Our trip to adopt Sam has been full of surprises. But nothing prepared us for the amazing experience we had this past weekend, when the torch relay for the Asian Winter Games came right through here with a major, high-fanfare stop at a national monument tucked underneath the mountains just outside the grounds of our hotel.
It’s a treat we might have missed, had it not been for the kindness of two men at our hotel who have befriended us – Abdulla and Gani, who invited us to come with them to the event.
In both cases, these men sought us out because they could tell we’re Americans (we’re the only Americans here of course) and they both love America. Gani has had the opportunity to visit the United States for a month, and Abdulla hopes for a time when he can visit.
They were proud to be able to show us some Kazakh hospitality by escorting us through the entire ceremony and giving us a taste of some of Kazakhstan’s oldest traditions.
The 2011 Asian Winter Games is a multi sporting event that will be held in Astana and Almaty, Kazakhstan from January 30 through February 6. This is Kazakhstan’s first time to host an event of this scale since gaining their independence from the Soviet Union. 27 countries from the Middle East through all of Asia are participating in this precursor to the 2014 Winter Olympic games in Sochi, Russia.
Torch Relay
The flame of the Games was officially lit in Kuwait (last host of the games) on January 11. The relay then began in Almaty and is traversing the cities and towns of Kazakhstan for 16 days before arriving at the opening ceremony in Astana on January 30.
Because this is the region of his birth, Kazakhstan’s most famous Olympic athlete, Vladimir Smirnoff, ran the leg we attended. Smirnoff brought home Kazakhstan’s first gold medal for the 50km cross-country skiing event at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer.
At least a thousand people came in from all over and lined the road here for hours in -10F weather to wave flags and cheer as Smirnoff ran to the national monument, igniting a gold bowl with fire.
We have put together a slideshow and a video to help give you a sense of this special day here in Kazakhstan. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us to witness, but the warmth and hospitality of Abdulla and Gane gave it a richness we would never have known, were it not for their willingness to share it all with us.
Tonya and Steve
It’s a treat we might have missed, had it not been for the kindness of two men at our hotel who have befriended us – Abdulla and Gani, who invited us to come with them to the event.
In both cases, these men sought us out because they could tell we’re Americans (we’re the only Americans here of course) and they both love America. Gani has had the opportunity to visit the United States for a month, and Abdulla hopes for a time when he can visit.
They were proud to be able to show us some Kazakh hospitality by escorting us through the entire ceremony and giving us a taste of some of Kazakhstan’s oldest traditions. The 2011 Asian Winter Games is a multi sporting event that will be held in Astana and Almaty, Kazakhstan from January 30 through February 6. This is Kazakhstan’s first time to host an event of this scale since gaining their independence from the Soviet Union. 27 countries from the Middle East through all of Asia are participating in this precursor to the 2014 Winter Olympic games in Sochi, Russia.Torch Relay
The flame of the Games was officially lit in Kuwait (last host of the games) on January 11. The relay then began in Almaty and is traversing the cities and towns of Kazakhstan for 16 days before arriving at the opening ceremony in Astana on January 30.
Because this is the region of his birth, Kazakhstan’s most famous Olympic athlete, Vladimir Smirnoff, ran the leg we attended. Smirnoff brought home Kazakhstan’s first gold medal for the 50km cross-country skiing event at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer.At least a thousand people came in from all over and lined the road here for hours in -10F weather to wave flags and cheer as Smirnoff ran to the national monument, igniting a gold bowl with fire.
We have put together a slideshow and a video to help give you a sense of this special day here in Kazakhstan. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us to witness, but the warmth and hospitality of Abdulla and Gane gave it a richness we would never have known, were it not for their willingness to share it all with us.
Tonya and Steve
5 comments:
Amazing experience for you both, and it sounds like you were in good hands. I remember the games that Shmirnoff won, he must be quite the folk hero to carry the torch. For two people from the South you are enduring pretty extreme temperatures. I sure some day you will be telling Sam what it was like in order to adopt him!! Kinda like the ole stories about walking 5 miles to school, in the snow, etc. We will miss you this weekend at NaCoMe but I am quite sure you will hear all about it! Take care, stay warm and know you remain in our prayers. Sj
How wonderful! I always look forward to reading your posts. :)
What a really cool experience!!! And you guys got to pose with shields and spears! Awesome!!! Love all the photos and videos!
Awesome story-- another amazing chapter in the Young Book of Life.
Cool stuff.
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