Valentine's Day

February 16, 2008

Valentine’s Day was the fifth holiday that I have celebrated here in Kazakhstan, and unlike the others, I observed this one pretty traditionally. We held the Valentine’s Day party that I talked about in the last post, and I have to say that despite my worries the day before, it went really well. Everyone had a lot of fun, and we raised over 6,000 tenge for the local orphanage. The play also went well, and I am proud to say that despite the incredibly complex grammar they used when writing my lines, I was able to memorize my part. Chris, Cho, and I did our best to help out, but really all the credit for the parties success go to my T.A. Aigarum and her sister, Chris’s student, Gulshot. They were able to find and negotiate the space, as well as wrote the script for the play and found most of the performers. The guys are now trying to plan a Woman’s Day party, and I honestly wonder how we are going to accomplish it without their input.

After the show was over, there was a short dance, and then we went out to dinner to celebrate its success. I had never seen anyone get drunk on tea before, but between not having slept in three days due to school and work, as well as putting four cubes of sugar in each cup of tea, Aigarum somehow managed it, and all in all it was the most fun Valentine’s Day I have had in a long while. While last year found me in my dorm room studying and gripping about the fact that once again I was single on February 14th, this year I was laughing and relaxing with ten close friends. I think part of the reason I had such a good time was the nature of Valentine’s Day observance here in Kazakhstan. Whereas in America, Valentine’s Day is a day for couples and lovers, in Kazakhstan Valentine’s Day is also for friends and groups. For example, at the resturant where we had dinner, there were very few couples eating alone. Most people were eating in large groups. I guess that part of the reason for this is the fact that public displays of love and romance are not that widespread here in Kazakhstan, and that when people celebrate they prefer to hold large Konnaks with toasting and lots of food. This way of celebrating valentine’s day might seem a bit strange for some Americans, especially those who, like me, grew up on sappy Hallmark and Zales diamond commericals that put forth the idea that if you did not have that special someone in your life, than Valentine’s Day was not for you. This difference is definitely positive one though, and a change that I plan on bringing back to America. Now more than ever, Valentine’s Day needs to be about more than just the romantic, passionate love between two people. It also needs to be about the platonic, but steadfast love that exists between friends and neighbors. I know that this idea will not sell has many cards and flowers, but I think that ultimately it will make the world a better place.