Dec 30 2007

Enough Of The Intro, Onto The Main Content

Category: KazakhstanChrisM @ 2:11 am

OK, first things first, if you are reading this blog, you have either decided to visit Kazakhstan, or are at least considering the possibility.
You SHOULD go to Google, or your favourite search engine, and do a little research beforehand, especially if this will be your first trip. This blog are pretty much just random thoughts, as they occur to me, rather than an attempt at a comprehensive guide to this interesting country.
There will be some things posted here, that you may disagree with, once you have visited Kzk. Fair enough, I’m not touting this text as anything other than my own personal view of life over here.
There may be some factual errors, or facts simply presented a little too simplistically, or without any polite ‘fluff’ around.
All info typed here has been collated from personal experience, if you want solid facts, I suggest something like the CIA’s page on Kazakhstan.
Anyway, enough of the preliminary blurb, onto the meat of the matter:

Things that may grab your attention whilst you’re over here:

Men nearly always shake hands upon meeting one another, even more so if it is the first time you’ve met. Women don’t. If they are family, there may be a peck on the cheek, or a quick embrace. This area is still a little fuzzy to me, so I just stand back and accept whatever comes my way :>

That is all I’m posting for today, will try and post some more tomorrow – better to learn to walk before I try sprinting. OK, well jogging maybe…

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Dec 10 2007

If It Worked In The 80s…

Category: In The MediaChrisM @ 12:33 am

I would have put this post in the ‘Aware Or Conspiracy Nut?’ category as well, but it is pretty obvious what Dubbya’s motivation was for the memory loss…
Anyway, head on over to the BBC’s article on President Bush’s revelation that he has ‘no memory of the CIA videos of their torturing interrogating suspected terrorists’. I really hope that the American public will have had their fill of ‘no clear recollection of those events’ type answers/excuses after the Iran/Contra scandal in the 80s. I doubt it will raise much attention though. Funny how an act of consensual oral sex can end up with a Democrat being impeached, and how blatant lies, bloodshed, bullshit and abuse of power and influence end up in no action being taken. Bunch of frigging wuck fits…

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Aug 17 2007

CIA And The Vatican Exposed!

Category: Aware Or Conspiracy Nut...ChrisM @ 4:54 am

Wikipedia Scanner – doing the leg work most of us can’t be bothered to go through…

As you will know if you are at all interested in Wikipedia, for most pages, anyone can edit them. This of course leads to issues when two sets of people have different views on what is reality. This leads to some pages requiring a login before you can make changes. Wikipedia Scanner is a tool that matches already existing information (the IP address of who made specific edits on any page) with the name of the company that own the IP, from a table of reverse look ups, I assume…
Anyway, Wikipedia Scanner shows that the CIA, or more accurately someone using a computer connected to the CIA’s network, edited a page relating to Iran’s president. The Vatican has also been shown to have made changes to a page on Gerry Adams, the Sinn Fein leader.
No word from the Vatican as of yet, though a CIA spokesperson appeared to whimper a little, then trot out the flag waving, are you a patriot or the enemy style …. “I’d like in any case to underscore a far larger and more significant point that no one should doubt or forget: The CIA has a vital mission in protecting the United States, and the focus of this agency is there, on that decisive work.”
Ahhh, so thats all right then :rolleyes:

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Aug 18 2006

A Little Later Than Intended

Category: Kazakh Driving,Kazakhstan,Personal,PicturesChrisM @ 3:12 am

OK, as promised, here is some more info, from Mum & John’s perspective.

This is basically a cut’n’paste job from an e-mail they sent to family and friends (with permission I hasten to add ;>)

“”For those of you ancient enough to Radio 4 be familiar with Alistair Cooke’s “Letter from America” this is likely to seem a pale comparison. Certainly less erudite and not as well crafted – but hopefully it will inform and maybe even amuse, though the political comment will be markedly absent!

This is Carol’s second visit to this amazing country and my first. As we flew in at night the lack of any settlements for hundreds of miles prior to landing in Astana was perplexing. It was hard to comprehend such vast tracts of land without population. Then Astana appears on the Kazakh Steppes resembling a modern Emirate city. Disney could not have bettered it! When Carol was here last she arrived through the back door, via the old capital of Almaty, then a twenty three hour train journey across a hot and dusty terrain. She made the trip for her son (Chris) & daughter in law’s (Irina) marriage. Jokingly she had said as she left to Irina’s father that he was to have a new airport built on her return. He did – and a pretty impressive airport to boot! It is so refreshing to see architecture which is not afraid to be adventurous, particularly in the teeth of such extreme weather conditions. Thankfully on this trip it has been kind to Carol & me, between 21°C & 30°C. The temperature can famously vary between -30°C in the winter to +40°C during the short summer months.
Continue reading “A Little Later Than Intended”

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