March 3, 2008
It is official: Spring has come to Kyzylorda. How do I know this? The first clue was the sinus congestion that I always get this time of year. I thought that I would be safe living in a place with no green plants, much less pollen, but no such luck. I do have to admit though that my allergies were much less severe than they are normally so perhaps desert living agrees with me. The big sign of spring’s arrival however, is all of the couples that I see everywhere. The river is especially popular, and I regularly see fifteen to twenty couples hugging and making out on one of the park benches along the bank. At first, all of these public displays of affection struck me as strange, particularly in a culture that is usually demur about love and sex, but then I realized that the reason is that they have nowhere else to go. In Kazakhstan, most young people live with their parents who keep a close eye on their children’s friends and relationships, so a hook up in the basement when your parents were away would be difficult if not impossible. Some young people that do have cars and use them as rendezvous spots, but the vast majority do not and so turn to the only place that they can be together in private, public areas like parks, promenades or even the Korkit Ata Monument.
I know that parents and community leaders believe that by forcing their kids to romance in the public eye will keep them from engaging in risky behaviors, but from what I have seen in the last five months it has the unintended consequence of encouraging people to get married when they are very young. If people are told they can only have sex when they are married they are going to get married as soon as possible. For example, in one of my 4th year courses I have three nineteen year-old girls who are married, one has an eighth month old child and the other two are currently pregnant. That said, sex is not the only factor that promotes Kazaks to marry early. Most families vocally encourage their daughters to be married by the time they are twenty-one or twenty-two, but to deny the influence of sex, especially on those couples who get married before they turn twenty, would be ridiculous. Also, I am in not saying that marrying young is necessarily a bad thing, but getting married before you have graduated from high school/college or lived on your own is not usually the wisest decision, especially when you are marrying the first person you date. Still, there are few divorces in Kazakhstan, and most seem very happily married so maybe they know something I do not. In the meantime though, I will just enjoy the warm weather and sunshine, and maybe get a little jealous of all those couples as I run past.
воскресенье, 9 марта 2008 г.
понедельник, 3 марта 2008 г.
Reading List
February 28, 2008
Being a Peace Corps volunteer is a lot of hard work. Teaching English, speaking a foreign language, and trying not to do anything culturally inappropriate is a full time job and is physically and emotionally exhausting. Still, we do generally have a fair bit of free time in which to read or hang out. In the six months I have read several books from the intellectual to the embarrassing and I list them here because maybe even if you are not a Peace Corps volunteer you can still read like one if you want.
1. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
2. The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis
I brought these Lewis books with me to Kazakhstan because I had never read them and I knew that I was going to Muslim nation and wanted to keep my Christian theology sharp. I found Lewis’ ideas interesting and his logic nearly flawless for the most part. Still, I found myself disagreeing with several of his ideas such as the nature of the Trinity. Lewis envisions two beings or intelligences, the Father and the Son and the love between them is the Holy Spirit. This may make me heretical, but I have a hard time with the idea of God in Three persons, even if they are of “one mind and purpose.” It just seems inconsistent with monotheistic thought. Instead I like to look at God as one looks at a regular person, one being with three different jobs or aspects. For example, just as my dad is a lawyer, a son, and a father, so too is God the Father who watches over us, the Son who died for us, and the Spirit who guides us. I would recommend Lewis to almost anyone, whether they were an atheist or a conservative Christian, because while he may not totally change the nature of your belief, he will at least make you think.
3. River God by Wilbur Smith
This was a historical novel about Ancient Egypt. In the afterword, the author seems to be making the claim that his novel is sort of a rough transcription of several ancient scrolls from a recently found temple, and its hard to tell whether he is making a joke or actually thinks that what happened. It is narrated by a brilliant eunuch in Pharaoh’s court and covers a forty-year period from the splitting of the two kingdoms and invasion of the Sumerians through the Pharaoh’s exile and counter-invasion. It is a good book, and the realistic historically rooted plot moves smoothly, but you will never mistake this book for a history lesson. This is a great airplane or travel book. It will fill the time nicely but definitely not life altering.
4. Alvin Journeyman by Orson Scott Card
5 Area 51: Legend by Bob Mayer
All right, I am almost embarrassed to admit I read this book. The basic premise is that there are evil aliens with advanced technology that resemble the sword Excalibur and the Holy Grail of Legend. The heroes of the story are trying to find these objects so that they can defeat the aliens and liberate humanity from the shadow war being waged between the aliens and even worse threat. This books one saving grace was that it was a quick read and made the train ride to Kyzylorda go faster, but if you try to make sense of all of the plot holes you will just give yourself a headache.
6. Roman Blood by Steven Saylor
7. Roma by Steven Saylor
I first read Roman Blood several years ago and since then have been a big fan of his work, especially his Roma Sub Rosa mystery novel series. I brought Roman Blood with me from home because I knew it was a guaranteed good read and I figured that I might run into a fellow classics major who might interested in reading it too. I also brought with me Saylor’s latest book, Roma, which follows one Roman family 2,000 years from the first settlers on the seven hills to the foundation of the city, through the Cataline conspiracy and finally to the death of Caesar. Furthermore, while it is fictional, there is much more history in it than River God. In fact, since Livy is pretty dry, I might even recommend that a beginning classics student might want to read this first to get a rough sketch. I look forward to seeing what Saylor comes up with next and cannot wait to read his next book that comes out in May. (Hi Mom)
8. The Brethren by John Grisham
9. The King of Torts by John Grisham
10. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
11. The Tender Bar by J. R. Moehringer
This is one of the best books that I have read in a long time, and I would like to thank my fellow volunteer for letting me borrow his copy. It is Moehringer’s memoir of growing in a very dysfunctional Irish family and how he found comfort and support with the men who worked at the local bar. Even if you have a father and your family is relatively normal, you will definitely get a lot out of this book, although being Irish definitely helps in understanding his complex relationship with his father and his attraction to bars.
12. I am America, and So Can You by Stephen Colbert
13. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
A story of growing up in America during the 1950s, I thought this book was hilarious not just because Bill Bryson is a great writer and very funny, but in many ways Kazakhstan is America 50 years ago. For example, from November to March, every child is wrapped up in a snowsuit that is warm and toasty is impossible to move in, and just as Bryson recalls playing with Mercury or running after the DDT truck, people here in Kazakhstan are burn their trash and blame the hot weather on the space launches in Baikanoor rather than their own and drive old, gas guzzling cars, all while blaming the space launches in Baikanor for the summer heat. Still, as much as I shake my head at such cluelessness, it is fun to read about that more innocent time. I just hope that as Kazakhstan moves forward, it takes the things that we have done well, such as technology and environmental consciousness, and leaves behind our less beneficial additions to history like Kmart and McDonalds.
14. The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
15. Remembering America by Richard Goodwin
Mr. Goodwin’s book is a powerful chronicle of one of the most important periods of American history, the 1960s. Using his own political and personal journey through that turbulent decade, Goodwin reminds everyone, even if they were there themselves, of the powerful hope and promise of the early part of the decade and the tragedy and dejection that brought it to a close. As much as I was interested in his reflections on John and Robert Kennedy, I think the section of the book that I enjoyed most was the passage about Lyndon Johnson. While both Kennedy’s loss their lives in senseless violence, it was Johnson’s life and career that was a true classical tragedy. It was heartbreaking to read how Johnson was, as Hilary Clinton recently stated, ultimately responsible for the passage of the Civil Rights Act, as well other pieces of landmark legislation such as Medicare and Medicaid, and then how it was all lost due to his stubborn refusal to leave the quagmire of Vietnam. Goodwin’s book was not just a reflection of lost dreams, however. He also reminds us that, though we have spent the last forty years in sitting in depressive apathy, complaining about the state of the world, but not doing anything about it, we can usher in a New America if we work for it. I hope that this election will usher in a new “sixties.” The last eight years have seen political process twisted, the constitution suspended, and the American Dream buried, but after reading this book I hold on to the belief that we can still turn things around.
Being a Peace Corps volunteer is a lot of hard work. Teaching English, speaking a foreign language, and trying not to do anything culturally inappropriate is a full time job and is physically and emotionally exhausting. Still, we do generally have a fair bit of free time in which to read or hang out. In the six months I have read several books from the intellectual to the embarrassing and I list them here because maybe even if you are not a Peace Corps volunteer you can still read like one if you want.
1. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
2. The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis
I brought these Lewis books with me to Kazakhstan because I had never read them and I knew that I was going to Muslim nation and wanted to keep my Christian theology sharp. I found Lewis’ ideas interesting and his logic nearly flawless for the most part. Still, I found myself disagreeing with several of his ideas such as the nature of the Trinity. Lewis envisions two beings or intelligences, the Father and the Son and the love between them is the Holy Spirit. This may make me heretical, but I have a hard time with the idea of God in Three persons, even if they are of “one mind and purpose.” It just seems inconsistent with monotheistic thought. Instead I like to look at God as one looks at a regular person, one being with three different jobs or aspects. For example, just as my dad is a lawyer, a son, and a father, so too is God the Father who watches over us, the Son who died for us, and the Spirit who guides us. I would recommend Lewis to almost anyone, whether they were an atheist or a conservative Christian, because while he may not totally change the nature of your belief, he will at least make you think.
3. River God by Wilbur Smith
This was a historical novel about Ancient Egypt. In the afterword, the author seems to be making the claim that his novel is sort of a rough transcription of several ancient scrolls from a recently found temple, and its hard to tell whether he is making a joke or actually thinks that what happened. It is narrated by a brilliant eunuch in Pharaoh’s court and covers a forty-year period from the splitting of the two kingdoms and invasion of the Sumerians through the Pharaoh’s exile and counter-invasion. It is a good book, and the realistic historically rooted plot moves smoothly, but you will never mistake this book for a history lesson. This is a great airplane or travel book. It will fill the time nicely but definitely not life altering.
4. Alvin Journeyman by Orson Scott Card
5 Area 51: Legend by Bob Mayer
All right, I am almost embarrassed to admit I read this book. The basic premise is that there are evil aliens with advanced technology that resemble the sword Excalibur and the Holy Grail of Legend. The heroes of the story are trying to find these objects so that they can defeat the aliens and liberate humanity from the shadow war being waged between the aliens and even worse threat. This books one saving grace was that it was a quick read and made the train ride to Kyzylorda go faster, but if you try to make sense of all of the plot holes you will just give yourself a headache.
6. Roman Blood by Steven Saylor
7. Roma by Steven Saylor
I first read Roman Blood several years ago and since then have been a big fan of his work, especially his Roma Sub Rosa mystery novel series. I brought Roman Blood with me from home because I knew it was a guaranteed good read and I figured that I might run into a fellow classics major who might interested in reading it too. I also brought with me Saylor’s latest book, Roma, which follows one Roman family 2,000 years from the first settlers on the seven hills to the foundation of the city, through the Cataline conspiracy and finally to the death of Caesar. Furthermore, while it is fictional, there is much more history in it than River God. In fact, since Livy is pretty dry, I might even recommend that a beginning classics student might want to read this first to get a rough sketch. I look forward to seeing what Saylor comes up with next and cannot wait to read his next book that comes out in May. (Hi Mom)
8. The Brethren by John Grisham
9. The King of Torts by John Grisham
10. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
11. The Tender Bar by J. R. Moehringer
This is one of the best books that I have read in a long time, and I would like to thank my fellow volunteer for letting me borrow his copy. It is Moehringer’s memoir of growing in a very dysfunctional Irish family and how he found comfort and support with the men who worked at the local bar. Even if you have a father and your family is relatively normal, you will definitely get a lot out of this book, although being Irish definitely helps in understanding his complex relationship with his father and his attraction to bars.
12. I am America, and So Can You by Stephen Colbert
13. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
A story of growing up in America during the 1950s, I thought this book was hilarious not just because Bill Bryson is a great writer and very funny, but in many ways Kazakhstan is America 50 years ago. For example, from November to March, every child is wrapped up in a snowsuit that is warm and toasty is impossible to move in, and just as Bryson recalls playing with Mercury or running after the DDT truck, people here in Kazakhstan are burn their trash and blame the hot weather on the space launches in Baikanoor rather than their own and drive old, gas guzzling cars, all while blaming the space launches in Baikanor for the summer heat. Still, as much as I shake my head at such cluelessness, it is fun to read about that more innocent time. I just hope that as Kazakhstan moves forward, it takes the things that we have done well, such as technology and environmental consciousness, and leaves behind our less beneficial additions to history like Kmart and McDonalds.
14. The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
15. Remembering America by Richard Goodwin
Mr. Goodwin’s book is a powerful chronicle of one of the most important periods of American history, the 1960s. Using his own political and personal journey through that turbulent decade, Goodwin reminds everyone, even if they were there themselves, of the powerful hope and promise of the early part of the decade and the tragedy and dejection that brought it to a close. As much as I was interested in his reflections on John and Robert Kennedy, I think the section of the book that I enjoyed most was the passage about Lyndon Johnson. While both Kennedy’s loss their lives in senseless violence, it was Johnson’s life and career that was a true classical tragedy. It was heartbreaking to read how Johnson was, as Hilary Clinton recently stated, ultimately responsible for the passage of the Civil Rights Act, as well other pieces of landmark legislation such as Medicare and Medicaid, and then how it was all lost due to his stubborn refusal to leave the quagmire of Vietnam. Goodwin’s book was not just a reflection of lost dreams, however. He also reminds us that, though we have spent the last forty years in sitting in depressive apathy, complaining about the state of the world, but not doing anything about it, we can usher in a New America if we work for it. I hope that this election will usher in a new “sixties.” The last eight years have seen political process twisted, the constitution suspended, and the American Dream buried, but after reading this book I hold on to the belief that we can still turn things around.
Communication Issues
February 24, 2008
Life here in Kazakhstan is going well, but there are definitely frustrations to overcome, such as communication issues. The biggest of these issues is still definitely the language. After six months I find myself hitting a wall when it comes to Kazak. It is harder and harder to see any progress being made with the language and I am sometimes afraid that I am getting worse, not better. I know that it is going to take awhile, and I probably just need to work at it more, but to be honest my living and working situation is not always ideal for mastering Kazak. As an English teacher it is my job to help improve my students and fellow teachers’ skills with the language, so I primarily speak English when I am at work. I do occasionally have to speak Kazak in my first year course to make sure they understand homework assignments, but I otherwise only speak English during class. Also, while I could try to get my fellow teachers to speak Kazak with me, helping teachers with their English is even more important than helping the students. After all, I am only going to be here two years, but if I can help my fellow teachers significantly improve their own language skills than I will be making an important sustainable impact on the community. My house is not the greatest language lab either. We talk a bit during dinner, but they spend most of the evening watching Russian soap operas that I would not be interested even if I could understand them and I usually have to spend my evenings preparing for my lessons. All that said, my Kazak does not totally suck, I can definitely get around and survive, but it is hard to learn anything new because I tend to have the same sorts of conversations everyday.
Another communication issue is that I have not quite learned how to say no. People are always asking me to come to their school for a presentation or their practice, and I have a really hard time saying no because so often in Kazakhstan is actually a demand. For example, this week my supervisor relayed a request from the director that I privately tutor her two nephews. I had already started a Kid’s Club for the faculty’s children at the director’s behest earlier this term and her nephews came to it for awhile before they decided they were to embarrassed to work with the smaller kids in the club. I am already busy with stuff for my other classes, but while Kazak has “zhok” and “emec”, which both mean no or negative, it is a rare thing for someone to actually say they cannot or will not do something. What usually happens if you do not want to do something is say, “Ya, Kasir,” which means yes, in a minute, and then you proceed to put it off or procrastinate until the person that asked forgets all about it. One of the other volunteers here in Kyzylorda has already used this strategy successfully in a similar situation and I am hoping that it will work for me. If not though, I am thinking of arranging the tutoring to take place at six on Tuesdays. I may not be able to accept money, but I can definitely accept dinner, and I plan on being fully compensated for my labor.
Life here in Kazakhstan is going well, but there are definitely frustrations to overcome, such as communication issues. The biggest of these issues is still definitely the language. After six months I find myself hitting a wall when it comes to Kazak. It is harder and harder to see any progress being made with the language and I am sometimes afraid that I am getting worse, not better. I know that it is going to take awhile, and I probably just need to work at it more, but to be honest my living and working situation is not always ideal for mastering Kazak. As an English teacher it is my job to help improve my students and fellow teachers’ skills with the language, so I primarily speak English when I am at work. I do occasionally have to speak Kazak in my first year course to make sure they understand homework assignments, but I otherwise only speak English during class. Also, while I could try to get my fellow teachers to speak Kazak with me, helping teachers with their English is even more important than helping the students. After all, I am only going to be here two years, but if I can help my fellow teachers significantly improve their own language skills than I will be making an important sustainable impact on the community. My house is not the greatest language lab either. We talk a bit during dinner, but they spend most of the evening watching Russian soap operas that I would not be interested even if I could understand them and I usually have to spend my evenings preparing for my lessons. All that said, my Kazak does not totally suck, I can definitely get around and survive, but it is hard to learn anything new because I tend to have the same sorts of conversations everyday.
Another communication issue is that I have not quite learned how to say no. People are always asking me to come to their school for a presentation or their practice, and I have a really hard time saying no because so often in Kazakhstan is actually a demand. For example, this week my supervisor relayed a request from the director that I privately tutor her two nephews. I had already started a Kid’s Club for the faculty’s children at the director’s behest earlier this term and her nephews came to it for awhile before they decided they were to embarrassed to work with the smaller kids in the club. I am already busy with stuff for my other classes, but while Kazak has “zhok” and “emec”, which both mean no or negative, it is a rare thing for someone to actually say they cannot or will not do something. What usually happens if you do not want to do something is say, “Ya, Kasir,” which means yes, in a minute, and then you proceed to put it off or procrastinate until the person that asked forgets all about it. One of the other volunteers here in Kyzylorda has already used this strategy successfully in a similar situation and I am hoping that it will work for me. If not though, I am thinking of arranging the tutoring to take place at six on Tuesdays. I may not be able to accept money, but I can definitely accept dinner, and I plan on being fully compensated for my labor.
воскресенье, 17 февраля 2008 г.
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.
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.
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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