Wow. I've stopped looking at the weather forecasts on my iGoogle page because the lows are dipping in the minus range. I just don't want to know! Everyone says that it's an unusually cold winter. And unusually long.
Last Friday was an interesting Orthodox holiday, "Kreschenitsa." Everyone was saying that if you collected the water that ran from the faucet at midnight, it would be holy, healing water. Evidently this water keeps all year, and if you're sick you can put a few drops in regular water and will recover. They wash babies' faces with it, etc. It was very interesting to see how much everyone believed in it---even the ethnic Kazakhs talked about it, and they're Muslim!
It also is known as the coldest day of the year. Then everyone expects the weather to start warming up. Unfortunately, no thawing out yet!
I have heard that the extreme cold has caused some infant deaths in Tajikistan. They don't have power 100% of the time, and even when they do some hospitals don't have sufficient heat. Two infants died of hypothermia. So sad. Don't take your infrastructure for granted.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
The Party's Over
I am back in action after a lovely month in the US. I did a lot of work while I was at home, but it doesn't seem like work when there's a fuzzy black dog snuggled up next to you, or a great guy coming home with a bottle of Malbec. :)
This time I'm only out here for about a month, and will head to Uzbekistan, the one country that I didn't manage to travel to the last time I was in the region.
I just flew into Almaty yesterday (door-to-door travel time was 27 hours) so I've got a ton to catch up on. Will try to post more this weekend. Of note: the weather.
Global warming has not hit this part of the world. There is snow and ice piled everywhere, with average daytime temps in the teens (F) and dipping into the single digits in the evenings. I bundle up and don't care about looking fashionable. I also bought a really warm camelhair scarf with a Kazakh motif. Between the scarf, my non-stiletto boots, and my hat, it is very obvious to everyone that I'm not one of them. :) At this point I am used to "getting looks" !! And couldn't care one whit about it. I am warm and toasty, which is the point. I am too old to choose looking hot over being warm, and furthermore don't care to draw attention from Kazakh men. I got me the greatest man in the world back in Baltimore, thankyouverymuch. So warm and frumpy works for me on two fronts.
This time I'm only out here for about a month, and will head to Uzbekistan, the one country that I didn't manage to travel to the last time I was in the region.
I just flew into Almaty yesterday (door-to-door travel time was 27 hours) so I've got a ton to catch up on. Will try to post more this weekend. Of note: the weather.
Global warming has not hit this part of the world. There is snow and ice piled everywhere, with average daytime temps in the teens (F) and dipping into the single digits in the evenings. I bundle up and don't care about looking fashionable. I also bought a really warm camelhair scarf with a Kazakh motif. Between the scarf, my non-stiletto boots, and my hat, it is very obvious to everyone that I'm not one of them. :) At this point I am used to "getting looks" !! And couldn't care one whit about it. I am warm and toasty, which is the point. I am too old to choose looking hot over being warm, and furthermore don't care to draw attention from Kazakh men. I got me the greatest man in the world back in Baltimore, thankyouverymuch. So warm and frumpy works for me on two fronts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
