Welcome to my "K"-os: ...And on to year 2...

Home for the holiday

The year started out great...with a week at home! Thankfully with a non-Christmas, but generally similar timed holiday in Kazakhstan, Kazatomprom allowed me to have a solid few weeks back with my family in Canada. Christmas was great with some hockey, snowboarding and spoiled kids.

I brought back some traditional arctic fox winter head wear for the kids...but the first picture involved too much smiling to be wearing a Russian hat.

Better.

And back home...quality time with family. And the Treager. New Year's 18-hour brisket!

Paired with some Georgian wine, some Goldcock Whiskey, and Slivovice liqueur from Czechia (the last one being a very bad plum alcohol).

...and amazing New Year's brisket Benedict!

At home, we were trying to determine if it was harder to leave the first time in January 2019, not knowing what it was going to be like, or this time in January 2020, knowing what it's like to be apart. One thing was for sure: Mollie still doesn't get it and must think I die and disappear every couple months.

At year end, a gift came from Air Canada - but it's not just any old gift...it's hard earned. The next time you travel and see the tags, keep in mind that they're not all created equal! The big-shot business execs flying around at the pointy end of the plane, in the lay-flat seats with warm towels...earning "200%" miles on those flights with big bonus miles to get to 100K. Mine were not quite the same. Every. Single. Mile. In. Economy. Because Kazatomprom is a National Kazakh company, the rules align with government rules, where only ministers and CEO's can be flying business class. So to go all Canadian on you...I feel justified in saying that my goal was via a McDavid breakaway, while most others get there with a scrambling tap-in while the puck is half under the goalie's pad. Goal still counts, but one took a little more effort ;)

Back in Nur-Sultan Kazakhstan

First things first - a full conversion away from Apple to a much more mobile-office-work friendly Samsung ecosystem.

So much better, wide-angle photos to come!

Next was supposed to be a move to a new flat to change it up for fun - to something more modern and a little lower rent, since I was expecting to pay Canadian taxes on the "benefit". But when the place fell through at the last minute, I agreed to stay where I am for another year. Redecorated instead (and talked the landlord into a few concessions - from water filtration to a new bed and high end steam iron, to a parking spot in the parkade for the motorbikes).

Celebrated with some homemade meals (for the second and third time in a year) - pub nachos, cold rolls, and whiskey pickles.

One thing to avoid in the off season in Kazakhstan: Cherries. These small clam shells, containing about what - like 40 cherries? - 14,000KZT. The equivalent in CAD is just over $48.00 each!

A Kazakh Wedding

In January, I had the opportunity to attend a Kazakh wedding - brother of a good friend over here who's the CEO of one of our subsidiaries. It was a bit of a power wedding between a family deeply dedicated to Kazakh politics, and another dedicated to the country's security, with generals in the crowd - so it was all quite traditional.

Bit of a different process. First, in the ballroom, family comes an hour early for the "ceremonial" part. Quite religious-looking with a ring ceremony, signing the register, etc...but all completely secular with a JP equivalent. Perhaps the Soviet era changed traditions up a little.

Next, the reception. Parade of dancers in traditional attire, leading the bride and groom to their head table.

Speeches begin from the bride's parents and groom's parents, all while the head table stands in respect. The parents then go around the room and toast every table.

Then comes the first round of food...

So you sit and eat, right? Not quite. While eating, the first table of about 10-12 close family then head to the front and one by one, each grandpa, grandma, aunt and uncle go through their speeches (again, head table standing the whole time). Then they head around the room, to each table, for toasts.

Next comes the meat! A shit-ton of meat, prepped all day, brought out in a parade to each table.

There were about 15 tables, so the 15 elders in the room - most senior and respected from the families - head out to serve the meal!

After that, as people started eating, the lights went down for a dance.

A person got the sense that the night was beginning...but again, not so. Lights back up, next table goes up. Speeches from everyone, with head table standing. And again, some food, a few songs with strobe lights, eat a bit...and then the NEXT table. All 15 tables, speeches from everyone - family, friends, business partners - ranging from a few mins to 10+ mins, but averaging at least 5 each (all in Russian and Kazakh, so I have no idea what was being toasted - though the former Kazakh ambassador to Japan sat with me and kept me generally in the loop)! The event started around 5 pm and the last table (at which point it seemed those giving the speeches were trying to get attention in the British Parliament during Brexit negotiations) finished at nearly midnight. It was broken up by live entertainment on occasion, including a famous Kazakh opera singer who was a family friend.

Eventually, the cake came out, signalling it was getting close to the end. But not before more food.

Midnight lunch wasn't cold cuts, but instead, an AMAZING fish dish.

I was toasting with Hennessy cognac the entire night, and one of the uncles (I was told a former Deputy of the President's administration) immediately congratulated me on my tasteful choice of beverage, and he was sure to toast each and every time. No English, but made good use of Google translate - unfortunately, with every toast, Google indicated he was saying "Kazakh tradition - out of respect it's bottom's up with every toast."