The Waterstraut Waterspout: Government Week: Kazakhstan

I'm usually against doing two countries in one day. I don't want the boys to get confused about what country we're on. If you compartmentalize them into days their retention seems to be much better.

But, we had North Korea for lunch on Sunday, and then without my recipe direction, poor Asa didn't know what to cook for dinner. I even told him since it was Totalitarian Day he could make whatever he wanted, even if that was pasta, rice, and mashed potatoes all in one meal. (I usually have to reign him in on the carbohydrates)

But, he was still lost. I had the stuff for Kazakhstan, but ended up pulling it out of government week, and was just planning on freezing the roast I had gotten at Sprouts and doing it later. But, it was still in the fridge, so I suggested we do that dinner. On Monday we were celebrating our Florida Anniversary, so we wouldn't have a meal free, but I figured we could have Kazakhstan dinner on Sunday night, then learn about the country on Monday when we already had designated meals.

Part of the reason it fit in so well is because next in line for government week is Democracy Day. And Kazakhstan is 'transitioning' of some sorts from it's dictator past to a future of democracy. It's not a short process, but they're working on it. So squeezing this country in between North Korea's Totalitarian Day and Switzerland's Democracy was PERFECT!

So a little out of order for you, is our Kazakhstan dinner.

We had Kazakh Beshbarmak ( it is a boiled meat with noodles , although we bought extra wide egg noodles instead of making our own), Kazakh Shalgam (Radish salad), and Apple Sharlotka (a Russian apple cake) .

And regular apples, because Kazakhstan is known as the fatherland of all apples!

This meal earned five spoons up.

Even the radish salad was a hit, and I was sure everyone was going to hate it. The apple cake and the meat and noodles were delicious! Everyone cleared their plates.

Also at dinner, everyone had a ballot at their plates to vote on some things for Democracy day. We used the meal as a transition, because honestly, it was time for the family to move on from the dictatorship/totalitarian mentality. It was tearing us apart!

After dinner Asa made an attempt at some Kazakh drink called 'The Drink of Gods' made by some Kazakh bartender who has won some awards for the drink.

So your quick Kazakhstan facts:

It's the 9th biggest country in the world, and over in the 'land of the stans' as the boys like to call it. Today we learned that 'stan' actually means 'land of'!

Kazakh is actually a Turkish word that means 'Independent'. So, we've got our land of independence, for one of the last Soviet countries to emerge into their own.

While Kazakhstan is large in area, it ranks 62nd in population. That is in part thanks to the 'Steppe', or the vast flat and barren land that takes over a good portion of the country. It is mostly grassland without any trees and it can get up to 140 degrees in the summer and -40 degrees in the winter!

A land locked country, the people get pretty creative. Of course if you want a beach you can visit the Caspian Sea, but you could also go to the Sky Beach Club. It's an indoor beach, on the top floor of an Entertainment complex. The club is pretty swanky, and the sand is even flown in from the Moldives.

Kazakhstan is actually kind of known for its quirky architecture. Not only is the complex home to th indoor beach, but it is also known as the 'world's largest tent'! The 492 foot tall 'tent' lights up in neon colors at night and can be seen from miles around.

And if you like apples and riding horses, you can thank Kazakhstan. It's the 'Fatherland of apples', as they originate from the hillsides of Almaty. It's said they grew wild there for thousands of years before humans started harvesting them. Apples are the second most consumed fruit in the world. We thought bananas were the first, but that's actually incorrect- the top spot goes to mangoes!

Historians also think that Kazakhstan is where they first started taming and riding wild horses. The country is still famous today for the excellent riding Kzakh horses. (And their meat is considered a delicacy).