Sidewalk (& Parking) Culture

by Kevin

The forecast for today is sunny with a high of 95° F (35° C). It's hard to remember that a few months ago it was -40° F (-40° C). With summer in full swing, the hours of daylight in Astana are many and people are outside making up for months of arctic winter hibernation. It's much faster and easier to walk around town now than in winter, not just due to the warmer weather but because you get to use the full width of a sidewalk that doesn't have to be shoveled of snow and because there's no danger of slipping on patches of ice.

Summer; however, doesn't solve all pedestrian challenges. In fact some things actually get worse. Kazakhstanis like the Chinese have a habit of spitting on the sidewalk. In a culture that eschews blowing your nose in public, one must dodge vile globs of spittle. Apparently these were not visible on the snow and ice. (No photos necessary.) Nicer weather also brings outdoor construction and repair work. Much of that creates new obstacles to avoid.

That's quite a trench and moms pushing strollers navigate this too. Cross at your own risk.  

Was this filled with snow in winter?

And not to be forgotten, Astana has a parking culture in which cars constantly block sidewalks and crosswalks.

Yes, that car is parked-in by cars blocking the driveway.

And then there are sidewalks that just don't connect to anything.

Parking regulations and even parking meters are reported to be coming to Astana before the end of this year. Will Astana pedestrians see improvements?

[UPDATED] The other Kazakhstan, or a trip outside of Astana

by Robyn

We are urban dwellers. City people. and while I won't turn down a trip to a National Park, I'm not usually the one initiating those outings. And if like me, your tendency is to define "somewhere" as a metropolitan destination, Astana is in the middle of nowhere! Karaganda (population 465,000) is 3.5 hours by train (or longer in the winter).  Almaty, the closest legitimate city (1.5 million people), is 800 miles or an 1.5 hour flight away.

#nofilter

So, a combination of visa runs, settling in, and winter weather have meant that we have spent our time in Kazakhstan almost exclusively in Astana.  But! during the recent two week holiday period, a local friend invited us on a daytrip. Our first roadtrip!  Destination: Borovoe / Burabay.

Roadtrip!

A note:  most places now have Russian names and Kazakh names. This has added to our confusion and adds to the challenge of figuring things out.  It's usually easier for me to use the Russian names, although "Astana" is a Kazakh name.

Borovoe is the one destination within an easy distance of Astana that is being developed as a bonafide tourist destination.  

About 250 kilometers north northwest of Astana along a new, fast highway (tolls are rumored to be introduced in the next few years), Borovoe is a mountain resort with lakes, rocks, and a fair number of groomed trails. Winter sports focus on snow, and summer sports center on the water. 

Borovoe is the most common name for the area, which includes Lake Schuchinsk and Lake Borovoe, and a few small communities stretching along their shores, with smaller lakes in the near vicinity.  At a higher altitude than the Steppe, there are birch and pine forests, it's being marketed as "the Switzerland of Kazakhstan.". (It is a lovely place, but definitely not Switzerland.)   Accommodations range from the swish ($500+/night) to the rustic, and it seems that parking is a problem everywhere.

Daytrippers! Photo credit: Robyn

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  There's a lot of Kazakhstan between Astana and Borovoe!

Days are long at this time of year, and we took advantage, setting off with Sasha & Natasha, and Yegor & Aliya at 7am. Winding our way out of Astana, in just 15 minutes we were beyond our usual destinations, showing me how small our world has shrunk in the winter months.  

And Astana itself is bigger than I'd realized.  The older city has a residential core and gives way to industrial outskirts, finishing in municipal complexes, perhaps showing where the city expects to grow to in just a few years' time.  There are no big roads, not by Los Angeles standards at least, until we hit the highway which doesn't have a link to the central city.

And it doesn't take long until we see The Steppe. Wide, open spaces. Grasslands.  (Looks a lot like Nebraska to me.)  

Our driver is a chain smoker which meant we stopped about every hour or less for a break, at rest areas, service stations or the like.  Fine by me. 

Rest Area WC

About 9am our stop coincided with something that sounds like "butter bread"... a breakfast of savory open-face sandwiches of sausage and cheese, sliced cucumbers, and tea, of course.  (There's always tea).

No running water?

As we turn off the new road to head up to the lake, we stop for water in a village. and we immediately realize how little of Kazakhstan we've seen. And why Kazakhstan is considered a developing country.  

Far different from the space age architecture of Kazakhstan, this village is a step back in time.  The older homes are wood with detail and decoration, and "modern updates" of tin fences and the odd satellite dish. The newer homes are Soviet-era concrete block construction, making the dilapidated wooden homes seem like a row of quaint Victorians. 

Main street

Our water stop is on a half-paved road at a pump in the middle of the street. I presume there is running water in many of the homes, but Yegor tells me that his parents only got indoor plumbing two years ago, so maybe not?  The locals have seen it all before and we don't linger, but head up the road to the lake. 

Sasha and Natasha have been visiting the area for 20 years, and know lovely places to take us. 

First stop: at the throne of Ablay Khan.  A distant descendant of Genghis Khan, he was the leader who united the tribes of what is today northern Kazakhstan.  His ancient throne lies in a small valley ringed by rock formations, and marked by a white column with a golden eagle on top.  

Surrounded by a hedgehog-shaped hill (Do you see it?)

Up a small path is a sacred rock. If you circle it 7 times and throw a coin, Your Wish Will Come True. 

None of our friends know what these new markers are meant to represent.

Heritage marker

 Subsequent stops are hikes along rock walls, through pine forest, birch forests, on the lakeshore, at a local market, or for views of the famous rock formations.

The ladies. Natasha, Robyn, Aliya

lovestruck graffiti is universal

Make a wish by tying a ribbon on the tree

Kevin among the spruce

Smoked fish for sale

Farmer's market with produce for sale from Russia

Still a little snow on May 1

Flowers

On the shores of Lake Schuchinsk

We had to laugh - there are multiple legends about the rock formations at one end of Lake Borovoe...they are three sisters, they are an old woman, they are a prince turned into a crocodile, they are a mystery, they are...apparently Kazakh people love their legends.

Pick a legend

Our last two stops were for good eats!  First, for shashlik at their favorite Turkish place, and last, as their family tradition, for blini, before making the journey back to Astana.

"Shashlik" - although we didn't have it here, I just liked the sign

We didn't eat her shashlik either

Blinis (and of course more tea)

Cafe Petrovich

Just a day, but a glimpse of the rest of the country...newly motivated to explore some more!  Our future plans include trains, planes and automobiles to see more of the country. 

By the way, wherever we go, we will not forget to bring our mosquito repellant - those insects are HUGE here.

UPDATED: Borovoe is north northwest of Astana. 

You gotta have faith

by Robyn and Kevin

I'm sitting on our couch, laptop open at 6:44pm on a Monday, listening to some sounds of the city through open windows. Car alarms. Children playing on the playground in the courtyard. and today, when the wind is blowing in the right direction, the call to prayer.

To me, it remains a novelty to hear the call to prayer. It's only when I'm home at the right time of day with the windows open and the wind blowing the right way, usually a mellow chant carried by an evening breeze.

Urban Kazakhstan seems to be pretty secular, but Kazakhs are traditionally Muslim. Now that we're past the season of coats and hoods, we are noticing more signs of religious observance, mostly in the form of women wearing headscarves. In the city it's a small percentage (maybe 2-3%) and tends to be older women, but I suspect it's a higher proportion in villages.  Of our acquaintances and friends here, none have discussed attending religious services or personal faith with us, although my Kazakh colleagues seem to expect that major life events, particularly weddings will be held at the mosque.

I think 95% of the mosques I have visited in my life have been in the company of our dear friend, Diane ... including the mosques of Kazakhstan. Thanks to Diane I have learned that many mosques, including Astana's, are open to the public. When entering the prayer areas, you'll remove your shoes and women will have to cover their head and/or body depending on the mosque.  Diane and I spent a weekend in Almaty in January and caught the end of the late afternoon prayer at a large mosque near Panfilov Park where we were warmly welcomed by the women, and even given some books on Islam.

Astana has two showcase mosques near the national mall in the middle of the city.  At one end the Nur-Astana Mosque, is a gift of the Emir of Qatar. At the other, a stone's throw from the White House (and ironically showcased in our photos from the military parade on Defending the Fatherland Day) is the Hazret Sultan Mosque.

Nur-Astana Mosque

Hazret Sultan Mosque

(Fun fact: the Hazret Sultan Mosque has a surprisingly tasty and reasonably priced restaurant. No, you can't get pork.)

There is also a much smaller mosque down the street from us.

Our Neighborhood (Chubary) Mosque

Other faiths are represented in Astana as well. We sometimes pass by the Assumption (Russian Orthodox) Cathedral, and the Beit Rachel Synagogue.

Assumption Cathedral

Cathedral of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (Catholic)

Beit Rachel Synagogue

There is a small group of members of our own Christian faith here, and services are regularly held in a rented space in a three-story commercial building.  Proselytizing in Kazakhstan is not allowed except by individuals who receive government permits to preach. There are currently four full-time young volunteers working in Astana (2 men and 2 women) who are part of a group based in Novosibirsk, Russia, as well as a retired couple working on humanitarian projects.  The local community consists of about a dozen natives, and a rotating group of expats, typically families either working for the US government or at a local university. This group is so small it is not an official congregation, rather a sub-unit affiliated with a congregation in Almaty, 800 miles away.

Some have recently questioned the government's comfort with religious beliefs outside of the main sanctioned religions. A US government official has even raised the matter in relation to a law that took effect about two years ago requiring all religions to re-register with the Kazakh government.

Have you ever attended worship services in a foreign country? 

Ladies and Gentlemen...

by Robyn

Part of the fun of living abroad are the opportunities that sometimes arise simply because "you're not from around here."  One friend hosted a radio program when she was one of just two foreigners living in a third-tier Chinese city. Another became a regular on a morning TV program in Japan. One time in Korea, my travel companions were interviewed for the nightly news for their thoughts on the kimchi festival we attended that day (slow day in news?). And over the course of the years I've been wined and dined or upgraded (and yes, downgraded, too) simply for being a foreigner.

The latest in our personal chronicle of Expat Adventures came about this week.  A friend's husband is very involved with the local classical music scene, and through this connection we helped review some of the translations of promotional materials for a new competition for young pianists, the Astana Piano Passion (alas, we were not asked to comment on the competition name!). 

This contest seems to be a pretty well-funded initiative, consistent with impressive levels of spending in support of the arts locally. Astana regularly brings in world-class musicians for performances to grace the stages of its arts venues include both the neo-classical Opera House and the Manfredi Nicoletti-designed National Concert Hall, the former dripping with gold leaf, crystal chandeliers and marble floors, the latter with Steinway grand pianos and state-of-the-art acoustics.

Inside the Opera House

Opera House foyer

Kazakhstan National Concert Hall

Kazakhstan National Concert Hall foyer

Under the Artistic Direction of Denis Matsuev, a pretty big deal in the classical music world and in the Russian-speaking world (Fun Fact #1: he played during the Olympics closing ceremonies at the Sochi Games; Fun Fact #2: he's played at the Hollywood Bowl), in its first year it drew mostly a regional (i.e., Russian-speaking) crowd. Now in its second year, the contestants and jury members included those from Europe, Korea, Japan, China, in addition to Georgia, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine...and of course, Kazakhstan.

Denis Matsuev in Sochi

Taking place over a week, the competition consisted of opening and closing showcase concerts, live semi-final rounds, master classes and social activities for the contestants, and a final round of competitions. Prizes include cash for contestants - and in a nice touch, their teachers, as well as scholarships to music summer camps and festivals, in addition to all expense-paid trips to Astana for the event itself.  Much of the program was livestreamed on the internet.  Altogether it's a pretty impressive effort.

In addition to a glamorous Kazakh & Russian-speaking hostess, they also wanted an English-speaking host. And none other than the silver-toned Kevin got the job. 

Kevin on stage announcing at the Kazakhstan National Concert Hall

For all of the competition rounds, Kevin found himself introducing the jury, the contestants and their programs - which was harder than it sounds. Try your hand at some of the contestant names:

Sanzharali Nurlanaliuly Kopbayev 

Gleb-Joseph Sergeevich Romanchukevich 

Sanzhar Mukhtarovich Zulруkharov 

And, for the musicians out there, try your hand at some of the contestant's pieces.  The 10-17 year old pianists were required to choose a piece by a Kazakhstani composer.  Bonus: sheet music is available for free download.

I was able to attend a number of the events as well, and wander between backstage with Kevin the front of the stage to watch the musicians.  We certainly saw our share of Tiger Moms - those prodigies are not all self-created!, and sweet moments...like the tiny Japanese pianist who came out on stage in her fancy floor-length gown but before she could play she got under the piano to install her own pedal booster... and then got back down to disassemble and take it with her after playing her pieces.  

But our favorite musician, both backstage and from the audience, was the gracious and talented Alexandru-Cadmiel Boţac, from Romania.  You may want to remember his name. 

Alexandru-Cadmiel Boţac

Backstage, Kevin noted that he was the calmest and friendliest of all the musicians. (He also spoke English very well, which made it possible to chat with him), and while his mother was with him, we only learned who she was on the final day of competition. No Tiger Mom there.  And from an audience-member perspective, I'm certainly not an expert, but it was clear to me that his performances were compelling - more controlled in dynamics, strong technique, and really, the most sophisticated of the contestants. The audience and orchestra gave him a standing ovation for his final round performance and wouldn't stop until he played an encore, one of his own compositions.  I won't be surprised to hear of him going far.

We attended the Closing Concert as "civilians" and enjoyed seeing the kids we've been watching all week receive their awards.  Alas, due to a doozy of a cold I passed on the Gala, and Kevin, always the gentleman, escorted me home as well.  We were sad to miss the final opportunity to celebrate with our favorite prodigies.

In case you are now so interested that you want to know more, the final concert is posted on YouTube, featuring performances by all the first prize winners, Denis Matsuev, and the Astana Symphony. There are probably worse ways to spend two hours, but not sure that it merits a full screening. For a flavor of the announcers you just have to go a few minutes in... as Kevin doesn't speak Kazakh he wasn't eligible to do this event, but he's already been asked to host again next year if we're still in Astana.

And if you know any talented young pianists, tell them to start preparing.  The next competition will take place at the same time next year.

Piano prodigies. and 10 year old boys.

[UPDATED] I Love a Parade

[Updated below with a link to a news story on the parade.]

written by Kevin

We're in the middle of a three day holiday in Kazakhstan. (Didn't we just have two holidays last week?) Yesterday was Defender of the Fatherland Day, a new official holiday celebrated here on May 7 for only the second year. Tomorrow is Victory Day. Today, I guess, is just a holiday to connect the two so we're on a road trip with colleagues to get out of Astana and see a national park. More on that later.

Robyn and I made sure to find our way to the big military parade yesterday. With many roads closed and buses to the parade route filled beyond capacity, we walked the two miles there. We were not alone. With lots of sunshine and a breeze, it was a great day for a walk -- and a parade. 

We searched for a good location to watch the parade but really had no idea what would be best. First we tried one site next to the US Embassy but we felt claustrophobic with the crowds and it was hard to see much of the road. After a walk to a spot a block away, we found ourselves closer to a review stand and with a slightly raised ledge to stand on. It turned out to be a much better if not ideal view. We even saw Kazakhstan's President (for Life) zoom by us before his car stopped and he got out to wave to the crowd and jump in a convertible complete with a standing platform so he could continue waving. (Sorry, but I was too slow on the shutter to catch him with my camera.) The Khazret Sultan Mosque was the background for most of what we saw. There was lots of military hardware on display. Soldiers, trucks, tanks, anti-aircraft guns, missiles and jets. (Some would say it was ALL of the country's military hardware.) Much ribboned hardware on the chests of officers and veterans too. Things ended in a flourish with a smoke-filled sky fountain pattern courtesy of six MiGs. 

When's the last time you saw a military parade? 

Where are those missiles pointed?

A fly-by with colored smoke to match the Kazakh flag. 

Photo with a pretty girl

"I want to be a soldier."

(Pardon the brief writing. We're mobile today and don't have access to the best blogging tools.)

[Update: Additional photos are available at Tengrinews.kz]