Kazakhstan - The first boating trips

September 1-3

Hello everyone!

Our first day of school ended early. The sun was blazing down on Astana, making the buildings shimmer. Time to explore. Time to rock the boat.

 

This blog is about two boat rides we took within days of one another. The first was on that Wednesday afternoon after the first day of school, and the second was just after the sun set on our first school week, on a Friday evening. Two very different experiences on the same stretch of the Ishim River.

Kazakhstan fun fact: Astana is neatly split down the middle by the Ishim River (also known as the Esil River), with the vast majority of the futuristic buildings on the Left Bank and the Old Town on the Right Bank.

We had spotted rowing boats moored on the side of the river on a previous excursion, so decided to see if they were available at our leisure and for our pleasure. They indeed were, and were very cheap – 1000KZT for half an hour. A wonderful way to relax, you would think. Especially with Enrique Iglesias - sorry, Alisher - rowing our boat for us.

Except that some of us decided to use the oars for an alternative purpose – splashing other boats. Great fun in the Central Asian sun: mainly because we didn’t get that wet. Afterwards we found a bar that serves beer for 220KZT – less than one of your British pounds. We’ll be back.

We’ll be back for the boats, too. At least until the river freezes over, something we have been warned to expect. The Russian word for boat is лодка, lod-ka.

Whilst manoeuvring the rowing boats around the small designated area, we spotted a larger boat docked on the bend in the river. We subsequently found out that this boat travelled serenely towards the Palace of Peace & Accord (the pyramid near the military march) and back, and did so many times, day and night. We decided that this would be a perfect way to start our weekend, so arranged a large group of teachers and assistants to hop aboard.

We were proved right, especially when we found out that we could take our own alcohol on board. Even though they had their own bar on the boat. 700KZT for a forty minute cruise along the Ishim. The change in light as we moved with the slight current was particularly spectacular.

We ended this night in a karaoke club. Bit different from Korea – we were in a large function room which had a stage at one end and a giant screen high up at the other, with several tables inbetween. 100% score on Wonderwall, naturally, but my rendition of Sex Bomb will probably bar me from joining the school choir anytime soon.

It is good to see that we will keep playing just as hard as we are working. It is imperative that we take advantage of this wonderful weather before the cold, soulless grip of winter tears social opportunity and exploration from our numb hands. We are having a fantastic time in Kazakhstan and, just like the Ishim River, long may it continue to move along serenely and smoothly.

Love you all

Matt

Kazakhstan - The first Presidential visit

August 31

 Hello everyone!

The official opening of our school was held on Wednesday, August 31. An exciting day for teachers, students, parents – everyone, really. Yet it was overshadowed by a very special visitor to our new school. Nursultan Nazarbayev – President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – decided to pop in.

We had been expecting this. We had two schedules for our first day at school, depending on whether the President would arrive. Throughout our preparation delegations sent by Nazarbayev inspected the school. We were constantly told, however, of the sage of the President seeing our affiliate school in Almaty. He was due to arrive on the first day of school there, in August 2008; he arrived in mid-December at 5.15pm, after all the children had left for the day. We were, however, informed in our briefing on Wednesday morning that he would definitely be coming to school.

President Nazarbayev has been running the country since 1989. Elections here are seen by external administrators as a foregone conclusion – he won 95.5% of the vote in this year’s election. Nonetheless, he is extremely popular for the prosperity, investment and hope he has brought to Kazakhstan. It is investment from one of his ministries that helped establish a school in Astana.

Fun fact: It was President Nazarbayev who wanted to move the capital city to Astana from Almaty.

The first day was a meet-and-greet session where we could introduce ourselves to the students and allow them to be part of the explosion of excitement. This was encapsulated in the releasing of hundreds of balloons from the school quad – a symbol of hope.

Before this was an assembly to welcome the new children, the vast majority looking very smart in their blazers, to the school. Music was played and speeches were made. Oh, and our Headmaster who speaks little Russian tried his hand at doing his whole speech in…Russian. A top effort, and most of the children understood him. A great leader of our team.

After the assembly and the balloons we entertained the children and explained some of the school rules to them, all the while waiting for the call from elsewhere that the President was on his way. Years 5 and 6 were to perform a song for the President in our drama studio. In keeping with the theme of the President being an affable man, they were to sing ‘For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow’. President in Russian is Президент – pre-zee-DENT.

Words and dance moves were learned, and no sooner had we finished practicing were we standing silently in line waiting for the President and his entourage to swing round the corner to see our show. Not literally swing – the guy is 71. But in he came, watched, clapped…and left. No handshake or ‘hello’. But he is a busy man, and had a lot more to see. Kazakh TV crews followed him around the school as he surveyed the newest school in his country.

So enough about Nazarbayev for now. The first day of school was nerve-wracking, exciting, incredible. Not just for us, but for the children as well. They got to see their big new classrooms and meet their new classmates of the next school year. But it was also exhausting, in spite of the children leaving before 1pm. So much energy and emotion was poured into this day by all involved, making it a tremendous success.

This site was steppe less than two years ago. Now it is the base for (hopefully) of the finest educational institutions in Central Asia. Vivalat Haileyburia, as our song proudly proclaims. The first day has come and gone – now it’s time for the really hard work to start.

Love you all

Matt

Kazakhstan - The first military tanks

30 August

Hello everyone!

Our school opens on Wednesday, August 31. The reason it doesn’t open before this is because the previous day is a national holiday in Kazakhstan. It is called Constitution Day, and celebrates the creation of the key statute of the country.

We have known about the events taking place on this day for a while – mainly because they have disrupted our preparation in school. The previous Tuesday one of our meetings was interrupted by the roar of two MIG planes soaring overheard, practicing for this day. Another factor is the closure of many roads –necessary for the event to take place, but leading to significant delays and frustrations for our bus route.

What event? To put it simply, a parade of patriotism and pride. A parade showcasing the youthful vibrancies of this new country, yet harking back to the dark days of the Soviet era. Attended by thousands, watched by millions, this is an opportunity for Kazakhs to reaffirm their identity with and affinity for their nation. As well as an opportunity for us to join in the fun.

When I refer to the Soviet period – Kazakhstan was part of the USSR until 1991 – what I mean is the method of showing this feeling of power and strength. It is no ordinary parade; it is very much a military march. Try remembering the old Soviet propaganda reels of soldiers marching through Moscow behind missiles to the roar of the crowd and you’re on the right track.

Fun fact: It is compulsory for a Kazakh to do military service for two years.

It took us a while to get to the road where the festivities were happening due to security blocks. We tried to jump on buses set down by the President’s house, and a man with a large hat asked us for documents. Normally this means your passport, something we luckily had returned to us the previous day. In this instance, he wanted our itinerary to prove we were on these buses, which it turns out were reserved. Nonetheless, we persevered, followed the crowd, and were soon shimmying through security barriers to get to the standing areas.

Part of this pride that became apparent to us was the desperation of many to get as close to the barriers as possible in order to get as close to the soldiers as possible. Small Kazakh flags were distributed – we snaffled one – but soon most of our group had to retreat due to being crushed and not being able to see. I toughed out the crowd, and spent the best part of two hours on tip-toes trying to get glimpses of Kazakhstan’s military might.

Might is the right word here. They have a lot of soldiers and machines to show off. Groups of soldiers slammed their shoes in unison and marched along the road as the band eased through their repertoire. In addition to the standard army, navy & air force troops, there were some more eccentric branches of the Kazakh military on show…

No idea, but I think the camouflage needs some improvement.

The President soon showed up, stood in a car, which preceded speeches and the national anthem. The tune of the latter is very similar to the anthem sung in Borat, but as far as I’m aware there were no mentions of potassium today. Lots of roars followed – they sounded fake, as if on a tape recorder, but we could see the soldiers moving their mouths. Surely they wouldn’t bother being that elaborate?

The soldiers then marched off, before the big guns were brought on. Literally. Tanks, rocket launchers, APC’s – this was an impressive show. It was at this point that I started talking to a guy next to me who spoke good English. It turns out he works for the Ministry of Defence of Kazakhstan. Good guy to know, I think. He told me they have so many vehicles and soldiers due to the country’s close proximity with China and Afghanistan. I asked about Russia – no, he retorted, Russia are our friend. Interesting, that.

The piece de resistance was the fly-over of helicopters and MIG planes that we had witnessed the week before. What we saw this time were incredibly tight ‘V’ formations, loop-the-loops, and the discharging of ECM’s that made it look like fireworks were being fired from the jets. Awesome stuff.

We did pop into school for a couple of hours to tie up some loose ends in our rooms, but not before enjoying the glorious warm weather – we’re assured it won’t last – to have a picnic in a nearby park. Very relaxed, tranquil and peaceful. The very antithesis of what we had seen just minutes before. Kazakhstan – not a country to be messed with. Take note, Sacha.

 

Love you all

Matt

Kazakhstan - The first Uzbek belly dancers

August 23-30

Hello everyone!

Whilst we have been working exceptionally hard to ensure our school is ready to open, it hasn’t stopped us from having a bit of fun. Here are a few highlights from the social side of our first week in Kazakhstan. Work hard, play hard.

Various events were held – and paid for – by the school to help us settle into our new home. The first of these was at a small café. The school took those of us who arrived on the Saturday and scored a deal where we paid 3,000KZT (£13, $20) and we received unlimited food & alcohol in return. Food? There wasn’t much of it, so we concentrated on enjoying ourselves with drink. This is what the money looks like by the way.

Kazakhstan fun fact: Each tenge note has a picture of the Bayterek on the front, and a picture of its land mass on the back.

Four of us stayed and were close to polishing off their supply of white wine before we were told that they had to close. Wanting to make the most of the chance to have some late-night fun on a weekday before the children take over our lives, we hunted for another bar, before deciding on karaoke. We found a karaoke place, walked in, asked about karaoke – and they had none. It was a bar. Strange advertising.

Incredibly, they did have bowling alleys in a room at the back of the bar. We gave it a go, had a blast, and I put some Russian into use. Prostite Простите pro-STEE-tye is Russian for sorry, and we needed to use it extensively after one of the girls decided that bowling at the pins was a bit boring, so launched her ball into the bottom of the scoring screen high above us. We then hung out under the Bayterek – which we now call the World Cup – for a while before hitting the hay. Late.

After a minor scare of being woken up to a phone call saying that the bus was waiting for me we decided to take it easy on Tuesday by going for food on the far bank. Apparently it’s cheaper on the right side of the river than the left. The food was good, though parts of the menu made for interesting reading.

On the Wednesday we went for Uzbek food, which reminded me of Indian food but with more meat. It was tasty all the same. After eating we were entertained by performers, the final batch of whom were belly dancers. It seemed that they would dance in front of a man until he gave her some money, at which point she would storm off to someone else. Luckily, I was flanked by girls so no dancer could get near me or my precious tenge. Strangely, I did feel uncomfortable about taking photos of them – luckily my neighbour was on hand to do that for me!

A relaxing couple of days spent at friends’ houses and trying on winter hats that cost 40,000KZT (£170/$288) – they were very warm, and may be a good investment – we had our main event on Saturday. We were at a place called Guns ‘n’ Roses, which I would class as an expat place if there were more expats visible in Astana, and had free food and beer between 6pm and 8pm. You can imagine how that night went down. Piggybacks, passouts and prodigious amounts of vodka – fantastic fun.

All of this happened in someone’s apartment, and I feel that frolicks in people’s flats may become a common theme of our time here once the temperature starts to drop. It seems as though most of us are living in amazing places. Here are some pictures of my apartment. I have a lounge that is almost the same size as my whole Korean pad, in addition to a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom with double bed. Oh, and two balconies.

I am very pleased with where I am living, and very pleased to have had time to hang out with the people I will be working alongside. They are great fun, genuinely friendly and all wonderfully unique. I can’t complain with life at the moment!

Love you all

Matt