“Same same in the face!” – Everyday Kazakh conversations with Zoya

Hotel Security Guard
“Good morning!”
“Good morning!”
“What are you doing in Kazakhstan?”
“We are driving to Mongolia.”
“What is your name?”
“Zoya. Nice to meet you.”
“Oh! That is Russian name! You speak Russian? Where you from?”
“No, sorry, I don’t. I’m from the USA”
“What are you doing in Kazakhstan with Russian name?”
“My parents named me Zoya…they liked the name.”
“Oh. I hear you are from New York. Are you Manhattan or Brooklyn?”
“Manhattan”
“What are you doing in Kazakhstan with Russian name from Manhattan?”
“I don’t know. What is your name?”
“John.”
“What are you doing in Kazakhstan with an English name?”
“[shrugs] Bye! Good luck!”

Highway project director (Mr. Eric)
[lots of motions and hands around the face area] “We are sister and brother! You are Kazakh!”
“No, I’m American.”
“No, you are Kazakh!”
“No, sorry, I’m not.”
“You are driving to Mongolia. Maybe you are Mongol”
“No, my mother is Korean and my father is American”
“Ah…American man plus Korean woman equals Kazakh! See? Same same in the face! Let us take photo to show American and Kazakh together!”

Lots of pictures

We’ve taken loads and loads of pictures but our internet connections are often spotty at best so here are a mix of pics that we’ll probably have to explain later 🙂 enjoy! we’ll try to sort things out in a bit…

Paul and Zoya getting ready to cross into Dunkerque

Yes, this vodka is called "respect yourself"

Our bread and cheese diet has done wonders for getting us back into our "skinny" jeans

Obviously how we should have decorated our cars...

Annie and Paul doing their best parking lot waltz

The Micra Army

Brad's secret identity...pregnant suitcase toting Russian spy

Final domes of St Petersburg.

First of several run-ins with Russian police

Moscow Morning