Scene: Friday last, office of my host at Polyclinic 3 where we always have tea and a substantial snack after class, typically around 1pm.
Host, Dr. Malik: "Dr. Mike you like cog-nac (pronounced with a hard "g'")
Me, thinking fast and knowing both that I wasn't sure I did like it as I had managed to live this long without having cog-nac to my knowledge, and, while it was Friday, I wasn't sure that I wanted anything to do with hooch before I rode the gaseous and overcrowded bus home. That thought lasted a micro-second....Oh what the hell: "Uh, sure."
Out come glasses and a bottle that looks innocent enough, like a wine bottle. A couple of fingers worth are poured into each glass, toasts are made, and I sip it. Nope. It was pointed out that "here in Kazakhstan we drink it all at once!"
Me, thinking my man-card was on the line, smiled and uttered the Russian word for "cheers" and knocked it back.....All of my veins dilated at once and I realized there wasn't enough tea in the CIS to erase this hot flash/buzz/presyncope that I was feeling.
Malik: "You like?"
Me, now slurring my words and thinking myself a true light weight: "Sure". Big mistake.
Malik, grinning and laughing: "Then have some more!"
I crawled out of the office to catch the bus home. The 500m walk to the bus stop did me some good but not enough. I hung onto the bus hand rail for dear life. Later I had a massive headache but knew I had damn well earned it so lots of water and some ibuprofen later I was OK.
The next day I went to the mountains with my colleague Zhamila. We took a bus to Medeo, the largest skating rink in the world, then started to walk up the hill to the trail head where we were going to find her favorite water fall. We were speaking in English and were approached by an ethnic Kazakh who is a Chinese national and is fluent in three languages (Chinese, English and Russian) in three different alphabets no less.
We passed some members of the international weight lifting team from the PRK (North Korea).
The snow was so soft that for me it was like walking on greased sand dunes. Zhamila is light enough that she pranced up the mountain while I and our new found friend navigated the waste land below.
The scenery was breath taking. We encountered another trio on the way down, a Swiss, a Kazakh Kazakh, and a Russian Kazakh. We all had coffee on our return to Almaty. I always marvel at the ehtnic and national permutations I encounter. Seated around the table at the coffee house were two ethnic Russian Kazakh nationals, one ethnic Kazakh national, one Swiss, a Kazakh Chinese national, and me from Kyentookyshadt.
This week has been with a new set of interns at Polyclinic 16 on the far side of town. The country is young struggles with ownership of patients and responsibility shifting. The morning begins with a presentation on a topic that is germane then we see a couple of patients in a grand rounds format. It becomes difficult as there is no vertical integration such that the words of exquisite wisdom I utter ever make it back to the referring doc, not unlike Botswana. I was a grump and lets just say it was not my finest hour. I was reminded by a very sweet student that she liked me "when you smile".
Next Thursday I head to Semey in the NE corner of the country to hold master classes for the med school faculty there. I'll check in from there.
Host, Dr. Malik: "Dr. Mike you like cog-nac (pronounced with a hard "g'")
Me, thinking fast and knowing both that I wasn't sure I did like it as I had managed to live this long without having cog-nac to my knowledge, and, while it was Friday, I wasn't sure that I wanted anything to do with hooch before I rode the gaseous and overcrowded bus home. That thought lasted a micro-second....Oh what the hell: "Uh, sure."
Out come glasses and a bottle that looks innocent enough, like a wine bottle. A couple of fingers worth are poured into each glass, toasts are made, and I sip it. Nope. It was pointed out that "here in Kazakhstan we drink it all at once!"
Me, thinking my man-card was on the line, smiled and uttered the Russian word for "cheers" and knocked it back.....All of my veins dilated at once and I realized there wasn't enough tea in the CIS to erase this hot flash/buzz/presyncope that I was feeling.
Malik: "You like?"
Me, now slurring my words and thinking myself a true light weight: "Sure". Big mistake.
Malik, grinning and laughing: "Then have some more!"
I crawled out of the office to catch the bus home. The 500m walk to the bus stop did me some good but not enough. I hung onto the bus hand rail for dear life. Later I had a massive headache but knew I had damn well earned it so lots of water and some ibuprofen later I was OK.
 |
| Medeo, the largest rink in the world |
The next day I went to the mountains with my colleague Zhamila. We took a bus to Medeo, the largest skating rink in the world, then started to walk up the hill to the trail head where we were going to find her favorite water fall. We were speaking in English and were approached by an ethnic Kazakh who is a Chinese national and is fluent in three languages (Chinese, English and Russian) in three different alphabets no less.
We passed some members of the international weight lifting team from the PRK (North Korea).The snow was so soft that for me it was like walking on greased sand dunes. Zhamila is light enough that she pranced up the mountain while I and our new found friend navigated the waste land below.
The scenery was breath taking. We encountered another trio on the way down, a Swiss, a Kazakh Kazakh, and a Russian Kazakh. We all had coffee on our return to Almaty. I always marvel at the ehtnic and national permutations I encounter. Seated around the table at the coffee house were two ethnic Russian Kazakh nationals, one ethnic Kazakh national, one Swiss, a Kazakh Chinese national, and me from Kyentookyshadt.
 |
| Weight lifting team from the PRK. Note the minders on the left. |
This week has been with a new set of interns at Polyclinic 16 on the far side of town. The country is young struggles with ownership of patients and responsibility shifting. The morning begins with a presentation on a topic that is germane then we see a couple of patients in a grand rounds format. It becomes difficult as there is no vertical integration such that the words of exquisite wisdom I utter ever make it back to the referring doc, not unlike Botswana. I was a grump and lets just say it was not my finest hour. I was reminded by a very sweet student that she liked me "when you smile".
 |
| Consulting on a patient ground rounds style |
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| The first time I have worn a white coat in decades |
Next Thursday I head to Semey in the NE corner of the country to hold master classes for the med school faculty there. I'll check in from there.
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