fresh flowers

We attended an international singing contest held here in Astana just over a week ago. It was really entertaining and featured singers from Peru, Mexico, Eastern European countries, and several Asian countries.
What caught our attention however was the lady sitting beside us. It wasn't the strong smell of vodka. It wasn't her constant rambling. It was her flowers. She apparently had torn an entire rose bush, albeit a small one, right out of the flower gardens out front of Congress Hall. There she say beside us, dirt falling onto her lap, and sharp thorns poking Michelle. She tried to give us some of the bunch since it was really too much for one concert-goer/gardener to handle alone. We politely refused. As soon as the first singer finished the lady ran up, trailing dirt, to give her bunch of roses. We didn't see her after she went backstage.

There IS a cat in the bag

The other day Michelle and I bumped into another foreigner who works in town. We were having a nice chat along the road when I noticed this one couple look at us as they walked by. They were carrying a bag, the sort of plastic bag which has the most unlikely decoration on the outside and is used for everything. They were certainly using it. They wheeled around and came up to us and started saying something. It was in Russian, and since we don't know that language all we could do was smile and speak Kazak. Suddenly the woman, who was doing the talking, grabbed the bag the man was holding, held it up a little and shook it. From within came a plaintive meow. There was a cat in that bag. A kitten to be precise. They were walking around trying to give away, or maybe sell, a little kitten. It was a funny, and sad, sight to see the bag wriggling as they walked away.

He said, She said

Here is an exchange we just had tonight while out for a stroll. We had stopped at a store to get some snacks:

Shane: Do you have money?
Michelle: No.
Shane: What? Don't you know it's a rule of thumb that every time you go out you bring money??
Michelle: Yeah. Do you have money?
Shane: No.
Michelle: gives "the look".

photos and Jazz

Many of you know we have been posting photos of our time here. The site we have been using is starting to get full so we are moving several albums to Flickr. Our address is http://www.flickr.com/photos/cookes/ and you can find early photos there.

This weekend saw the third annual Astana Jazz Festival. We attended an afternoon show. It was fine I suppose. There was the Astana Jazz Ensemble "Жігер"(it means strength) and a guest vocalist from Moldovia (we think). They did covers of Moon River, Georgia on my Mind, among others. Musicianship was excellent; choice of material poor. It would be nice to hear some Herbie Hancock, some Coltrane or Miles. Oh well.

Bishkek, trains, and cars

We recenty had to go to Bishkek again to get another visa. This time we took a train leaving at 8 pm and arrive in a place called Shoe (Шу) at the more decent hour of 11 am (unlike the last time when we arrived at 4 am) and from there a taxi to Bishkek.
While there that female US soldier was kidnapped. Michelle had been walking in that very area the day before. We are thankful whatever happened missed Michelle and the baby.