Where the Wind Comes Sweepin' Down the Plain

Carter and Lea recently went to visit Carter's first friend, Mia, and her parents. Lea and Joanna met in water aerobics while pregnant, and Carter and Mia were born 11 days apart. They spent a great deal of time together until Mia moved away at 15 months. They were babysat together, slept in strollers while their moms walked, and played on the Herron living room floor.

Most recently, Mia moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Carter was excited to visit her, as he has recently learned his states and was fascinated by the idea of seeing another state (#10).

The kids had a great deal of fun playing, swimming, bathing together, and visiting the aquarium in Tulsa. A planned visit to the zoo was canceled when a huge storm came in on Sunday, knocking out electricity, and blowing down many large branches. Carter is looking forward to returning some time in the future and playing with "Miss Mia."

Geography Lesson

Carter continues his obsession with geography, but has found a new outlet for expression. For your listening pleasure, he has combined his knowledge of the world with music.

...Libya and Mongolia...

While Erik was in Kazakhstan, visiting his fifth country featured in They Might Be Giants' song "Alphabet of Nations," Carter and Lea attended a performance by the band at Kansas City's inaugural Jiggle Jam, a music festival for children. You can see Carter here, flanked by members of the band. For Carter, the highlight of the day seemed to be running around the Crown Center fountain, which wore him out enough that he slept all the way home.

This event had to be followed up the next day by a visit to the outdoor pool in Lawrence. The week while daddy was in Kazakhstan (in Asia, as Carter would explain to everyone) was busy, interrupted occasionally by some typical Kansas spring weather. Carter hiked around the lake at Prairie Park on Tuesday and Thursday, had a visit from Grandpa, Nana, and Aunt Laura, and attended music class. He also spent a bit of time working in the yard, collecting maple seeds and pulling creeping charlie. Indoors, he has learned his states, and spent a bit of time this week on one of his latest endeavors - learning the provinces and territories of Canada.

Kazakhstan Adventure, Part 4: Conclusion

Friday began early in the morning, as Erik's ear troubles had not fully subsided. He awoke around 3 am, and began his day. While annoying, jetlag also gave him alot of time to get work done. Erik brought a copy of his manuscript along on the trip and has been editing it. Yes - all of the chapters are composed and have been subjected to a couple of revisions. He has to finish the conclusion, tend to technical details like the bibliography, and clean the prose. Barring unforeseen complications, he should be able to calmly meet his deadline at the end of August rather than endure all-nighters [the sound you hear is knocking wood].

Friday's only formal event was the final selection of fellows. Erik and Etibar ranked the candidates similarly, agreeing on those who should be rejected and producing almost identical rank-orderings of the candidates. The meeting went smoothly with thorough discussions of each candidate and with consensus decisions on acceptance or rejection.

Erik picked up some lunch on the go, grabbing some pirozhki from a store near the hotel, then walked to the Arbat to do a bit of souvenir shopping. He met Cristin on the Arbat, and they visited the Museum of Musical Instruments. The museum is housed in a lovely wooden building designed by the same architect as the wooden cathedral mentioned in an earlier post. Unlike many post-Soviet museums, the facility was in excellent condition and the objects were displayed well. Most objects also featured explanations in Kazakh and Russian that were reasonably detailed. In addition to displaying traditional flutes, drums, and cymbals, the collection had many stringed instruments. One room even featured a sort of dombra Hall of Fame, with famous musicians' photos alongside their instruments. Erik and Cristin walked about town, stopping to see several monuments and the sound check for a concert of traditional music scheduled for later in the evening. After a dinner of Uyghur lagman (noodles and meat in a savory soup) and some bliny, Erik returned to the hotel. His persistent jetlag, and the failure of his ears to equalize pressure from Thursday's mountain trip, convinced him to turn in a bit early.

His plan to get a good night's sleep was thwarted again by jetlag and ear pressure problems. He awoke at 2:30 am and worked for several hours on his book. As the morning hours advanced, the rain began to pour down. It subsided late in the morning and Erik went for a walk. He met Cristin in the mid-afternoon to go visit the State Historical Museum, the last major site on his list. The museum was well maintained, and had reasonably good signage in Russian and Kazakh. The museum featured ancient Kazakh history, with amazing objects: ornate gold jewelry, bronze weapons, and musical instruments. The second floor contained several displays for the ethnic groups who have lived in Kazakhstan. Erik was particularly pleased by the Turkmen exhibit which featured a traditional rug that was almost identical to the one in the Herron dining room in Lawrence that he acquired in a Moscow market several years ago. On the top floor, contemporary sculptures in wood and iron were displayed in the hallway. As they approached the entry door to the final hall, a young Kazakh man called them over. He had a stack of books in front of him, and proceeded to ask their names. He signed copies of the book, which was a catalog of the sculptures, and gave one to both Erik and Cristin. It turned out that he was the sculptor! Erik and Cristin expressed their admiration for his work and thanked him for the books. The final hall featured President Nazarbayev's exploits, as well as campaign items from his political party. It also had an exhibit dedicated to Kazakh efforts to help remedy the Chornobyl disaster in Ukraine.

Some of the museum's amusing features reminded Erik of absurdities that one often finds in post-Soviet countries. While he did not see Barf laundry detergent - a favorite photo op for Americans in Central Asia (featured to the left in a photo from Erik's Kyrgyzstan visit in 2004) - he witnessed other quirky things. A clothing store featuring Dennis Miller and Michelle Pfeiffer as models, and the Guns & Roses Cafe, were highlights and are featured below.

A new deluge sent streams of water through the streets and down staircases, but it subsided during the museum visit. Erik and Cristin had a quick dinner, and Erik headed back to the hotel to prepare to go home. He awoke for an early plane departure, and made it back with only minor complications and long plane rides. The Kazakhstan visit was a success, as Erik met new colleagues and experienced one more ex-Soviet republic. Nine down, six to go!

Kazakhstan Adventure, Part 3: Ever Wandered?

Readers of previous posts may have been surprised by the lack of Borat references. Indeed, Erik was prepared for local indignation directed at the movie, but it seems as passe here as in the US. He also saw no signs of the official Kazakh tourism ad campaign, "Ever Wandered?"

Thursday was a free day, but the local hosts had arranged an excursion around town as well as to the nearby sports venues of Medeu and Chimbulak. Cristin had prepared a thorough list of Almaty highlights for Erik, and he had been systematically hitting all of the recommended locations on his walks about town. So, the in-town excursion hit few new and notable spots.

The tour guide chattered non-stop. She clearly loved her city, and was also adept at avoiding answers to tough questions. Indeed, one interesting phenomenon is that interlocutors sometimes constructed clever non-answers to inquiries about sensitive social, political, or historical matters. However, Kazakhstan is not Belarus or Turkmenistan. There is no palpable climate of fear, and many citizens genuinely admire the president's management style and the results of his policy choices. He is particularly popular among many Erik spoke with because of government policies that promote higher education and opportunities abroad. If fully contested elections were held, the president would likely win handily. The Kazakh approach to governance more closely approximates China's model of free enterprise coupled with limited political contestation, rather than nascent liberal democracy.

In addition to stopping by familiar attractions, the tour guide also escorted the group to Almaty's main mosque. The exterior was reminiscent of Samarkand's architecture, and the inside featured lovely tile work. A few people were praying and some were taking a nap on the mosque's spacious floor. While it is not as impressive as the grand mosques of Istanbul, its presence and popularity reflects post-Soviet changes in Kazakhstan. One question Erik hoped to have answered was who financed its construction. Several years ago in Kyrgyzstan, he was told that financiers from the UAE were building mosques. Indeed, money from several sources in the Islamic world has reportedly facilitated mosque construction and is a "soft power" gesture from Iran and other Gulf states.

The tour continued out of town to the mountains. The first stop was Medeu, an outdoor speedskating arena nestled in a valley at the foothills of the Tien Shan mountains. The facility is stunning, framed by the green mountainsides and snow-capped peaks, and it must be a real treat to watch events there. Erik was curious about how fans actually get to the rink, however, as parking for private cars seemed to be lacking for such a large facility. Medeu also featured a "staircase of health" - over 800 steps up the mountainside that host an annual amateur race (the prize - a new TV). Lawrence's Red Dog would be proud (Erik is now a regular at Dog Days, a fitness group led by a feisty former marine for over 25 years. Red Dog loves to have his trainees run steps and hills).

After soaking up the view at Medeu (around 1500 meters above sea level), the tour continued up to Chimbulak, a ski resort. As the van ascended the circuitous path, Erik's ears popped and struggled to catch up to the change in pressure - a bad sign for later. At the top, over 2000 meters above sea level, Erik decided to take the ski lift up for an even better view. For 400 tenge (120 tenge = $1), visitors could rent coats since the temperature dropped substantially in the higher elevations. The normal process was to buy a lift ticket, then go to another vendor for a rental coat. However, the ticket woman offered Erik her coat (so she could pocket the 400 tenge). Erik agreed, but then could not slip the sparkled ski jacket over his shoulders. Marina, another interviewer on the trip, generously traded her borrowed coat for his, and everyone headed up the lift.

The view from the top was indeed spectacular (see the photo below). The snow-covered rocky peaks, wrapped in wispy clouds, seemed close enough to touch, and the green valleys below glowed in the sunlight. Small wildflowers - purple and yellow - accented the deep green grass. The top was quiet too - only the hum of the ski lift was audible. A second ski lift offered a trip further up the mountain, but there was no time to explore higher altitudes. After loading in the van, we began a rapid descent that became painful. Erik's ears could not equalize the pressure changes quickly enough and he was soon temporarily deaf (Erik is susceptible to this problem and often encounters it on planes).

The final stop of the day was dinner. The original plan was to dine at Almaty's only Thai restaurant. But, its $100+ price tag per person caused a change of venue. On a terrace overlooking the ersatz Eiffel Tower, the group broke bread together. As the sun set, moths began to attack diners (especially Erik's table), and showed a distinct preference for Georgian wine. Almost everyone at the table had to fish at least one moth out of a wine glass during the meal. Erik had whole, fresh, grilled trout that was moist, flaky, and delicious. Trout is a local favorite, and having it grilled without any accompaniment was the best way to enjoy the catch of the day. Although he had trouble hearing some of the conversation, everyone chatted about a wide range of subjects from Kazakhstan's education policy and electoral politics in Georgia, to food and entertainment preferences. As the sun disappeared and the moths directed their attention to Almaty's bright lights, we capped off the meal with dessert and strolled back to the hotel.