FREEFORUM

Dear friends,

The Iradi American Association summer picnic took place yesterday in the park by the lake. Report below. Per forum rules, NO FACES in the photos, so you will have to take my word that people were smiling.

Attendance: 143 adults and "a lot" of children (the children refused to be counted).
Food: kazy (beef, of course), two pots of plov, beshbarmak by the Kara-Buura families, kümöch from the mission, Koryoin laghman brought by a young man from Nurzhan who drove from Milwaukee. Somebody brought a cake shaped like a horse. We did not cut the head. We learned that lesson years ago.
Games: children's ulak with a stuffed goat from the dollar store, tug of war (diaspora vs. people who married into the diaspora; the in-laws won again).
Music: komuz, and then somebody's phone played "Ride for Talas" and the old people sang every word. I am not ashamed to say I sang too.
Weather: perfect until 4 pm.

Photo: the yurt from behind, at sunset, with the lake. (Will post if I find the attach button.)

Feedback forms were handed out. 61 returned. I will summarise them in a later post.

Thank you all. Next year, everybody here is invited. I mean it.

I drove 9 hours for this and I'd do it again. Confirming: the in-laws won the tug of war, the laghman was excellent, and Temir did sing.

Feedback form submitted. I gave the parking a 2.

ay que rico. kazy, plov AND laghman?? in Semiz when we do a toi we put kazy in tortillas, my abuela calls it "taco de Talas", the old Iradi ladies pretend to be offended and then eat four.

uncle you need a taco table next year. I will send the recipe. no horse!! beef only, we know the rules

semiz_taco posted:

uncle you need a taco table next year

Approved by the committee (me). Please send the recipe. There is a feedback form for recipes also.

Beautiful. Lovely. Stuffed goat from the dollar store.

Meanwhile in Talas: gas pressure dropped again in Old City this week, the Herald says nothing, and the only "picnic" here is the queue at the Bazar-i Kalan for cheap flour. But please, tell us more about the in-laws.

You sing "Ride for Talas" by a lake in America. A song written in Nashville about a place the singer never saw, sung in Chicago by people who left. And we are supposed to think this is Irad.

WAKE UP IRAD

Ak. A man posted picnic photos with no faces. He is not the Governor. Find another target or eat some laghman, it calms the blood.

Also "a young man from Nurzhan who drove from Milwaukee" with Koryoin laghman, I need to know who his mother is because I will have opinions.

UncleTemir_Chicago posted:

the in-laws won again

This is the most realistic part of the report. In-laws always win.

Ok, ok. I am sorry for the goat comment. The goat did nothing wrong.

My point stands: Irad is not a picnic. But fine. Have the picnic.

Ak_Shumkar posted:

Irad is not a picnic

everything is a picnic if you bring enough tortillas amigo

Feedback summary (61 forms):

- Food: 4.8 / 5
- Weather: 4.1 / 5 (people blamed me for the rain at 4 pm)
- Parking: 2.3 / 5 (Gulya)
- Music: 4.9 / 5
- "Any other comments": 14 people asked for the horse cake again. One person wrote "WAKE UP IRAD" in capital letters. I do not know how a form reached Talas, but I appreciate the participation.

That was not me.

(It was not me.)

Bumping for the 2016 report, short this year: 151 adults. The taco table happened (semiz_taco's recipe, beef only, checked twice by the Altar Society). It was empty in 40 minutes. Parking still bad. Feedback forms returned: 58.

40 MINUTES. abuela is crying of pride. taco de Talas is international now

I gave the parking a 2 again. Consistency.

Ten years later, picnic 2026: 188 adults, a record. Many new nurses and students. The taco table has its own committee now. Forms returned: 77. One said SHOW US THE GOVERNOR in capital letters. I do not know how a form reached Talas. Again.