Celebrating Early Childhood Traditions in Kazakhstan
The first year of life is a sacred but precarious time. We all arrive from our mother’s womb vulnerable and reliant on others for…
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Book Review | White Swan and the Heavenly Lake
In White Swan and the Heavenly Lake, first-time novelist Kim Aasland has crafted her own take on the swan princess myth and its connection…
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Five Things I Learned From Kazakhstan
My husband and I moved to Kazakhstan back in 1995 with our two small children, aged 2 and 4 months old. To say it…
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This is Kazakhstan
Whenever I’m asked to describe Kazakhstan, the first thought that springs to my mind is,”Where do I start?” If you looked at me, a…
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Central Asian Transitions
My family began our sojourn in Central Asia in 1985. We were three then: my husband, my almost 2-year-old son and I. English teachers…
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Back to Almaty – A Runner’s Reflections on Four Continents in Ten Days
“Вы профессиональный бегун? Are you a professional runner?” I’m on a city bus in Almaty, Kazakhstan on my way to run in a local city…
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Snapshots of a Third Culture Kid
As a Third Culture Kid (TCK), I often wrestle with who I was and who I am today. The following are snapshots from the…
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Kortni’s Kitchen: Plov
I was asked to make a traditional Kazakh meal. So I went on the internet and started Googling what that means. With a little…
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Resilience Amidst the Temporary – Chasing Rootedness During Transition
Now, where did I pack my blue athletic shorts? Was it the green duffel or the gray one? I rummage for some minutes more…
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Nauryz: Central Asian New Year
In Central Asia, the New Year is celebrated not in winter, but rather in spring when new life begins to show all over the…
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On the Other Side of the World: The Eagle Huntress
With its exquisite cinematography, The Eagle Huntress opens up a corner of the world that few Westerners have visited. Aisholpan is the likable Kazakh…
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