So, I have made a friend in the Kazakh National Library, a librarian about twice my age, half my height and with a voice a good two octaves higher. My librarian friend goes by two names formally: the Russian variant "Asiyat Torashovna," which is her first name plus her father's name or "otchestvo," or the Kazakh version, "Asiyat apai," which literally means "older sister Asiyat." ( "Ara," which means "older brother" is the corresponding term of respect for men).

Asiyat apai was kind enough to smuggle me into the library cafeteria (ostensibly only for librarians) where we were served up heaping portions of soup, rice, unidentified meat cutlet and salad (where there might have been a few vegetables lurking amidst the mayonnaise!) Though this might not sound appetizing, it sure beats my usual lunch, which is piroshki s kapustoi (fried dough with cabbage) scarfed down outside the library.

Aiyat apai has worked at the library for over twenty years; having lunch with her is like having lunch with one hundred of her closest friends, or all the others who work in the library and want to gossip with her and meet the "Amerikanka." (yes, that's me!) From talking with her, I learned that she owns a one-room apartment an hour's bus ride from the city; she rents out the other half of that room for $50 a month to another woman in order to make ends meet. I often wonder how "ordinary" people manage in a city as expensive as Almaty; I guess here's somewhat of an answer.

Asiyat Apai is definitely a quirky older woman, one with an opinion! Our conversation ranged from the weight of the average American ("far too fat," she commented) to politics. At this juncture, she leaned in close to me to declare her opinion emphatically: "Bush--on obez'ianka!" As far as I can understand, our vaunted president's resemblance to monkeys (both in behavior and in appearance) has been a subject of study for her for quite some time now.