The Opera?

Our cook is awesome! Comes by the apartment every evening at 5:30 and has dinner ready at 6:00 sharp. She has made a baked chicken opening night, beef goulash the next night, pasta filled with meet the next and then mini meatloaves the next night. Always served with some form of potatoes, various forms of salads, a plate of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, and then some incredible dessert. Tonight beef stroganoff is on the docket. We've definitely stepped it up this trip and horse never made the menu this time.

Our driver Igor got stopped by the police for the second time this week. He drove straight across a regular 4 lane street into a store parking lot. Apparently there was a double yellow running down the street but it was completely gone or wore out where he crossed. He later told me you can never cross your wheels over a double yellow anytime. Seems bizarre considering all the other chaos I've seen on the roads here. Anyways, The police were sitting in this little white unmarked car. The cop jumped out and waved him over and got back in his car. He was a young heavy set cop and him and his partner were laughing their ass off as we slowly pulled by them and then parked behind them. Igor suggested for Alena and I to go in the store but I told him we would wait. Igor and this policeman go on to argue for 25 minutes about whether there was a double yellow line in the street or not, Igor often walking to the street and pointing at the spot as he pleaded his case. I wish I had the video camera rolling but I just didn't have the guts to turn it on because at that time I wasn't sure what was being said and why we were pulled over.
The following is Igor's play by play to me postgame in his limited English. (to be read in a heavy Russian accent)

No yellow, yes yellow, No yellow, yes yellow, No yellow.
I give you ticket. No No No No Nooo. Yes ticket. No ticket. The cop begins to write the ticket. Then Igor says money money. No, write ticket. Then he gestures to me that the cop put his hand on his chin in a thinking pose. "18,000". No, no, no, 2,000. 18,000. No 2,000. I write ticket. 2,000. Then a pause in the action, "money money, ....OK. Igor then gets in the back of the cop car and pays the cop 2,000 tenge. The equivalent of $15. I'm bummed I didn't video him telling me the story. It would have been all over youtube.

Here is another example of the extremes people take to avoid the police. Unfortunately the day before I arrived, our attorney representing us, Arduk, got into a car accident and totalled her Lexus into a traffic light pole in Taldy-Korgan. She is an experienced driver and one of the few women I have seen driving here. The story goes a guy was going to hit her head-on so she swerved to miss, now came up on pedestrians, so she took out the pole instead.
Thank God she only broke her leg and her passenger was fine. The other car she avoided didn't even stop to see if they were OK. Next step, they call family members to tow the car as fast as possible to an auto repair garage and then take her to the hospital where they cast her leg. No 911 call, no EMS, no police, all in an effort to not have a long drawn out police investigation that no doubt would involve a substantial bribe. Just crazy.

Yesterday we were in heavy rush hour traffic in downtown ALMATY. We are stopped at a traffic light, three lanes wide going both ways. Two cars up in the center lane is a white suv with a little girl, about 6 years old, banging her fist on the passenger door relentlessly. Finally the guy opens the door and waves the girl away. The light turns green and she weaves her way through moving traffic back to the four gypsy women sitting on the sidewalk. Unbelievable.
This is also unbelievable. I am sitting with Alena waiting for the Opera to start! Never saw that game in the states with Jonathan and Jameson.

Take care,
Joe