#6. Wish Making with an Empty Vodka Bottle
So as one can guess, many occasions warrant drinking in Kazakhstan. Weddings, birthdays, retirements, finding lost glasses, crossing the street, etc. When a group of people and [in my experience] a vodka bottle are in the same vicinity, drinking ultimately occurs. One small superstition if you will that can be equated to making a wish on an eyelash is "blowing out" the empty bottle and placing on the floor. The person who is served either the last shot or the last "staccan" or the person serving usually gets to do the honors. I don't know the protocol for who should make the wish everytime, since I've seen multiple people do it differently. The major difference between this wish making process and those we as americans may be familiar with is the outright declaration of said wish. We are told to keep the wish to ourselves, or else it won't come true. Here it's the exact opposite, usually. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.
#7 Change in Forms Other Than Money
To me this seems like very esoteric type of money interaction, for i've never ever experienced it in any other country i've been to. This mostly happens in restaurants but I've also been given change in forms other than money at the bazaar, in the magazine and even at the bus station. It seems to me that having a sufficient array of change to give back to customers doesn't seem to be a big priority for most people. Especially taxi drivers. The question you will be most often is "Do you have exact change?". Coming from a place where we're practically guaranteed the ability to break a large bill if need be in a place of business, this whole gear shift was something I had to get used to. The first time I got gum back with my check instead of money at a restaurant I was irritated because I needed that change for the bus. Since that first time, I adapted and carry some reserves at all times. I've been given change back in many forms, from matches to toilet paper. All useful things in the end, but it's simply an interesting business compromise that's prevalent everywhere.
#8 The Kazakh Squat
This term has been lovingly procured over many a volunteer stay in Kazakhstan. I am not the one to take credit for this label [which in no way is meant to be profiling or offensive]. Simply stated, sitting on concrete regardless of what you put between you and the ground is absolutely taboo. One, you will go barren, your ovaries will shrink and you will never have children. Two, for men, you will go sterile, unable to produce offspring male leaders for the next generation. Thus, the Kazakh squat is a special sitting style [obviously in a squat] that can be held for hours, literally. During the warmer months, you can see crowds of young men "sitting" around, smoking, playing cards and simply being. Outside of restaurants, simply out on the street, without adequate sitting areas, the kazakh squat is widespread and prevalent. I've practiced it myself and I'm amazed at how long these guys can hold it. simply amazed.
#9 көрпе [koor-pey]
In a world without inflatable mattresses [that are more convenient than they are space invading], the [koor-pey] is a hybrid between a pillow and a couch cushion. Most are sewn and stuffed with pillow stuffing. Some are incredibly thick and heavy, while others are thin and must be doubled over twice to get any sort of padding out of them. [koor-pey] literally means blanket, but it's far from that in the traditional sense of the word. They're great for when guests come over because using these allows you to maximize floor space. Most of the time people lay these around a low lying table called a дастархан [das-tar-han]and use them for seating, which was their traditional use in the yurt. Today, they offer makeshift bedding for people staying for the night, and some extra comfort for when the traditional [das-tar-han] is prepared.
More cultural gems to come. :)
