Tidbit Tuesday: Ice Hockey in Kazakhstan: 2012 Playoff follow-up

As the North American Hockey teams wind up their season with the Stanley Cup play-offs I feel like this is a good time to update those of you reading my blog just for the hockey on the outcome of the Kazakhstan hockey championship.  As you may (or may not - which is also fine) recall, Almaty was knocked out of the play-offs sometime ago (just as the snow was beginning to melt on the Almaty streets).  Ultimately it was the Atyrau team "Beybarys" who took home the Kazakhstan Ice Hockey Championship at the end of April. They won last year as well. This year they had to beat Pavlodar's "Ertis-Pavlodar" for the honor. The Beybarys won the series four games to two and won the last game 2-0.  A friend of mine who saw the Beybarys play earlier in the season described the team as "big, fast, and smart."  It is no wonder they keep winning. Any Kazakhstan Hockey fans out there feel free to add video and photos if you were at one of the championship games.


If you are looking for more information about Ice Hockey in Kazakhstan, go to http://www.icehockey.kz/

Saturday Story: Almaty Flower Festival

All spring Almaty has been a parade of blooming plants.  When the Tulips stopped blooming, the bushes and trees began, now those blooms have turned to thick green foliage and the roses have burst forth.  It makes sense that Almaty would have a festival dedicated to plants and flowers.

This morning, a colleague and I set off to "Astana Square" (commonly called the "Old Square" or "Old Republic Square" by locals) to see what was going on at the local flower festival.  We found the streets adjacent to the park blocked off and lined with tents containing exhibits and plants.  A large stage featuring singing and dancing (standard fare at any such celebration) was set up in front of the old government buildings.  There was also fun to be had in the form of a large labyrinth, horse drawn cart rides, and crafting tables in the park. Here are some pictures from the event.

Friday Photo: an "establishment"

Today's photo is of an establishment I first noticed back in August.  At first glance it look like a place some people in the United states might call a "liquor store" or if you are from Pennsylvania, a "state store" (don't ask why PA is different, it's a bit of a long story).

I noticed this place all year, but never really ventured in because there are many places closer to home for me to purchase "adult beverages" (I think I might be wearing out my """ key with this one).  A couple of weeks ago, though, a friend and colleague of mine ventured inside this place on a whim and discovered what this establishment REALLY is.  Have you guessed it yet?


How about now?

Take another look (and yes, that is Vodka in the window):

Give up?


It's a plain, ordinary, nothing special here grocery store.  The kind that sells bread, sugar, rice, and canned goods.  While an entire isle of vodka is fairly common here, the store where I buy most of my groceries puts it's vodka isle away from the windows and consequently it seems less "exotic" (if vodka can be considered "exotic" in a place where it is almost as cheap as water).  Happy Friday everyone!

Sunday Story: Small Adventures on the Steppe, or "Camels for Stephanie"

The Steppe

A herd of horses outside Almaty

 Yesterday I went with friends on a day trip to Steppe just north of Almaty.  My friends were looking for some of the wild poppy fields which bloom around this time and for some kind of monument.  I was simply looking for an excursion out of the city.

Our route took us north on the road to Astana for about one hundred kilometers before turning on a road that followed the Kurty river.  As we drove we saw herds of horses, herds of camels, herds of sheep, and even a llama or two.  The road we were following gradually transformed from a road to a pothole riddled obstacle course before finally disintegrating entirely into dirt track.  I have heard that this is true of many roads in Kazakhstan, that as you get farther from the city, they deteriorate until there is barely anything left.

A herd of Camels for Steph

We drove and drove but failed to find the poppies or the monument.  Eventually my friends decided to turn around and we found a spot by a bridge in the village of Akshiy to eat lunch.  Fifteen minutes later we were forced to flee our lunch spot just before it was overrun by a large herd of sheep.  So  we continued on our way back to Almaty.

A herd of sheep near Akshiy

Our outing turned to adventure when our car wouldn't start after a brief stop by a picturesque bend in the river.  After a few minutes of trying every trick we knew to start a car, we began walking toward a farmhouse that we had seen a few hundred meters down the road.

As we approached the farmhouse two big sheep dogs greeted us with menacing sounding barks.  Two men and a young boy were outside the house.  I asked if the older one spoke Russian and to my relief, he said he did.  I explained that our car wouldn't start and asked if they knew a mechanic nearby.  He said that there wasn't but then asked where the car was. and I said that it wasn't far.  He went inside for a few minutes and then came back out with the younger man and indicated that we were all to get into his car.

A picturesque bend in the Kurty River

Working on the car

I attempted to make small talk as we drove back along the river to our car.  After fiddling around under the hood, they decided to tow the car to a start.  It worked and the man told me that the starter didn't work and so to make sure to park the car pointing down a hill.  We thanked the two farmers profusely and then resumed our journey back to Almaty with no poppies or monuments to show but with our very tiny adventure ending happily thanks to two helpful Kazakh sheep farmers.