Tea with an Artist
October 31, 2022
British tea, an Azeri artist, and me
One thing that is essential in understanding cultures along the Silk Road is their value of hospitality. Everyone should and must feel like an honored guest. Gulnara was no exception to this rule. Even though we had never met, and I just was a stranger in her Instagram inbox, she treated me to a meal, tea, and a lovely conversation.
Gulnara is an artist who lives in London but is originally from Azerbaijan. I stumbled upon her Instagram page and was instantly drawn to her art. Before knowing where she was from, I immediately recognized her work's Silk Road patterns and style.
Gulnara still loves her homeland and visits it every year. Her family was so kind to this strange American girl who spoke Russian with a bad accent. We had a nice lunch and got to know each other before she showed me her work. I can see her love of nature and mountains in the few paintings I saw. Yet, it was also clear that she doesn’t confine herself to only that. “My husband tells me that I need to pick a style,” she laughs as she shows me pictures of her artwork.
Art is clearly her passion. We talked for a long time about her European trips and art. While I’m no art aficionado, I have traveled to France and Italy and spent considerable time in art museums. As we chatted about the art we saw during our travels, we both agreed that the Mona Lisa is too small. I asked Gulnara who her favorite artist was (and then I shamefully had to look him up), “Gustav Klimt,” she said, “I love his colors and his style. I would love to paint like him, but my style is more realistic than his.” I immediately understood what she meant. Several of her paintings were hanging on the wall. One depicted the mountains of her hometown with horses galloping along. The other was a beautiful painting of a caravan of camels. It reminded me of a little city I used to live in that is surrounded by desert. I couldn’t help but imagine travelers trekking along the Silk Road. One painting brought me so many places in the region of the world that I have grown to love.
Gulnara told me some of her story in our mix of English and Russian. We spent a lot of our conversation talking about her current project. It started with a mosaic portraying seven princesses from Nizami Ganjavi’s epic love poem Seven Beauties. The famous Azeri poet wrote a tale about a king’s seven wives, who come from different parts of the globe. His poem allows each woman’s story to be heard. I had never heard of these seven princesses before, but it is now on my book list. Gulnara actually designed the picture of the mosaic when she was 17. Years later, it is still proudly there in its colorful depiction of these seven women.
Gulnara had taken on the gigantic task of painting each beauty or princess. What I loved most about this project was the details and intentionality she took. She told me about the research she did for each princess, and it shows. The patterns and colors each tell a story. Even after researching this poem a little more, I instantly understood more of the symbols in her art. Each princess has their own style while also in the painting style of Gulnara. She hasn’t finished these yet, but I am excited to see the final collection. I don’t know if I will be in London when she finally can exhibit her work, but I hope I'll see the finished product one day.
As with all true hospitality, we ended our time with a cup of tea in beautiful Turkish-style teacups accompanied by chocolate. We then said goodbye with a British handshake. The perfect blend of the East and the West.
I got to meet with Aziza, an Uzbek woman who moved to Switzerland as a child, leaving behind her home country to build a new life. Growing up in a foreign country wasn't always easy, but Aziza had big dreams. She pursued a degree in business and law, followed by a certificate in economics. Some amazing accomplishments from someone who had a fresh start in a new culture and language. But recently, Aziza's life took an unexpected turn. After years of focusing on her career and academic achievements, she found herself looking for something more. That’s when she discovered dancing. It started as a way to stay healthy, to find balance between her demanding work life and her personal well-being. But something exciting happened - dance became more than just exercise. It became a way to connect with herself, to express what words couldn’t, and most importantly, to feel truly confident in her own skin. Aziza isn’t just dancing for herself, though. She’s passionate about encouraging other women - especially those who might not have always felt the same confidence in their bodies or their abilities - to embrace what they are capable of. Whether you're 18 or 50, dance is for everyone, and it’s a beautiful way to express yourself. Now, Aziza’s sharing this journey with other women in Zuri ch, hoping to inspire them to take that first step onto the dance floor and feel the freedom that comes with it. She leads a great example for those wanting to start something new in life. And no matter where you come from, it’s never too late to begin. Aziza’s story is a reminder that life is about more than just achievements - it’s about feeling good in your own skin and building confidence, one step at a time.
Have you ever wanted to study abroad in Italy? Anel, a Kazakh master’s student living in Milan, helps Kazakh students to achieve their dream of studying in Italy. She has clients that she helps one-on-one, but she also has a blog where she posts about studying and living in Italy. Anel was inspired to start her blog because there are many opportunities offered to international students in Italy, but finding the right place for each person and doing the paperwork can be daunting. Her hope is to grow her platform, so that she can help even more people have the same opportunities that she has had! Anel is currently working on her thesis about migrants in Italy, specifically people who have been forced to migrate due to conflict or instability in their home country. She will hopefully complete her masters in the summer. After she finishes her degree, Anel will move back to Kazakhstan, and she will continue her work as a consultant to students looking to study abroad. However, she will miss the life that she has built in Italy, “In one month, I can visit two or three countries. I have a very colorful life here, and I will miss that when I move back to Kazakhstan.” She has gotten to visit many cool places like Lisbon, Paris, Genoa, and Vienna. Of all her travels, she enjoyed Paris the most though. “Paris is a city that I could visit over and over again,” she told me. Of course, the main attractions were interesting, but it was the magic of the city as a whole that drew her in. Even though Anel has loved the past year and a half in Italy, she still misses her home culture. Most of her days are spent speaking in English, so she loves when she is with other Kazakhs and gets the opportunity to speak in Kazakh. Anel is also really involved with the Association of Kazakhstani Students in Italy and even went to Munich to meet with other Kazakhstani student organizations from around Europe. The community that this association has provided has allowed her to feel connected to home; while also using this time abroad to grow as a person. Living here, she has had the responsibility of figuring things out on her own, which has helped her to grow more confident in who she is as a person and in her decisions. Her time living abroad has expanded her horizons, and she is excited for whatever will come next!
In Drammen, Norway we got the privilege of eating at a beautiful cafe called Cappadocia. In Turkey, there is a wonderful area known across the world for its hot air balloons and this place is known as Cappadocia. While this place is known all across the world for its beauty, this restaurant is known across Drammen for its amazing food and wonderful atmosphere. While I was there, I met a waitress who was incredibly nice and welcoming. She took care of our needs and even invited us to hang out after. She was Romanian but had recently moved to Norway to be with her childhood sweetheart. They had known each other throughout elementary school because they were in the same classes together, but eventually, he moved away. He moved to Spain to study for college, but they still stayed in contact and started dating shortly after. They eventually decided to move to Norway together to start their new life. She got a job as a waitress in the beautiful restaurant Cappadocia. She had been working there only a few months when I met her. While she was from Romania, the rest of the workers were from a small city known as Konya, Turkey. They were excited to talk about their restaurant and how much they enjoyed working there. This was made evident by the wonderful Turkish food we ate there. It was so authentic and felt as if we were back in Turkey. The place was decorated like we were inside a cave with beautiful Turkish lamps lighting the way. This meal brought happiness to everyone's eyes that entered. We were shocked by how massive the food portions were. I ordered Pide, which is similar to a Turkish-style pizza but is thicker. It is made with a special mix of Turkish meat and vegetables. It comes with a salad with lettuce, pickled onions, tomatoes, and lemon to squeeze on top. The flavor of the lemon really adds to the taste of the pizza. It causes the flavors to be enhanced and allows a burst of flavors to explode in your mouth all at once. After enjoying our wonderful food, we were met with a great surprise at the end of our visit. We were brought Turkish tea, which is a must-have with any Turkish meal! This tea was brewed to perfection and ended the meal with a spectacular bang. If you are near the Drammen/Oslo area and want to experience the real culture of Turkey, stop by Cappadocia where you will be taken on a journey which you will never return the same.
On a side-street in Milan, in restaurant that makes their own handmade pasta, I met with Gaukhar, a Kazakh living in the city. We chatted over delicious carbonara amid the hum of other patrons. Gaukhar is a student at the University of Milan studying International Politics, Law, and Economics. She also works remotely as a translator for Russian, Kazakh, and English. On top of all that, Gaukhar is the vice-president of the Association of Kazakhstani Students in Italy. She helps to organize celebrations, meet-ups, and even Kazakh language events. In addition to events in Milan, she helps coordinate events all across Italy. Gaukhar’s dedication and love for the student association was evident as we talked. She told me, “One cool thing about studying abroad is that you not only get to network with people from other countries, but I have also gotten to know Kazakhs from different parts of Kazakhstan. I probably would not have met them if I hadn’t moved to Italy, but now I have friends and contacts all over Kazakhstan.” These connections will be helpful as she continues to pursue a career in international relations, hopefully one day working in an embassy. From the beginning, Gaukhar has loved her time in Italy. She loves the food, culture, and opportunities that studying in Italy has afforded her. Since she has lived in Milan for almost three years now, she knows all the good spots and gave me lots of recommendations for my time here. Last year, Guakhar had a unique opportunity to do an Erasmus program in Slovenia. Her classmates were from many countries including Italy, Turkey, Canada, and Japan. She loves to travel, so this program was perfect for her because she got to explore more of Europe outside of Italy. This was especially helpful as she is looking toward getting her masters in another country. I had such a great getting to know Gaukhar and hearing about her experience in Italy. I hope this will not be the last time we see each other!
In Kyrgyzstan, we were enchanted with a small town named Talas that will charm you with its slow pace of life and welcoming residents. Talas is a town of only around 40,000 residents. It is located in the middle of two mountain ranges, providing beautiful views everywhere you look! One of these welcoming residents we got to meet was named Melek. Melek’s grandparents came to Kyrgyzstan from Türkiye. To S, her Turkish heritage is very important. Although she has never been to the beautiful land of Türkiye herself, she is planning to go soon! Melek spoke about her life in Talas and how she preserves her Turkish heritage. Although her family speaks Russian at home, Melek and her husband speak Turkish. Even though there is a small number of Turks in Talas, Melek views maintaining her Turkish culture as extremely valuable. Melek also spoke about the mixture of cultures within their home and how she navigates that. Melek’s mother-in-law is orthodox, so their religious practices are a bit mixed. In her family, they celebrate orthodox holidays as well as Islamic holidays! Melek spoke fondly about the orthodox tradition of dying eggs for Easter. She also mentioned celebrating Bayram together as a family, which is a celebration marking the end of Ramadan. Bayram signifies a time of joy and generosity with loved ones, focusing on gratitude after a period of fasting. Melek mentioned that this mix of religion isn’t typical for families living in this area, but they embrace each other’s culture, knowing that loyalty to family is key. Melek’s story inspired us of the importance of maintaining and valuing culture even when it feels distant. What are some of the ways you value your culture?
I got to spend the afternoon with Amir as we chatted over Swiss cuisine. Amir came to Zurich, Switzerland from Astana, Kazakhstan to experience the calm and quiet atmosphere that it brings while continuing his education. With great views all around and a quick train ride to the mountains, you cannot complain to get to study in Switzerland. Prior to moving to Zurich, Amir got to travel to Bavaria, Germany while attending university in Kazakhstan. He spent three months doing an internship in a chemistry program at The Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. There he got to figure out life on his own, meet people from all over the world, adventure outside of Bavaria to see the forests, and got adapted to German culture. Knowing that Zurich has many similarities to Germany, it influenced his decision to choose to move to Zurich for his Master’s. Amir is attending ETH in Zurich to further his education in chemistry. When Amir isn’t spending countless hours studying, he is exploring new places in and around Zurich, going out into nature, and playing piano! Amir has become quite the local here. He gave many options on restaurants to meet at, but we chose a place that served Swiss cheese since we are in Switzerland! He also gave me many recommendations on places to visit outside of the city, like Lauterbrunnen, Interlaken, and Grindelwald. Near his campus, he discovered a farm that sells fresh milk when you bring your own jar. Amir has been playing piano since he was five years old. He attended a music school in Kazakhstan for seven years with his childhood best friend. When he attended university, he joined a piano club where he was able to perform several times. Amir has been able to find a couple pianos within his campus to continue to play. This past year, he was offered to perform a piece by a Russian composer during a student-organized concert. He enjoyed being a part of the concert because people from different majors and musical backgrounds came together to support one another. Amir looks forward to being able to perform more later in his academic career when he has a little more free time on his hands. He also discovered that students get a discount to attend concerts at the local concert halls and he loves getting to attend shows there. You will certainly be able to find him there. Amir has got to meet many Kazakhs through the years from his studies and now they are working or studying throughout Europe. He would love to travel to other nearby countries to see them and get to experience more of Europe. It was a delight to get to know Amir and hear about his time in Zurich as a Kazakh student!
In the heart of London, on one of the most famous streets you’ll find the restaurant OshPaz, where you can get delicious and authentic Central Asian food. It was here that we met with Medina, a university student from Astana, Kazakhstan. The three of us chatted while enjoying plov and drinking Uzbek tea, surrounded by beautiful Uzbek decor. Five years ago, Medina came to London for a summer school program. She immediately fell in love and decided that it was here that she wanted to go to university. She is in her first year of university now and loves it. When she first moved, she missed her friends, family, food, and culture that she left in Kazakhstan. However, gathering with other Kazakhs in London has felt like a piece of home! At Kazakh events like these, they gather to speak in Kazakh, eat Kazakh food, and just have fun together while abroad. There are only seventeen Kazakh students at her university, but there are many more at all the different universities in London. The Kazakh students have created an amazing community in London to support each other Medina is studying liberal arts and social sciences with the goal is to work in media someday. She is already the head of the media club at her university. Her creative vision is clear through her social media. She has an eye for beauty and loves to capture it through different mediums. Not only does Medina love to be creative and work in the media, but she is also a musician! She plays the dombra, a traditional, two-stringed, pear-shaped, Kazakh instrument. It is played by plucking the strings and is one of the oldest known Central Asian instruments. Medina has played the dombra for years, and she knew that she did not want to leave it behind when she moved abroad. She continues to play it for herself and to share her culture with others. We loved hearing about Medina’s journey to study in London and about the life that Medina is making there!
Milan is a bustling city filled with people from all over the world! It is a global hub for fashion and design, but they also have many other excellent universities, one of which is Politecnico di Milano, where MJ, a 20-year-old Kazakh student studies civil engineering. MJ always knew that she wanted to travel abroad for university because of the opportunities that it would afford her. Politecnico di Milano, or Polimi, is one of the best universities in Italy for engineering, architecture, and design, and so MJ set her sights on that. She is now in her third year there and excelling. Transitioning to a new country can be rocky at times. Making friends with locals can be difficult if you don’t speak their language or understand their culture. However, MJ has created a great community for herself here with friends from all over the world that she has met because of her time at Polimi. In addition, MJ shares her Kazakh culture with others through flowers. Flowers are such a big part of Kazakh culture, they are given for every type of occasion. When MJ moved here, she noticed how the flowers were so expensive, and often the arrangements looked rather sad. She decided to do something about that, and now she provides beautiful flower arrangements to order. If you want gorgeous and affordable bouquets in Milan, go check her Instagram page out at blssm.milano! Looking back over the past three years studying abroad, MJ has seen how much she has changed. The experience of living away from her family and home has given her the opportunity of learning more about herself and growing more confident. It has been a time of growth and change as she has blossomed into an adult. In addition, this time abroad has helped open doors to other opportunities abroad in China and Dubai for after she graduates. Even though she is not totally certain what the future holds, she is thankful for her time in Italy and is excited for what comes next!
It was before dusk when we got out of bed to get into a car with a friend, we had just met the day before. We drove down a long bumpy road that did not seem to be much of a road anymore. Instead, a dirt gravel road filled with rocks and giant potholes covered with ice from the snow. We drove for a while outside of the village until we entered a smaller village and drove to a quaint farmhouse. Once we arrived, we were introduced to the family that lived there and were welcomed into their living room. Here we were given the opportunity to ask our burning questions about who our new friends were and their culture. We soon discovered our new friends were Kurdish and had lived in this small village in Kyrgyzstan their whole lives. They had adapted to this area and had settled at least 4 generations in their small home. During our time there, we heard their inspiring story of how they arrived in this region. We learned about their language and unique traditions, including every detail that takes place in a Kurdish marriage ceremony. They are accustomed to arranging marriages and for both parties to take part in payment for their children to be united. According to their culture, the wife is then to live with her husband and his family. However, all of these traditions are evolving as time passes. The younger generations prefer not to take part in arranged marriages and have found it easier for them to find a spouse on their own. While this is different than normal, it is still something that is seen as a beautiful picture of love. While we were at this house we were soon overwhelmed by the amount of food, tea, and goodies that were provided for us. In the middle of our conversation, we stopped to take a long tea and snack break that included lots of fresh eggs from their chickens outside, homemade bread, fresh jams, and fermented cheese. This meal included lots of laughs and tasty food. We were overwhelmed by the incredible hospitality that was shown to us and were awestruck by the love and loyalty that exuded from this family. When asked what is the thing that they value most in their life, they said “family”, it is the most important thing of all. Their hope is to continue to pass down to their kids the value of family. This value was evident in how they lived out their lives and made us feel like a part of their family from the moment we stepped in the door.
Dessert is a huge part of Turkish culture. Everywhere you go there are tons of dessert places. There are chocolate houses, turkish delight, baklava, künefe, and more. Though the one that tops them all is helva. Helva is my favorite dessert from Turkish culture and has changed my outlook on celebration. Whenever I needed to celebrate a major life event, I go to get helva because it is consistently amazing! Though I have recently discovered that it is not the life event I am celebrating, it is helva itself. Whether you are happy, sad, or mad, helva can help. Helva can be found in a couple of different ways. The first one is in block form where it comes in a huge block and is cut into smaller pieces to add some extra flavor to your breakfast. Usually, this helva is served with kahvaltı and its consistency is very soft and a bit grindy. However, don’t let the texture throw you off because it is sweet and tastes like peanut butter! The second form of helva is usually for dessert. This helva is usually served warm on top of a bed of ice cream with a topping of Tahin and nuts. When the warm helva meets the cold ice cream and adds a bit of crunch with the nuts it creates the perfect combination. This combination melts in your mouth and leaves you wanting more. It is because of this amazing combination that it has soon rose to the top as one of my favorite desserts of all time. Helva is very popular all throughout Turkey but thankfully it has also made its way through Western Europe. While traveling in Germany, I was sweetly surprised when I came upon this helva shop called Helvacı Ali. Of course, I had to go in and get some of my favorite dessert! When I did, I was met with such warm hospitality and kind service. We meet a Turkish man whose family was from Türkiye, yet he was born in Germany. While he still goes back to Türkiye to visit family every so often. He loves his life in Germany but also still follows Turkish traditions and even is fluent in Turkish. Not only was this the best helva we have had yet but it also came with a warm smile and friendly conversation. This place was so amazing we had to return a few days later where we were met with the exact same hospitality. So, if you are looking for a great way to celebrate any major life event go to Helvacı Ali where your dreams will come true.
