LAST DAY IN ASTANA!

So here we are, back at the National Academic Library, in Astana, Kazakhstan. It has been an interesting and enlightening week, interacting with our colleagues from Central Asia and other regions of the world. Yesterday was my presentation, part of a panel on literacy, with my "best practices" talk preceded by Prof. Clara Chu speaking on issues of literacy and multicultural populations.

Astana is the new capital of Kazakhstan. The word "astana" means capital, and the city is being constructed as we speak. There are many new buildings, interesting architecture, and especially vivid colors (very compatible with my own polychrome palette). Also wonderful are the tastes and colors of the foods. Best of all are the wonderful librarians who have hosted us. They are, as in other places, the sacred keepers of the word in all its forms.

In a few hours, the van will take us to the Astana airport for a flight to Almaty, from where we will fly to Frankfurt and then back to Los Angeles. We will arrive at LAX tomorrow just past noon. Then I will post some of the many images I have been able to capture. They will speak more loudly than any of my words can.