Kazakhstan Makes Bid For 2014 Olympics!!

"Everybody from America, please, look at the map," Vladimir Smirnov, Kazakhstan's Olympic hero, was saying the other day over a soda in a Turin shopping mall. "Search where Kazakhstan is. Because Kazakhstan is a big country, a rich country that cannot absolutely use its richness now because everything needs to improve." [WSJ]

I had a good laugh reading this article when I got home from work last night. At first I thought the WSJ was taking a stab @ Kazakhstan on behalf Borat (recently exiled from Kazakhstan), but it was a very serious piece.

So yeah, in order for Kazakhstan to successfully qualify, I heard a lot of work is going on all around the country! The country is setting new records each day...

1. First traffic light was installed just this past Monday in Alma-Ata.
2. In bustling city of Chelkar (population 865), rather than using a rope & bucket to get water from wells, now they have a pump system that sits next to the well. 5-year old boys are paid top dollar to pump water for 16-hour workdays!!
3. Prostitution is being curbed & age of consent has been raised to 11.
4. Just yesterday a law that previously gave instant death penalty (by way of whip & snake pit) to gay people has been pulled from legal system. It is being "looked into."
5. Men can marry only 3 women @ a given time.
6. The first road was paved 2 weeks ago in Ekibastuz!!
7. Ok, this is getting very lame...

The article ended nicely.

But at the mention of Borat, Mr. Nurbek's face fell. "A very negative impact," he said. Then his eyes darted to the ice as a Kazakh player uncorked a slap shot at the American goal. "Missed!" Mr. Nurbek jumped up and shouted. "We shouldn't have missed it!" Looking as if he might cry, he fell back into his seat, and wrapped himself in his country's flag.

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