Rumours travel faster then the fastest car. Rumours between relatives – even faster. When I’ve finally bought the tickets and informed immediate concerned, I never thought that rumours will overtake me: I called the other common relative to tell about my journey, before I’ve managed to open my mouth, they said… “so you are going to”…they were so excited, as if the news they told me was truly a news for me! Now that relative lives about 5000 km (about 3000 miles) from the initially informed ones and there was about a day between me telling the one and calling the other…so if we do a little mathematics here, then the rumour travelled at 125 mph speed! But anyway…my point was that there is no way to keep a secret within a family, if one’s got a family like mine.
If you ever watched the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, then you’ll understand what I mean by saying I’ve got a big, loving and funny family. I’ve only got two aunties and one uncle. But then their kids grew up, started their own families, next generations sprouted like baker's dough and soon the amount of the relatives I’ve gained from the marriages of my cousins and then their marriage-acquired relatives, etc etc, have grown into indefinite number “a lot”. And I belong to the “middle generation” of The Family, whose history rolls back to the endless galleries of uncles and aunties, whom I never met in person…
Most of my family live in one place. It is a small town at the foothill of Altay Mountains. It is my dearest place in the whole World. It is where I grew up. In love and care of my Big Family. I don’t even know just how many of my relatives are there now. I suspect quite a lot. I haven’t been there from 1993. It is a rather far away kingdom. But this year I’m going to reach it…In two weeks time…I will be flying across the Globe to Ust-Kamenogorsk, a small town in Eastern Kazakhstan, insignificant for the maps, for me - the most important of all. I’m tugging along the Kid. When I asked if he would like to come with me (he hasn’t been there since he was 5!), he replied “as long as I won’t have to remember everybody’s name…” I certainly can promise this to him – there is no way to remember everybody’s name for me either! But of course there is a lot to look forward to…a sentimental journey back in time…An Evocative Travel to meet my childhood…
If you ever watched the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, then you’ll understand what I mean by saying I’ve got a big, loving and funny family. I’ve only got two aunties and one uncle. But then their kids grew up, started their own families, next generations sprouted like baker's dough and soon the amount of the relatives I’ve gained from the marriages of my cousins and then their marriage-acquired relatives, etc etc, have grown into indefinite number “a lot”. And I belong to the “middle generation” of The Family, whose history rolls back to the endless galleries of uncles and aunties, whom I never met in person…
Most of my family live in one place. It is a small town at the foothill of Altay Mountains. It is my dearest place in the whole World. It is where I grew up. In love and care of my Big Family. I don’t even know just how many of my relatives are there now. I suspect quite a lot. I haven’t been there from 1993. It is a rather far away kingdom. But this year I’m going to reach it…In two weeks time…I will be flying across the Globe to Ust-Kamenogorsk, a small town in Eastern Kazakhstan, insignificant for the maps, for me - the most important of all. I’m tugging along the Kid. When I asked if he would like to come with me (he hasn’t been there since he was 5!), he replied “as long as I won’t have to remember everybody’s name…” I certainly can promise this to him – there is no way to remember everybody’s name for me either! But of course there is a lot to look forward to…a sentimental journey back in time…An Evocative Travel to meet my childhood…