Disappointment
“Wherever we go,” I’d declared to Woody at the start of our Peace Corps application process, “I want a nice beach, friendly bugs, and a good mattress.” I figured I could make friends for America without having to suffer. … Read More
My Gutsy Story Guest Post
Just a quick note to let you know I’ve got a guest blog out on Sonia Marsh’s Gutsy Living website http://soniamarsh.com/home/blog Called, Leaving A Life I Loved: When the Peace Corps Beckoned, it gives a bit more … Read More
My Bubble Bath
Survey results are in and most respondents want more deleted scenes from my book, At Home On the Kazakh Steppe. Many also want more substantive information on Kazakhstan. A few mentioned photos, and one suggested I post more regularly. Thanks … 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
There Are No Kazakhstanis in Kazakhstan, Yet
I wanted to understand Kazakhstan, but it wasn’t easy. More to the point, I wanted to understand the people who now called Kazakhstan home. I learned enough early on to know Kazakhstan and America were similar in many ways: … 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