is released (i.e officially registered in a region) and from which region of the country we will be adopting our baby girl and possibly a sibiling.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Say it in Kazakh!

A few uselful sentences taken from the website: www.kazakhsembus.com/sayitinkazakh.html

Good morning! --- Qayirly Tan [Ka-ihr-ly Tan]!
How are you? --- Qalynyz Kalai [Ka-ly-nyz Ka-lai]?
My name is... --- Menym atym... [Meh-nym ah-tym]
It is nice to meet you. --- Sizben tanyskanyma ote kuyanyshtymyn. [Syz-behn tah-nys-kah-nyh-ma au-teh kuh-ah-nysh-tyh-myn]
I am a Canadian. --- Men Kanadalykpyn.
I love you! --- Men seni suiemin!
Thank you! --- Rakhmet! [Rah-k-met]
I don't understand --- Tusinbedim
Do you speak English? --- Syz aglshynsha soileisesiz be?

Father, dad --- Ake, ata
Mother, mom --- Ana, schesche
Son --- Bala (also means boy)
Daughter --- Kyz (also means girl),
Brother --- Aga

Where is...? - ... qaida? (The sentence structure puts interrogatives at the end)
... a hotel? --- Konak yui qaida? [Koh-nak oui qai-dah?]
... a restaurant? --- Meiramkhana qaida? [May-ram-khana qai-dah?]
… a hospital ---Aurukhana
… a pharmacy --- Darikhana
... a museum --- Murazhai
... a grocery store --- Azyk tylik dukeni
... a post office --- Pochta bolymshesi
… a restroom --- Daretkhana
... the nearest bus stop --- Zhakyn zherdegi avtobus ayaldamasy
... the taxi stand --- Taksi toragy
... the train station --- Temir zhol vokzaly
... the airport --- Auezhai

The waiting game!

Having completed our home study and it having gone through all of the administrative steps here in Canada, our dossier is currently at the Kazakhstan Consulate since late November. We were told that generally, the Consulate General forwards the dossier within 2 months. For us, it will be a longer wait...we are now at the 3 month mark and hoping that the Consulate will be forwarding our dossier any day. Our agency is on top of things and we are now anxiously awaiting news that it's been sent. No easy task. It will make the world to us knowing that our dossier will be overseas... In the meantime, we are busying ourselves obviously with our 4 year old and trying to get as much information as possible on Kazakhstan, travel, etc. and trying to match up with other families who are adopting from there.

Relevant Canadian adoption agencies

http://www.familyhelper.net provides all the Canadian agencies that act as a facilitator for adoptions from Kazakhstan:

KAZAKHSTAN Alliance (Que.)
CAFAC (Man.)*
Canadian-C.I.S (B.C.)
Children's Bridge (Ont.)
Sunrise (B.C.)

*We chose CAFAC for many reasons...better fit for us...We immediately felt comfortable with them. We were also able to specify the gender of our child. Our son really wants a baby sister, so we will be adopting a girl with the possibility of a sibling.