Kazakh

In early September, a very travel-weary young Kazakh stepped off a plane into the Philadelphia International Airport carrying that dombra I mentioned in my last post . After a 40-hour journey from the other side of the world, this 17-year-old young man was more than ready to be done with traveling. But let me give some back story first.

One Door Closes; Another Opens

A month prior, we were at a local restaurant. Sadly, our current international student, Dan, was leaving us for college. We were enjoying one more family meal with him before his departure. A free local newspaper sat stacked by the restaurant’s front door, so I grabbed one on the way out. The small ad placed by the American Scandinavian Student Exchange (ASSE) on the front page catches my eye immediately:

“Host an International Student!”

Hhmmm, I don’t mind if I do! How fitting that I find an opportunity to host another international student just as we are saying goodbye to Dan. Consoling, too, because we’re sad about him leaving.

I go to the ASSE website and pull up students from Kazakhstan at my son’s prompting. A name jumps out at me from the page of about 12 Kazakh students: Dias. It’s unusual among the other Kazakh names. It sounds Spanish (turns out it IS Spanish.). As I read his well-written introductory letter, I’m sure he had someone help him write it (Nope, he wrote it himself). I like the positive energy and enthusiasm he projects in his letter. But one thing he says leaps off the screen: “I also want to become a cultural bridge between my country and America.” Huh. I love those kinds of bridges. And that was the sign I was looking for. This is the one.

Dias

We meet Dias over a video chat, and the first thing I notice is his eyes. They have that distinctive epicanthic fold that makes Asian eyes so beautiful, though it is less pronounced. The second thing I notice is his accent. It’s an unmistakable Russian accent on his English. I’m used to hearing English accented with the sounds of an Asian language from a person of Asian descent, so this is startling! But the language most commonly spoken in Kazakhstan is Russian, so this makes sense. It’s also just cool to hear! And then I see his smile, and my mother’s heart is smitten. My heart also breaks a little for his parents, who will be without him while he is with us.

Welcome to the U.S., Kazakh!

It’s a quiet day at Philadelphia International Airport, and the baggage claim where I’m to meet Dias is all but abandoned. I know his plane has landed because I’ve been watching its progress on my phone app. A few lone travelers descend the escalator in sporadic succession. And then I see him, dombra slung over his shoulder, exhausted but with that smile on his face. I hug him because how can I not?! He’s brave just for making that journey from the other side of the world. I’ve made it, and I know how it feels. So. Tired.

And So The Adventure Begins

It began for Dias when he stepped on that plane in Kazakhstan, so he’s a little ahead of us in the adventure. But we’ve been keeping pace with him now. So the rest of the articles I write about him will be about those adventures. Stay tuned!