Today just a few shots which I found interesting. Some of them are really worth putting on your destop, others just reflect the culture, traditions and what it is like being and living here for a short time.

The streets in Oskemon are really wide and it takes some time to have your ahead around them. There is not a very clear city plan so you just go along and might have a chance to find something of interest. There are two nice parks in the city , in one of them the music from the loudspeakers is played as you go. There is a mixture of local relaxation music with some known bits and pieces compositions such as Carlos Santana’s “Samba Pati”.

A few guardians will tell you off when you happen to stand on the grass. You will hear a whistle and you just have to obey them.  I had some feeling that somebody was watching me from around the corner. You can have some an ice-cream – “moroznyje” , a cold drink and something to eat at the park. The sellers will always tell you to come back – which is very welcoming.  

At some distant end of the city I came across a really modern shopping mall with famous brands including Yves Saint Lauren, Estee Lauder, and Christian Dior  and fashion stores such as “Mango” and “Promod”. There are a lot of outlets with sales in the neighbouring shopping centres so if you are lucky and have time you can really find a good bargain. Some of the shops looked really European, others, still reminded of the typical design of the 70-ies bazar stands. It is a city of contrast, indeed. I am sure that in few years such centres will replace the old style stores which even now seem to be not very busy. 

Young generation boys wear brand name clothing with Adidas being the most popular of all. All girls wear tights with their minis, even on a very hot day. If you want to be on top you have to wear very bright colors this season. 

It is just a comment to music I listened to yesterday. There is much more to share but those who have nothing to do with the Russian influence will probably not understand my fascination with the Folk Festival yesterday. You have to be living in Poland, have Russian background /my grandmother/, Lithuanian influence - /Mum- and Grannie both living in Latvia/ Latvian origin /Dad - was born in Ryga/, years of Polish education /primary and secondary school Russian classes/ , summer holidays spent in Vilnius and parents' friends visiting us in the childhood. 

For many years I was using mainly two languages - Polish - native and English - my second language. We did not really like Russian in school for some reasons. First time in my life I really enjoy using and learning Russian, just being here longer and talking to local people makes me feel this way. I was brought up strongly affected by the Russian influence - never really thinking about it. I had to come to Oskemon to revise my origin. For many years I have felt deficient knowing only two languages, now I feel I actually know the third one, as surprisingly, I can communicate in this language. Who would think so! Here Kazaks and Russians live together – there is mixture of both cultures visible everywhere. I like the sound of Kazak language, although it is very different from what I have been used to listen to.

And the cuisine - looks like I am back to my childhod - common smells -I remeber them from my early days. This is a fast food version of "czebureki". Tasty and fatty... Have to be careful. 

slowa i slowa

A day out in Oskemon

I was lucky today as I found some really some nice sights in the city and exciting events going on. As it was Saturday a lot of wedding ceremonies were taking place at the Mosque and the brides were proudly wandering around in their white wedding dresses, posing for the photos to be taken. 

Straight after the wedding ceremony they all went to the park to take pictures in the most picturesque sights. The place is in fact a local ethnic park with some examples of settlements

 dating XVIII century and even earlier, all nicely arranged in the area,  it is specially arranged for the visitors -  a perfect place for the locals to stroll on lazy summer Saturday. I could easily feel the atmosphere.

Some local folk festival was going on – everybody seemed to have a lot of fun being part of it, the performers and spectators alike. The glittering outfits of performers almost blinded me with the sparking embroidery. I am definitely not used to  such combination of folk costumes colours with plastic fabrics and jewelry. 

Locals like glitter and bright colours – they wear their outfits with pride, for sure like being admired, no matter what age and size. The youngest performer must have been around 6 and the oldest – hard to say, really. Some of the singing babushkas had problems getting onto the stage but when they got there they seemed to have more energy than my teenage students during their class projects.

I took my pictures with my Samsung Galaxy which was rather a challenging task as the sun blinded the screen and I could hardly see anything. It was really hot today – must have been about 28 ˚C. Forgive me the quality of the pictures – the message is far more important here. I see the advantage of cameras over mobile phones now. 

And a few shots from the city

They are on every corner - these funny structures are used intensively everyday so I believe on Friday will be used to their extreme. Carpets must be clean - this is how it is done here. Everybody busy then - men and women equally. 

I survived the first week in the new environment - sucess? I guess so. New culture, new priorities. Time for a break and Friday night out or perhaps shopping first. 

I buy my tomatoes and apples here. They are good quality. Do not be discouraged by the looks of the shopping place. The shop assistant is very friendly and teaches me Russian. Thanks .... I can mend my shoes here as well - there is another kiosk on the right which you can't see. At least I feel comfortable that whatever happens to my shoes I can leave them in good hands...

I started exploring the area a little more  in looking for places worth taking picture of. I have found a few places which might be worth admiring. Some of them worried me a bit, the others were just worth remembering. This area is just so different from what I have been used to.  It’s the first time in my whole life when I get to know the people of the area so well. I spend a lot of time with them , chat to them, do shopping… And the little Russian I can use turns out to be so much for my needs. God, thank you for all the Russian teachers I have had in my life. I can be so independent now and indeed, can learn so much with what they all have taught me.

I am getting used to bringing a gallon of water every third day – I didn’t realize how much water I need to use for my meals, coffees and teas /tchay – in Russian/ . I have even made my own cottage cheese first time since my childhood. I taste things my grandmother was talking about, I made “kompot” from dried fruit and ate “chibureki” – I still remember the taste of them. My grandmother was Russian, the whole family was under the strong Russian influence living in Vilno and now I am here, experiencing the mixed culture of Kazaks and Russians living together.  

The shop assistants complement me on my Russian , I have even learnt how the internet connection works here and that I will survive with my mobile connection for the whole month.  Hurray…. And finally I manage to watch all the American movies I have never time to watch at home – in Russian, of course. God bless cable TV – so useful for learning languages…

You can live in Kazakhstan and think more about the world than you actually do when you are in your own country. You appreciate more about your life when you see how much it is to be done elsewhere. You wonder about the idea of planning , time and all things which seem to be your bare necessities. Not everybody thinks like you in fact. Not all of them want changes or perhaps like changes. The idea of privacy in your professional life differs so much. Logistics - the concept developed in the West -  does not seem to exist in other places. Technology may kill creativity - I wonder to what extend I want interactive whiteboards in the classroom if they might kill creative thinking. 

You want to have your coffee outside - no place to have one. You are looking for a bench to sit on a sunny day - where are the benches? You look around and there are small shops everywhere - so you finish up shopping. Women - all they want here is to get married and not worry about their income, have somebody to look after them - this is probably common for the majority of them, no matter which place they come from. Then they look after their families...

poniedziałek w Oskemon

Dear All,
Just a quick info where I am and what I have been doing here.
I am here  with Bell International as a consultant for summer courses at Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools. This is a four week project and I will be keeping you informed about my everyday life here. As far as I know none of the people I know

has been in Kazakhstan before so I will bring this world closer to you. This is my view from the window - here in Oskemon, at Komsomolskaya St. My new life adventure has started here......