On May 13th, I went with the majority of the group to see the Carmen Suite at the Almaty Theater. We had all seen the ballet Giselle in Astana, snowy northern capital…
Author: Katya Sjaastad
Learning about love through Jamila
Do you remember being 16? Do you remember all of the opportunities, growing pains, and uncertainties that came with the transition into adulthood? While every adult has navigated the challenges of their…
Finding an Uzbek identity in a sea of “-stans”
Before traveling to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, I knew practically nothing about either country. To me, they were just Central Asian post-Soviet countries. If you had asked me about either one, I probably…
Testimonies about Tea: A tea time conversation about culture and history
A useful translation – Чай, будешь? = Do you want tea? “Чай, будешь?” My host mother asks me in the morning at breakfast. “Чай, будешь?” My host sister asks when I return…
Девушка!
The cultural experience of the Uzbek bazaar The bazaars we saw in Uzbekistan were like nothing that I have ever seen back home. The culture, setting, and social expectations of the bazaar…
Ethnocenter “NOMAD”: Immersion in Kazakh Culture
What do you know about the historic lifestyle of Kazakh nomads? Do you know anything about Kazakh cavalry armor? Or about Kazakh cooking? Perhaps you are Kazakhstani and have learned more from…
A rainy day at the ALZHIR Remembrance Museum
Our trip to Astana was full of eye opening contrasts. We saw the somewhat forgotten Soviet right bank of the Ishim River and the futuristic left bank. We saw the way that…
The sleeping giants I met in Kazakhstan: Mountains and their presence on Almaty
My first impression of the city of Almaty was the presence of the mountains. When I rode home from the airport the first morning, I was exhausted and too overwhelmed to respond…
