European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 15, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday december 15,1994 the stars and stripes Page 3 pfc. Luther Bynum left and Petty officer 2nd class Tracy Thompson smile while waiting to leave Almaty. But their plane did t come and they had to stay another Day. Is photos Carlo Bongioanni an Almaty Hospital worker dressed in traditional kazakh clothing greets members of the . Relief Mission As they arrive for a traditional dinner earlier this month in Kazakhstan. While in the Central asian country scr remembers also sampled such dishes As sheep s brains and horse meat. Tour from Page 1 loading medical  Only thing they had was an out House with no doors on the front she recalled. I said there s no Way i m going Here so i went behind the building. When i finished squatting i turned around and there were three russians watching  and kazakhs however seem to keep their eyes on All Western ers visiting their  Many in this former communist Republic it was strange seeing so many4foreigners walking freely about their City. .-.". At a crowded Flea Market one kazakh became angry and shouted whence saw a foreigner taking pictures. He s stupid an interpreter said. He says its. Illegal to take pictures Here. Don t listen to  occasional discomforts Al maty has Many attractions. Several hotels offer first class accommodations costing As much As $135 a night for a single  As some service members deployed to Almaty Learned bravery conies in Many forms sometimes it inmost evident at the dinner table of a foreign  members of the american military humanitarian Mission found out during their stay they had to Swallow their misgivings and stomach them. A cooked sheep s head on a Platter May not Appeal to westerners but when it s your Host s favorite dish proper etiquette requires a smile and Gra Cious appreciation. It. Col. Bill Porter the team chief for the operation was the guest of Honor at one such  had to carve off the parts and pre sent them to different dinner guests said Porter stationed in Vicenza Italy. The custom is to say something appropriately witty and ceremonial explaining Why a particular piece is Given to an  gave one ear to maj. Barry Davis and the other to Stan Tukarski the interpreter. By giving them the ears hoped they would listen to their superiors  carving off the sheep s ears nose eyes and Tongue Porter had to divvy up the  was definitely an experience 111 never forget. I kept thinking How am i an attendant fills up a car with gasoline at an Almaty filling station which consisted of Only this truck and a Hose. Going to do this and keep it Down " Porter said. After spooning out his portion por Ter had to pass the goods around to the rest of the guests. Thank goodness there was Only enough for one spoonful he added. To Wash Down the fatty Greasy taste of sheep s brains guests drank the kazakh National drink Kumis or Mare s milk. According to Tukarski an american civilian this slightly fermented drink tastes like sour cottage cheese a Cross Between whey mixed with Cham pagne he added. Another favorite kazakh dish of which visitors partook was horse meat. Horse is considered the Premium meat in Kazakhstan and the ones designated for eating Are never Ridden. Besides eating horse sausage the guests passed around a huge Bone with horse meat on  Porter said it gave a new mean ing to the phrase the of Gray Dareain t what she used to be " a Street Vendor holds up a chunk of meat recently for one of his customers in Almaty