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Kazakhstan – NOT Borat Land

Comments: 0August 15th, 2010 by alibabarika

I have written this article to help people who want to learn more about Kazakhstan. Whilst the film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan was funny, it did not paint anything like an accurate picture of this country. Some people want to learn more about Kazakhstan purely for their own education, others may be thinking of taking a vacation here. I moved to from Britain to Kazakhstan in April 2006, to Astana, where my wife’s parents live. Since then, I’ve learnt a lot, and seen many of my mis-conceptions blown away.

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

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Crisis in Kyrgyzstan – What Does This Humanitarian Disaster Mean For the USA?

Comments: 0August 15th, 2010 by alibabarika

It is often amazing how events around the globe affect us here at home. Sometimes it pays to do nothing, and at other times we cannot turn a blind’s eye. How we handle such affairs says a lot about who we are, what we stand for, and our primary focus and objectives in those areas of the world; the US cannot be all things to all people. Sometimes it may seem cruel to do nothing, but often that is the best course of action, even if it hurts our hearts to watch things unfold.

The Kyrgyzstan Revolution and civil unrest is half a world away, but it still affects us here in the United States. Not long ago, I was discussing this Geo-Political issue with a post cold war scholar on Russian-US Relations, and I asked Mr. Jesse Giraldo point blank; What do you think about the latest challenges in Kyrgyzstan, that does throw a loop in the fire? Here is his reply;

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Borat Movie Outrages Kazakhstan

Comments: 0August 5th, 2010 by alibabarika

While viewers of the new Borat movie are laughing hysterically worldwide there is one country that is certainly not finding the humor. The country of Kazakhstan is outraged and wants somebody to do something. In fact, when President Bush met with the country’s leader to discuss oil Kazakhstan seemed much more concerned about the Borat movie than anything else.

The reason Kazakhs are upset is because they believe that the character in the movie completely misrepresents the society of Kazakhstan and because of this the Kazakh government is demanding action. But, one thing it seems the country is missing is this is just a movie! Anyone who sees the movie will immediately pick up on the fact that it is comedy, not a documentary on the true Kazakh people.

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Want to Travel Kyrgyzstan? Avoid These Silly Visa Mistakes

Comments: 0August 5th, 2010 by alibabarika

For those travelers in life that are constantly searching for the next destination, the unreachable areas of the world – in a sense – are never really unreachable. For these people, Kyrgyzstan, located in Central Asia, should not be a destination overlooked. Although a seemingly daunting task from the outside, getting to travel Kyrgyzstan is not a problem as long as you have a visa, so just make sure to avoid these silly visa mistakes and plan in advance.

A visa is NOT available at the border.

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