If you’re looking to go for a walk in Almaty without actually having to exercise, look no further– I walk to school every day, and it’s come to be one of my…
Author: wernerg
What’s in a Selfie: How My Tourism Pictures Affect the World Image of Uzbekistan
While I take numerous pictures when traveling, I rarely post them on social media; in fact, during our ten days in Uzbekistan, I shared exactly three selfies via Snapchat with my friends…
Artishock: Contemporary Theater or Crossing a Line?
***Warning: this post discusses sexual assault, which may be triggering for some readers.*** At what point does art cross the fine line from trailblazing experimentation to troubling uncomfort? This was the question…
A Whole New World: The Magic of Uzbek Silk Carpet-Making
You might think the best part of Aladdin is the love story between Aladdin and Jasmine, but after traveling to Uzbekistan, I think the real story might be how a worm’s cocoon…
Stalinism on the Steppe: A Film Review of “A Gift to Stalin”
There’s something powerful about film as a story-telling medium. Even though we’ve read books and articles about Kazakhstan under Stalinism, spoken to our host families, and even visited the site of an…
Inside the Gulag: Our Tour of Alzhir
*** Warning: This post contains mentions of events that some readers may find disturbing. *** As we learn about Kazakhstan’s history in our classes, especially their history as part of the Soviet…
Losing Control: A Review of Dobrovsky’s “The Keeper of Antiquities”
Picture yourself the last time you felt completely, terrifyingly out of control. Before the event occurred, you likely didn’t have any indication that something frightening was about to happen. However, as you…
The Language Roommates of Kazakhstan
Unlike the United States, where English dominates both the official sphere and most public ones, Kazakh and Russian live together in Kazakhstan like roommates. There are people here who speak only Kazakh,…
Walking into the “Illustrated Guide to the Meanings of Almaty”
Monument to Soldiers-Internationalists (“The Afghans”) by Elena Klepikova As we walked through the park, we suddenly found ourselves in front of a giant statue of soldiers bursting through the rock into which…
