By:  Fenway Fran

Just last week, my friend Kelly, expat extraordinaire who divides her time among homes in Istanbul, Atyrau and the most exotic Montgomery, Texas, complained about ATMA, the Kazak equivalent of TSA. Kelly raged on her facebook page, warning all travelers out of Atyrau to beware. They had apparently decided to “inspect” one of her suitcases, by breaking off the TSA approved locks and zipper pulls. So, I guess they didn’t have a key. But then it gets interesting. Bag destroyed, they went through her cosmetics and left them loose in the suitcase, fully inspected the bathroom bag, with both toothbrushes out of the bag, and her panties that were in a see through mesh pouch were gone through and balled up in the suitcase. Not even a card saying ‘ATMA Was Here’. All very confusing and quite the violation of privacy.

Today’s AP article in the paper gives possible perspective. Apparently, they were just trying to see if her unmentionables were contraband.

A trade ban on lacy lingerie has Russian consumers and their neighbors with their knickers in a twist.

The ban will outlaw any underwear containing less than 6 percent cotton from being imported, made, or sold in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. And it has struck a chord in societies where La Perla and Victoria’s Secret are panty paradises compared to Soviet-era cotton underwear, which was often about as flattering and shapely as drapery.

On Sunday, 30 women protesters in Kazakhstan were arrested and thrown into police vans while wearing lace underwear on their heads and shouting “Freedom to panties!”

Back in 1991, my young daughters and their crazy Auntie Mary developed their idea of a really good time. Step 1, put a pair of (preferably) clean panties on your head. Step 2, dance like there’s no tomorrow. The undie dance was usually done in the house, but it did escape into the public arena on occasion. One memorable undie dance happened on a shuttle to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, because undies were in the beach bag for use after swimsuit removal, and hey, they are so much more fun on your head than in the bag. Who knew it would take so long for this dance craze to make it to Russia?