In my opinion, I do not think that obesity is any more common in Kazahkstan than anywhere else. However, this was an interesting comment!
After we ate what was on the table, two more courses, then dessert, and then tea came out. A drink called vodka is a traditional drink at wedding celebrations in Kazakhstan. People use their riumka (рюмка, small glass specifically for drinking vodka) for toasts. The guests gave toasts all night long using the microphone.
During one round of toasts, I was instructed to stand up with the group. At first, they told me I would only have to stand there. However, by the end of that toast, the most enthusiastic woman from my table insisted that the Amerikanka (me) make a toast. I kept it short and sweet, and I used Russian! The other toasts were all given in Kazakh.
The celebration was almost entirely in Kazakh, so I understood very little. However, I enjoyed myself so much! The hired MC performed all night, dancing, cracking jokes, lip-syncing and acting out skits. Everyone danced the night away. The MC even roped four middle-aged adults into a dance battle!
At the end of the night, everyone got a plastic bag in order to take home all the leftovers. I put a few apples and a cookie in my bag. When I started to tie it up, the woman I was sitting next to showed me how it is done. She filled the rest of my bag, plus two more, and made sure my host sister and I returned home with a week of food.
Marriage and family are very important in Kazakhstan. Women experience a lot of pressure to get married and start having children at a young age! The typical age to get married is around 20 for women and 30 for men.
