Programming is way less about the language than about the concepts. Python is very commonly used, not only here, because it has a very simple syntax. I started with php myself, and worked with frameworks for many years, but since I got into python I barely use it any more.
If you want to check out a small webapp and figure out how it works I can provide you with the code and help you get it up and running on your local machine, and you can play around a bit. And who knows, maybe in a few weeks you'll be able to contribute something!