The Soviet mindset seems to be alive and well in Almaty or maybe something else is happening on a lovely Friday afternoon. I took photos of the pristine mountains, blooming flowers, lilac trees and then I saw a children’s playground I had never really seen before. I snapped a photo of a little boy at the top of the slide. Then I took another of three little kids piled on the top of the slide.
A woman from a group of caretakers called out in Russian asking what I was doing. I stumbled through my rudimentary Russian to explain I lived in the area and then a woman who was dressed in Muslim garb (head covering) asked me in English, “Why are you taking these pictures?” This irritated me that I was under suspicion as if doing something sinister after they had probably seen me take photos of the lilacs. It had been a spur of the moment action when I took two snaps of the children playing in the playground. I said to her in my stiff and ruffled English, “I take photos of mountains, of trees, of flowers and now I just took photos of these children because I think they are sweet!” Okay, they let me go with that.
What were they going to do, confiscate my camera? No way!!! I thought it odd, would we do the same to someone in the U.S.? Do these ladies have something to hide or are they ashamed? What balanced this was seeing a little doggie propped up on our garbage with some fake flowers thrown in for good measure. Thank God it is Friday, I’ve been around a little bit too much Soviet mentality lately, I’m going to the canyon tomorrow!
