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October 19, 2006
Cultural Learnings for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakstan
I first met Borat Sagdiyev when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakstan in '95-'96. Here's a dinner gathering with Borat on the far right, me 2nd from left, with 'stache:
Kazakstan is a beautiful place - if you like it flat. It looked a lot like Montana or Wyoming, with mountains in the south, and absolutely flat plains everywhere else. One day in the winter I took a walk out on the steppe and took a picture of my town:
It is interesting to note that the Kazak flag is sky blue with gold trim and seal, the same sky blue color as the sky. The Russian word for sky (light) blue (goluboy) is also slang for gay. The sky really was a vibrant shade of blue, but I didn't meet all that many gay people there.
Kazaks are beautiful people, with some of the most stunning eyes in the world. Here is a table of Uzbeks and Kazaks...I can't really tell the difference. The guy in blue, 2nd from left, is pretty hot, no?
It gets pretty cold there in the winter. While I was there, the thermometer dropped below -40 every day for a week in December. A busload of travellers in my oblast (state) died when their bus broke down.
I got some great bird species spotted there though, including the wild pink flamingo, a pink starling, a mynah, hoopoe and Eurasian lapwing.
Posted by jimbo at October 19, 2006 10:10 AM
Comments
I find it amusing you were a PC volunteer in Kazakhstan when I was freshman in high school. By the time I got there in 2003, it looked much better—there was far more money, and far fewer Borats there.
I agree with you that it is stunningly beautiful, albeit in a way we're not used to thinking of. Dig "On the Steppes of Central Asia" by Alexandr Borodin—a Russian composer from the 18th century. It captures the mood absolutely perfectly.
Posted by: Josh at October 19, 2006 11:38 AM
As a guy who loves the snow and the plains, Kazakhstan looks to be a beautiful place. :)
In addition, you look mighty fine with a mustache.
Posted by: J.P. at October 19, 2006 12:40 PM
The really important question is are the men hot in Kaza? ...Did you u get laid?
Posted by: O at October 19, 2006 4:43 PM
When I lived in Moscow, I had a crush on this beautiful boy named Lyokha (alexei) who was half kazakh. He was thin and blonde but with dark, asian-shaped eyes; he'd always score goals for me in soccer.
swoon.
Posted by: Paul at October 20, 2006 6:11 PM
"Blue" as slang for gay, muy interessante! The guy in blue IS hot. I love guys with epicanthic eye folds; sadly, very few of them are big ol' baaars.
Bring back the 'stache, J-bo!
Posted by: andrew at October 23, 2006 7:15 AM