Generations | Next Generation Outlook

Kazakhstan History: Interesting and Colorful

The Kazakh People of Kazakhstan were historically nomadic tribes roaming around the steppes of Europe and Asia with herds of sheep, cows and horses, constantly moving to pastures with more food. They carried Yurtas, or movable homes, with many colorful handmade rugs and blankets.

In the fifteenth century it was established as Kazakh Khanate; the word Khan meaning “local chieftains” in the countries of central Asia. The people traded with silk traders from China, among many others. Part of the historic Silk Trail runs through Kazakhstan.

The country of Kazakhstan sits in both Asia and Europe, and was heavily influenced by the Russians. It became a republic of the USSR in 1918 (during the Russian Revolution) and 70 years later (1990) when the USSR collapsed, Kazakhstan created a Declaration of State of Sovereignty, becoming the country known today as the Republic of Kazakhstan. It uses a presidential form of government and the young Kazakhstan Democracy sports a good market economy.

A Nomadic and Entertaining Lifestyle

The national foods of Kazakh are generally made from lamb or mutton, onions and noodles. This dish is called beshbarmak, the translation being “five fingers” because it is eaten with the hands. Others living in Kazakhstan commonly prepare foods from their respective origins and histories, as well.

One tradition is a yearly gathering of the tribes to celebrate and enjoy competing in Kazakh wrestling, horse racing and singing. Everyone learns to play the dombra, a two-stringed instrument that has a long neck and a short, round body. It’s used to sing all the histories and songs of the realities of life.

Much of the history is still visible in present-day Kazakhstan, making a visit there both educational and entertaining. A traveler won’t be disappointed when looking to Kazakhstan for adventure.

Filed Under: Generations

Tips to an Unforgettable Family Vacation

There are many reasons to take a family vacation, from getting a much-needed break from work to educating your children about the various countries of the world. However, one of the most important reasons is to spend some time with your family creating wonderful memories. It’s likely the various members of your family will all want different things from their vacation, so planning a getaway can be difficult. However, follow these simple tips and your next family vacation will be unforgettable.

Choose a Suitable Destination

The place you visit should have something for everybody in your family, including a comfortable hotel for the grandparents and a fully stocked bar for mom and dad. You should also choose a place that has plenty of activities for children. Choose destinations with attractions that appeal to all ages. As for accommodations, hotels near the beach are ideal–the beach offers hours of fun for little or no cost.

Save Money

Do your homework to find good prices on hotels and cruise deals. Consider traveling in the off-season. By taking a few extra steps to save money, you’ll be able to do more activities on your trip or even take additional vacations each year. If you are thinking of going on a luxury cruise, there are a number of discounted princess cruises available to help stretch your dollars.

Leave Your Troubles Behind!

Once you are on vacation, make sure you build in time to relax. It’s important to be intentional about relaxing because many people find vacations to be stressful. Vacation stress can come from tight travel schedules, items accidentally left at home, and unexpected illnesses. So don’t forget to relax, have fun and spend some quality time with your family.

Make your next family vacation unforgettable by following these simple tips.

Filed Under: Family & Relationships, Generations Tagged With: Specialty Travel, Tourism, Travel

Pay Your Taxes!

Why would anyone bother writing this? It should be as easy as making pie in the kitchen! You’re a U.S. citizen — pay your taxes. It’s as simple as that!

Sure, we don’t like the I.R.S. much. They always take our money. There’s always a bad rep associated with that organization. And in all honesty, when it comes to your income — in this bad economy — your money going bye-bye doesn’t look like a good thing.

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But know this: paying taxes isn’t all bad. First off, you probably don’t realize it, but you pay taxes every time you buy something at a department store! Shoes, clothing, jewelry, furniture, bedding, bath stuff, toys. Anything you can think of.

Secondly, if you’re smart, you deduct every contribution you make to the community — as in donations. For instance: GoodWill, the Salvation Army, even Habitat for Humanity. Other non-profits out there encourage you to write off every donation you make.

Why is that a good thing? Because tax deductions lower the amount you have to pay to the government. You can even write off transportation miles! If you work a job that requires you to travel on special occasions, know that every single mile you travel in gas expenses can be written off on your taxes.

Owning a house is important. A homeowner’s tax credit went into effect just in 2010. That simply means you have to own a house, and you get a certain amount of money in refunds from the government!

And don’t even get this writer started on the ‘tax refund’ phenomenon. If you play your cards right, if you set up your work allowances on your tax forms correctly, you can actually receive money instead of lose money! The reason being is that your job already deducts money from your earnings for tax purposes.

The bottom line is this: pay your taxes! Wait, you already do. So no more frowning at the I.R.S. They’re simply doing their job.

Filed Under: Family & Relationships, Generations