Movie Monday: A snowy drive on a February Morning

I filmed this on the ride to work last week on a day when we had more than a foot of snow.  I don't mind the snow and the cold, but I am definitely ready to say goodbye to the grey months.

Sunday Coffee Club: Marrone Rosso

Located on Furmanova just up from the Opera, Marrone Rosso is one of Almaty's more popular coffee shops.  This morning, armed with my posse of fictional characters, I took the metro downtown to sample the food and drink and to share a good story.

The atmosphere of Marrone Rosso is quieter than that of Coffee Delia, but a bit busier than Bisqvit.  Soft pop music in English and Russian plays in the background and a nice mix of booths and tables are available for dining.  This coffee shop has menus in both Russian and English and several of the staff speak English - which can be a little bit frustrating when you are trying to practice Russian.

While the coffee is decent (once again I ordered an "Americano"), the breakfast menu is fantastic.  This morning I dined on the "vegetarian omelet" which is absolutely stuffed with roasted mushrooms, peppers, and zucchini with delicious fresh-baked whole grain bread.  The service takes a little while, (so make sure you aren't on a schedule) but the wait is well worth it.  Prices are comparable to those of the other shops, so plan on spending between 700 and 2000 Tenge ($5-$15 usd) per meal.  Next week on Sunday Coffee Club, Roads Less Traveled.

http://www.marronerosso.com/

Friday Photo: A New Normal

I seem to remember a time when trees had leaves and when the sidewalks weren't covered in 10 layers of snow and sand (they sand here, rather than shovel).  I vaguely recall how the bushes looked without their snowy garlands.  I remember when the cold was new and refreshing and when the extra time it took to add several extra layers was annoying.  Now it all looks so normal: the slush, the ubiquitous white ground cover, and the ever grey skies.  I thought I would get sick of it but instead, winter has established itself as a semi-permanent state and I find that I don't, in fact, mind at all.

Movie Monday: Ice skating and other winter fun

When I moved to Almaty there were a few things I wanted to learn.  Russian, of course, was one.  Ice Skating was another.  So I have been ice skating all of three times and finally bought a pair of cheap skates this weekend.  They are pink - not my favorite color, but on the bright side, they match my pink flyers scarf which I always wear skating.

There are ice rinks in several spots around town.  There is a good sized rink in the Mega shopping center and a small rink in the Ramstore on Furmanova. There is also a good sized rink up the hill on Dostyk at the Luxor complex (pictured).

During the winter, you can also find a number of outdoor rinks. This weekend I tried out an outdoor rink behind the children's theater on Shalapina.  It was the day after a snow so the ice still had powder on top.   The surface was a bit rough but I had a great time.  It was fun to be outside under a blue sky trying out the moves I learned on youtube.

For those of you interested in the cost, I haven't been skating at Mega, but Luxor charges 1000 tenge for 1 hour of skating and 500 for skate rental.  They also offer lessons for 2000 tenge.  The outdoor rink charged 700 tenge for unlimited skate time.

Sunday Coffee Club: Bisqvit

According to a review on the Lonely Planet website, Bisqvit is "marginally smarter than Coffeedelia, with arguably the best coffee in town."  I have read the "best coffee in town" claim elsewhere and being a confirmed coffaphile, I was excited to try this place out.  So this morning I set out in the snow to meet Mr. Fielding, Dr. Aziz, Mrs. Moore, and Miss Quested at Bisqvit.

Located just west of the intersection of Dostyk and Shevchenko, Bisqvit has a nice atmosphere.  Dark wooden counters, booths with plush couches and wicker chairs stained dark brown contrast with the grey stone tile floor to give the establishment a sense of permanence.  There was little or no music from the radio and at 10:00 am I was one of only a few customers.  I liked the quiet and somewhat somber ambiance - it provided the perfect place to read my book.

The menu is quite extensive with options for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the prices are similar to those of other coffee shops in town.  I didn't try any of the food, but I must admit that my Americano was skillfully made and had a woodier flavor than other roasts I have tried here in Almaty.  While I hesitate to crown the coffee at Bisqvit as "the best in town," I will freely own that it was well worth the snowy pilgrimage.

Friday Photo: Something random and fun

Don't ask me why.  I don't know and would just sing Woodie Guthrie at you. Nevertheless, it makes me very, very happy.  Happy Friday everyone!!!!

Sunday Coffee Club: CoffeeDelia

Allow me to clarify: there is no actual organization in Almaty called the Sunday Coffee Club.  This is really just the name I give to the tradition I have just started of trying out a new coffee shop each Sunday.  So far the members are me and E.M. Forster via "A Passage to India."

This morning's meeting took place at a shop called CoffeeDelia.  There are two locations for this coffee shop.  One is on Zheltoksan and Kabenbai Batyr, the other is across Furmanova from the Opera Theater about halfway down the block on Kabenbai Batyr.  I went to the location across from the Opera.

CofeeDelia has a definite modern vibe.  Plain white dishes, and hard lines in the shop's orange, white, and black color scheme give off a certain Euro-cafe feeling of modern sophistication.   Additionally, light instrumental techno muzak plays constantly eventually giving me the somewhat surreal feeling of living in a 'made-for-airlines' tourism commercial.  A mix of traditional and trendy modern seating caters to a variety of customers.  I noticed that they even had a hi-chair available for toddlers.  It might seem odd to point that out, but many places in Almaty don't have child-seating.  CoffeeDelia also boasts free wi-fi which is a definite bonus.

In addition to coffee, CoffeeDelia serves limited Breakfast, Lunch, and dinner menus and also has alcoholic beverages available. The prices are somewhat reasonable  with most meals in the $8-$15 range.  I ordered a "jumbo" Americano (the closest they come to drip coffee here) and a Cheese Croissant and paid about $6.00 for the meal.  The staff were exceptionally friendly and, while the atmosphere was just a bit too upbeat for my Sunday blahs, I still managed to enjoy my breakfast and my book.

Friday Photo: Panfilov Park in the Winter

Cathedral of the Holy Ascension

Apparently this winter has been unusually cold.  Everyone (not just us gringos) complains about the cold.  Last week we suffered a cold snap that had us in the - Fahrenheit range for days.  It was Cold (with a capital C).  On the bright side, fresh snow yesterday means a day or two of great skiing in the mountains...and the cold means there are plenty of outdoor ice-rinks to enjoy (more on that later).  So in honor of the winter weather, here are several pictures of Panfilov Park in the winter.  As you can see, it is still beautiful.

Memorial to the Heroes
with a public works employee cleaning off the winter
dust (the flame is still burning)

If it wasn't for the path, I might mistake this for Narnia

Woods in the park

Monday's Musical Extravaganza

Yes, there will be a movie:

...but wait! Today's post is not about that, it is about stuff I learned on my trip to the museum for musical instruments in Almaty.

The Museum of Musical instruments.  Yes, this is really it.  No, it isn't a war museum...I promise.

The museum is located near the memorial to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War in Panfilov park.  I believe that it is open every day except for Tuesday and admission is just 200 Tenge (about $1.30). The exhibition rooms are well laid out and the instruments are displayed beautifully.  All of the text is in Russian and Kazakh, so do your research first if you don't speak one of those languages pretty fluently.  The bulk of the exhibit covers instruments from Kazakhstan, however there are several rooms dedicated to instruments from other countries in Central Asia and from as far off as India, Africa, East Asia, and Western Europe.  As an added bonus, for 200 Tenge extra, you can enjoy a demonstration of the Dombra, Kobyz, and the mongolian sybyzgy jar flute in a small recital hall that is shaped and decorated like a large Yurt.

One of the exhibition rooms

There are several string instruments commonly found in Kazakhstan.  The most famous is the Dombra (see earlier posts for a demonstration).  The Dombra is lute-like in shape, but with only two strings and significantly smaller.  Also worth noting is is a very short bridge and a small resonating hole.  There is a revival of this instrument at the moment and it is not uncommon to see young people carrying them. There was one Dombra in the museum that had strings on both sides of the body.  I am still trying to imagine someone playing both sides at once.

Equally famous, if slightly less popular, is a string instrument called the Kobyz.  The Kobyz has between two and four strings (depending on when and where it was made) and has a body shaped like hollowed out gourds.  Unlike the Dombra, the Kobyz is a bowed instrument with no frets and an off center tail piece. According to legend playing the Kobyz "maintains the balance between the courses of Life and Death on earth."  It is an instrument that is played by Shaman and supposedly helps guard against premature death (for more about this legend and others connected with instruments of Kazakhstan, click here).  Variations on the Kobyz have hide or wood stretched across the resonating body.

There is also a common bell instrument called an Acatayak.  You will see this in many shapes, from the ends of a staff, to a hand held hammer fashioned in the shape of a horse's head. This is another instrument used by Shaman in healing ceremonies.

A cool map detailing the "where" of all of the Kazakh instruments displayed in the museum

Friday Photo: The Central State Museum of The Republic of Kazakhstan

The Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan is located on Furmanova just above Satpayeva street.  The main hall in the museum is worth seeing even if you don't go into any of the exhibit rooms.  The hall is enormous and grandiose impressing the visitor with the scale alone.  It, like many buildings in Kazakh Architecture, is modeled after the inside of a yurt right down to the central skylight.  This hall often plays host to the semiannual Central Asian Craft Fair (pictured below).

Admission to the four exhibit rooms costs only 100 Tenge.  The exhibit room downstairs features a geological exhibit and an exhibit of the early history of Kazakhstan.  This section includes archaeological artifacts and some impressive recreations of various ancient sites around Kazakhstan. Many of the captions and explanations in this section of the museum are also in English.

In the upper part of the museum are exhibits that chronicle the actions of Khazakh soldiers during the "Great Patriotic War" (the Second World War), a series of exhibits that celebrate the many ethnicities that call Kazakhstan home (including an impressive display of traditional clothing) and the  achievements of the Independent State of Kazakhstan.  There is also a fantastic collection of Abay's original manuscripts and personal effects.

 For anyone planning a visit, the museum is open from 9:30am - 5:30 pm everyday except for Tuesday.