More Food Experiences

There are many influences on food in Kazakhstan. It may be from Russia, Turkey, or India to name a few. Most Kazak food is very bland. You never realize how much you miss flavor until it is taken away from you. Luckily some of the spices at the grocery store have English on them, but it is hard to make things when the words are in a different language. Stacey got me this candy bar just for men. You would never see this in the states. At a meat market, I received matches for change. This is a common practice when they do not have small change and since smoking is so cheap and common here it is accepted.

Another change is that customer service does not exist. Instead of getting whatever the customer wants, they just say no and that is it. They will inconvenience you before they are inconvenienced. It seems they are always asking me if I have smaller bills. They say, "melch" which means change. Sometimes I just look back at them and shrug my shoulders as to say this is all I have. Whoever is prepared to wait the longest usually wins.