Movie Monday: Baraholka Bazaar

The Baraholka is the largest bazaar in Almaty.  Located north of the main part of the city on Rozibakieva street, it spans what feels like a square mile once you are inside.  With dozens of rows of stalls selling everything in its season, this is the place to buy furs, coats, shoes, Christmas decorations, wedding dresses, carpets, lights...actually it is the place to buy just about anything you want.  The narrow walkways are crowded with shoppers, suppliers shouting 'kesh kesh kesh' as they race towering stacks of boxes to one stall or another, and old ladies selling Chai (tea) and coffee to hungry shoppers and vendors.  The merchandise towers high above the tiny isles giving one the impression that even if the item you were looking for was right in front of you, you might never see it.

The typical Baraholka experience takes hours, and I highly recommend a guide if you are looking for something specific.  Plan on walking through miles and miles of shops - oh and dress warm if shopping in the winter - it might be covered, but it isn't heated.

Movie Monday: Yermek Serkebayev (Ермек Серкебаев)

“Yermek Serkebayev was and remains the king of the Kazakh opera.” - Minister of Culture Mukhtar Kul-Muhammed

Back in September I attended a performance at the Opera House that was a tribute to the Baritone singer Yermek Serkebayev.  While I had no idea who he was, I could tell that the elderly gentleman on stage crooning folk songs in his gravely voice at the opening of the performance was beloved by the audience.  At the end of the concert, a video played of Yermek Serkebayev singing in his younger years.  I was hooked and had to find out more.

So I present clips of Yermek Serkebayev.  I hope you enjoy.

Really Useful Stuff: Interactive Bus Map

For those public transit users out there:  A colleague of mine shared this link:  http://zaproezd.kz/  This is a map of Almaty that allows you to select your transit type and route number and it will show you where that bus goes.  This site is easy to use and extremely useful.

If you are using Google Chrome, you can translate the page to English.  The Russian words for the different kinds of transit are:

Автобус = bus
Троллейбус = trolley-bus, or buses with electric wires
and Трамбай = trams (on tracks)

Friday Photo: Mega Camel

"and now for something completely different:"

This suave beast has to be among my favorite of the camel likenesses around the city.  He stands ever so cooly at the entrance to the mega shopping center as if to say: 'don't you wish you looked as cool as me?  But guess what you'll never be as cool as me.  Know why?  huh? know why (you silly English Kniggets - he doesn't say that, but you can tell he is thinking it).  Cause you're not a Camel.'

Or maybe he's just saying 'hey guys, check out the tie!" Who knows...

Actually, since he is fiberglass, it is extremely unlikely that he is thinking at all - and if he is, we are all in a lot of trouble.

So happy Friday one and all!