Family

Kazakh Families Still Polygamous in the Northern Regions

Life in the country of Kazakhstan is divided by several schools of thought, polygamy being one of them. Polygamy is illegal in the country, but was decriminalized in1998 when the people tried to legalize it but failed.

In the Kazakhstan Democracy, polygamy has been voted on several times since it was banned in 1990, always losing the vote. But many citizens see it as a temporary restriction since a large portion of northern people still practice it today.

There is a famous saying, “Almaty is for baibishes and Astana’s for tokals.” Baibishes are first wives, tokals are younger wives. Almaty used to be the country’s capital, but when Kazakhstan became a sovereign republic, the capital was changed to Astana. Many political officials and employees have to commute from home in Almaty to their jobs in Astana, where they take apartments and other wives.

Some Progress Is Slow in the New Kazakhstan

One such wife is Shynar-apai, a 57 year-old baibishe (first wife) in the city of Shymkent. She expresses that she doesn’t mind polygamous marriage at all. The first wife of Absattar Myrzabekov, Shynar-apai, says that polygamy is fine, but when a man has a mistress, or secret affair, that’s deplorable, and those women and their children have no familial rights.

She agrees that a husband can marry several wives as long as he can provide for them all and treat them equally. She shares a large home with her husband, five children, and two younger wives. The five children call all the wives “mother” and they go places together and share housework duties. They become sister-like, calling each other the Kazakh equivalent of sister-wives. Shynar-apai’s convictions on polygamy are not uncommon. Polygamy is popular among the richer men over forty and is becoming more widespread throughout Kazakhstan.

Filed Under: Family

Including Kid’s Costume in Your Budget

Image via Wikipedia

Depending on your personal financial situation, it may not be hard to budget for your kids’ costumes. But, for those who have to budget for their children’s Halloween costumes, it is important to have an idea of how much needs to be budgeted to be able to pay for a kid’s costume when Halloween rolls around.

How elaborate you want to go with your children’s Halloween costumes will determine how much you should budget. For younger children, you can find some really cute costumes for about twenty to thirty dollars. If you look at online auction sites, you will find more of a variety and could even find a better deal.

There are some great online stores that sell Halloween costumes that keep their prices pretty low. You can even find some of the most elaborate costumes for less than one hundred dollars.

When it comes to choosing costume solutions that fit your budget, use your creativity. Use some items that you already have to create a costume that rivals those that others paid a hundred dollars for. You may need to buy some accessories to really make your home-made costume pop, but that will likely be less expansive than buying an entire costume.

Whether you want to go simple or elaborate, planning ahead for your children’s costumes is always a good idea. No one likes being caught off guard with expenses that exceed their budget. By planning ahead, you can avoid the level of stress you would have experienced had you waited until the last moment to decide what the budget will be for costumes.

Filed Under: Family Tagged With: Halloween, Halloween costume, Shopping

Know the Process When Filing for Divorce

It’s easy to utter those four fateful words, “I want a divorce!”, but it’s a little more difficult to follow through with this plan. The movies might make it look simple, and an uncontested divorce that doesn’t involve property distributions or custody of the children might turn out that way. However, an unwilling partner, significant assets, and children make everything a little more complicated.

Know the Rules in Your Area

In most areas, divorce proceedings start with a legal separation. This means that the husband and wife must live separately for six months to a year before the divorce can be brought before a judge. Some states have special provisions for low-income families that can’t afford to support two households. Generally, this means that the couple can live together in the same home, but they must maintain separate sleeping quarters. If you have any questions about this issue or any other divorce-related subject, give Fairfield attorneys a call for answers.

What About the Kids?

The biggest consideration in any divorce should be the children. While living with parents who can’t get along can do more damage than ending the marriage, it’s important to consider the children’s reaction to the split. If any depression, anxiety, anger, or falling grades become evident, steps should be taken to help the child adjust. In many cases, this involves counseling. At times, the entire family should attend the sessions to learn how to interact in the new family model. Other times, the child will see their own therapist. Of course, a little counseling before a problem has a chance to escalate could prevent the divorce in the first place.

Filed Under: Family Tagged With: Divorce, Law, Legal separation

Younger Americans Support Same-Sex Marriage

If you want to find a divisive social issue, you need look no further than same-sex marriage. The chasm between those in favor of equal rights for same-sex couples, however, grows smaller every day as the next generation of voters has an influence on public opinion.

Image via Wikipedia

A Generational Change

A recent poll conducted by CNN shows that the majority of young voters support same-sex marriage. They don’t see gay marriage as much of an issue. Older voters, however, still want to define marriage as a commitment between one man and one woman.

According to the CNN poll,

58% of people between 18 and 24 support legalization of same-sex marriage
42% of people between 35 and 49 support it
41% of people between 50 and 64 want equal rights for same-sex couples
Only 24% of people over 64, however, support legalization

It’s pretty easy to spot a trend in these numbers: younger people support same-sex marriage twice as much as retirees.

Inevitable Social Change

In a 2010 interview with Larry King, Laura Bush gave her support for same-sex marriage and claimed that the change would eventually come because of generational differences. She couldn’t have been more right. Even young conservatives don’t care much about same-sex marriage. They often see it as a personal matter and think that the government shouldn’t restrict rights to anyone regardless of sexual orientation.

If this trend continues, then the legalization of same-sex marriage will happen within the next two decades. It could even happen at a federal level, which would force the government to extend benefits to the spouses of homosexual employees.

Filed Under: Family, Relationships Tagged With: CNN, Laura Bush, Same-sex marriage

A Middle Eastern Take on Jazz

What do you get when you mix jazz, undoubtedly an American art form, with traditional music from Pakistan? Throw in years of experimentation and a long period of hibernation, and you get the Sachal Studios Orchestra.

Top of the Charts

In June, the iTunes Jazz Chart showed that the Sachal Studios Orchestra had skyrocketed to the number one spot. This truly unique approach to playing jazz, mainly with traditional instruments from Pakistan, obviously grabbed the attention of listeners. With a stunning version of Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” that included squeaking strings and frantic hand percussion, it’s easy to understand why so many jazz fans have taken a liking to this eclectic group.

A Pakistani Approach to Jazz Standards

It doesn’t hurt that the group has enough courage to take on some of the most respected jazz standards, including “The Girl from Ipanema,” “Samba de Verao” and “This Guy’s in Love with You” in addition to “Take Five.”

Connecting with the Music

If you haven’t listened to a lot of jazz, then you might not appreciate the massive undertaking that the Sachal Studios Orchestra latest album reveals. Even if you have never heard a jazz tune in your life, though, you will understand that this music communicates something passionate about life all over the world. It transcends genres by melding two musical styles that would seemingly have little to do with each other.

Whether you choose to download the entire album or just a few tracks, the Sachal Studios Orchestra will stun even the most sophisticated listeners.

Filed Under: Family, Finance Tagged With: Dave Brubeck, Jazz, The Girl from Ipanema

Make Giving a Family Tradition

No matter how much money you have, you can make giving a family tradition that will enhance the lives of your children. When you choose the cause that matters most to your family, you can make positive change in the world instead of solely focusing on material possessions.

Donating Money to Charities

Every charity appreciates monetary donations. You can get your kids involved by asking them to set aside ten percent of the any money that they receive for birthdays and holidays. The amount that your child gives doesn’t matter. Teaching them the importance of supporting charities, however, will stick with them throughout their lives.

You can also have your family members set aside a certain percentage of the money that they spend on each other during the holidays. If your children would normally spend $50 on presents, then ask them to set aside $5 for charity. This will help control the amount that your family spends on gifts while helping charities meet their goals during the holidays. In the end, $5 probably doesn’t mean much to you, but it can mean quite a bit to someone in need.

Volunteer at a Non-Profit

If you simply don’t have money to spare, then make volunteering a family tradition. Every Tuesday evening, you could take your family to a local soup kitchen to serve meals. You could also work with your local Humane Society, church or other organization. Spending time in service of others can help you and your kids develop a keener awareness of your own blessings. That way, you don’t take the good things in life for granted.

Filed Under: Family, Responsibility Tagged With: Charitable organization, Donation, Money