Kazan — summer 2012

My first full day in Kazan. In some ways it didn't feel very productive. Slept till a bit after eleven... still doing the jet lag adjustment, but not too bad. Had lunch with Aygul and Ildar at a restaurant I had not been to before. It offers halal meat, which Aygul prefers. The women serving there were wearing head scarves, so they are among the more pious local Muslims. Food was quite nice. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

They brought their 4-month old son Nurbulat with them. What a great kid! Seems amazingly sweet-tempered, eyes curious about everything, strong grip. Aygul and Ildar seem incredibly relaxed for new parents; it helps that Nurbulat already sleeps through the night. But seriously, they seem happy and peaceful with him, not at all frazzled, unlike many new parents I've seen. It suggests to me that they have both seen good parenting modelled in their families and among their acquaintances.

In the evening I caught up on e-mail, and now it's back to bed. More tomorrow.