Tonight the show The Amazing Race visited Kazakhstan! There were many opportunities for contestants to sample local culture, including a traditional meal, a meeting with Mongol warriors, and a demonstration of traditional Kazakh eagle hunting. However, as usual, the racers are all too focused on winning the money to truly connect with the culture. And [...]

This week as part of my research I rented the movie Nomad (2005). Starring Kuno Becker and Jay Hernandez, the movie presents a fictionalized historical epic about the formation of Kazakhstan. Under threat from hostile Jungar (Dzunghar) tribes in the 17th century, the native Kazakhs must band together to repel the invasion. A boy saved [...]