After a fantastic and full summer (covering southern France and northern Spain, Oregon and Idaho), we are happy to be back in Almaty and starting our second school year. Of course we enjoy school; meeting new students and staff, getting back into a routine, exploring new teaching methods, but we are also happy to be back for the cultural experience of living here. Coming back after having lived here a year is kind of like coming home. We are accustomed to the quirks and challenges of life in Almaty, so this year we simply get to explore and enjoy.
Nic and I really enjoy the markets here (and everywhere, for that matter). Last year we usually went to the Green Market, the largest market in the city, but we also heard about others. A fellow staff member, Phil, had lived in Almaty for 5 years and speaks Russian fluently. When we told him we wanted lots of produce to can, he told us about a market on the edge of town called Altyn Orda and said he'd be going that weekend.
Produce this time of year in Almaty is much like it would be in the NW; tomatoes, corn, eggplant, squash, berries, apricots and peaches.
Most "stalls" at the market were vans and trucks that have been parked and left to settle into the pavement on deflated tires and rust, only to be used as secure storage and sometimes shade.
This market primarily functions as a wholesale market. Vendors expect buyers to purchase tens or hundreds of kilos of their produce, and sometimes give buyers the stink eye if they ask for only one or two.
Because it's a wholesale market, prices are the cheapest we've seen. We bought 10 kilos of tomatoes for 250 tenge, which is roughly $2. 70.
Spices, priced per heaping shot glass.
Berries! Piles and crates of tiny and sweet local strawberries and raspberries. We bought a 9 kilo flat and put them in the freezer for the bland winter months ahead.
We don't go just for the produce either. Check out this old scooter!
The dried fruit and nut guys always have lots of personality. This guy also gave generous samples.
This is a very typical scene in Kazakhstan; men squatting and smoking.
With all our produce we went home and started processing. This is a tomato relish recipe we got from last year's elementary principal. He and his wife canned it last year and gave us a jar that I promptly finished in about a week's time. We'll see how our batch comes out.
Another reason we're glad to be back is shashlyk. Shashlyk is one of the most common foods around the city. Shashlyk is lamb, pork, or chicken, grilled over a specific wood. It is served with heaps of raw white onion, bread and a red sauce similar to salsa. It is best eaten with a cold beer with a view of the street (or maybe even just on the sidewalk!). Lucky for us, there is a great shashlyk place just up the road from our new place.
The shashlyk hearth just beside the patio.
Speaking of our new place, it's pretty nice. Let me give you a tour.
The bedroom.
Our great kitchen.
The other side of the kitchen with new, fancy wallpaper.
The living room. Yes, that design stands out from the wall about 2 inches. The door to the left leads to our balcony (13 stories up!)
Our big, comfy couch.
The extra bedroom/office.
A couch/bed just perfect for visitors!
This is the view out our bedroom window at about 6 a.m.
And here's the view at about 8 p.m.. See all the red tail lights? Yes, Almaty, like any big city, has major traffic jams, and we just happen to have a great view of a very busy intersection.
All is all, life is good here in the Big Apple of Kazakhstan.
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