Our Saturday trip out of town was cancelled due to rains in the mountains that prevent hiking, so our students have a free weekend, which means I do as well. That meant I could go to the Orto-Sai bazaar, a major fruit and vegetable market surrounded by… more »

One of the things that first caught my eye linguistically here in Bishkek was a discontinuity in word usage. All over the city they sell these things they call samsá (RU самса́). They are usually triangular in shape so back in Kazan they were… more »

It's so easy to be cynical, but here I am halfway across the planet listening to Selena Gomez's song "Love You Like A Love Song." Truthfully, it is very sweet. (Check out YouTube if you don't know the song.) more »