During the last decade, I traveled to Kazakhstan, a republic of the former USSR. (Kazakhstan has long borders with Russia in the north and with China in the south.) I noticed several American fast food restaurants were increasing in popularity there. I visited some of the restaurants and could see similarities as well as differences […]
Reporter’s Notebook: How to cook squash – two delicious recipes from Kazakhstan
Squash is a vegetable and is sold at every supermarket. They are usually green and yellow colors looking like fatty comas. Some shoppers mistake the green squash for cucumbers. I have not seen squash served too often at parties or restaurants in Oklahoma. I think it is because of the lack of good recipes. […]
Reporter’s Notebook: A manti restaurant brings The Silk Road ancient taste to visitors in Kazakhstan
The Silk Road was a trade route from Europe to Asia from 300 B.C. to the 16th century. A part of The Silk Road went through Kazakhstan where my home was. During a summer 2021 trip to central Kazakhstan, my fellow travelers and I stopped at a manti restaurant situated in the corner of a […]
Poor services of Expedia and airlines make travelers suffer: summarizing the struggles
(Editor’s Note: The opinion of the writer does not necessarily reflect the viewpoint or position of the TCC Connection and its staff. The facts shared and the comments expressed represent the experience and research of the writer.) This is an Opinion/Personal Column (Part 2). To read Part 1, visit here. I recently published a column […]
Reporter’s Notebook: Which food to try when traveling in the former USSR
In the former Soviet Union, someone’s first stop to try local food should be at a supermarket. There is plenty of products at the stores. So, a tourist can be lost trying to make a choice. In this essay, an individual may find valuable advice on popular Russian, European and Asian food in Kazakhstan and […]
Reporter’s Notebook: Russian Non-Alcoholic drinks will keep you cool in summer
In Kazakhstan and other republic of the former Soviet Union, there are popular non-alcoholic drinks, which can greatly satisfy someone’s thirst in the hot summer. These are kvas, lemonade, and kompot. A variety of kvases and lemonades are sold at every supermarket or small shop in the former USSR. They have sweet and sour tastes. […]
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: Traveling during the pandemic is complicated, or how to book a flight
(Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a series.) To find the best deal on a flight, someone should search multiple booking websites and compare the prices. For example, I was searching a round-trip flight from Tulsa, Okla., to Kazakhstan (the republic of the former Soviet Union) in July 2021. The cheapest price was […]
Opinion: Poor services of Expedia and airlines make travelers suffer, is there a light at the end of the tunnel?
(Editor’s Note: The opinion of the writer does not necessarily reflect the viewpoint or position of the TCC Connection and its staff. The facts shared and the comments expressed represent the experience and research of the writer.) I was a faithful customer of Expedia, online travel agency (OTA), for a about a decade. Despite […]
Reporter’s notebook: International traveling during COVID-19 pandemic is complicated
(Editor’s Note: This is the first article in a series.) During the COVID-19 pandemic, some countries began to request visas from American citizens. Visas had to be obtained at the embassies of foreign countries in Washington, D.C. and other cities. For example, Kazakhstan (a republic of the former Soviet Union) had a visa-free policy for […]
Eureka Springs shop keeps business hopping
In Eureka Springs, Ark. there is a shop nestled in the downtown district called, “East By West.” This shop sells “Eureka Springs Working Bunnies” working bunnies t-shirts, cookware, stainless steel jewelry. The items are local to the area. The draw and appeal are not the merchandise, it is the staff. What makes East By West […]