Romania and stuff

[RED-DOG]

Excellent bloggery.

Fully subscribed.

[BorntoBubble]

Great start, in

[MrDickie]

Well the first page was fascinating. Many thanks and I cant wait for more. Will have to say a big No to the horse sausage though.

[hhyftrftdr]

''The men are men's men. They don't really give a crap what they look like because they are men and here men rule the roost and women do not.''

''Mars bar - 30p''

Just gonna boot up Skyscanner.

[AndrewT]

wohooooo thanks you for the blog
but thank you for your help in finding out where Almaty is
its a city state in Civilization V and its the only city state i didn't know  the location of but kept forgetting to google when i wasn't playing the game

Lol - this is also where I first heard of Almaty.

We just need someone to do a blog from living in Tyre and Byblos in Lebanon to complete my set of 'city states I'd never heard of'.

[TommyPlus]

Lagman though <3

I see your lagman and raise you some dapanji

[TommyPlus]

Thank you everyone for the kind words. Inspiring me to do better. There is so much I want to reveal and discuss but I fear it will all be a bit here, there and everywhere. Anyway should be a fun journey.
I'll reveal more about myself as I don't really care who sees this. Clearly my name is Tom, I've lived here for three years and it's the first time I've lived abroad.
My main passion is cycling, I love doing it, watching it, reading about it, gambling on it etc I also play some poker fairly poorly.
I like betting sports and horses although the horse interest has dwindled since I left the UK and started eating them regularly.
I'm quite an insular person in so much that I prefer to spend my free time with my wife and kids or on my own and I find it quite difficult to make news friends.

Kazakh Kustoms part 1

NEVER shake hands or embrace a married woman without her husbands express permission.
An empty plate will always be filled, if you've eaten enough respectfully leave a small amount of food on your plate and it will be removed.
Never whistle, it's a sign that your money will float away.
Never embrace across a threshold(doorway), it's a sign that death is following you.
 
Thanks for reading.

[TightEnd]

is your wife an expat too?

how does she find life in such a different society where womens role's as so different than they are over here?

were your kids born over there? if not same question......life over there for them versus the uk (perhaps they are too young to care!)

[TommyPlus]

is your wife an expat too?

how does she find life in such a different society where womens role's as so different than they are over here?

were your kids born over there? if not same question......life over there for them versus the uk (perhaps they are too young to care!)

My wife is also British yes and both of my children were born in the UK. The eldest, my son is educated at the private school where my wife works and my daughter goes to a local kindergarten. Both are speaking Russian which I feel is just an awesome situation for them. A free ride learning a difficult, useful and pretty cool language.

My daughter was so young when we moved here that she has grown up as a Kazakh child and follows all the normal behavioural and dietary patterns you would expect. When we are visiting England she dislikes the food and we have to attempt Kazakh dishes for her to eat.
My son is older and was more set in his ways so was and still is more reticent to adjust to the food and the culture. This shall change when he gets his first Kazakh girlfriend I should imagine.

My wife is very independent and doesn't take kindly to my teasing about trading her in for a younger Kazakh model. In terms of the wider lifestyle she resents the fact that women aren't as respected here, for example if she phones the handyman saying our hot water isn't working then he will not rush but if I speak to him then things will be sorted a lot quicker. Old habits and customs die hard here.

Famous Kazakhs

Click to see full-size image.

This is Alyona Subbotina, a former Olympic volleyball player turned model. She currently has contracts with the fashion houses of Givenchy, Helmut Lang and Giorgio Armani. She has also worked for Vivienne Westwood and Gaultier and is admired for her 'albino' look.

[Mohican]

So are you considered a little henpecked by your Kazakh contemparies?
A great read by the way and will certainly be following your on going escapades. What a great experience for your kids BTW.

[RED-DOG]

Keep going here there and everywhere Tom, you've got the mix just right.

BTW- My name is Tom, I like cycling, I don't make friends easily and I'm crap at poker. We also have some very weird customs here in Sharnford.

[baldock92]

is your wife an expat too?

how does she find life in such a different society where womens role's as so different than they are over here?

were your kids born over there? if not same question......life over there for them versus the uk (perhaps they are too young to care!)

My wife is also British yes and both of my children were born in the UK. The eldest, my son is educated at the private school where my wife works and my daughter goes to a local kindergarten. Both are speaking Russian which I feel is just an awesome situation for them. A free ride learning a difficult, useful and pretty cool language.

My daughter was so young when we moved here that she has grown up as a Kazakh child and follows all the normal behavioural and dietary patterns you would expect. When we are visiting England she dislikes the food and we have to attempt Kazakh dishes for her to eat.
My son is older and was more set in his ways so was and still is more reticent to adjust to the food and the culture. This shall change when he gets his first Kazakh girlfriend I should imagine.

My wife is very independent and doesn't take kindly to my teasing about trading her in for a younger Kazakh model. In terms of the wider lifestyle she resents the fact that women aren't as respected here, for example if she phones the handyman saying our hot water isn't working then he will not rush but if I speak to him then things will be sorted a lot quicker. Old habits and customs die hard here.

Famous Kazakhs

Click to see full-size image.

This is Alyona Subbotina, a former Olympic volleyball player turned model. She currently has contracts with the fashion houses of Givenchy, Helmut Lang and Giorgio Armani. She has also worked for Vivienne Westwood and Gaultier and is admired for her 'albino' look.

Not to go too much off topic but I really don't get how these women are models, I thought Draco Malloy had discovered meth.

Anyway, great diary- keep it up!

[dakky]

Is it really the greatest country in the world?

I read that it really does have a higher quality potassium than most countries and Borat wasn't making it up!

[TheDazzler]

Perfect timing this blog, I'll be in mighty Almaty in a month!
I sent you a pm.

[TommyPlus]

So are you considered a little henpecked by your Kazakh contemparies?
A great read by the way and will certainly be following your on going escapades. What a great experience for your kids BTW.

As most of my work colleagues are women I think they are more in awe of the power western women have. When we get paid and I tell them I give my salary to my wife or I literally have no money in my pocket at any given time they find it incredulous.
My dad works and gives my mother the money and I do the same.

My daughter had a birthday party and amongst the dozen or so kids that attended there were 8 nationalities. Kazakh, Russian, British, Egyptian, Ukranian, American Chinese and Armenian, all content and happy playing using that special language children seem to have. The innocence of youth.

Places to visit

Ascension Cathedral

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Completed in 1907, the entire structure is built from wood and without nails.
Miraculously it survived a magnitude 8 earthquake that struck the city in 1911 that flattened almost everything. A brilliant marketing tool for the church as they assigned the survival to divine intervention.
Interestingly or not the city's first commercial radio transmitters were located in the belfry. It can be found in Panfilov Park, which also has some statues and sculptures dedicated to fallen soldiers and an old tank and anti aircraft guns that can be explored and climbed upon.
Be you priest or jarhead, Panfilov Park is fun for all the family.

Click to see full-size image.