Day 9

Aaaaaaaaargh. Now that’s off my chest I feel much better. The day has been crazy busy and tiredness still pervades my system, which didn’t help trying to get things organized (ooops, I’m slipping into US English spelling for all my work now). For example, I have to wait 3 months before I can get a second monitor for my PC. When trying to sign up for a trip to a major supermarket through the university, I had to find the Accounting Department, but no-one seemed to recall where they put it! It wasn’t where they had originally listed it, it wasn’t where the receptionist thought it was, nor the administrator in our department nor the receptionist of the next building. After wondering the grounds in sub-zero temperatures, checking a building that had no English speaking staff, I found a security guard who had photos of most rooms and buildings on his phone. So negotiated the tickets to go to this place called METRO, only to find out that despite what the handbook said, the bus does not go to METRO from where we live! Oh and I cannot have a refund.

Sunset on Riverside. 

Ultimately, it’s only a minor thing. But it suddenly highlighted what a number of people had spoken to me about life in Kazakhstan. It had taken the edge off, but I think I saw the first signs of culture shock. Or maybe culture exasperation… And yet, we got our passports back from the Immigration Police, with the right bits now present and correctly stamped. Hoping we can proceed to tax registration and opening a bank account. The system can work and the Kazkshtani are friendly and do try to help.

We saw photos of our new accommodation. There was little excitement. We are spoiled with Riverside and now most of the new intake have heard or seen Highvill, which is very plush too. Alas, we are being kicked out of Riverside (at some point) and the new place will be relatively smaller. Got to love that word “relatively”. Here I am slightly moaning at the frustration of today and an image forms in my mind of my time in Mumbai. I took a train through the city and saw the incredible divide between the have and the have nots. How wrong I was when I thought I saw the have nots in the shanty towns, until I saw those sleeping on the streets. No walls or roof at all. Must always remember that after looking up the slope at those better off in life, turn around and look down the slope at the billions staring at you, wishing for what you’ve got.

Ali was out for coffee with Janine. She braved a taxi across the city and again to get back to Riverside (okay so the taxi was organized by the University Helpdesk). Janine and Phil have an amazing heart for Kazakhstan and with their 3 and soon to be 4 children have been living here for a few years now and were able to give Ali some great advice. There’s internet home delivery shopping! Now we’ve got to find the number of an Indian takeaway – really missing a chicken balti.

Ray

ps. If you want to comment, then please follow this blog.