How do you organize your bookshelf?
Once upon a time, I had 3,000 books. They filled a wall twenty-four feet long, by fourteen feet high. I even had a library ladder so I could reach the ones on the top few shelves. My books were … Read More
Kazakh Proverb: “If a man insults you, serve him a meal”
Like any culture, the Kazakh people have many sayings. One I heard often was If a man insults you, serve him a meal. I thought I knew what this meant when I first heard it, but as the years … Read More
More Deleted Scenes
And So It Goes I’m particularly interested in those cultural differences that make me shudder, make me yell out , “Oh, no.” The multi-colored costumes and exotic dances, music, and food of foreign lands is entertaining, of course. But … Read More
Conquering Homophobia Through Vegetarianism
This deleted scene is one of my favorites. It highlights the lighthearted relationship I had with my four closest colleagues and friends: Gulzhahan, Assem, Gulzhan, and Tolganay. Here we are at Tolganay’s apartment for dinner in early June. … Read More