Village
This morning started very early because I went to my village. I drove my relatives there, and they continued on to another village with my uncle. I can’t name each of my relatives’ villages, but I can say they are in the Kukmor district. They went because there was a Muslim memorial meal (we have a tradition called “koren ashy”), where a mullah or sometimes an abystay (a respected elder woman) comes to recite Quranic prayers (dua). Our relatives spent the whole day there, but my sister, aunt, and I stayed at home.
Yesterday I arrived in Baltasi at 8 PM, and by that time it was already a little late. When I reached the border between Arsk and Baltasi, I saw police patrol cars. I thought, “That’s it, they’ll stop me too,” but fortunately they let me pass, so I was able to continue. I thought about it because I don’t have car insurance—I didn’t buy it. Why? Because I plan to stay here only 3 months, and for that time I’d have to pay $30, while a whole year costs $50. It doesn’t seem reasonable to me to pay that much if I’m not using the car long-term. Also, if the police stop me for the first time, I can just pay an $8 fine, and after that the fine is between $30–$50. So for me, it still feels unreasonable, and that’s why I decided to take my chances.
Hey, yesterday I promised to tell you why we invited so many guests. I’ll try to explain it shortly. One year ago, my grandmother passed away, and today was the anniversary of that day. In Muslim tradition, after someone passes away, the family gathers on the 3rd, 7th, and 40th days, and again after one year. That’s why we invited our close relatives, neighbors, and friends.
Today the weather was very sunny and warm, and I didn’t want to spend the whole day at home. So we went to the village again. There I helped build and prepare tables for our guests. If you ask what guests, I can answer: tomorrow we invited approximately thirty guests to the village. I think I can tell you more about it tomorrow.
Good evening everyone. Yesterday I arrived in my hometown and I was very tired. I even skipped my English practice and couldn’t use Duolingo. Duolingo gave me one "freezing day". I lay down around 7–8 PM for 1–2 hours but fell asleep. I woke up at 2 AM, but by then it was already very late, so I decided to continue sleeping and finally woke up at 9 AM.
Last weekend, I visited the village of Burbashsky Sardygan, which is about 120 kilometers from Kazan. In the summer, I posted a video about this place on my YouTube channel, where I walked through the most beautiful spots. This time, I decided to walk the same paths again and also collect fresh water from the local spring, "Nurzida," since I only drink water. The walk was nice, and the nature was just as beautiful as before. You can watch the summer video at the link.
Today was a warm day, with the temperature in the car fluctuating around -1°C and 0°C. The roads were slushy and muddy, and the snow hadn't melted yet. According to the forecast, temperatures are expected to stay below freezing.
I'm Ansar, and I'm from Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan. If you don’t know about this city, you can read my posts here. I think Kazan is incredibly awesome and feels like a European city. Therefore, you should visit it. And since I’ve told you a little about my city, now I’d like to tell you a little bit about myself as well. First of all, I want to start with my name because when I use it abroad, everyone is curious about it. So here is a short explanation. My name comes from Arabic (أنصَار, anṣār) and means “supporters” or “helpers.” This meaning connects beautifully with a well-known Tatar expression, “Iseme cısemene turı kilgän (Исеме җисеменә туры килгән)”, which means that a person’s name truly matches their character. I feel this fits me quite well, because I naturally tend to be a very supportive and kind person. Overall, I’m truly grateful that my parents and grandparents gave me such a unique name.