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If someone told me to choose between rice, potatos, noodles, and bread, I would not be able to do it lol

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Life Sometimes

Life sometimes is like a mountain

whose summit I want to reach.

Or it resembles an enemy

that I want to knock down.

Life sometimes is the base of a mountain

whose flowers I want to pick.

Or it is like a desert

in which I need a drink.

Life sometimes is like a fire

for warming myself up.

Sometimes I can find no happiness

and all I want is to die.

But then life can be a good friend,

one I wish to see every day.

It can be like a big caravan of people

I want to lead,

or like a loyal marriage partner

I would like to pamper.

When I feel happiness waiting for me,

I am eager to get to it quickly.

On occasions life can be a beautiful girl

whom I want to hug and kiss.

And then it can be like you, my mother,

to whom I want to give much joy.

Life is ultimately a joyful feeling.

I want to laugh joyously.

Life is sometimes like me,

and I want to live.

By Tumanbay Moldagaliyev

Translated by Patricia McCarthy

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A Secret of Mine

Each of us has troubles to face.

Take me, cramped, however much space

I've got, and wanting to split my own skull

with a rusted axe: years leave their trace.

There’s a wheel my hand is trying to turn,

but my hand is clumsy and less than firm.

I’m not even able to rip out my tongue,

my powerless tongue that resembles a worm.

No, things aren’t good, the way they stand.

Sometimes I feel that it’s time to hang

from a hook like a ram ... Not simple, either,

even when life seems to slip through your hands.

You head for the hills, the ravine is your fate.

The wise strike flag, but the bold will debate.

Whatever, I’m willing to live like you,

at peace with myself, and able to wait.

By Kadyr Myrza Ali

Translated by Alistair Noon

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Soviet-era Buran space shuttles lie abandoned in a hangar at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

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Canadian photographer Christopher Herwig has traveled the vast expanse of the former Soviet Union, documenting a phenomenon – the strange and wonderful architecture of Soviet Union bus stops. 

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First ever authorised women's rights march in Kazakhstan organised by five different feminist organisations. More than 800 people showed up. This is monumental - it's something that has never been done before - the sheer fact that it was allowed by the authorities, that my organiser friends, who were later threatened by the city officials with arrest if they won't make the "personal decision" to cancel the event, decided to go through with it anyway, the fact that so many people showed up and weren't scared - it was a historic day for us

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Alexander Ossipov — Buddha’s Smile  (oil on canvas, 2014)

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Aza Shadenova — Mother Who Feeds The Horse, Who Feeds The Mother  (oil and gold leaf on canvas, 2016)

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Where can I find Kazakh language resources? I found a master post here but there's not a lot of resources for Kazakh ;^;

You’re learning Kazakh?! That’s super cool!!

Ok, here’s what i found: 

Some basic Kazakh phrases

A Kazakh textbook (originally for the Peace Corps)

Blog about learning Kazakh

Omniglot: Alphabet and some links to other resources at the bottom

This masterpost (idk if this is the one you found but i’ll put it here anyway)

Best of luck!!

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Okay, people, I meant to make this post a long time ago due to all the questions regarding Q-pop terminology and cringy situations whenever I hear all those Korean words applied to boys from 91, BD or any other Q-pop artists.

First of all, a disclaimer: I will not use the newly adopted “Latin alphabet”, because it sucks. I’m going to use my own alphabet™ based on standard romanisation, Turkish version, and original Kazakh one of the early 20’s century. Umlauts > apostrophes because logic.

Another disclaimer, important one: Q-POP IS QAZAQ POP, NOT KOREAN. Got it? We’re our own thing, we have our own language, so there are no maknaes, oppas, hyungs or whatever you K-pop heads call them. And the thing about oppas specifically: I will provide words for brothers/sisters, but we do not, I repeat, we DO NOT call people we fancy or have a crush on as brothers or sisters. It’s creepy.

Are we good so far?

Nice.

Let’s get started.

Аға - Agha - older brother. Used by both males and females. Can also be used as “uncle”. Can be used for male strangers older than you, whose names you don’t know.

Әпке/апа - Äpke/apa - older sister. Äpke is a standard variation, apa is the one we use in the West. Can also be used as “aunt”. Can also be used for female strangers who are older than you. (There’s also a word “täte”, but it’s a confusing one: in the West where I’m from, it means “uncle”, but in the East and Almaty they call that their “aunts”. Weird.)

Іні - Ini - younger brother. Can be used by both males and females.

Бауыр/бауырым - Bauyr/bauyrym - another word for brother and/or siblings. Bauyrym just means “my brother”. I noticed it’s usually used mostly by men. Men also tend to call other men that, if they don’t know their names, but try to seem friendly I suppose? Something like “bro”.

Сіңлі - Siñli - younger sister. Used by females only for actually younger sisters.

Қарындас - Qaryndas - also younger sister. Used by males, sometimes to female strangers, which I don’t consider very respectful, as it usually comes with a “pick up line”. Adds too much familiarity to speech, which not every girl/woman would appreciate. Just use it for your real younger sisters, will you?

Terms specifically for music groups:

Топ - Top - group. Any type of group really, not only music ones.

Үлкен, топтың үлкені - Ülken or toptyñ ülkeni - literally “big”, “grown-up”, or group’s oldest. It’s not a specific term like in Korean or something, as ülken can mean virtually anything big and large.

Кенже, топтың кенжесі - Kenzhe/kenje or toptyñ kenzhesi - youngest (usually youngest son/daughter in the family), or youngest in the group. Here’s your “maknae” basically, so please do use kenzhe, as it’s the direct equivalent. I will be forever grateful. And you wondered why Ken-G of Black Dial was called Ken-G? For the same reason Bala of 91 is Bala, that is.

Көшбасшы, топтың көшбасшысы - Köshbasshy or toptyñ köshbasshysy - leader or group’s leader. Three syllables: kösh-bas-shy. I know, that’s a tricky one.

Келбет, топтың келбеті - Kelbet or toptyñ kelbeti - literally face, or face of the group, in other words, the visual. Not a strict term, I guess no one cares about visuals in Q-pop much. Why would they, most of them are good-looking anyway (yes, I know, I’m too self-indulgent). But do use it or just “visual” if you want to talk about it. Just not Korean, please, if there is even a term for that in Korean.

Әнші - Änshi - singer, vocalist.

Сазгер - Sazger - composer.

Аспапшы - Aspapshy - instrumentalist.

Ақын - Aqyn - poet, now often referred to rappers, as they’re usually the ones writing the lyrics. Another word for rapper I’ve heard is сөзшебер - sözsheber. You can still call them rappers though.

Биші - Bïshi - dancer. Pronounced as “bee-shi”.

I guess that’s about it. Comment down below if you have any questions/corrections. Feel free to repost as well.

Thank you for your attention.

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I just watched a documentary about a 13-year old girl named Aishol-pan, who became the first female in 12 generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter. She was so badass and fearless that I felt inspired to draw her.

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The Kazakhs are a Turkic ethnic group who mainly inhabit the Ural Mountains and northern parts of Central Asia.  Kazakh identity is of medieval origin and was strongly shaped by the foundation of the Kazakh Khanate. The Kazakhs are descendants of the Turkic and medieval Mongol tribes.

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I saw a shitty interview recently, where a member of The Parents Union of Kazakhstan said that there are no LGBTQ persons among Kazakhs.

Lol, but we are right here ❤️🏳️‍🌈

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Girlfriends 🌸

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A dombra performance by a 23-year-old Kazakh musician in Lake Köbeituz, a salt lake in Kazakhstan that turns pink every several years.                           

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