Author: billkralovec

It was the end of an era on Sunday as we spent the final day in our home of six years in Tashkent. Our two eldest children are already living on their own in the USA, and our youngest who is a senior next school year, we are downsizing and moving into a much smaller home. It is still close to the school but in the Amirobod mahalla. We spent most of the day packing boxes to prepare for the move that will take place over the summer. We also packed our suitcases for our summer holidays. We departed Tashkent early Monday morning.

In the morning, we visited the Arca Mebel Markazi (Arca Furniture Market) to buy a sunshade for the back garden of our new house. We’ve seen incredible growth in Tashkent over the past 6 years and remember the difficulty of finding high-quality outdoor furniture when we first arrived. The Arca Market is basically a furniture shopping mall. I noticed Turkish and Russian furniture brands, and it has everything from bedrooms, kitchens, patios, and living rooms, etc. I thought the prices were quite reasonable, and we bought the shade in the photo on the far right for around $100. I recommend newcomers to Tashkent looking for furniture check it out. They offer delivery and set up, and by the afternoon, it was already on our patio.

Our flights so far have been very smooth. The Yandex driver was able to take all of our bags and us. Traffic to the airport and lines at the airport were light. Departing at 3:00 AM does have its advantages. Qatar Airways flights between Tashkent and Doha are running as scheduled. I noticed we flew around Afghanistan and Iran airspace, lengthening our flight by probably an hour. I prefer using Doha as a connecting hub rather than Istanbul. The airport is beautiful and not as sprawling as Istanbul. They literally have a forest in the center of the airport so we took the elevated pathway through the trees. American airports need to step up their game!

It is so nice to travel with family. We are having a lot of laughs as we experience the inconvenience of long-distance travel together.

I love equinoxes and solstices, and I don’t know why they are not a bigger deal in our society. Yesterday, Saturday, June 21, I took my dog Obie for a walk in the Milly Bog Park for a sunset stroll. I snapped this photo above from the Navoy Monument hill. I worked all day Friday, closing the office at school. On Friday night, we had a nice dinner at Syrovanya Restaurant, saying goodbye to friends. We live such strange lifestyles as global nomads. Close friends come and go in your lives annually as we move all around the world.

I also finally found a “map match” for the birthmark on my abdomen. I was born with a “port wine stain” (aka – capillary malformation) and unlike other types of birthmarks, it does not fade over time. Some people get laser surgery to remove it, but most people like me leave it on. It is not visible unless my shirt is off. I joked that it looked like a map of Madagascar, and I should make it into a tattoo. I don’t know why we started talking about it, but when I showed my friend, a dual citizen of the USA and Belgium, he said it looked like the Belgian province of Limburg as you can see below. I even have the lower right enclave section of “Voeren,” which is a distinctive piece of Limburg that is surrounded by Germany and the Netherlands. I now have this province on my life bucket list. Limburg has Belgium’s only national park, great cycling paths, and is the center of gin production in the country. It sounds like it was made for me!

I am catching up on my blogging this weekend as the smoke clears from the end of the school year. Last weekend we had a delightful Father’s Day dinner at the Curry House restaurant here in Tashkent. Thanks to Lisa for organizing the event. Our wives brought flowers for us, so we had to do the Latin American flower pose! All three of my children did an Instagram post in my honor. All I ever want on Father’s Day, or any day for that matter, is to spend time with my family and friends. It was a pretty good meal and, more importantly, a lot of laughs.

Best-selling author Michael Lewis tells the story of Sam Bankman-Fried, the billionaire who founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the financial trading firm behind it, Alameda Research. It is a fascinating story and gives me some understanding of how cryptocurrency exchanges work.

Sam Bankman-Fried is an autistic, mathematical genius. He started in the financial world working for Jane Street, a high-volume global trading firm. Jane Street executives target MIT/Stanford physics and mathematics students when recruiting for their firm. Lewis described the interview process which basically consisted of solving mathematical probability puzzles. This weeds out only the most astute thinking when it comes to risk and trading. These types of people, including Sam, are successful at this trade and make millions of dollars trading shares, bonds, currencies, etc. on markets around the world. They live an obsessive life of almost constant trading around the clock to take advantage of when different markets open and close globally. It reminded me of the high-speed traders Lewis covered in one of his other books. They do make 6 and 7-figure salaries by doing this however, and not many people starting out in their careers can make that kind of money. Bankman Fried after awhile however got bored and wanted to more to make a difference in people’s lives. He got involved with Effective Alturists and thought he could make more money to give to worthy cause so started his own company

I could see how Bankman-Fried moved into cryptocurrency. It is like another stock exchange but for young males. The digital amounts of money earned and lost are staggering. Lewis roughly calculated FTX took in over $23 billion dollars and spent over $14 billion dollars when the company went bankrupt in November of 2022. That left $9 billion unaccounted for, and Lewis and law enforcement officials had to sort out where the missing $9 billion went. Crazy to be dealing with amounts that most people wouldn’t earn in a thousand lifetimes. Some of the money was stolen by hackers, some was lost when currencies dropped in value, some on real estate. Investigators are probably still trying to find out what happened to the funds.

In some ways, I feel sorry for Bankman-Fried. He was an immature young man with social challenges who got seduced by the thrill of online trading and cryptocurrencies. He wasn’t greedy or evil, but reckless, unsympathetic, and thoughtless, and probably hurt a lot of investors. He needed some adults in the company to put structural systems of customer service, accounting, financial office policy and procedures, etc. It sounds like Sam did know that he was siphoning customer funds, however, from his company (Alemeda Research) inside of FTX. I think he thought that he could use them to earn even more money and later give it back to customers. He is currently serving 25 years in federal prison. He girlfriend got two years, and a couple of other employees go probation or short prison sentences due to their cooperation with authorities in finding funds. Many of the investors got paid back and the employees had to forfeit billions of dollars.

Michael Lewis was criticized by some for his lenient treatment of Sam Bankman Fried in the book. I disagree with that. I think he gave an accurate portrayal of a complex figure and situation.

I am interested in the Köppen-Geiger climate classification, which is a widely used method for categorizing world climates. It simply uses temperature and precipitation annual data from a location. Wladimir Köppen (Hamburg) and Rudolph Geiger (Munich) were German meteorologists who collaborated to create this classification system in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They used a simple letter-based coding system. The top level divides climate into 5 zones

• A Tropical – avg. temperatures above 18C year-round
• B Dry – arid/semi-arid climates where evaporation exceeds precipitation
• C Temperate – mild climates with distinct seasons
• D Continental – cold climates with severe winters
• E Polar – very cold climates where warmest month is below 10C

Each main group is further subdivided using additional letters that specify seasonal Precipitation patterns (like ‘f’ for year-round rain, ‘s’ for dry summers, ‘w’ for dry winters) and temperature characteristics (‘a’ for hot summer, “d” for extremely continental) and a summary is below.

The map above (left map) shows the classifications for Uzbekistan. In the west of the country, the vast Kyzylkum Desert (“red sands”) and now the Aralkum Desert (the former Aral Sea) make up the bright yellow BWk (B – arid / W – desert / k – cold arid). As one moves east, the next climatic zone is the light brown BSk (B – arid / S – steppe / k – cold arid).

Tashkent is located in the upper “finger” in the far east of Uzbekistan near the Kazakh border. The bright green signifies Csa (C – warm temperate / S – steppe / a -hot summer). The “a” hot summer time of year has reached us. Temperatures this week this month have been reaching the 90°F (30C) range in the afternoon. I love summer and hot weather, and enjoy walking with Obi and biking/running in the city.

Climate change in Central Asia will change the Climatic classifications in Uzbekistan over this century. Hotter temperatures and less precipitation will bring two next climate classifications into the country. The map on the right shows predicted climate data from 2076 to 2100. BWh (Arid / desert / hot arid) and BSh (Arid / Steppe / hot arid) will be expanding from the south. The climate of Eastern Uzbekistan will be more like Iran, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan, and the Gulf Region. Tashkent will be on the edge of its current CSa with BSh creeping in. That means less snow/rain and a hotter and drier city.

One of the highlights of this weekend was listening to Nadia singing a cover of Stone Temple Pilots’ 1992 song, “Plush”. Our school’s house band, “The Foul Owls,” played at last night’s staff end-of-year party. The new restaurant Lago Bianco is located close to school in a section of Furqat Park. Besides the large restaurant and bar, it has 2 artificial ponds and spacious, green grounds. It is perfect for big parties because people can dine and relax both inside and outside. It was a delightful evening of camaraderie and celebration as we wind down the school year.

I must be getting old because I am starting to enjoy opera more and more! Last night, I saw Puccini’s classic opera, Tosca, at the Navoy Theatre here in Tashkent. It was so uplifting to be in the presence of live singers and a full orchestra. It is a cheap night out in Tashkent thanks to the long history of the arts being supported in Uzbekistan.

Not only is it the performance itself, but the beautiful, historic theatre is a delight to spend time in. I watched the first two acts from row 9 on the ground floor and then watched the third act on the third-floor balcony. It allowed me to watch the orchestra closely, and it is fascinating to see the different sections of the orchestra come into and out of the performance, matching the singers and the story. The French horns blast to signal action and tension, the four cellos play when Tosca is sad, etc. I realized it is an essential and strong partnership between the orchestra and the singers.

The story itself is full of cliches and melodrama. The play debuted 125 years ago, so I don’t think I am spoiling anything. The military general (Scarpia) wants the lead singer (Tosca) as his wife and imprisons and tortures her boyfriend (Cavaradossi). She stabs and kills the general when he forces himself on her. Tosca’s boyfriend was supposed to have a fake execution, part of the deal Tosca mad with Scarpia. However, being the villain, he has his soldiers put in real bullets and not blanks so he dies. When Tosca learns the truth, she kills herself. The one aspect I liked about the libretto was that it was set in the year 1800 when Napoleon took over Rome. I didn’t know he invaded Italy. I like historical fiction and the play gave a sense of what it was like then. Tosca is the fifth most performed opera in the world in the past 25 years.

This time of year is always very busy for me as an educator. With the school year coming to an end, it always feels like there is not enough time to complete everything that has to get done before closing up the office for the summer. There are lots of celebrations and farewells, completing goals and setting new ones for the following school year, preparing for the summer holiday work, and prepping for the orientation so we are not scrambling upon arrival in August. I try to find balance through exercise and spending time with family. I took the photo above on my bike ride last Saturday.

Last night, after the graduation ceremony, I went with my friend Aaron to our favorite Russian-style баня (sauna/spa) The Bani located in Central Park. Russians love soups and creams, and the щи (pronounced SSHHeee)or Sorrel Soup didn’t disappoint. The Sorrel is a plant native to Eurasia and is found in grassland habitats throughout Central Asia. It has a slightly sour taste and the cream takes the edge off the soup. I love a boiled egg anytime, and the beef chunks were lean and added to the dish. I highly recommend it!

My friend Iso and I attended the Uzbekistan Oil & Gas Exhibition last week. It was my first time in the Central Asia Expo Hall. It is a huge space and the new convention center is located on the highway to Chirchiq. I often bike by it and it was nice to finally go inside. We were trying to drum up business for the school. I noted that 2/3 of the companies were Chinese, both solar and petroleum. The booths are a step up from the education booths that we have at recruiting fairs. I guess that is another difference between business and non-profits.

I really enjoyed helping Owen pack out his college house and move his belongings to our home in Caspian. We rented a U-Haul in Marquette and after clearing out his house, we then drove to Caspian and set Owen up on our second floor. He will be in Caspian for a couple of weeks while his brother Oliver finishes exams at St. Norbert College. It was nice to see him and meet his friend Parker. Oliver is such a great guy!

We took some time on Sunday to enjoy beautiful Lake Superior and the surrounding forests. We hiked up to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, about a 15-minute drive out of town. The lookout offers spectacular views of Lake Superior on one side, and Hogback Mountain on the other side. Owen took us to Wetmore Landing, a beach a further 5 minutes up the coast. Most of us went for a quick swim (water is very cold in May) and hung out at the beach for an hour. The fresh air, blue skies, cold water, and cool pines/moss are so relaxing for me.

It really is another major milestone in our family. Owen’s graduation brought us such happiness and pride. He is maturing into a fine young man and we are looking forward to see what will be next in his journey to adulthood.

It was an awesome day for the Kralovec family! Our eldest son Owen graduated from Northern Michigan University on Saturday. The ceremony was held in the Superior Dome, aka “Yooper Dome” and it is one of the largest wooden dome structures in the world. It opened in 1991 and can seat up to 16,000 people. Thankfully, the ceremony was held indoors as it was a cool and windy day, although no snow flurries like on Friday. It takes a long time to announce 1000+ names, and luckily, Owen was near the front so we didn’t have to stay for the whole ceremony. Owen celebrated with a four-finger gesture signifying he finished his degree in four years. I took 5 years to complete my Bachelor’s degree as did my two brothers. Thank you Owen for saving us a year’s tuition!

After the ceremony, jet lag hit us and we took an afternoon nap. Owen and his roommates, “domestic Owen”, Jack, and Josh hosted a party for the parents and relatives. It was nice to get to know his roommates and their families. He made good friends here and grew up quite a bit over the four years. This is the purpose of college. He will make the Dean’s list again this semester with all As. He narrowly missed graduating with honors due to low grades in his first year. It was quite the transition for him to go from living life as an expatriate abroad to a provincial university in rural northern Michigan. I am from a small town in the Upper Peninsula, and with family and friends nearby, we thought NMU was a good choice for him. We had limited options for his education due to COVID. Owen’s first choice was to study at Queensland University in Australia due to his Australian citizenship. However, COVID restrictions had Australia shut down in July of 2021, and we weren’t sure how long the country would be in lockdown. We decided after visiting Marquette that summer and staying at the university for a night, to enroll in NMU. Owen would never be a perfect fit for the public university’s culture, but he did appreciate getting to know where I grew up and the natural beauty of Lake Superior and the deciduous/coniferous forests of the Upper Peninsula. People are friendly and very laid back here, not pretentious at all, and it is a safe and quiet place to live.

It was a classic Marquette early May afternoon. Very cold, but sunny. This is the first time I’ve been to the Upper Peninsula in May since the 1980s, and I forgot how long the winter and cold weather last. Marquette is a very liveable small town with many amenities, interesting people, and culture/arts offerings. Coupled with the scenic beauty with miles of biking/hiking/ski trails, coastline, fresh air, and water, it will be a great place to retire to someday. It is also in the ideal location for future generations, with climate change on the horizon. Hiking up to Sugarloaf Mountain on Sunday, I envisioned a coast full of condominiums and homes, as Americans flee the south and west and move to the Great Lakes region. I’ll be long gone from Earth when that happens, but I would love to come back and check it out in 200 years.