You Know You Live in Central Asia When...

You know you live in Central Asia when... (using personal experiences from the not too distant past)

1) you must break up chocolate bars to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

2) there is nothing worth shopping for in the bazaar, so instead you do all of your Christmas shopping online- and pray that, everything you order arrives, AND that you can find a courier willing to haul it all over for you.

3) your propane gas tank runs out of gas halfway through cooking a meal EVERY TIME guests are coming over.

4) the neighbors walk in at any time without warning to tell you that your invited to their house for a party in a couple of hours.

5) you are accused of not wearing your seatbelt (without the guy really even seeing you), and then threatened to be taken to jail for not paying a "fee".

6) warm, fried bread is delivered to your door by neighbors every Thursday afteroon- cooked to appease the spirits of dead relatives.

7) fresh herbs like dill, parsley, cilantro, and basil are are merely pennies for a bunch.

8) the up and coming influx of foreign workers are Chinese.

9) the wind doesn't blow, you are choked with coal smoke, and all your laundry reeks of it.

10) birds come in 3 varieties: crows/ravens, sparrows, pigeons.

Such is life, here where we live. Glad to share a little piece of it with you!

I'll leave you with some wildflower shots The Water Guy took last spring.

This display of beauty lasts about 2 weeks on the steppe. It's great adventure to seek these treasures out each year!