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.
воскресенье, 17 февраля 2008 г.
What Would GLAAD Say
February 8, 2008
A few weeks ago, Contact Club, a local English Training/Community Service Organization that Cho, Chris, and I work with here in Kyzylorda decided to have a Valentine’s Day Party/Show to advertise and raise some money for other Community Projects. The party is going to be in Kazak and Russian so more people will come and will have singing, dancing, and even a short Valentine’s Day play, a very loose adaptation of Romeo and Juliet written by some members of Contact Club. I am playing the Shaman who sends Romeo and his friend Mercutio off to the big city with good wishes and a pair of magic balloons that when popped, will make anyone who hates you fall in love with you instead. Inevitably, Romeo and Juliet fall in love, but in a surprise twist, Mercutio and Tibilt also get together and everyone lives happily ever after. At first, I was surprised by our local scriptwriters’ choice to include an alternative relationship, but as I became more familiar with the script I realized that it was not a politically correct as I thought. Whereas Romeo and Juliet fall in love the “old-fashioned way,” Tibilt and Mercutio only get together because of the magic balloons. It is almost as if to say that heterosexual love is natural and expected, but homosexual love is unnatural and only occurs due to “magic” or some other outside influence.
The play is otherwise very funny, and I may be reading too much into it, but it is also another reminder that Kazak culture has a ways to go in regards to gender issues and rights. I have talked earlier about how Kazakhstan is similar in many ways to a 1950’s America, and the Kazak attitude towards homosexuality is a prime example. While there is not much fear or hostility towards gays and bisexuals, there is no acceptance either. In fact, many Kazaks claim that there are absolutely no homosexuals in Kazakhstan. This is definitely part of the country’s Muslim culture that I will have to live with, but it is sometimes difficult to understand when one come from a country that is on the cusp of a major and long time coming breakthrough for civil rights with the likely election of either Barak Obama or Hilary Clinton and the gradual acceptance of alternative lifestyles both in society and under the law. Granted, this issue is not one that effects me personally, but I find myself wondering how volunteers working in Kazakhstan who are gay are dealing with living and working in a culture that likes to pretend they do not exist. How much “cultural bridge building” are they able to accomplish when they are not able to express a major aspect of their personality? Furthermore, I have bemoaned the fact that I will probably not get a date for the next couple of years, but I can only imagine what it must feel like to risk your job or even your safety just for asking someone out on a date. Kazakhstan definitely has a lot going for it, and as a Peace Corps volunteer I am proud of the fact that I am helping it to achieve that potential. I just hope that Kazakhstan does not follow America’s example and take fifty years to make any substantive change on this issue.
A few weeks ago, Contact Club, a local English Training/Community Service Organization that Cho, Chris, and I work with here in Kyzylorda decided to have a Valentine’s Day Party/Show to advertise and raise some money for other Community Projects. The party is going to be in Kazak and Russian so more people will come and will have singing, dancing, and even a short Valentine’s Day play, a very loose adaptation of Romeo and Juliet written by some members of Contact Club. I am playing the Shaman who sends Romeo and his friend Mercutio off to the big city with good wishes and a pair of magic balloons that when popped, will make anyone who hates you fall in love with you instead. Inevitably, Romeo and Juliet fall in love, but in a surprise twist, Mercutio and Tibilt also get together and everyone lives happily ever after. At first, I was surprised by our local scriptwriters’ choice to include an alternative relationship, but as I became more familiar with the script I realized that it was not a politically correct as I thought. Whereas Romeo and Juliet fall in love the “old-fashioned way,” Tibilt and Mercutio only get together because of the magic balloons. It is almost as if to say that heterosexual love is natural and expected, but homosexual love is unnatural and only occurs due to “magic” or some other outside influence.
The play is otherwise very funny, and I may be reading too much into it, but it is also another reminder that Kazak culture has a ways to go in regards to gender issues and rights. I have talked earlier about how Kazakhstan is similar in many ways to a 1950’s America, and the Kazak attitude towards homosexuality is a prime example. While there is not much fear or hostility towards gays and bisexuals, there is no acceptance either. In fact, many Kazaks claim that there are absolutely no homosexuals in Kazakhstan. This is definitely part of the country’s Muslim culture that I will have to live with, but it is sometimes difficult to understand when one come from a country that is on the cusp of a major and long time coming breakthrough for civil rights with the likely election of either Barak Obama or Hilary Clinton and the gradual acceptance of alternative lifestyles both in society and under the law. Granted, this issue is not one that effects me personally, but I find myself wondering how volunteers working in Kazakhstan who are gay are dealing with living and working in a culture that likes to pretend they do not exist. How much “cultural bridge building” are they able to accomplish when they are not able to express a major aspect of their personality? Furthermore, I have bemoaned the fact that I will probably not get a date for the next couple of years, but I can only imagine what it must feel like to risk your job or even your safety just for asking someone out on a date. Kazakhstan definitely has a lot going for it, and as a Peace Corps volunteer I am proud of the fact that I am helping it to achieve that potential. I just hope that Kazakhstan does not follow America’s example and take fifty years to make any substantive change on this issue.
воскресенье, 3 февраля 2008 г.
Suddenly that Bowl Haircut Makes Sense.
February 2, 2008
Note: Thanks for those that read this and told me about some much needed corrections!
For the last few Kazak lessons, my tutor and I have been discussing Kazak culture and how it differs from American Culture. This is great because I am able practice my speaking and listening skills, and at the same time we have an interesting cultural exchange. Yesterday, one thing that came up was the traditional Kazak haircut that I like to call the “locket.” It involves shaving the kids head except for a single lock of hair on the back of the head for boys or two locks of hair on the sides for girls. According to my tutor, the reason for this haircut was that it helped protect the child from illness. The only time you still see this haircut is in movies about Genghis Khan, but in the old days people actually believed that if someone looked at the face of a beautiful child too much, the child would become sick. Thus, they cut their hair this strange way so that the person would look at their hair and not at the kid. At first I thought this idea was rather strange. After all, even if they are only looking at the haircut, they are still looking the kid. I realize now though that we have a similar haircut in America, the bowl cut. What other explanation for that horrible haircut can you come up with? If easiness and convenience were the issue, why not just give the kid a buzz cut. No, the fact of the matter is those parents were trying to protect their children from “eye energy.” I am pretty sure that x-ray vision only exists in the comic books, but regardless, I am glad that my mom did not give me a protective haircut. I understand and appreciate the cultural traditions and belief behind the “locket,” but for kids, risking sickness from the evil eye is much less harrowing than the risk of ridicule from their peers.
Note: Thanks for those that read this and told me about some much needed corrections!
For the last few Kazak lessons, my tutor and I have been discussing Kazak culture and how it differs from American Culture. This is great because I am able practice my speaking and listening skills, and at the same time we have an interesting cultural exchange. Yesterday, one thing that came up was the traditional Kazak haircut that I like to call the “locket.” It involves shaving the kids head except for a single lock of hair on the back of the head for boys or two locks of hair on the sides for girls. According to my tutor, the reason for this haircut was that it helped protect the child from illness. The only time you still see this haircut is in movies about Genghis Khan, but in the old days people actually believed that if someone looked at the face of a beautiful child too much, the child would become sick. Thus, they cut their hair this strange way so that the person would look at their hair and not at the kid. At first I thought this idea was rather strange. After all, even if they are only looking at the haircut, they are still looking the kid. I realize now though that we have a similar haircut in America, the bowl cut. What other explanation for that horrible haircut can you come up with? If easiness and convenience were the issue, why not just give the kid a buzz cut. No, the fact of the matter is those parents were trying to protect their children from “eye energy.” I am pretty sure that x-ray vision only exists in the comic books, but regardless, I am glad that my mom did not give me a protective haircut. I understand and appreciate the cultural traditions and belief behind the “locket,” but for kids, risking sickness from the evil eye is much less harrowing than the risk of ridicule from their peers.
суббота, 2 февраля 2008 г.
The Peace Corps Weight Loss Plan
January 30, 2008
According to the statistical evidence gathered by the Peace Corps Medical officer here in Kazakhstan, male volunteers usually lose a significant amount of weight. I am not totally sure as to the reasons for one group losing and the other group gaining, but I have definitely seen the evidence first hand. One of my training buddies and current site mate lost 15-20 pounds in the first three months, and he almost began to look malnourished before getting 10 pounds back after he got to site. Female volunteers on the other hand, tend to gain weight. I am not totally sure as to the reason for one group losing weight while the other group gains it, but I as sure that it has a lot to do with the diet.
The diet here is mostly carbohydrates with a good amount of meat as well. Breakfast is usually just bread and tea, and lunch and dinner is usually some combination of pasta and beef. We do eat vegetables, mostly carrots and cabbage, but they are mainly used as a part of diced, mayonnaise filled salad or some sort of vegetable spread. Fruits though, at least during the winter, are almost non-existent. The only time you usually see a lot of them right now is at a party, because while they are available in the south through the winter they are prohibitively expensive for most people, certainly Peace Corps volunteers. Given this diet, I assume that the weight disparity between male and female PCVs is due in part to the fact that men probably eat more meat, while the girls, who are more often the vegetarians, eat more bread and pasta. I have actually gained about five pounds of muscle here because I have tried to keep working out and my protein consumption is so much higher here. That said, while the female volunteers may gain a bit of weight, they do not gain a significant amount because the lifestyle, even for a teacher, is much more physical than that of the average American. People walk a lot more than they do in America, and riding on public transportation is an endurance test.
So let me put out the notice: Are you over 40, with high blood pressure and a body mass index over 25? Then come to Kazakhstan. The Peace Corps use your extensive work experience, and after two years you will be fit, trim, and have a significantly reduced risk for heart disease, hypertension, and an early death. That is, if the air and ambient radiation does not get you first!
According to the statistical evidence gathered by the Peace Corps Medical officer here in Kazakhstan, male volunteers usually lose a significant amount of weight. I am not totally sure as to the reasons for one group losing and the other group gaining, but I have definitely seen the evidence first hand. One of my training buddies and current site mate lost 15-20 pounds in the first three months, and he almost began to look malnourished before getting 10 pounds back after he got to site. Female volunteers on the other hand, tend to gain weight. I am not totally sure as to the reason for one group losing weight while the other group gains it, but I as sure that it has a lot to do with the diet.
The diet here is mostly carbohydrates with a good amount of meat as well. Breakfast is usually just bread and tea, and lunch and dinner is usually some combination of pasta and beef. We do eat vegetables, mostly carrots and cabbage, but they are mainly used as a part of diced, mayonnaise filled salad or some sort of vegetable spread. Fruits though, at least during the winter, are almost non-existent. The only time you usually see a lot of them right now is at a party, because while they are available in the south through the winter they are prohibitively expensive for most people, certainly Peace Corps volunteers. Given this diet, I assume that the weight disparity between male and female PCVs is due in part to the fact that men probably eat more meat, while the girls, who are more often the vegetarians, eat more bread and pasta. I have actually gained about five pounds of muscle here because I have tried to keep working out and my protein consumption is so much higher here. That said, while the female volunteers may gain a bit of weight, they do not gain a significant amount because the lifestyle, even for a teacher, is much more physical than that of the average American. People walk a lot more than they do in America, and riding on public transportation is an endurance test.
So let me put out the notice: Are you over 40, with high blood pressure and a body mass index over 25? Then come to Kazakhstan. The Peace Corps use your extensive work experience, and after two years you will be fit, trim, and have a significantly reduced risk for heart disease, hypertension, and an early death. That is, if the air and ambient radiation does not get you first!
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