National clothes of Kazakh men

Kazakh men used to wear different skullcaps (takiya), summer and winter hats. Summer hat - kalpak was sewed from thin felt, mostly white, and had a specific ancient cut. Borik and tymak were worn in winter. Tymak is a warm winter hat with earflaps and neck flaps made from fox, which is popular among Kazakh men even nowadays. Bashlyk is another national headwear, made of camel cloth, which was supposed to be worn on top of other hats, to protect from dust, sun, rain and snow.

Men's clothing consisted of the following components: Double under vest (zheyde), lower pants - made of light fabric and the upper - of cloth, suede, sheepskin or thick cotton fabric. From the early ages, when the Kazakhs used to go horseback riding, trousers were a necessary and important part of their clothing.

The main type of outer clothing for men was shapan, a kind of robe. People's clothing is constantly being targeted by fashion designer. Contemporary clothing, created using national motives, is always original and unique.

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Which way of travelling do you prefer?

Many people take their main holiday in summer, and although some people choose a last-minute break, others plan their holiday months in advance.

The beginning of the year is a good time for people to start looking at holiday brochures. Tour operators as well as travel agents give lots of information about holiday destinations and types of holiday. Apart from the traditional two-week beach holiday, you can choose from a range of holidays: a cruise, an activity holiday, a city break and so on. A lot of people choose a package holiday, where flights and accommodation are included in the price. But many people prefer an independent holiday, where they make their own travel arrangements.

If you travel independently, you will need to book your flights or train tickets. Unless you have an onward destination, you will probably book a return journey. Then you will need to make a reservation at a hotel, or another place to stay, such as a campsite, or a caravan site.

For all types of foreign holidays, it is essential that you check you have all your travel documents. Make sure your passport has expired, and that you have a visa if necessary. If you are travelling to some countries, you also need to make sure that all your vaccinations are up to date. For some countries you might need a vaccination against hepatitis, or yellow fever, for example.

As your departure date gets nearer, you can start to plan the details of your journey. Perhaps it will be a good idea to buy a guide book, or a phrase book, if you don't speak much of the local language. Some people like get lots of background information on where they are going, and find out about the places of interest and " must-see" sights. It's also fun to make a packing list, so you don't forget any vital clothes or toiletries.

It's also a good idea to buy local currency in advance, if your flight gets in in the middle of the night, when no banks are open. Most airlines also advise you to take out (=get) travel insurance just in case your flight is delayed or cancelled, or if you get ill and need to be repatriated (sent back to your country).

Don't forget to make arrangements for your pets and your house while you're away. Put your dog into kennels, and leave a key with your neighbour just in case! Hopefully your neighbour will keep an eye on your house while you're on holiday! Finally, get to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Nowadays it can take much longer to get through security and onto the plane. Have a nice trip and send your neighbour a postcard!

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