1.31.2010



I tried boiled camel's meat a few days ago. Tasted like boiled beef. Not my favorite thing in this world. Takes me back to the time when I nibbled on a goat's nose (or ear, I forget) when it was served to me at a feast or when I sipped sour, fermented goat's milk. Of these new meats I think horse has so far been the best. It all makes me kinda miss piggies, but everyone here detests that; so much that the root of the word for pig (“shoshka”) means FEAR!!! muah hah hahhhhhh. So I always get a funny rise out of them when I say that I don't eat meat now, but I used to love pig.

1.17.2010


I'm still loving living here with Gulzira and Meirambai. In the evening when he's taxi driving, she prepares dinner and in intervals dances in the living room in the dark, wearing her apron, to Kazakh pop music on the TV.

Today I hitched a ride home after ice skating and the driver asked if I was a Nazi. He said it so matter-of-factly, as if it was common to encounter Nazis. ….Strange.

I've been realizing more and more the tradeoffs of having a communal society. As said before, people eat off the same plate and bathe together. I see 10 year olds hitchhiking to their friends home because people view each other as family. Kids help each other in class all the time. These are cool things. But it all comes at the consequence of lost indiviualism and freedom of expression. When you ask someone about themselves they say, “We believe that...” or “Us Kazakhs do this or that” as opposed to “I think that....” They're so used to agreeing with each other and thinking as a collective. In class, if you ask each student what their favorite dish is or if they like garlic and onions, their answers are always the same: “Beshbarmak” and “No!” I don't see much of a variety in haircuts, clothing styles, views on religion, opinions on government, food tastes, music tastes, interests. I've reached a point where I get excited if I see a guy with a red scarf or hear a person decline milk with their tea. They're a rebel to me. Haha.

1.10.2010




Pics: Textbook pictures

Some unusual things I found in my 5th grade textbook. How do you like the depiction of nationalities? For the lesson on eye and hair color – was is necessary for the black kid to stick his ears out and the girl to stretch her eye lids? And notice the standards that're set for girls and careers. …...these books.....

A few different meaningless expressions compared: If someone calls for you from a distance, we respond with “Yeah / Huh / What!”, but here they say “Ow!” But then our painful “Ow!” is “Ai!” here. Our “Oh boy / Geez / Oh my” is “Oi bai!” here. If someone expresses mild surprise or indirect disapproval, like if you show your dad some worms you found or are cooking an unknown meal, we say an un-enthusiastic “Ohhhh / Ai yai yai”, but here it's “Mehhhhhhhh”. I often hear Oi bai, Mehhh, Ow, and Ai.

1.05.2010


Pic: Mayonnaise.

Any bad (or good) habit that I had in America has been supplemented by an addiction and over-consumption of fatty mayonnaise. I mean, I put it on everything. I go through two tubes a week. In the summer I'm going to sweat out mayo. I might need an intervention soon.

I finally found popcorn seeds at the bazaar. Popcorn is pretty rare here. I made some at home – with honey, butter and cinnamon. My roommate loved it and excitedly asked where I bought the popcorn. So once I showed her the seeds and told her that people can actually make it at home she went hysterical. She was bent over picking at it quickly like a bird. It was funny.