Online chess community where you can play chess, learn strategies and tactics, read chess news, see book reviews, find rules & tips, get free downloads, and more! http://www.chess.com/ 2007 Chess.com "Too Young to Die, Too Hard to Live" by Alexandr The next period of their life I would say is “the dark time”, from historical point of view, of course. I call it that way, because I and my mom do not know anything from those times...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/too-young-to-die-part-iiFri, 29 Aug 2008 19:04:02 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/too-young-to-die-part-ii Throughout time everyone in our world can say that he/she had bad times and good times. Now, I would like to know what good time is and what bad time is? These are relative terms and everyone evaluates them differently. The story that I write ha...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/too-young-to-die-but-too-hard-to-live-by-alexandrFri, 29 Aug 2008 05:30:45 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/too-young-to-die-but-too-hard-to-live-by-alexandrMy grandparents were amazing people. Their lives were very hard however they were optimistic and happy all their life.  My both grandparents grew up in children’s orphanage because their parents died in the period from 1920s-1930s. Ther...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/laura-ks-optimistic-grandparentsThu, 28 Aug 2008 03:45:23 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/laura-ks-optimistic-grandparents   I think that everyone have his own roots.  I’m very proud of my grandparents because they were great people.  They went through The Second World War and restored the economy of country.  I think that it is the most ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/alinas-pride-in-her-roots--her-grandparentsTue, 26 Aug 2008 18:40:11 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/alinas-pride-in-her-roots--her-grandparentsWhen I start to remember about my grandparents I become sad, because they died.  I think that everyone has warm feeling to grandparents.  I remember I lived with them more than 3 years. During this time they give all their concern and at...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/nargizas-kazakh-grandpa-lived-and-died-with-horsesMon, 25 Aug 2008 18:18:49 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/nargizas-kazakh-grandpa-lived-and-died-with-horses“A human without past is like a tree without root”- It may be not a Russian proverb, but Russian-speakers often mention it. When I was a kid, I could not understand why. It is hard for me to imagine what happened to people during the S...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/a-long-way-to-go-natalyas-grandmotherSun, 24 Aug 2008 22:31:32 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/a-long-way-to-go-natalyas-grandmother             My granddad on my mother’s side was an amazing storyteller. He had a lot of interesting live stories that we heard with great interest. He had tremendous memory on name...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-grandpa-surived-15-years-of-siberias-gulag-by-laura-jSat, 23 Aug 2008 19:05:07 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-grandpa-surived-15-years-of-siberias-gulag-by-laura-j This story begins in the late 1938.  Our family was living in the village called Nookat, on the North of the Kyrgyzstan. There were only 5 neighbour families in our village. We had a house with 5 rooms and a farm with 200 sheep, 10 cows and...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/aiperis-kyrgyz-grandfather-and-his-educationSat, 23 Aug 2008 05:04:22 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/aiperis-kyrgyz-grandfather-and-his-education             I have a grandfather from my father’s side. My grandparents live in the east of Kazakhstan, near the border with China during all their lives.  Every year when I visit...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/zhannas-grandfather---hard-school-of-warFri, 22 Aug 2008 14:10:59 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/zhannas-grandfather---hard-school-of-war ‘There is no way to survive, but being optimistic’, - says my Grandma every time when I feel sad. When I was a child, I couldn’t understand her, and it was hard for me to believe these words, but few years ago, she told me her ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/believing-is-a-way-to-survive-by-yelena-kThu, 21 Aug 2008 17:11:42 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/believing-is-a-way-to-survive-by-yelena-kThe following will be the beginning of a series of many stories I gathered from my Kazakhstani students this fall semester.  Some are quite emotional, others are winsome, all are written from the heart.  Enjoy the unvarnis...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/aigerims-grandparents-storyThu, 21 Aug 2008 04:50:17 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/aigerims-grandparents-storyThe following is the last installment from Frank R. Thoms unpublished manuscript that I received from my Peace Corps assistant and Kazakhstani friend Tatyana Kazanina.  I knew Tatyana from training Peace Corps volunteers in Almaty the summer ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-final-part-viiiTue, 19 Aug 2008 13:27:46 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-final-part-viiip. 191 “Like prompting, cheating serves the collective.  But unlike American students, Soviets do not cheat from one another but with one another, the brighter students helping the weaker ones.  Students refer to the process of che...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-part-viiTue, 19 Aug 2008 01:03:11 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-part-vii p. 151 “It says here in this newspaper report that six men were killed.  No one asked any questions.  No discussion.  No arguments.  The bell rang.  Valentina dismissed the class.  That was it.  If these ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-part-viMon, 18 Aug 2008 07:43:29 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-part-vi p. 173 “In contrast to the relaxed atmosphere at School 185, I was unable to generate open discussions in classrooms at School 169.  The cocoon of Lenin, which had surrounded me upon my arrival, succeeded in channeling my energy into ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-part-vSat, 16 Aug 2008 21:45:00 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-part-v p. 229 “No doubt Tatyana believed what she was saying.  Nearly all the teachers I had met in Soviet schools insisted that their students knew more about America than American students knew about the Soviet Union – despite outdat...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-part-ivSat, 16 Aug 2008 07:32:55 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-part-ivPlease read two days of prior blog postings to understand that my source is from an unpublished manuscript by Frank R. Thoms.  p. 113 “But, as dull as her [Zoya’s] lesson had been, I was struck with its success.  Her studen...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-part-iiiThu, 14 Aug 2008 19:15:24 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-part-iiiSome may think it odd to write about Soviet people when the Soviet Union was dissolved 17-18 years ago but the Soviet mentality still exists.  I know, because I will be teaching English this fall semester once again in Almaty, Kazakhstan at a...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-part-iiThu, 14 Aug 2008 08:00:25 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-part-iiThe following quotes are from an unpublished book by Frank R. Thoms tentatively titled “Through Their Eyes, Encounters with Soviet People.”  I never met this man who was probably a middle school teacher from, I beli...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-part-iWed, 13 Aug 2008 07:58:16 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/encounters-with-soviet-people-part-i The following is from my journal account of my 5 week trip in Europe and Russia in May of 1976, 32 years ago.  This is the first entry since Alexandr Solzhenitsyn’s death that I’m not writing something related to him to honor hi...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/one-day-at-a-time---day-24-of-36Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:24:58 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/one-day-at-a-time---day-24-of-36Day 22 of 36 – May 25, 1976 “We had a three hour trip on the train to Vladimir from Moscow before that in the morning we had gone to a small village of Zagorsk to tour a monastery.  Father Paul gave us an exclusive tour of the m...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/one-day-at-a-time---dr-boris-kornfeldMon, 11 Aug 2008 23:59:53 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/one-day-at-a-time---dr-boris-kornfeld I suppose I have “kept on writing” too an inherited trait from my mother’s side of the family.  Her older relatives commonly wrote letters back and forth from Norway to North Dakota and consequently my mom and *I* wrote lo...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/one-day-at-a-time---solzhenitsyn-kept-on-writingSun, 10 Aug 2008 11:39:24 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/one-day-at-a-time---solzhenitsyn-kept-on-writing As I continue to read through my diary entries of traveling in Moscow and Leningrad the summer of 1976, I came upon something of interest on Day 23 of our 36 day trip.  You see, I keep looking for clues of what Solzhenitsyn was referring to...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/one-day-at-a-time---day-23-of-36Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:02:47 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/one-day-at-a-time---day-23-of-36 I don’t think it possible to belabor Alexander Solzhenitsyn, there is so much that has not been covered of this great man.  The Olympics opening in China today could possibly mute any more of his voice reaching out to the masses, the ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/one-day-at-a-time---of-good-and-evilFri, 08 Aug 2008 09:21:52 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/one-day-at-a-time---of-good-and-evilQ: “Life given back to me has not been mine in the full sense: it is built around a purpose,” he [Solzhenitsyn] wrote.  What in your [Natalya Solzhenitsyn] view, has been the core of that purpose? A: “He himself saw it ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/solzhenitsyns-purpose-according-to-natalyaThu, 07 Aug 2008 20:26:40 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/solzhenitsyns-purpose-according-to-natalya1) Washington Post Feb. 11 1975: “When the Calf Meets the Oak” from a Russian proverb, the book traces the combat that Solzhenitsyn (the calf) led against Soviet totalitarianism (the oak) from his public emergence in 1961 to his exile ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/the-calf-gored-the-oak-solzhenitsyn-part-ivWed, 06 Aug 2008 20:15:08 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/the-calf-gored-the-oak-solzhenitsyn-part-iv Thanks to Alvin Kapusta (Ukrainian diaspora who worked in Wash. D.C. in the State Department) and his saving newspaper and magazine clippings about Solzhenitsyn.  I typed out the best quotes I could find about Solzhenitsyn from Kapusta...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/solzhenitsyns-writings-part-iiTue, 05 Aug 2008 20:02:02 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/solzhenitsyns-writings-part-ii The following is the third of a four part series of notes I took on Solzhenitsyn while at Hoover Institute June of 2005.  I looked through the archived files of Alvin Kapusta to find that he had followed this famous Russian Solzhenitsy...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/solzhenitsyns-writings-part-iiiTue, 05 Aug 2008 19:59:48 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/solzhenitsyns-writings-part-iii The following are texts from Kapusta Boxes 9 and 10 labeled “Solzhenitsyn Clippings 1977-1980” folder at Hoover Institution archives at Stanford University which I accessed June 15-19, 2005 regarding Alexandr I. Solzhenitsyn.&nb...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/solzhenitsyns-writing-live-on-and-onSun, 03 Aug 2008 20:42:52 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/solzhenitsyns-writing-live-on-and-on When I taught ESL (English as a Second Language) in northern Virginia for three years, I had students from all over the globe.  However, during that time from 1995-1998, I do not recall having any students from Kazakhstan.  Perhaps Kaz...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/proverbs-from-around-the-worldSun, 03 Aug 2008 06:17:40 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/proverbs-from-around-the-world A high school friend of mine wrote that she really liked the latest Batman movie “Dark Knight.” (It has nothing to do with chess, sorry) After seeing it myself the other day, I asked her what she liked about it. &...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/dark-knight-and-the-shackFri, 01 Aug 2008 07:22:52 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/dark-knight-and-the-shackThis blog entry is a continuation of yesterday’s culling out papers from my old files of what students have handed in to me.  Some are pretty hilarious. The following reference letter was written by A.K.’s teacher from Turkey.&nbs...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/why-i-love-teaching-eslefl-students-part-iiThu, 31 Jul 2008 12:07:28 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/why-i-love-teaching-eslefl-students-part-ii I will make a HUGE disclaimer before I quote an essay from one of my Sierre Leone students from 1995, it is just too good to pass up.  As I’m going through papers to file, to keep, and to burn, there is a reason why THIS descript...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/why-i-love-teaching-eslefl-studentsWed, 30 Jul 2008 06:50:24 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/why-i-love-teaching-eslefl-studentsYesterday was a brilliant day with a picnic of shashlik at our place.  Afterwards a requisite water fight, adventures out in the woods to plan a new fort, treehouse and finally canoeing down the Red River.  The four launched fr...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/boys-only-water-fight-treehouse-and-canoeMon, 28 Jul 2008 05:46:52 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/boys-only-water-fight-treehouse-and-canoe The following about stages of power is something I learned several years ago which is taken from Janet Hagberg 1994 book having to do with the above title.  This might apply to my institution of higher learning in Central Asia, or...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/six-stages-of-personal-power-in-organizationsSun, 27 Jul 2008 08:00:10 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/six-stages-of-personal-power-in-organizations I enjoy reading British authors C.S. Lewis and also G.K. Chesterton but for today I’ll use a quote from Lewis because politics have been on my mind a lot lately.  One can’t help it while being back in the U.S. with the cons...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/democracy-and-unchecked-powerSat, 26 Jul 2008 05:52:11 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/democracy-and-unchecked-powerAmazing what names of authors pop up while using the research databases such as J-Stor, EBSCOhost, et al. While helping my Ukrainian students with their research papers in Kyiv, Ukriane I ran across some very thorough writing about the H...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/two-worlds-have-come-togetherFri, 25 Jul 2008 06:52:38 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/two-worlds-have-come-together Today was THEE day to pull out vicious weeds from my various flower gardens.  Since we got a blessed 4/10ths of an inch of rain last night, the thistle and itch weed were extracted easily.  The 4-5 hours I was outside pl...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/pulling-weeds-and-1932-33-holodomor-in-ukraineThu, 24 Jul 2008 14:13:57 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/pulling-weeds-and-1932-33-holodomor-in-ukraineI don’t have much to write on Kazakhstan obviously being back home on “vacation” in NW MN.  Today I should have quoted from Ron Vossler’s latest book “Wedding of Darkness” but I already gave it to...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/books-read-on-our-mn-farmWed, 23 Jul 2008 08:55:38 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/books-read-on-our-mn-farmWhat I forgot to mention in my last blog posting is that the evening we watched the ORANGE full moon come up, fireflies were also something to behold.  Once it was dark, they glowed brightly against the backdrop of our densely, grassed woods....http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/sequel-to-rare-dascha-momentsTue, 22 Jul 2008 06:37:38 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/sequel-to-rare-dascha-momentsYesterday evening was perfect with the usual splendid sunset but mostly it was idyllic because we participated in watching the full moon come up ORANGE in the eastern sky. Ken and I sat in our lawn chairs to watch it as if watching a parade proces...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/rare-dascha-moment-in-idyllic-minnesotaSat, 19 Jul 2008 08:04:44 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/rare-dascha-moment-in-idyllic-minnesotaAfter our wonderful trip to Texas and Arizona my Mom thought she would give us another kind of adventure.  Hospitals are foreign territory to me, I don’t like much being in them but I’d rather visit patients than BE one! My Mom ha...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/procedure---misnomer-for-my-moms-adventureThu, 17 Jul 2008 12:11:08 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/procedure---misnomer-for-my-moms-adventure These photos are in no particular order, just showing the happy occasion when two people became man and wife on July 12, 2008.  Ken and I are able to claim we are bona fide matchmakers now, though it was a “long row to hoe” as t...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/photos-of-texas-weddingMon, 14 Jul 2008 06:25:44 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/photos-of-texas-weddingSorry for dropping off the map with my blog entries the last several days. Our friends Jeannie and Ken got married yesterday in Texas and fortunately Ken and I flew to Houston to witness this fact. Their relationship has been eight years...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/witnessed-friends-wedding-yesterdaySun, 13 Jul 2008 18:41:33 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/witnessed-friends-wedding-yesterdayShe used to tell her stories in low voice and mentioning names like she was retelling incident took place yesterday. My grandmother. As every old man she liked to repeat her stories several times with new interesting details. Listening to her stor...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakh-grandmother-kanats-narrativeFri, 11 Jul 2008 14:23:44 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakh-grandmother-kanats-narrativeMy grandmother was born in 1926 in Russia in a small Siberian town, which is called Usuriysk. Thereabouts from their settlement flowed the river Usura that was famous for its full-flowing and abundance of different fish. Along the river spread lar...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/russian-grandmother-alexandrs-narrativeThu, 10 Jul 2008 04:52:09 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/russian-grandmother-alexandrs-narrative My name is Elvira and Madiyar is my great -grandfather.  I wish to know my great - grandfather. Hard times in the country separated him with his family. There is a big sadness about our family. This tragedy happened during Stalin’...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/one-tragedy-in-one-family-elviras-narrativeWed, 09 Jul 2008 09:18:43 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/one-tragedy-in-one-family-elviras-narrativeKoreans have been living at the territory of the former Soviet Union for more than 100 years and about 70 years in Central Asia and Kazakhstan. The 1930s - Deportation I have grandfathers from my mother’s, father’s and step-father...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/despite-anything-yelenas-narrativeMon, 07 Jul 2008 00:50:52 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/despite-anything-yelenas-narrativeHaving grown in peaceful time younger generation seems to be unaware of war hardship and human casualties. The only time we remember to treat war veterans is 9 of May, the Day of Victory. A story of my dad’s grandfather is a proof of how imm...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/a-shell-saved-lives-dinaras-grandfatherSat, 05 Jul 2008 19:59:19 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/a-shell-saved-lives-dinaras-grandfather         My grand grandmother was born in 1906 year and died in 1992. This period covers different types of life that includes Stolypin reforms in 1920s, when people live as private farmers, collectivism, wh...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/time-will-not-turn-back-again-mayas-narrativeFri, 04 Jul 2008 21:35:46 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/time-will-not-turn-back-again-mayas-narrativeFamily ties are very important for many, especially for Kazakhs because according to our tradition we should know seven ancestors by names. I often heard my father in law telling stories to my children (sometimes, I think, he makes up some of his ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/strong-belief-nurganyms-narrativeThu, 03 Jul 2008 18:58:50 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/strong-belief-nurganyms-narrative           It is hard to memorize all the stories that my grandmother loved to tell me when I was a little girl. I’ve tried to remember some of them which have stayed forever in my mind. The ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/time-we-remember-yuliyas-grandmotherWed, 02 Jul 2008 21:39:36 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/time-we-remember-yuliyas-grandmotherI want to tell about the grandmother of my husband. Her name is Munira. Her life was difficult, but she thinks that her life was really good. Every time when I talk to her, I wonder at her firmness of character. She saw loss of close relatives, hu...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/grandmother-is-our-bright-star-gulnars-narrativeTue, 01 Jul 2008 17:54:51 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/grandmother-is-our-bright-star-gulnars-narrativeThe following was written by my current writing student named Olga for a narrative essay assignment. I have not done any retouching to her words, enjoy a delightful story preserved in her family. Sometimes we make an action which at first sight se...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/thirty-minute-shoes-olgas-narrativeTue, 01 Jul 2008 04:19:52 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/thirty-minute-shoes-olgas-narrativeThe following is a narrative story written by one of my students named Irina about her father. Nothing has been editted and she gave a short vocabulary list at the end if you don’t know some of the foreign words. A Taste of Warmth This sto...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/a-taste-of-warmth-irinas-narrativeMon, 30 Jun 2008 21:39:52 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/a-taste-of-warmth-irinas-narrative About 200 English teachers from all over Central Asia were at a conference this past weekend in Almaty at the Alatau sanatorium. I especially enjoyed meeting those from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan since they come from...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/almatys-well-kept-secret-sanatoriumSun, 29 Jun 2008 20:44:48 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/almatys-well-kept-secret-sanatorium“Close to Eden” is a gem of a foreign movie which came out a year or two before 1992.  At least that was the year when "Close to Eden" was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film for the Academy Awar...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/close-to-eden-in-kazakhstanThu, 26 Jun 2008 21:45:44 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/close-to-eden-in-kazakhstanMy morning turned out differently than I thought it would.  I went to the health club later than usual and once finished with my workout routine on the equipment, skipped the Turkish sauna and swim. I NEEDED a haircut!  After a 6,000 ten...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/sheep-shearing-and-6000-tenge-haircutsThu, 26 Jun 2008 01:56:21 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/sheep-shearing-and-6000-tenge-haircutsEnglish as She is Spoke is an old classic book over 150 years recently republished which rivals anything Mr. Barot scripted in his recent movie about cultural leanings of America for make benefit glorious nation.  (I purposely misspelled his ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/english-as-she-is-spoke-and-writtenTue, 24 Jun 2008 22:30:51 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/english-as-she-is-spoke-and-writtenOur Internet is still down at home and so when I don’t have anything to write I usually put up photos. Can’t do that today since I’m tapping this blog entry at work and all my photos showing off Kaza...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/challenging-kazakhstans-mountainsMon, 23 Jun 2008 22:48:39 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/challenging-kazakhstans-mountainsOur Internet has been down for over a day and Ken is trying to remedy the situation.  We are coping with withdrawal symptoms of not getting our news or e-mails from friends and family. Technology, love it or hate it. Yes, modern technology ha...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/life-under-the-sun-in-kazakhstanSun, 22 Jun 2008 21:36:45 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/life-under-the-sun-in-kazakhstan Some friends of ours are FINALLY getting married on July 12th after an eight year courtship.  Ken and I were instrumental in getting them together in Ukraine, one is from Texas the other from Michigan.  So I guess that qualifies us as b...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/friendship---do-you-see-the-same-truthFri, 20 Jun 2008 18:38:54 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/friendship---do-you-see-the-same-truth  "First day of summer" seems strange to read on our western calendars when we have been enjoying summer for almost two months already in Almaty, Kazakhstan.  The roses are about kaput, but the petunias and marigolds flourish e...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/first-day-of-summer-pink-blue-and-greenThu, 19 Jun 2008 18:59:57 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/first-day-of-summer-pink-blue-and-green Ken and I get up VERY early (note 5:00 a.m. sunrise) to go to our health club down the hill 15 minutes away.  On Monday Ken had commented on a small tree that was growing on the roof of a deserted elementary school, it was about 2 ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/tall-holly-hock-syndromeWed, 18 Jun 2008 17:22:47 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/tall-holly-hock-syndromeMost have heard the joke best told and understood in Russian about the genie who appears to grant three different nationalities three wishes.  I’m not very good at telling jokes, my husband has told this joke innumerable times, so you&r...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/schadenfreude-and-the-tall-poppy-syndromeTue, 17 Jun 2008 17:37:09 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/schadenfreude-and-the-tall-poppy-syndrome My husband bought this art piece with the artist’s name emblazoned on the back, also titled “Composition in Leather.”  It would not be MY first choice of art for our decor but each to his own.  It has a rustic feel to ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstans-odds-and-endsMon, 16 Jun 2008 21:25:15 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstans-odds-and-ends  Yesterday after church, Yelena took us to a Georgian restaurant (ate shashlik and traditional cheese bread) on our way to Big Almaty Lake. Spontaneous decisions for adventures can sometimes be a good thing.  We went high up into the w...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/forget-me-nots-but-no-wildlifeSun, 15 Jun 2008 23:09:17 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/forget-me-nots-but-no-wildlifeToday is Father’s Day in the U.S. and I’ve already sent my e-greeting to my dear Dad back in Minnesota.  Fortunately, he is looking after mowing our lawn, making sure everything is in order by the time we get back to our &ldq...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/noone-is-indispensible-but-we-are-disposableSat, 14 Jun 2008 17:09:24 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/noone-is-indispensible-but-we-are-disposable A complimentary response from one of my blog readers in the U.S. made my day yesterday: “Kazakhstan was a so-what name till I read your posts here. Whether you stay or not, know that your fine hand brought it alive for me, with real peopl...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstan-a-land-of-immense-consequenceSat, 14 Jun 2008 00:32:59 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstan-a-land-of-immense-consequence Driving along this canyon road with the rock mountain on one side and the bubbling stream on the other does not leave too much room for error.  If the oncoming cars don’t get you, an errant thundering rock from above mig...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/rocks-dangerous-jagged-slippery-soothingThu, 12 Jun 2008 21:17:27 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/rocks-dangerous-jagged-slippery-soothing Last Saturday’s excursion out of the city and into the wilds of Kazakhstan’s country could have been somewhere in Colorado. In many ways, so similar in appearance.  What a delight to breathe the fresh mountain air and drink strai...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/eagle-horses-and-sheep-in-kazakhstanWed, 11 Jun 2008 16:39:56 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/eagle-horses-and-sheep-in-kazakhstan I love to try and identify wildflowers but some I’ve never seen before until our Saturday outing into the mountains several hours away from Almaty.  Easy to pick out Queen Anne’s lace but with a pink hue.  Also,&nb...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstans-wildflowers-unknown-to-meTue, 10 Jun 2008 19:38:12 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstans-wildflowers-unknown-to-me The question has been raised something to the effect, “Is there a Kazakh law in place to remember the victims of the evilness of the Soviet empire?” This was printed in the “Metalis” No. 22(387) newspaper publish...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/pursuit-of-happiness-in-kazakhstanMon, 09 Jun 2008 19:19:39 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/pursuit-of-happiness-in-kazakhstan The truth can’t be muzzled for long, it will ultimately prevail and words written by Malcolm Muggeridge is a case in point.  I value Muggeridge’s writings because later in life, as a journalist seeking after truth, he w...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/muzzled-malcolm-muggeridge-and-happinessSun, 08 Jun 2008 19:35:57 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/muzzled-malcolm-muggeridge-and-happinessYelena’s Toyota took us to Turgen, the fish farm so we could catch some trout, the “royal fish.”  She caught half of the ten we had brought to our campfire further up in the mountains.  The scenery along the way wa...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/catching-the-royal-fishSun, 08 Jun 2008 08:37:58 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/catching-the-royal-fish On a wall of our hallowed halls of academia in Almaty, Kazakhstan are photos which depict “patriots” who served on the Front of the “Great Patriotic War.”  We, as westeners, know it simply as World War II and did...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/great-patriotic-war-according-to-whomFri, 06 Jun 2008 19:24:56 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/great-patriotic-war-according-to-whom Yesterday was a “vanilla” day compared to the night before when I captured these two pinkish sunsets from our southern balcony.  ALL “remaining” faculty and graduating students were to be at the graduation rehear...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/pink-hued-sunsets-in-almatyThu, 05 Jun 2008 19:09:33 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/pink-hued-sunsets-in-almatyKazakh SuperstitionsMukhamet Shayakhmetov wrote in his book “The Silent Steppe” (p. 241) that Kazakhs are superstitious.  My friend Kim confirmed that information by telling me some of the superstitions she has encountered while l...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakh-traditions-through-kims-eyesWed, 04 Jun 2008 19:51:58 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakh-traditions-through-kims-eyes What a fun day Kim and I had on the top of Kok-Tobe overlooking Almaty.  The absolute BEST day to go up is Tuesday because the cable car doesn’t open until 4:00 p.m. otherwise they start moving people up and down starting at 11:00 a.m....http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/almatys-kok-tobe-with-kimTue, 03 Jun 2008 19:14:07 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/almatys-kok-tobe-with-kimWaking up at 5:00 a.m. to the coolness of the morning, I made a beeline for our north balcony to witness the pink of the pre-dawn sky to the east. After making my coffee, I went to my meditation spot looking out to the mountains from our south win...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/o-little-hills-skip-like-lambsMon, 02 Jun 2008 18:47:56 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/o-little-hills-skip-like-lambs I met up with Wendy, a new British friend of mine, who lives next to Panfilov park.  Naturally I had to take photos of ALL the roses along the way from my walk down to meet her.  What was extra beautiful was for both of us to hear the c...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/roses-everywhere-in-almatySun, 01 Jun 2008 21:57:37 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/roses-everywhere-in-almaty I’d like to know the meaning of this mosiac design that is in a prominent place close to our university in Almaty.  Probably each inset mosiac piece was laid by melancholy artists in the 1960s with significance to Kazakh...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/madame-guyons-musings-on-designSat, 31 May 2008 19:45:37 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/madame-guyons-musings-on-designI can almost guarantee these three men are NOT talking about “postmodernism” but the wizened old man looks like he has plenty to say to the other two men. Daily this older gentleman sits below our balcony as if he lives in on...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/three-men-and-manhole-coversFri, 30 May 2008 18:23:10 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/three-men-and-manhole-coversI already know who my A students are out of 11 as we lurch into Day Five out of 30 days of course instruction for Summer Session One. I have five more weeks to find out who my B and C students are and hopefully none will fail.  Unless, of cou...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/how-to-catch-a-plagiaristThu, 29 May 2008 20:02:49 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/how-to-catch-a-plagiaristThese excerpts are from a timed writing of my masters level students the first time we met on Monday evening. (I had them sign a "consent form" so I could share a “slice of life” with my faithful readers.) I asked n...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/eight-students-samples-of-slice-of-lifeWed, 28 May 2008 20:50:41 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/eight-students-samples-of-slice-of-life“Did we pretend to be ‘hurt’ in our sensitive and tender feelings (fine natures like ours are so vulnerable) when envy, ungratified vanity, or thwarted self-will was our real problem? Such tactics often succeed.  The other p...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/reflections-on-sensitivityTue, 27 May 2008 19:24:15 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/reflections-on-sensitivity My Mom is doing a GREAT job in getting me to pine for things at home with her photos she just took of our farmyard.  Such as the discovery made by my Dad of Killdeer eggs right in our gravel driveway by the yardlight.  Or seei...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/dandy-lions-are-not-missed-others-areMon, 26 May 2008 20:57:13 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/dandy-lions-are-not-missed-others-areToday I took a different route for my sunny morning walk and discovered a new way with lots of wildflowers.  The fresh, new day invited a cheery “Dobra utra” to the other 6:00 a.m. morning walkers and they responded in kind. ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/new-day-new-way-new-traySun, 25 May 2008 19:18:51 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/new-day-new-way-new-tray Yesterday we went to a picnic hosted by Bakyt and his wife Anna for Ken’s economics department.  The weather was unpredictable since it had rained earlier in the morning.  Thankfully it was warm and sunny by noon.  Howev...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/photos-of-rained-out-picnicSat, 24 May 2008 17:47:07 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/photos-of-rained-out-picnicMy husband had asked Saule for some specific Kazakh proverbs that might relate to the “Golden Rule.”  The following are what she came up with: “Nightingale cannot do without woods, man cannot do without Motherland.&rdqu...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/nine-kazakh-proverbs-from-sauleFri, 23 May 2008 20:16:03 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/nine-kazakh-proverbs-from-sauleYesterday we finished our third day of “Virtual Classroom” with Language Center teachers doing keyword searches on the electronic databases provided by our university library.  Five questions were part of the Treasure Hunt about k...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/nazarbayev---nightingale-cannot-do-without-woodsThu, 22 May 2008 20:35:09 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/nazarbayev---nightingale-cannot-do-without-woods  The photos are two entirely different events scheduled simultaneously on the same campus with two unlike groups of people, teachers and students.  My dear husband Ken shared in the Teacher-Research Workshop, to almost 40 Kazakhstani te...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/photos-of-two-campus-eventsWed, 21 May 2008 19:30:24 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/photos-of-two-campus-events1) Choosing the job of the teacher, the person “signs the contract” to be an eternal student, so if you want to be on the same wavelength with a new generation, the teachers have to get the latest knowledge. Today, the a...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/ten-quotes-from-virtual-classroom-favoring-itTue, 20 May 2008 19:20:32 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/ten-quotes-from-virtual-classroom-favoring-itOur Kazakhstani teachers in the Language Center will have three days of professional development workshops which should be exciting for me and the 30-40 teachers who show up to learn.  Some have already signed a “Contract of Involvement...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/todays-virtual-classroom-in-kazakhstanMon, 19 May 2008 19:26:48 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/todays-virtual-classroom-in-kazakhstanHearing the talented Russian National Orchestra play Sergei Prokofiev’s composition of Peter and the Wolf on Saturday night has me thinking he meant it to be MORE than for just children.  No composer puts that much energy into a piece w...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/prokofievs-subtle-overtones-and-sublime-ironySun, 18 May 2008 19:56:25 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/prokofievs-subtle-overtones-and-sublime-irony  Many beautiful but sad looking brides dressed in their ceremonial white were roaming all around Panfilov Park yesterday afternoon.  Last night at the Music Conservatory Hall we saw more “stars” for the sake of Russia’...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/diplomatic-stars-famous-actor-and-melancholy-bridesSat, 17 May 2008 20:14:35 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/diplomatic-stars-famous-actor-and-melancholy-brides Happy Norwegian Independence day on May 17th this very day!  At the turn of the 20th century the Norwegians were MORE than happy to be unshackled from an overpowering country such as Sweden.  Before Sweden’s domination, ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/ja-vi-elsker-dette-landet-happy-syttende-maiFri, 16 May 2008 19:25:16 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/ja-vi-elsker-dette-landet-happy-syttende-maiLast night we enjoyed a meal at our place with a very talented linguist (let’s call him Murat).  He claims to know 15 languages and I believe him.  Russian was his first language even though he is ethnically Kazakh.  Eventuall...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/a-kazakh-linguists-secret-to-learning-languagesThu, 15 May 2008 20:27:33 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/a-kazakh-linguists-secret-to-learning-languagesThe following is what our Kazakh speaker, Ainur Baisakalov, had on his handout concerning “Concept of the Nature Sacredness in the Kazakh Traditional Music.”  I’m not sure if this is another poem related to the Lam...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/the-lame-horse-part-iiWed, 14 May 2008 18:02:04 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/the-lame-horse-part-iiYesterday one of my English teaching colleagues, Ainur Baisakalov,  gave a talk about the “concept of the nature sacredness in the Kazakh traditional music.”  Ainur first started with a tongue-in-cheek phrase “the ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/the-lame-horse-kui-legend-for-the-dombraTue, 13 May 2008 21:12:02 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/the-lame-horse-kui-legend-for-the-dombra These paintings of Nelly Bube's, I picked off the Internet and will be the last of the series for a while.  Chances are fairly good that I’ll soon meet Nelly Bube who lives in Almaty since she knows many of the ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/artist-nelle-bube-paintings-are-treasuredMon, 12 May 2008 19:12:22 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/artist-nelle-bube-paintings-are-treasured     How I would LOVE to meet this artist named Nelly Bube who is German-Russian and was married to a Kazakh artist.  She went through a dark period in her life and once she became a Christian, all her paintings started to take on b...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/artist-nelly-bubeSun, 11 May 2008 18:55:52 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/artist-nelly-bube  Fun to get out of the city life of Almaty on a country dirt road (albeit it was so pockmarked with holes that it felt like a ride you would pay for at an amusement park).  The Soviet’s Victory Day felt like our American&nbsp...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/victory-day-picnic-women-and-childrenFri, 09 May 2008 19:27:58 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/victory-day-picnic-women-and-childrenEver heard a rendition of “Chopsticks” on the piano?  It hardly competes with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Prelude in C Sharp Minor, Opus 3, No. 2” but that is what is happening in our university of higher education in...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/higher-education-chopsticks-vs-rachmaninoffThu, 08 May 2008 18:58:56 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/higher-education-chopsticks-vs-rachmaninoffBraveheart comes to mind when I think of the valiant efforts of western foreigners who are trying to make sense of our duties as university teachers in Almaty, Kazakhstan.  For those who have watched the three hours starring Mel Gibson, the m...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/servants-bit-part-in-king-learWed, 07 May 2008 18:54:43 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/servants-bit-part-in-king-learCute little girl with her little dog, both calmly let me take a picture of them in our neighborhood.  The mountains have been exceptionally beautiful lately with our tiplo May weather.  Occasional rains clear out the pollution and the ai...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/little-girl-with-little-dogTue, 06 May 2008 18:37:52 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/little-girl-with-little-dogYesterday was a good day of talking to people at my institution of higher learning in Almaty but encountering others outside of it.  I was talking to a Kazakh colleague earlier in the day when I encouraged her to “think outside the...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/procrustes-bed-and-other-almaty-encountersMon, 05 May 2008 19:41:37 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/procrustes-bed-and-other-almaty-encounters Our university schedule is coming to a screeching halt; we are sooo ready for the end of THIS semester.  Yesterday I got an e-mail from a former student of mine named Baghdad, he showed himself to be a very conscientious student when le...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/reality-leadership-and-helping-baghdadSun, 04 May 2008 19:43:22 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/reality-leadership-and-helping-baghdadThankfully we passed through the arduous attestation test in Kazakhstan.  Irregardless, without the help of President Nazarbayev, we still have an “elephant in the room!!!”  What we have at our institution of “higher le...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstans-elephant-in-the-roomSun, 04 May 2008 02:38:52 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstans-elephant-in-the-roomIn his book, The Silent Steppe, Mukhamet Shayakhmetov explains how he was able to embrace his communist-indoctrinated education in the late 1930s despite having been a victim of its ideology.  He will be forever thankful to his primary school...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/expelled-enemy-of-the-peopleFri, 02 May 2008 19:00:03 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/expelled-enemy-of-the-peopleContrary to what some extreme left-wing liberals from western universities promulgate, Marxism and communism destroyed Kazakh families (as well as other families in the former Soviet Union). The following Kazakh folktale is recited from Mukhamet S...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/two-headed-serpent-from-kazakh-folktalesThu, 01 May 2008 20:00:29 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/two-headed-serpent-from-kazakh-folktales Here’s a “questionable topic” for those “elite intellectuals” educated from western universities who have no idea what the Kazakh people suffered in the early 1930s when the communists forced the nomad...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/eradicate-the-wests-ignorance-of-kazakhs-sufferingWed, 30 Apr 2008 21:35:33 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/eradicate-the-wests-ignorance-of-kazakhs-suffering“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.  And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” And the woman said to the ser...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/a-serpent-in-the-city-of-applesTue, 29 Apr 2008 19:54:07 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/a-serpent-in-the-city-of-apples“One person speaking the truth has more power than a whole city living in falsehood.”    Aleksandr Solzhenitszyn  I am currently living and teaching in the City of Apples or Almaty, Kazakhstan.  Just yesterday ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/a-solzhenitszyn-in-the-city-of-apostilsMon, 28 Apr 2008 20:11:56 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/a-solzhenitszyn-in-the-city-of-apostils Quotes taken from Mukhamet Shayakhmetov's book titled The Silent Steppe: The Story of a Kazakh Nomad under Stalin, Stacey International, London, 2006   p. 105 Nevertheless, he [Uncle Zhantursyn] enjoyed giving instructions whenever ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/proverbs-and-sayings-from-silent-steppe-part-iiSun, 27 Apr 2008 19:36:06 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/proverbs-and-sayings-from-silent-steppe-part-iiQuotes from The Silent Steppe: The Story of a Kazakh Nomad Under Stalin  by Mukhamet Shayakhmetov, published by Stacey International, London, 2006   p. 10 We would celebrate with folk songs and music, competitions for improvising poetry,...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/proverbs-and-sayings-from-the-silent-steppeSat, 26 Apr 2008 19:49:05 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/proverbs-and-sayings-from-the-silent-steppe Inspiration for my screenname “Kazakhnomad” for my blog was taken from this book by Mukhamet Shayakhmetov. I use this name with great respect and admiration for him and his family and all the other Kazakhs who enjoyed a...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/reading-the-silent-steppeFri, 25 Apr 2008 18:30:47 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/reading-the-silent-steppeThankfully with a little more information from my Russian Kazakhstani friend, I was able to find a poem attributed to the conundrum our Central Asian university faces.  We have separate ethnic groups in places of authority who are trying...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/found-russian-krylovs-fableThu, 24 Apr 2008 19:04:09 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/found-russian-krylovs-fableYesterday one of my Russian teaching friends told me of a folktale which typifies what is going on in the leadership of our institution of “higher learning.”  Let me know, if you know this famous Russian story about a bi...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/searching-for-a-specific-russian-folktaleWed, 23 Apr 2008 19:05:35 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/searching-for-a-specific-russian-folktale I’m not sure what this Little Girl in Pink life’s mission was in pulling up weeds or dandelions along the side of our building, but I took a photo of her. I thought she was cute. Little did I know that once my camera flashed...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/little-girl-in-pinkTue, 22 Apr 2008 19:49:08 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/little-girl-in-pinkThe mournful wail of a Kazakh student living in England grabbed my heart the other day.  I was talking on the phone to this student, (let’s call him Zed) who was under great pressure to accomplish a major economics paper of 48 pages for...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-soap-box-on-teaching-research-papersMon, 21 Apr 2008 19:20:39 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-soap-box-on-teaching-research-papersMy photo from yesterday’s blog of a clear blue sky with a pin prick of a floating balloon may seem inconsequential to my dear readers.  However, my reflections about this balloon have a metaphorical meaning for me while living life in A...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/pink-helium-balloon-and-ascensionSun, 20 Apr 2008 20:25:17 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/pink-helium-balloon-and-ascension  “Tough Tulips” reign supreme after the snow we had which held some blooms captive, some flowers are delayed but they should be able to bounce back and glow with the best of them.  As I was walking down Furmanova y...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/pix-of-tough-tulips-stretch-limos--pink-balloonSat, 19 Apr 2008 19:23:28 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/pix-of-tough-tulips-stretch-limos--pink-balloon Ken’s colleague told us last night that his fruit trees were all lost with the frost that hit 5 degrees below zero Centigrade.  He owns a house close to the Kyrgyz consulate where his wife had valiantly tried to save som...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/yes-oopsy-tulips-and-iciclesFri, 18 Apr 2008 20:08:23 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/yes-oopsy-tulips-and-icicles Compliments of my husband, you will see a photo showing snow is back in Almaty!!!  As I walk to work this morning I will get pictures of the wreckage wrought on the tulips I shot two days ago.  This too shall pass but a bit startling to...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/oopsy-daisy-or-oopsy-tulipThu, 17 Apr 2008 19:52:33 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/oopsy-daisy-or-oopsy-tulip After Erik gave his talk about research databases (he mentioned doing an ERIC search in EBSCOhost), he had a chance to speak with the audience participants about his book he and his wife authored on Kazakh folktales and he answered their que...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/doing-an-eric-search-and-tulipsWed, 16 Apr 2008 18:48:13 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/doing-an-eric-search-and-tulipsMy Minnesota friend Erik came to talk to about 25 of the English teachers and some of the librarians yesterday.  He focused his talk about his own research concerning Kazakh proverbs while living in Kazakhstan since 1995 and more recently he ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/desperate-for-relevant-journal-articlesTue, 15 Apr 2008 21:12:29 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/desperate-for-relevant-journal-articlesG.K. Chesterton is well known for his pithy sayings, he was also king of the “Gotcha!” type fictional detective stories about Father Brown.  This summer I want to read Chesterton’s book Orthodoxy, as well as some of his othe...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/to-catch-him-in-his-words-gotchaMon, 14 Apr 2008 19:40:39 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/to-catch-him-in-his-words-gotchaYesterday we had four spontaneous guests over for lunch.  They didn’t seem to mind our leftovers of Mexican tacos and we enjoyed their company.  Two stayed until almost 5:00 o’clock which meant we had four hours to sort out K...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/our-need-for-humilitySun, 13 Apr 2008 20:13:24 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/our-need-for-humilitySeems my English teaching colleagues all agree that they need more knowledge.  Teaching means simultaneous learning right along with our Kazakhstani students. Nice to have the weekend away from the pressures at work, I had my teaching co...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/our-need-for-knowledgeSat, 12 Apr 2008 19:34:36 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/our-need-for-knowledge What a privilege to be teaching English alongside many of these Kazakh teachers who are willing to learn more about computer skills to keep up with InfoLiteracy.  The following quote from C.H. Spurgeon is applicable for me in this teach...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-illustrious-teaching-colleguesFri, 11 Apr 2008 20:53:17 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-illustrious-teaching-collegues Yesterday was a mixed bag but ended with a clear, star lit sky and sliver of a moon.  The mountains were beautiful in the morning, the tulips are making their spring-welcome appearance and I caught a candid shot of two kids while sipping cof...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/beautiful-hopeful-day-in-almatyThu, 10 Apr 2008 19:48:22 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/beautiful-hopeful-day-in-almatyLately the vocabulary list to my teacher’s reportoire has been ”Keywords” and “research databases.”  For years I’ve been instructing first year composition students on the virtues o...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/computer-illiteracy-is-not-about-grammarWed, 09 Apr 2008 18:32:06 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/computer-illiteracy-is-not-about-grammarI guess I’m not the only one confused about what REAL research is when it comes to our institution of “higher learning” which claims to be a research institution. I’m getting “mixed messages” from others who are...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/reshuffling-the-academic-deck-chairs-on-the-titanicTue, 08 Apr 2008 18:47:50 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/reshuffling-the-academic-deck-chairs-on-the-titanicWhat is going on at our institution of “higher learning” is also happening in the real world of Kazakhstan.  The only difference is that we don’t have dead bodies for Exhibit A or B, western teachers and professors just leav...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/deceit-or-conceit-in-kazakhstanMon, 07 Apr 2008 16:55:26 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/deceit-or-conceit-in-kazakhstan“My background was replete with horror stories of social injustice from my grandfather, but I also knew about the behavior of Stalin and his sacrifice of thirty million to the greater good of communism.  I had intuitively understood the...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/democratic-traditions-are-fragile-flowersSun, 06 Apr 2008 19:03:51 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/democratic-traditions-are-fragile-flowers The above advertisement on the billboard is translated from Kazakh and Russian about “healthy children are the country’s future” or something like that.  One day Ken and I saw young teenagers feeling frisky in the spring a...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/healthy-children-are-kazakhstans-futureSun, 06 Apr 2008 04:37:50 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/healthy-children-are-kazakhstans-futurePresident Nazarbayev visited our campus the same day the Olympic Torch was running through Almaty. A high point for the select few was to usher His Excellency into the new building that was just finished. Just yesterday I went to a faculty meeting...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/his-excellency-nazarbayev-on-our-campusFri, 04 Apr 2008 19:37:08 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/his-excellency-nazarbayev-on-our-campus These are the last of my photos of the spectacular day where China flew in the torch of the Olympic flame to Almaty for the first leg of its journey around the world.  The first photo you can see a few from the crowd running along the s...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/olympic-torch-colorful-day-part-iiiFri, 04 Apr 2008 06:51:27 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/olympic-torch-colorful-day-part-iii Yesterday the Olympic flame started at Abai and Dostyk, went up hill to El Farabi, then down Furmanova to go west on Sapteyava (sp) to follow Mir (Peace) down to the old square, then back up Furmanova to turn east on Abai to end where it started....http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/olympic-torch-witnessed-twice-part-iiWed, 02 Apr 2008 18:53:55 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/olympic-torch-witnessed-twice-part-ii As if Kazakhstan doesn’t have enough on it’s mind with mastering three languages, the Olympic Torch parade today is introducing a FOURTH–Chinese!!!  China will be flying in the flame for the Olympics into Almaty and ou...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/olympic-torch-china-shares-the-dream-with-kazakhstanTue, 01 Apr 2008 19:25:48 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/olympic-torch-china-shares-the-dream-with-kazakhstanThe Kazakh nation is faced with the bleak reality of tri-lingual issues of learning their mother tongue of Kazakh but also mastering the foreign languages of Russian and English.  Then, throw into the mix “computer literacy” and K...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakh-proverbs-light-the-passion-part-iiiMon, 31 Mar 2008 18:48:52 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakh-proverbs-light-the-passion-part-iiiYesterday I needed more information from an American friend of mine about Kazakh proverbs.  He is an expert on this subject after having lived in Kazakhstan for 12 years and knowing the Kazakh language.  Apparently there is a popular TV ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakh-proverbs-orality-and-literacy-part-iiSun, 30 Mar 2008 18:51:08 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakh-proverbs-orality-and-literacy-part-iiHow does one fit a western styled form of higher education into a land once very proud of their nomadic traditions? The oral tradition continues to reign supreme in the land of Kazakhstan.  The other night at the Kazakh contest I attended, I ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/dueling-in-kazakh-proverbs-vs-written-textSun, 30 Mar 2008 01:55:06 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/dueling-in-kazakh-proverbs-vs-written-text  Alliteration Abounds in Almaty with my blogging about the end of a superb March day that would only happen in April if in Minnesota.  Many events came together yesterday to make it a very authentically Central Asian day.  First, I...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/amazingly-authentic-almost-april-in-almatyFri, 28 Mar 2008 20:00:23 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/amazingly-authentic-almost-april-in-almatyYesterday was an amazing day of seeing over 30 English teachers actively engaged with learning how to use research databases at the computer lab.  Elaine and I had worked out a handout, with a step-by-step plan, which was excruciating to do a...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/strides-forward-with-technology-tribute-to-elaineThu, 27 Mar 2008 18:46:38 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/strides-forward-with-technology-tribute-to-elaineLast night we had an American guest over who knows much about Kazakhstan, maybe too much.  She was having one of those “bad days” where she was wondering about her sanity of even living here in this country anymore after nine year...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/long-way-to-go-with-modern-technologyWed, 26 Mar 2008 18:19:40 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/long-way-to-go-with-modern-technologyThese photos from Sunday’s excursion up to Koke Tobe will be the last for a while.  What a wonderful time of sun and relaxation before this heavy duty week back to work.  Even much more pressures are in store for all of us next wee...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/backside-of-kazakhstanTue, 25 Mar 2008 19:17:21 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/backside-of-kazakhstanGoing to the top of Koke Tobe (Blue Hill) on a cable car ride Sunday gave us a birdseye view of what Almaty backyards look like before the trees leaf out and cover up all the “interesting” stuff.  In these 9 photos, can you find&n...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/nothing-homogenous-about-almatys-yardsMon, 24 Mar 2008 18:08:07 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/nothing-homogenous-about-almatys-yardsYesterday was an absolutely perfect day for our Easter celebration at church but better yet after a cable car ride to the top of (Koke Tobe) Blue Hill mountain.  For six months I have wanted to compare what I remember...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/happy-easter-and-blue-hill-cable-carSun, 23 Mar 2008 19:12:06 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/happy-easter-and-blue-hill-cable-carNarooz, is a Persian holiday, as I understand it and not strictly Muslim but it has that element to it too.  It is the LAST of the New Year’s celebrations starting with our western one on January 1 and then there is the Chinese new year...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/naroozing-at-nazyms-placeSat, 22 Mar 2008 20:14:49 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/naroozing-at-nazyms-placeI was very sorry that I disappointed an Iranian friend of mine yesterday.  I had stopped by A.Z.’s optical shop on Wednesday however she was not there to confirm what we had discussed earlier, a lunch at her home at noon on Friday.&nbsp...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/overlap-of-holidays-and-disappointed-friendFri, 21 Mar 2008 21:31:34 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/overlap-of-holidays-and-disappointed-friendPretense exists in academia BIG time, that makes me sad.  I’m surrounded by it in spades here in Almaty, Kazakhstan.  The pre-existing Soviet style of education was filled with “Pakazooka” which my husband uses as a Rus...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/good-friday-and-im-sadThu, 20 Mar 2008 19:03:06 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/good-friday-and-im-sadIn the last week or so brigades of university students have been out raking and cleaning up the ground-bare lawns from the sum total of a year’s worth of trash.  Glass and plastic bottles along with wrappers and plastic bags c...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/see-me-side-of-city-lifeWed, 19 Mar 2008 19:41:41 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/see-me-side-of-city-life Spring has arrived and there is a clearer view to the north into the valley of Almaty.  The glass building continues to be built to the west and the mountains are to the south.  Ken’s fourth view is down into one of...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/three-views-of-almaty-plus-oneTue, 18 Mar 2008 20:48:10 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/three-views-of-almaty-plus-oneThis Independence celebration of Dec. 16 that the Kazakhs celebrate may have a strange origin with violence of students clashing against the Soviet authorities.  But then again, our own American independence was a bunch of distinguished upsta...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/clockwise-prejudice-about-kazakhstans-educationMon, 17 Mar 2008 19:43:48 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/clockwise-prejudice-about-kazakhstans-educationAs Ken and I were walking home from church, Helen, a Russian-Kazakhstani hurried to catch up with me to ask, “Why did you want to know about Dec. 16, 1986 event?”  I replied that I was curious about what REALLY happened during thi...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/yesterdays-conversation-with-a-russian-kazakhstaniSun, 16 Mar 2008 20:12:05 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/yesterdays-conversation-with-a-russian-kazakhstani Not everyday do you get to talk to a New Zealander, Russian-Kazakhstani, Korean-Kazakhstani, Iranian, New Zealand-Iranian, Hawaiian American people but it is normal in Kazakhstan.  At least , becoming more so for me in this very multi-e...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/yesterdays-multi-ethnic-conversationsSat, 15 Mar 2008 20:27:19 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/yesterdays-multi-ethnic-conversationsI want to tell a story of my Old teacher.  Now she is a teacher in my previous school.  She told us about the December 16 events [1986].  She was younger and had 2 sons, but one of them was a student and went to that demonstration.&...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-old-teachers-story-about-dec-16-1986Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:57:18 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-old-teachers-story-about-dec-16-1986About a month ago, I subbed for a Kazakh teacher who was sent off to Turkmenistan to recruit Turkmen students to come to our university.  I asked the Kazakh students to write anything they recall from their history, recent or otherwise, whate...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstan-and-ukraines-1986-eventsThu, 13 Mar 2008 20:48:02 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstan-and-ukraines-1986-eventsEaster is early this year. Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20).  This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is wh...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/easter-facts-roman--hebrew-calendarsWed, 12 Mar 2008 19:04:24 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/easter-facts-roman--hebrew-calendarsFor those who know their chess history, is the following reading sample from the latest edition of a TOEFL textbook accurate? The origins of the game of chess are not known with certainty, and traditional stories in a number of cultures claim cred...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/chess-history-from-toefl-textbookTue, 11 Mar 2008 09:48:03 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/chess-history-from-toefl-textbookThe Soviet Union had a different concept about what “equality” was and Kamila wrote from her mother’s perspective: “USSR was a closed country, so there were almost no imports or exports.  People got goods by special ti...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/closed-country-and-equality-in-fsuMon, 10 Mar 2008 20:27:20 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/closed-country-and-equality-in-fsu From resilient sadness to utter outrage were some of the varying emotions expressed by the students who asked their parents what life was like during the Soviet period.  Yet a few had feelings of nostalgia for the good old days of commu...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/hopeless-desperation-and-other-strong-feelingsSun, 09 Mar 2008 21:29:30 -0700http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/hopeless-desperation-and-other-strong-feelings           Not only were connections made to obtain things or make exchanges for the privileged people under communism but also connections were made in matrimony during the Soviet Union era. &nbsp...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/privileged-connections-in-the-former-soviet-unionSat, 08 Mar 2008 18:40:57 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/privileged-connections-in-the-former-soviet-union    Backytgul had mentioned earlier that the whole Soviet “nation was in the same coat,” she added, “And in the end of USSR, of course, there were scarcity, because no work, no salary, no money and then began &lsqu...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/barter-exchange-and-recycle-in-fsuFri, 07 Mar 2008 18:24:34 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/barter-exchange-and-recycle-in-fsuAt the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s was a very difficult time for the Soviet people.  When the Soviet Union collapsed there were many crowds of people who stood to buy something, they spent much time in crowds, according to...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/bad-manners-black-market--corruptionThu, 06 Mar 2008 17:39:10 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/bad-manners-black-market--corruptionWe, as westerners, have no concept what living in the former Soviet Union was like.  However, with the writing samples submitted by almost 300 Kazakhstani students in an economics class, we are able to discover what their elders told them abo...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/humor-and-irony-in-the-former-soviet-unionWed, 05 Mar 2008 19:11:49 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/humor-and-irony-in-the-former-soviet-unionMy husband forwarded to me an article in the Economist, Feb. 28th edition titled “A Hazardous Comparison: Management of Danger.” The Economist author wrote about comparative risk management and the differences between western coun...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/dostoyevsky-and-comparative-risk-managementTue, 04 Mar 2008 18:10:30 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/dostoyevsky-and-comparative-risk-managementYekaterina “Clothes were bought in advance, when I was 1 year old, my parents and grandparents bought clothes for a 14 year old.  Some food products were diluted with water (e.g. milk, sour cream). Sometimes scales didn’t work pro...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/soviet-planned-economy-created-different-everyday-habitsMon, 03 Mar 2008 18:32:14 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/soviet-planned-economy-created-different-everyday-habitsMy perspective of the American football played yesterday between two Central Asian teams is a bit different from my husband’s, please read my earlier post.  I stood on top of a snowbank at about the 40 yard line among the cute little, B...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/remember-the-titans-respect-the-snowcatsSun, 02 Mar 2008 19:22:00 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/remember-the-titans-respect-the-snowcatsThis eye witness report was written by my husband after he was referee for an American football game in Almaty, Kazakhstan for three hours.  He hasn’t run that much for years nor played football since 7th grade. He actually prefers Kans...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/american-football-in-central-asiaSun, 02 Mar 2008 18:30:55 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/american-football-in-central-asiaKen’s economic students (around 300) of them answered the simple question: “What did your parents tell you about consumer/seller relationships in the former Soviet Union?”  Many of the students’ parents had to wait in ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/torture-machine-out-of-a-simple-procedureSat, 01 Mar 2008 16:57:58 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/torture-machine-out-of-a-simple-procedureAidana:  When my parents got married, they had to buy wedding rings in the special shop going through the special registration, because there’s no such things in free market.  They had along time searching champaign and fruits for ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakh-students-write-about-former-soviet-unionFri, 29 Feb 2008 20:09:51 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakh-students-write-about-former-soviet-unionMartin Luther on his sick bed managed to write the following between his groans:  “These pains and trouble here are like the type which the printers set; as they look now, we have to read them backwards, and they seem to have no sense o...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/make-brave-readingThu, 28 Feb 2008 18:09:52 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/make-brave-readingA young girl named Ardak wrote about Soviet times:  “After the Second World War, Stalin ruled the country.  This period of time was heavy and difficult for people.  There was no food, no clothes, no medicine and a big number o...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakh-students-write-about-soviet-unionWed, 27 Feb 2008 03:43:12 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakh-students-write-about-soviet-unionThese photos show the view from our back balcony of the mountains to the south, beyond that is the small country of Kyrgyzstan.  Why I continue to think that mountains should always be in the north and going downhill in Almaty means&nbsp...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/our-balcony-view-of-the-mountainsTue, 26 Feb 2008 17:26:26 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/our-balcony-view-of-the-mountainsHis grace is great enough to meet the great things–The crashing waves that overwhelm the soul,The roaring winds that leave us stunned and breathless,The sudden storms beyond our life’s control. His grace is great enough to meet the sma...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/his-grace-is-great-enoughMon, 25 Feb 2008 17:28:08 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/his-grace-is-great-enoughToday I was honked at by a driver as he was making a left and I was crossing the big intersection.  I was walking on the red light so I was in the wrong, the driver was correct in admonishing me.  I don’t usually go out in the midd...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/powerful-cars-vs-careless-pedestrianMon, 25 Feb 2008 05:20:33 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/powerful-cars-vs-careless-pedestrianThe following poem would be more appropriate in the spring but we are still into winter in Almaty which makes it much more hopeful in Kazakhstan than in northwest Minnesota where the temps have been hovering way below freezing (-20 and -30) for se...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/under-the-snow-and-under-the-leavesSat, 23 Feb 2008 19:31:14 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/under-the-snow-and-under-the-leaves         Walking to my ultrasound treatment yesterday morning was pure delight!  A marshmellow world indeed where I had to duck low below the heavily laden branches on some of my walking paths.  My favorite photo&nbs...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/marshmellow-world-of-almatyFri, 22 Feb 2008 21:14:18 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/marshmellow-world-of-almaty“When you teach a child writing, you hold its hand while it forms the letters; that is, it forms the letters because you are forming them.  We love and reason because God loves and reasons and holds our hand while we do it…The te...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/more-wisdom-from-cs-lewisThu, 21 Feb 2008 17:14:27 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/more-wisdom-from-cs-lewisThe other day I subbed for a Kazakh teacher who went to Turkmenistan to recruit students for our university.  I was MORE than happy to take the two 70 minute classes in order to follow the speaking-listening textbook, but also to find ou...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/distilled-wisdom-from-students-grandparentsWed, 20 Feb 2008 18:01:09 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/distilled-wisdom-from-students-grandparentsTwo contrastings days.  As if the ultrasound technician had been waiting for me this morning after I walked the 15 minutes to the clinic to get my first treatment for my swollen foot.  The first 5 minutes were a bit painful as ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/long-wait-monday-expedient-wednesdayTue, 19 Feb 2008 21:10:48 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/long-wait-monday-expedient-wednesdayNo damage to my foot but the technician said I have edema so must have ultrasound treatment for TWO weeks, that will supposedly speed up the healing.  The most painful part of yesterday’s visit to the clinic was the WAIT for over two ho...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/coast-is-clear---x-rayMon, 18 Feb 2008 18:30:56 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/coast-is-clear---x-rayI cancelled one big event from my schedule tonight so that gives me extra time and I WILL go and get an x-ray of my foot done today.  I discovered last night that I have entered into the generation gap along with the cultural b...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/mind-the-generation-gapSun, 17 Feb 2008 17:21:04 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/mind-the-generation-gapThe dark brown mould’s upturned, By the sharp-pointed plow; And I’ve a lesson learned. My life is but a field, Stretched out beneath God’s sky, Some harvest rich to yield. Where grows the golden grain? Where faith? Where sympathy...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/ultrasound-and-furrow-cut-by-painSat, 16 Feb 2008 19:21:59 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/ultrasound-and-furrow-cut-by-painAlmost a month ago, on January 22, I wanted to get my exercise with an aerobic class joining a friend of mine who has taught this class for years.  I didn’t know the location at the complex and was running late so I finally showed up hu...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/if-band-age-is-absentFri, 15 Feb 2008 20:05:59 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/if-band-age-is-absentYesterday I showed some graffitti on one wall of our apartment complex.  The photo with Anar in question about loving ??? has been editted out.  True love is fleeting when “names and faces are found in public places.”  K...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/editted-graffiti-and-amaryllis-bloomThu, 14 Feb 2008 20:10:31 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/editted-graffiti-and-amaryllis-bloomNotice the graffitti on the next building over from our aparment, wondering if Anar loves the author with the red spray paint???  Busy day today where I’ll have to help Ken, my favorite valentine, proctor a quiz for around 80 students i...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/happy-st-valentines-day-in-the-former-soviet-unionWed, 13 Feb 2008 18:37:09 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/happy-st-valentines-day-in-the-former-soviet-unionI am employed by three different employers as of yesterday.  I got myself fitted out with my cubicle in a big room with about ten other teachers and my own computer at the university (which will remain nameless) where Ken teaches.  Event...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/yesterdays-three-jobs-one-disruptive-studentTue, 12 Feb 2008 18:56:59 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/yesterdays-three-jobs-one-disruptive-studentPhotos of sister and brother and their big weekend will be the last I’ll show for a while of this special family.  When I first saw my niece in the evening gown, I honestly did not recognize her.  Amazing what curls, makeup, a smil...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/photos-of-evening-gown-and-eagle-cakeMon, 11 Feb 2008 17:47:54 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/photos-of-evening-gown-and-eagle-cakeCongratulations to my nephew, Elan, who earned his Eagle Scout award in Boy Scouts.  What a big week for my niece and nephew, these photos are from my folks who took it all in.  Elan wanted a license to be able to drive in the worst way....http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-nephew-earns-eagle-scout-awardSun, 10 Feb 2008 20:13:19 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-nephew-earns-eagle-scout-awardOf course, I didn’t find this out from any family members who attended last night’s extravaganza but I saw it on the website and so this information will have to do for now.  My niece’s photo is from the last competitio...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-niece-won-non-finalist-talent-awardSun, 10 Feb 2008 07:16:12 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-niece-won-non-finalist-talent-awardTo write that I’m proud of my oldest niece would be an understatement.  She will be in a pageant this weekend in the Twin Cities and my folks went down to support her.  She probably has the talent portion cinched which is...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-niece-in-a-beauty-pageantSat, 09 Feb 2008 18:58:11 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-niece-in-a-beauty-pageantNineteen Kazakh students showed up to watch two short Damah film clips, “Max” and “Space Available.”  They left after an hour of watching both movies twice saying that it was “heavy.”  That it was, I t...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/max-and-space-availableFri, 08 Feb 2008 18:58:57 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/max-and-space-availableOver fifty years ago, Hans Baumann wrote with supreme elegance Sons of the Steppe, about two grandsons of Ghengis Khan.  First written in 1953 in German and then translated into English, it is considered a historical fictional account about l...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/dignified-writing-about-genghis-khans-legacyThu, 07 Feb 2008 23:12:20 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/dignified-writing-about-genghis-khans-legacyKen and I watched Mel Gibson’s Apocolypto last night about Mayan culture and how the indigenous people fought with each other while surviving in the jungle.  Brutal, savage and bloody hardly describe what the movie portrayed t...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/end-of-the-spear-and-apocolyptoWed, 06 Feb 2008 19:02:27 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/end-of-the-spear-and-apocolyptoA 36 year old married female from Bairamali town, Turkmenistan is optimistic about her country’s future.  As an educator, she wrote, “My future dream is to work at Ministry of Education.  I see the bright future of my Turkmen...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/turkmenistans-future-is-in-educationTue, 05 Feb 2008 19:24:32 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/turkmenistans-future-is-in-education The map of Central Asia shows the location of Turkmenistan just north of Iran and south of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.  If you read yesterday’s blog, it was about the laws which do not seem to exist or are not adhered to in order t...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/turkmenistans-map-to-democracy-and-economicsMon, 04 Feb 2008 20:17:03 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/turkmenistans-map-to-democracy-and-economicsTurkmenistan has endured many catastrophic changes in the last 50 years, from the death gasps of Soviet communism to 20 years of imposed worship of the autocratic Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy to what exists now as a hybrid of restricted “democrac...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/turkmenistans-human-rights-violations---de-jure-vs-de-factoSun, 03 Feb 2008 19:50:01 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/turkmenistans-human-rights-violations---de-jure-vs-de-factoNot unlike China in this climactic year of 2008, Kazakhstan is making great strides forward in building up their cities, especially Almaty.  The first photo shows three men on a ladder bravely making a peak on a skyscraper.  The sec...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/photos-of-almatys-scrapers-and-billboardsSat, 02 Feb 2008 19:51:55 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/photos-of-almatys-scrapers-and-billboards A week ago, Ken coined the phrase “slidewalks” while we were slipping on the lunar surface of caked down snow turned to ice.  I thought it was a brilliant term to explain what it is like to walk along the sidewalks of Almaty.&nbs...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/photos-of-slidewalks-and-icicles-of-almatyFri, 01 Feb 2008 18:23:00 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/photos-of-slidewalks-and-icicles-of-almaty Remnants of the “glorious” Soviet past still linger in places like Almaty, Kazakhstan.  I took these photos yesterday thinking that at the rate the government plans to change the face of this former capital, I had better cap...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/photos-of-glorious-hammer-and-sickle-daysThu, 31 Jan 2008 18:39:27 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/photos-of-glorious-hammer-and-sickle-daysSometimes, living in Kazakhstan feels like we are living out John Bunyan’s classic Pilgrims Progress while darting and dodging the many spiritual minefields and obstacles.  Especially true in affluent Almaty which is very different...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/pilgrims-progress-in-almatyWed, 30 Jan 2008 19:00:22 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/pilgrims-progress-in-almatyA 32 year old businessman confirmed that the latest development in Kazakhstan’s technology is “Almaty Techno-Park” and “High school computerization” projects carried out by Kazakhstan government. Accordingly are the p...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/curiosity-helps-modernize-technology-in-kazakhstanTue, 29 Jan 2008 18:25:45 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/curiosity-helps-modernize-technology-in-kazakhstanFollowing in the footsteps of their highly effective national leader, Nursultan Nazarbaev, many Kazakhstan students from almost all disciplines had something to write about economics.  Economics touches every aspect of Kazakhstan. According t...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstans-economy-affects-all-disciplinesMon, 28 Jan 2008 20:27:47 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstans-economy-affects-all-disciplinesAccording to a 28 year old single female in law, she observes the Old Silk Road from a Kazakh’s point of view:  “With recent developments, Kazakhstan took the leading role in the Central Asia region.  However, this region is ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstans-old-silk-road-legacyMon, 28 Jan 2008 06:16:39 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstans-old-silk-road-legacyApparently corruption is still rife in the former Soviet Union as witnessed by a 30 year old Kazakh female who wrote:  “The reason why I want to work on corruption is that this is the root of all problems in Kazakhstan.  The a...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/corruption-and-the-typical-kazakh-familySun, 27 Jan 2008 18:19:59 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/corruption-and-the-typical-kazakh-familyA bright, 25 year old single woman who is a journalist wrote:  “The most popular literature genre in the [former] USSR was scientific fiction.  Carried away by robots and space mysteries, people tried to escape their reality. ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstans-inheritance-from-the-sovietsSun, 27 Jan 2008 03:20:30 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakhstans-inheritance-from-the-sovietsA 29 year old Kazakh lawyer wrote the following concerning his education in Kazakhstan: “I wanted to have an even deeper understanding and hands-on field experience in a real wild world of corporate sharks…I had to apply all my knowle...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakh-lawyers-thoughts-on-educationSat, 26 Jan 2008 19:04:03 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/kazakh-lawyers-thoughts-on-educationThe following quotes were culled from 55 applications of the Muskie applicants who we interviewed last week.  The discipline of study most represented by these Kazakhstanis were ten from the business sector, many hoping to get their MBAs in t...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/quotes-from-ambitious-kazakh-studentsFri, 25 Jan 2008 20:39:35 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/quotes-from-ambitious-kazakh-studentsLast night for English club I showed four little vignettes, mostly about dysfunctional families.  Some were sad and one was absolutely silly.  Damah Film Festival puts these out annually and some can be viewed on www.damah.com.  The...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/four-movies-in-two-hoursThu, 24 Jan 2008 19:44:04 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/four-movies-in-two-hoursI stand corrected about changing temps from Celsius to Fahrenheit by a blog reader from the Philippines (I spent two years 1981-83 close to Kalibo, Aklan as a Peace Corps Volunteer)  He wrote the following:  9°F = -12.8°C; -16&de...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/none-can-give-to-anotherWed, 23 Jan 2008 21:49:41 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/none-can-give-to-anotherI learned from one of my students yesterday that it was 9 degrees F and -16 Celsius.  His formulation made sense to me, take -16 and subtract 32 and then multiple it by five-ninths.  I think I got that right.  Yesterday evening Gali...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/galiya-the-kazakh-businesswomanTue, 22 Jan 2008 21:02:37 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/galiya-the-kazakh-businesswomanJust how cold is it outside?  I don’t know in Fahrenheit and I certainly can’t figure out Celsius though it has been explained to me with different formulations.  Bottomline, it is COLD outside and one of the bundled up Kens ...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/three-kens-for-el-taco-supperMon, 21 Jan 2008 22:19:47 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/three-kens-for-el-taco-supperExcerpts from today’s entry, first by Emerson A hero is not fed on sweets, Daily his own heart he eats; Chambers of the great are jails, And head winds right for royal sails. Another stanza from elsewhere The mark of rank in nature is capac...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/streams-in-the-desert-not-dessertMon, 21 Jan 2008 08:46:14 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/streams-in-the-desert-not-dessertAfter the ballet the other night, we got a taxi ride with Valery, a Russian-Ukrainian man with a white Toyota.  The drivers side was on the right instead of the left and he had a bashed in right tail light.  That might have seemed ominou...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/valery-the-russian-ukrainian-taxi-driverSat, 19 Jan 2008 17:26:49 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/valery-the-russian-ukrainian-taxi-driverImagine going out to the ballet with two Kens sitting on either side of me.  My husband and Ken from Wash. D.C. who is interviewing applicants for the Muskie program with me. But to find another Ken we know from Ken’s university who hai...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/three-kens-at-la-sylphideFri, 18 Jan 2008 17:38:40 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/three-kens-at-la-sylphideInterviewing Kazakh candidates earnest to go on a fellowship program to the U.S. for a Masters degree program can be rewarding.  In four days we have to interview 55 applicants and will only choose 13 finalists and 4 semi-finalists.&nbsp...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/subtlest-of-all-the-snaresThu, 17 Jan 2008 16:47:50 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/subtlest-of-all-the-snaresDr. John Patrick from the University of Ottawa wrote a chapter in the book Professors Who Believe and he started it with the quote from Athol Fugard “The only safe place is inside a story.”  I loved reading part of his story becau...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/only-safe-place-is-inside-a-storyWed, 16 Jan 2008 17:25:50 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/only-safe-place-is-inside-a-storyThe following link from the National Geographic magazine has captured the melancholy which exists in North Dakota.  My brother Tony’s photos do so as well.  Some readers of Charles Bowden’s article “The Emptied Pra...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/north-dakota-melancholy-in-natl-geographicTue, 15 Jan 2008 18:42:06 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/north-dakota-melancholy-in-natl-geographicMy Mom is my hero too because she does so much for us.  She cooks scrumptious meals, listens to our every story, and takes care of our finances while we are away in Kazakhstan.  She is wearing her Norwegian sweater in this photo as she c...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-mom-is-tooMon, 14 Jan 2008 17:05:09 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-mom-is-tooThe cold and bitter realities of living in northwestern Minnesota are shown in this photo.  People who live in these northern climes are ALL my heroes, especially my grandparents who started up the farm in 1914 which we now call our home.&nbs...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-dad-is-my-heroSun, 13 Jan 2008 18:13:02 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/my-dad-is-my-heroThe photo shows an old structure in my hometown, known as the Wayne Hotel that used to be a ritzy place for travelers, close to the train station. Made of artistically laid brick, it was impervious to any fire that was the bane of any old wooden s...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/wayne-hotel-and-king-asa-of-oldSun, 13 Jan 2008 01:40:49 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/wayne-hotel-and-king-asa-of-oldI’m listening to Sissel, a gifted Norwegian, female vocalist, as background music while I try to tie together a snowwoman and meeting my cousin from AZ for the first time last night.  The little snowwoman was built back in Minnesot...http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/globalized-snowwoman-and-first-cousinFri, 11 Jan 2008 22:38:19 -0800http://blog.chess.com/kazakhnomad/globalized-snowwoman-and-first-cousinLife is all about pro