Just a note that one of the Registan regulars is off to Central Asia. I’ll be working on my Kazakh over the next eight weeks while living in Almaty. That is where the program is centered, and I know that might not be the best place to learn Kazakh. I’ll be living with Kazakh-speaking Kazakhs, however, and trying to visit Shymkent and southern Kazakhstan as often as I can. If anything goes down, I’ll give you the view from inside. Cross your fingers and there won’t be any earthquakes, knock on wood!
This post was written by...
Michael Hancock-Parmer – author of 158 posts on Registan.net.
Michael earned an MA in Central Eurasian Studies in 2011 and remains a student at Indiana University pursuing a dual PhD in Russian History and Central Eurasian Studies. He served 6 months in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan in 2005. After the events in Andijan and the subsequent closure of the program, he served 2 years in southern Kazakhstan, returning to the Midwest in 2007. His general area of interest is on post-Timur Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, centered on the Syr Darya river valley.
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Yay! Seriously, I’m jealous. If I wasn’t so tied to this place I’d be like, “let’s go visit.” Still — take pics and check in with us regularly, okay?
I’ve been living in Taraz for nine months (10 hours by train west of Almaty) and ‘survived’ a very mild earthquake a month ago here-so, enjoy Almaty and pick up that Kazakh. This is a cool place and I’ve learned a lot.