Friday, November 13, 2009

Kazakhstan

I haven't been home for 7 months already.
Besides the fact that I miss my friends, parents, home, I miss the country itself and always checking what's happening over there. From distance I'm being too critical to certain things happening in my country sometimes. But talking to my friend today, understood that don't wanna loose this link to my homecountry and loose my roots.
Not long ago read an article about Christopher Robbins, who wrote the book: "Apples are from Kazakhstan: The Land the Dissappeared". I was positively surprised how this author is describing my homecountry and giving external view on it. Felt proud and happy.
So thought about things which others can learn from us:

- Tolerance. More than 120 ethnic groups, different religious groups living in Kazakhstan side by side. Looking at the world which has conflicts based on religion, ethnicity, ideology, we're an example of patience, opennes and acceptance of differences.
- Hospitality. I guess tolerance is the reason of people's hospitality and friendliness. For my family it has never been a problem to host people, even they didn't know them. Not just hosting, but making everything so person feels himself/herself comfortable at our place. I just remember a moment when intern from Poland stayed at our place for a few days. And my mom kept asking him what he likes to eat, to be able to cook especially for him:) And there are plenty of these small moments which make you feel like at home, being in Kazakhstan.
-Patriotism. In Russia I don't hear very often that people love their country, probably they just don't show it. But we show it, like to talk about our country: how wonderful it is and always inviting to visit us.
-Innovative approach. We're not afraid to try new things or implement smth which works in another countries. There's this a program "Bolashak" which allow young people to go study abroad, it just prooves that we're ready to try new things and start it up. Even the university where I was studying (KIMEP) is an example of it: all the edu is on english, we have professors from different countries, the system of edu is completely different: credit system, online registration etc.

So, welcome to Kazakhstan!


PS [I'll be there for New Year, so feel free to come:) ]



2 comments:

  1. I will try to be there at NY as well :)

    Очень надеюсь тебя увидеть этой зимой. Так что до скорого! :)

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  2. AAA! Денис, жду тебя!
    Кстати Крис (из Польши) тоже там будет. Намечается "veshalka re-union party":)))

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