There were many more ups than downs in the two years that I spent in Kazakhstan, and the latest instalment of this blog will share one of my favourite days, as well as some other odd occurrences from the steppe…
I is for…Independence Day
Honourable mentions: Ishim
I’m not choosing this purely because it lands on my
birthday. The 20th Kazakh Independence Day was one of my favourite
experiences in Kazakhstan and, as with many of them, it was spontaneous in
nature.
I received a text saying that some sort of event was
happening in the large football arena. We squeezed ourselves onto a bus and
huddled to keep warm in temperatures of -31’C. After reusing tickets to get all
five of us into the stadium, we sat back and watched in awe as amazing
performances continued to illuminate the arena. The finale, in which a bayterek
inexplicably rose from the floor to become the centrepiece of the stadium, was
staggering for its creativity and execution.
The temperature had dipped to -35’C, and it took us a while
to get onto a bus to return us to the centre of the city. It was one of the
coldest experiences I have ever encountered, but also one of the most
spectacular days I spent in the steppe. It was a statement of intent from the
country, and I was delighted to be able to witness it.
J is for…jail
One of the more memorable weeks for me was when my friend
Carl came to visit. It was also one of the most eventful. After having
significant problems with his visa, he somehow managed to persuade officials in
Amsterdam airport that they had a computer error and that he should be going to
Kazakhstan. I greeted him with a punch in the stomach for the stress he had
caused, but was delighted that he had made it.
Once here, he made many friends, managed to come to the
beach in the Khan Shatyr on a VIP list, had a mini-meltdown and sat outside in
-30’C temperatures at 1am, went for a walk without correct shoes and got
serious chills, and had such an amazing time that he decided to extend his
stay. I loved his visit.
Carl also managed to do something that I simply did not
accomplish during my two years here – he got arrested. You don’t want to
experience everything a country has
to offer. To make a long, very funny story a bit shorter, he was mistaken for
an Uzbek terrorist by a police car, which consequently proceeded to pull over
to talk to him. Upon quickly realising that he was not Uzbek, they asked to see
his passport, which you are supposed to carry around at all times. Whoops…
Having missed the school bus, I received a phone call from
Carl briefly explaining the situation. He was in a holding cell with lots of
Uzbeks who had been rounded up. I then sprinted to the administration
department and managed to get some help. After a short wait a ‘fixer’ arrived,
and my HR manager and I got into his car. He then decided to drop off another
member of the admin team, before picking up a friend and dropping him off
somewhere else in the city. All the while, Carl is sat in a shabby, smelly room
and being called ‘David Beckham’.
Two hours after the phone call, we arrived at the icy
entrance of a small building with his passport in our hands. We were expecting
to have to hand other things in order to ensure his complete release. However,
our ‘fixer’ had a chat with the leading police officer, and all of our money
stayed in our pockets. Maybe there isn’t any corruption here after all…
Lesson to any future visitors: carry your passport.
K is for…'Kaz Time'
Honourable mentions: Kumis,
Khan Shatyr
If a table is booked with Kazakhs for 7pm, don’t arrive at
7pm. Don’t even arrive at 7.30pm. Similarly, don’t expect locals to arrive at a
house party until at least an hour after it starts.
The tone sounds harsh, but it is a mere reflection on the
society that doesn’t list punctuality as its number one target or
characteristic. It suggests that the country is more relaxed than a place such
as Germany, which has a stereotype for being very efficient and everything
running on time.
Some institutions here adopt ‘Kazakh time’ to the point
where they don’t even bother to offer times. The buses are an excellent example
of this. Ironically, the one person who went against the ‘Kaz time’ grain was
out landlady, who always arrived early to collect the rent. Nonetheless, ‘Kaz
time’ is a part of life that you have to accept and adapt to whilst in country.
L is for…lanterns
Honourable mentions: lights,
laghman
One of the stranger events that I witnessed in Astana was a
sea of love lanterns illuminating the sky. Aside from the massive problem of
health and safety associated with lighting these beacons in a crowded park full
of trees and branches, it was a time when it seemed that the youth of the city
came together in a display of happiness.
Lanterns were let off by couples, friends and families to
create an aurora above the strange skyline. It was also a sign that the winter
was finally over, and that warmer times were on their way.
M is for…McDonald’s
Honourable mentions: minus
40, music, Movember
People may find this a strange one. Those who have never
been to Kazakhstan will be confused that a global brand has been chosen. Those
who have lived in Kazakhstan will wonder why McDonald’s has been chosen. Why?
They’ll be confused because there is not a single McDonald’s
in the entire country. Indeed, Hardee’s and Burger King have only opened in
Kazakhstan within the last 12 months. It begs the question: is Kazakhstan
becoming more westernised, or is it trying to restrict the influence of
trans-national companies?
From what I can see, those who are living in Astana are
increasingly tuning into the demands and luxuries associated with
globalisation. Shopping centres have Debenhams, NEXT and United Colors of
Benetton. Indeed, the centres themselves closely resemble American malls, with
designated food courts offering a variety of tasteless food and KFC.
So why no golden arches? The biggest and busiest McDonald’s
outside of the USA can be found in a Russian-speaking country, in Moscow.
Rumours to explain their absence from the steppe range from President
Nazarbayev not wanting them to sell burgers at the expense of Kazakh food, to
the problems with finding a quality local supplier. Internet research suggests
that the distances between the cities may also be a factor. As long as
Kazakhstan still has shashlik, it won’t overly bother many in the country.
It does seem remarkable that, considering the money here,
there are so few international fast food outlets. This will inevitably change
as Astana evolves into a regional hub. Whether that will benefit the city or
impinge upon the Kazakh culture is yet to be foretold. Whatever happens, the
country is evolving, and it will be interesting to see what direction they
take.
Love you all,
Matt
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