If I were a bear,
And a big bear too,
I shouldn't much care
If it froze or snew:
I shouldn't much mind
If it snowed or friz –
I'd be all fur lined
With a coat like his!
For I'd be have fur boots and a brown fur wrap,
And brown fur knickers and a big fur cap.
I'd have a fur muffle-ruff to cover my jaws,
And brown fur mittens on my big brown paws.
With a big brown furry-down up to my head,
I'd sleep all the winter in a big fur bed.
I bought new boots this weekend. The man who I bought my hat from, in the Karaganda bazaar, spent the last 2 months making them by hand. I saw a pair similar and inquired about them. He said he would make me a pair. I was a little worried because I didn't know how they would feel and I knew he was spending time on them (and I'm not a normal size that he could peddle off on someone else). But when I slipped them on, there was no going back. Gambrill likes to tell people that is it like sticking your feet into a bowl of puppies. The fur on the outside is also on the inside.
Sadly Gambrill's statement is closer to reality than you think. I realize that most of my family and some of my friends will disown me for what I'm about to say. The fur on the boots is dog.
I showed them off to Gambrill's family today and when Apul, the grandmother, saw it, she instantly knew it was dog and kept repeating that I did good and that I chose the right boots. They are incredibly warm and soft. Very comfortable and the guy that made them did a good job, considering he simply eyeballed my foot and never measured them.
I don't want to depress everyone here and detract from my boots, but I know people are wondering where they get the dog fur from. Most towns, Karkaraly included, have people who work for the city who round up and kill all the stray dogs in town. There is no kennel or pound. It isn't right, but its the way it is here. Dogs aren't pets here and its there way of controlling the population. If it isn't chained in your yard and is roaming free, you have a good chance of not seeing it again. In fact, all but one dog that were our friends and have been shown on this blog has been killed.
I certainly don't condone this, but they boots are really nice and warm and will keep me toasty all winter...and longer. The guy I bought them from said they would last for 100 years and that my grandkids would be wearing them. They are pretty boots and I figured..."when in Rome", right?
Actually I was reminded of an old Jimmy Dean sausage commercial while taking these pictures. "The hat is from seal. The boots are from dog. And the beard...well, that's from John".
On a side note, I wanted to show you this picture (below). All door frames in KZ are way too short for me. You add the hat and I shoot up to at least 6'6 or more. I have to really duck under with or without the hat. I have close-lined myself across the forehead many, many times (once today). But the hat adds a new dimension.
From this point, it will be a hodge-podge of pictures and text, to catch up on a few things that happened since I wrote last. Gambrill did a Language Day last week and played games with some of the young kids. I went to take pictures.
This past weekend we went to Karaganda. While on a city bus, we saw a sign for a circus in town, advertising "dancing hippos". Being too good to pass up, we spent Sunday afternoon in the big top!
We sadly didn't get a picture with the hippos.
But we splurged on clown noses.
Although the hippopotamus is one of the most aggressive creatures in the world and is often regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, in Kazakhstan they let people within arms reach of four of them! haha. I know they are trained and its a circus, but it still seemed odd to let these huge animals that close to a kids head!
On to today. This is the potato section of Aliya's (my host mom) garden. This was supposed to be harvested a month ago, but she keeps delaying. In fact, I'm certain she is the last person in town to harvest the potatoes. Everyone I meet keeps telling me that soon the potatoes will freeze and they will all be ruined. I dug up a few tonight but I'm waiting for her to organize a dig, as I don't see it as my duty to dig up thousands of potatoes.
It isn't hard, but I wouldn't say its the most inspiring work to be had. I'll keep you posted and let you know if we get them in or if we loose them.
I'll leave you with a picture I took last week of the prettiest tree in Karkaraly.
