My tree this year!
I know its 2 days after Christmas, but I thought I would introduce the characters, as it is still relevant here in Kazakhstan. There is no Christmas on Dec 25th in Kazakhstan. Instead, the people of Kazakhstan celebrate Novi Gode..or "New Year". This is when Santa Claus visits the kids, and is when presents are given out. There is also the Russian Christmas on January 7th, but Santa does not come to this one I believe.
Дед Мороз or Deid Moroz (pronounced Dee-yed Moroz). This translates to Grandfather Frost.
Снегурочка or Snegurochka often accompanies Died Moroz. She is the granddaughter of Died Moroz and is The Snow Maiden.
The town Christmas tree is in the stadium. On New Years, there will be a celebration here.
One of the Novi Gode traditions in many towns, including Karkaraly, is to make snow statues. Most businesses and groups get involved. Here is a sample of some in town. You'll be able to see that the clear popularity winner is the Snow Leopard- lots of those. Gambrill and I have decided to make one and will post pics when we are done.
The town also made an ice slide for the kids! The ice was cut from a lake near town.
Yesterday (26th) was my host brother Emir's 8th birthday. I gave him a remote control car.
Birthday cake!
Alishair shoots the cake first to make sure its dead!
It is a carrot cake with icing and berries. It was very tasty.
Ludmila and Indira
And I'll introduce two other new friends. I don't have a name for this one yet. He is nice- just looks ferocious because he is eating a bone.
This is Lily. She is a sweetheart and curls up each night next to the smoke stacks of the large furnace out behind my apartment. Both of these dogs follow Gambrill and I around town often.
