What I know about Kazakhstan through the eyes of a friend who served in the Peace Corps there.

[beachmom]

Kazakhstan has both a Muslim South and a near Siberian North full of ethnic Russians. My friend served in the Peace Corps in the North, where it had Siberian style weather (probably the reason why so many dropped out before the program was complete). I wish I had kept his wonderful e-mails on his time there, but I remember several themes that came through over and over again:

1. Mass corruption on every scale. My friend is a devout Christian and it truly pained him that he had to "bribe" an official for simple things that we do normally in our lives, like getting a permit.

2. Mass alcoholism. My friend does not drink, and was clearly upset by the binge drinking he witnessed on a day to day basis. There is little hope in Kazakhstan, so people drink to escape.

3. My friend's position was to teach high school students about the Environment in English. The Environment is absolutely HORRIBLE in Kazakhstan. He was an enthusiastic teacher, but he ran into infuriating "Soviet thinking". For example, he assigned students an essay to talk about what they can do to improve the environment. They would write things in a passive 3rd person voice, not understanding that any change starts with the individual (even if the government ultimately does it, it should start with citizens asking for it). He was frustrated that he could not get through to the students to think for themselves more.

4. Mass cheating in the schools, which is accepted by everyone from school officials to teachers to parents to students.

5. As an American, he was a ROCK STAR!! He was constantly asked for his autograph at school which is too funny, because he was sort of a bit of a nerd back in America.

6. The government is incompetent and ruthless, of course. My friend did not talk much about that (maybe it would have landed him in jail), but it was obvious from all the little things he spoke of.

7. When his family visited Kazakhstan, after he actually found the love of his life there and married her, the idea was "Only Once". Kazakhstan is not a nice place to live, and it was an unpleasant trip. This is not about American snobbery; from cockroaches infested in the trains (remember this is Siberia) to being surrounded by ugly Soviet style buildings to unremarkable food, there is just little to recommend it. The South (and Almaty) might actually be better.


From his many e-mails, it was clear to me, that Kazakhstan is a near failed state, propped up by its natural resources. The President obviously is just godawful. I do not think the United States should be helping him out.

I hope some of this will provide context to what is being discussed in the news today. My optimistic friend tried to be as positive as he could be during his heroic time serving in the Peace Corps, but the cold reality of the situation in Kazkhstan is undeniable.

[rwork]

1. Really interesting post

Thanks for sharing.

[beachmom]

2. Thanks, Rwork. I suppose it's a bit out of place but hopefully

a few more will read it, to take a break, and reflect on what it would be like to be living somewhere else.

[AngryAmish]

3. Was he there for the running of the Jew?

<>

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. A couple of years ago, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival showed a

movie from Kazakhstan called Schizo. I attended it, because I like to see films from off-the-beaten-track countries.

It portrayed Kazakhstan as an utterly depressing place. Imagine the Great Plains of the U.S., only nothing has been repaired or cleaned up for 70 years, and people walk around in clothes that look like Salvation Army rejects. One of the women characters in the movie talks about possibly going to China to be a prostitute and make some money.

Sad, sad country.

[KittyWampus]

5. will check that movie out. it's good to gain a wider perspective whenever possible

thanks for mentioning it.

[beachmom]

6. Thanks. You have described the country just as my friend did.

He talked about the "Steppe" which you go through to go from the Russian North to the Muslim South. Just barren.

I'll have to check out that movie.