Happy International Workers Day, or as it is officially known today "Kazakhstan Day of Unity". This holiday has a special place in the hearts of many former Soviet people, and it is celebrated by making the blood that pumps through said heart a little thinner.
In the city square of Pavlodar -- a central area boxed off by the Akimat (similar to a city hall), library and the Irytish river embankment -- was a solid balloon-banging, slogan-shouting, Nazarbayev-photo-carrying extravaganza. The city set up the place as it usual does for any holiday, with a stage for dancers of various cultural backgrounds, speeches galore and a ton of lipsynching. There was, of course, a parade. Leading the way were a myriad of oil companies, banks, local businesses and then finally caboosed by students.
The most interesting occurence, in my opinion, came on one of the side stages where a band of tuba players were stationed. Imagine a tuba. Now imagine an entire band of tubas, pushing 25 players. People were almost forced to march with all that oom-pa-pa.
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