Amazing World: Kok Zhailyau, Kazakhstan

Kok Zhailayu, near Almaty, Kazakhstan:

Amazing World: Kolsay Lakes and Charyn, Kazakhstan

Middle Kolsay Lake (Mynzholky), Kolsay Lakes National Park, Almaty Oblast, Kazakhstan:

Charyn Canyon, Almaty Oblast, Kazakhstan:

Some photos from a short hiking trip in the mountains next to Almaty

A proof that environmentally friendly behaviour makes economic sense

One thing I enjoy about living in Almaty, Kazakhstan is an abundant supply of fresh and tasty vegetables, fruits and berries - with so much sun and Uzbekistan (with several harvest a year) being relatively close one gets much better selection than in the Northern Europe.

I do the shopping of fruits and vegetables at the same small store run by a Tajik family. All the berries are packaged in plastic containers like this (and the rest of fruits and vegetables in the countless plastic bags) which come "for free":

It is not a secret that production and throwing away the plastic has created a gigantic problem for the nature - and it only gets worse. So what I did is basically re-using those plastic containers - washing them and bringing back to the family I buy berries from. I did it few times already - and the guys were positively surprised (recycling is not very "in" in Kazakhstan unfortunately).

What have I gotten in return besides a good feeling of doing something good for the environment? Discounts on every shopping I do there plus selection of the freshest stuff (the seller guys have become much more helpful and started to treat me with more special care "Do not take these tomatoes, let me pick better ones for you"). So, every time I go there I not only get a little bit less costly shopping, but also fresh selection - which means less potential waste and less need for an additional shopping.

Environmental behaviour can result in a win-win-win situation (for the seller, for the buyer and for the environment!

Summer in Kazakhstan

I have not posted here anything for a while. The reason has been that I did not want to :) I had an excellent summer - finishing up my first (out of two) year of Master studies in Oslo, spending two weeks in Estonia with the friends and with the family, then going for five weeks to Kazakhstan, followed by a short stop in Estonia and small trip to Lithuanian sea-coast with Siim and Peep.

Now I am back to Norway, but I would say a couple of words about my visit to Kazakhstan again. It was an interesting feeling to come back to the country (and to the city - Almaty) where I had spent one year of my life in 2007-2008. It seemed so different, yet so close and so familiar. After first couple of days of re-integration, I started to feel OK, just like a year ago. Not so many things have changed since 1-2 years ago. Perhaps the traffic in Almaty has become somewhat better due to much larger-than-before fines from the road polices.


Two things I have loved the most about Kazakhstan have fortunately not changed either. First, people who are dear to me. Second, breathtaking nature - mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes. I was lucky enough to be able to go to the mountains twice with one night spent in a tent. There are just some pictures here illustrating the beauty of this country.

Women will save the world

I currently live in Norway, which is one of the wealthiest countries in the world - it has among the highest GDP per capita. Recent Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum reveals that Norway also leads the world in closing the gender gap between men and women. I live in the country which provides the most equal opportunities for women in social, political, economical and health terms.

Coincidence?

The report shows that by far not. Although not 1:1, there is a very clear evidence of correlation of prosperity of the nation and its ability to close the gap between men and women.

I have recently spoken to one smart Norwegian businessman/traveller/anthropologist (he has probably visited over 100 countries during his life) in his 50s. He said he did not believe the society was able to advance very much on the long run if women were not given opportunity to influence events there. Indeed, women save by nature - social welfare, state harmony, social security - all that is rather typical for females. Conquest, competition and risk - those are words rather typical for men. As one my male friend from Latvia put it in a straightforward way: while women care about agreement and harmony, men simply put their d***s on the tables and start to compare their size.

All in all, it is not that black and white, but I am a firm believer that no society will ever achieve a peace and harmony within itself and with the others unless women there are given opportunity to fully participate in the social, economic and political life of the country.

Interesting: Estonia has 37th rank, Kazakhstan 45th and Croatia 46th rank among 130 countries which have been assessed. Croatia dropped dramatically (I wonder where this drop is coming from?). Kazakhstan scores almost the best in this list among the countries with predominantly Muslim population, which is yet another example of how big potential this country has if things will be led in the right direction.

Finished my term in Kazakhstan

Since couple of days ago I am not the President of AIESEC in Kazakhstan any more. Since couple of days ago I do not have particular role in AIESEC any more. There are still quite some things to finalize, but nevertheless – a huge period of my life is coming to the end. I am becoming AIESEC alumni. 5 years, which were given to this organisation, were just amazing years of my life.

The ones who have not been members of AIESEC, can't fully understand me. But hundreds of my good friends all around the world can surely connect themselves very well with what I am writing about. I will be AIESECer till the end of my life, continuing to strive for better world inside and around me, while not being idealistic dreamer, but being executor, leader and initiator of positive change.

A change agent.

Yeah. It's me. Nice to meet you all. :)

I am extremely happy that I was given chance to finish my AIESEC career while having been the first President of independent AIESEC in Kazakhstan, a new expansion country in global AIESEC network. It was very hard time for me in the beginning, but the more I stayed in Kazakhsan, the more I loved the job I was doing and the country I was living in.

I may write more about Kazakhstan in the future, but what I truly value about this country is people. Despite all big problems Kazakhstan is facing (corruption, ecology, weak governance, highly unequal distribution of incomes), there is so much beauty in local people.

Part of this beauty was my work with new Initiative Groups. Since a few years ago I got an idea that organisation like AIESEC should be represented everywhere to give equal opportunity for all young people of my age. I can proudly say that I contributed quite a lot to this vision of mine during my last year in AIESEC. I established (with the help of certain people) four Initiative Groups in four cities where there has never been AIESEC before. Kostanay, Astana, Pavlodar and Oskemen - all these cities got Initiative Groups of AIESEC.

Work with bright young people who are eager to learn, eager to work, eager to do something useful for themselves and for their community in cities outside of Almaty, where there are so little opportunities for young people - that was probably the best part of my being President of AIESEC in Kazakhstan. Very open, nice, hospitable people not only showed their cities and nature around to me, they have also shown part of their soul. There can hardly be anything else as amazing as that.

As for my other job - managing National PR Association of Kazakhstan, this task is coming to the end too. Yesterday I had the final meeting with the Board of Association. They expressed their satisfaction with my work and I expressed my gratefulness for them trusting a guy from Estonia to be given very responsible task to accomplish.

I am grateful for another amazing year of my life. I am grateful for opportunity to live in highly dynamic interesting society. I am grateful for having experienced the hardest times of my life which have taught me to appreciate small things. I am grateful to all kind people of Kazakhstan who have made this year an exceptional time for me. I am grateful for having gotten some very dear people for me.

Kazakhstan has become another important country for me. Estonia, Croatia and Kazakhstan are three country I am strongly associating myself with.

I will be in Estonia on 23rd of June.

I am going to come back here in Kazakhstan. That's for sure.

Initiative Group Kostanay

Initiative Group Astana

Initiative Group Pavlodar

Initiative Group Oskemen

Non-controversial beauty of nature in Kazakhstan

I have been for 10 months in Kazakhstan!

It is a controversial country for me - it has many positive as well as negative sides. Its cities are controversial for me - I have not seen any which would pretend to be anyhow charming (although for example Almaty has its positive sides as well).

As all Europeans who come to Kazakhstan say - things made by man here are not that interesting...

Model of Kazakhstan's society is controversial as well - many things are hard to get used to for European.

And behaviour of people and their relations towards each other, towards state and towards environment is controversial as well.

However, one thing cannot be controversial for anyone - Kazakhstan is very beautiful country in terms of its nature. Its vast territory (9th largest country in the world) contains such a great variety of natural beauty!



Luckily, me and my friend Jaan had chance to prove it once again for ourselves - both of us took a vacation (Jaan came here from Estonia, I love you, Air Baltic!) and went for a week to Southern Kazakhstan. We spent 6 wonderful days in Sairam, Lenger, Kaskasu, Aksu-Zhabagly, having visited two National parks.

We had chance to experience network of CBT (community-based tourism) when rural communities of people organize network and facilities t provide tourism services - accommodation, food, excursions, guides. Its value lies in the fact that one has chance to spend time with people living there. One feels more like a guest, rather than a client. It was great opportunity to experience hospitality and traditions of Kazakh and Russian-Kazakh families we stayed with.

Photo album with photos of amazing nature from this trip can be found here:
picasaweb.google.com/deniss.rutsheikov

AIESEC in Kazakhstan

To manage my life or to live it?

I am in the period of my life when I don't simply live. I manage.

Of couse, everyone of us manages his/her own life and all parts which constitute it. I have done it eversince I became completely independent from my parents - both regarding decision-making and finances - since about five years ago.

But now I feel that it's far too easy to forget to simply live.

I am the manager of AIESEC country, responsible for one Local Committee and three extension Local Committees - all in four different cities, responsible for the team of four people, responsible for my organisation within international network, responsible for the budget and all financial transactions.

I am the manager of National PR Association of Kazakhstan, responsible for execution of all the work planned for it, responsible for financial transactions and all activities happening there.

I am the manager of part of one business idea with few of my friends. This part of this idea lies solely on me, there is no-one else able to manage it at the moment.

I am the manager of my house - there is no home-owner or some higher institution to say anything to, I have to pay all the bills, clean everything, repair all inconsistencies, communicate with all communal service providers myself.

I am the manager of my food consumption - three times a day, seven days a week I need to prepare something for me to eat, there is no-one to provide me with any food.

I am the manager of my body - being currently sick, I have to take care of myself, while buying and consuming all medicine stuff which I consider as relevant for intake.

I am the manager of my relationships - all people somehow dear to me, expect me to take a role of the manager of the relationships, because I have unconsciously agreed on this role. I need to fulfill these expectations.

But I don't give up. I don't intend to turn my life into practice of management theories, although I need to use their lessons in order to... to manage all of that...

I attended my last big AIESEC conference as a delegate, International Presidents Meeting in Macedonia in the end of February. Interesting observation: there were at least four people who have known me since at least a year ago and who said I looked somehow sad, somehow too calm.

No, I am not sad. It just confirms that I don't show up that much energy and enthusiasm as I used to - I believe I have been known for that in AIESEC for a long time.

My experience in Kazakhstan has changed me. Indeed, I became more pragmatic, less naive, more realistic, more calm.

Nevertheless, although I may not seem that energetic and optimistic anymore, I have not lost my desire to live my life. Not to manage it.

Because everything I do right now - AIESEC, PR Association, business idea development etc - it all makes sence. It all is a part of making my life and surroundings a better place.

All my relationships make sense too. They all are a part of my own universe and I am a part of their universes, because I want to belong there.

My life makes sense. My life is beautiful. And I need to write it here in order not to forget its true meaning.

Beauty next to me

Beuaty has always played an important role in my life. There just should be beauty around me. And Almaty surely has it around - mountains! And I have beauty next to me...

One thing I realized once again is that I love winter. I mean real winter, with a lot of snow. I prefer it to hot summer.

New Year's eve and Christmas in Almaty were actually cool. I spent them with local aiesecers. We had a lot of fun...

New year was marked with the new job I've got. I am starting to contribute to development of PR market in Kazakhstan in addition to what I am doing in AIESEC. I will need to combine two jobs, but the life will become much more exciting instead! ;)

It is great to spend one year of my life in Kazakhstan because...

Having re-read my few previous postings, I’ve noticed that I sound rather negative in them. To not confuse anyone and myself, I would just say that my experience in Kazakhstan in unique and I would not change it for anything else at this moment of my life.

It is indeed hard, sometimes harder than I thought it would be. But as one writer said – “Our best teacher is the one called Life”. And I completely agree with that. Life has brought indeed quite many lessons into my life during past five months.

How to lead the processes in an organisation in conditions of lacking any kind of resources?

What does it mean to build an ideology of an organisation?

How does it feel when you need to be an example for others in times of emotional exhaustion of yourself?

How to manage relationship of key people of an organisation, who don’t care about each other, are having past conflicts in mind, and you are in the middle of it all?

How to combine dealing with establishment of hundreds of small details, while not losing the focus?

How to be able to find lots of information by yourself in a foreign country without getting upset that things are moving far too slowly?

How to build trust to yourself on behalf of people whose trust you need?

How to see beauty around you in conditions when you can’t accept ugliness of certain constant actions of others?

This is the list of some lessons I have got during recent months. I am grateful for that.

Now I feel like I want to share the things which I like and appreciate about Kazakhstan, because there can be impression from my previous posts that I don’t feel myself very comfortable in this country. Although there are things here which I honestly dislike and I don’t see myself living here in the long run (like in any other country except Estonia, which is still my home and there I plan to be), I find that Kazakhstan has many things making it worth spending one year of my life here.

• Kazakhstan and its people are quite tolerant towards different nationalities, religions, diverse outlooks. Kazakhstan has around 130 nationalities and they all live in peace. That is one thing local people are proud about. As nationalism and ethical/religious chauvinism is the thing I probably hate the most in this world, I appreciate Kazakhstan in this sense. Unlike almost all post-Soviet countries (including Estonia, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Tajikistan, Moldova and others), Kazakhstan has not had any serious internal conflicts on ethical or religious ground. I believe there is quite a lot to learn from Kazakhstan in this sense.

• Internal tolerance is reflected in peaceful external relations of a state. Kazakhstan has good relations with Russia, China, EU, Turkey, even USA. The country is not building its foreign policy on having explicit or implicit enemies (like many states including Estonia or Russia unfortunately do).

• If one wants to experience complete freedom and amazing unity with the Nature, he/she must come to Kazakhstan. Its steppes, deserts, mountains, wonderful lakes and rivers all constitute amazing space to be with your thoughts and with yourself. Enormous territory of the country offers many amazing spots to be discovered…

• There are a lot of well-educated, smart people who care about their country and about its people. One great thing is that some of such people I know are AIESEC members and AIESEC alumni.

• Although with some local specifics, there are quite favourable conditions for doing business in Kazakhstan. If you have entrepreneurial spirit, your own head and knowing right people, you may be able to make good profits out of many untaken spots.

• Probably single the most important reason why it is worth to spend one year of my life here is that by now I’ve got few people who became my friends, whom I trust and who I care about.
  

About being arrested in Kazakhstan and about simple leaders

I have not written here anything for a long time. The situation with internet did not improve anyhow - I still don't have it at home / in the office.

About International Congress and holidays in Turkey

In the end of August I went to Turkey for almost three weeks. There was International Congress of AIESEC in Istanbul for a little bit more than two weeks. The internationalism of International Congress - more than 100 nationalities represented - is amazing. Even more amazing is the fact that all of these people are young leaders in their own communities, so a lot of them are quite exceptional individuals. I had several interesting talks. I noticed once again that I am not content with the role of following the process. I like to lead it. It was a little but unusual to spend almost two weeks without explicit role for yourself, but just being one of many.

t was also a little bit unusual to represent Kazakhstan, not Estonia at international conference. I think I managed it well (you can see me on the picture in Kazakh national clothes along with Mari and Kadi from Estonia).

Unloyal to my organisation to say, but the holidays after the conference were perhaps even better experience for me than the conference itself.

I went to Cesme, a resort town next to Izmir, for three days. I spent these days with a good friend of mine - Andim, a Turkish girl I met in Berlin, when we both were interns there. She is extremely intelligent young lady, but also funny, nice and kind person. I wish the world would have more people like her...

Holidays in Cesme was a classical holiday-time - taking sun, going to the beach, swimming in the sea, good food, ice-creams, boat-trips, excursions. It was wonderful. Just doing nothing. Three days was enough, though. It is just not in my nature to spend too much time doing nothing.

After that I went to Izmir, where I was hosted for few days by Riza - former President of AIESEC in Izmir, we were working together in Russian conference this summer. As I predicted, I liked Izmir, this town next to the sea-cost very much. It reminded me a little bit of Split in Croatia and Alexandria in Egypt (though I have a feeling that nothing can ever be as beautiful as Split for me).

That was the second time I visited Turkey. And second time I realized that I like this country. I hope the internal situation in the country will improve and it will become ready to get a membership of EU in some years. Europe needs Turkey and Turkey needs Europe, otherwise Muslim fundamentalism and Turkish nationalism will keep on strengthening there.

About services in Kazakhstan

Service area in Kazakhstan is simply bad. I did not like Egyptian way of servicing either, where people are ready to jump on you just for the sake of servicing you (and getting money for that, of course) -it was just way too annoying. But Kazakhstan has another extreme - Soviet-like attitude "I don't really care whether you will spend your money here or not, you probably don't have choice anyway. And besides - why are you interrupting me from reading the newspaper and eating my peanuts?"

Kusjuures Eestis on ka palju ilminguid sellisest teeninduskultuurist, kuid siin riigis on see kordades hullem. Inimesed lihtsalt ei oska teenindada. Nad ei viitsi teha midagi ekstra, et kliendil oleks hea - alates poe sisekujundusest l6petades viisakusega.

But that's not the fault of servicemen. The clients are often extremely arrogant. I witnessed few times already when people were actually quarrelling in the shops simply because of not caring about each other at all.

That's another side of these societies, which call themselves hospitable: if you are a friend or a relative, you will be given literally everything in order to make your stay as good as possible; but if you happen to be a stranger, why should anyone care about you?

About being arrested in Kazakhstan

The date before I am writing this posting was the day I spent under arrest (exactly 24 hours). That was an interesting experience... It happened, when I went to Northern Kazakhstan in order to visit three cities during two weeks with a purpose to establish AIESEC there.

In the first city, the capital Astana, I succeeded. There were several dozens of people recruited, I held many meetings and presentations. Guys started to work.

From there, I went to another city, Ust-Kamenogorks, by train. No-one told me that this train will cross the territory of Russia of about 40-50 kilometers (the railroad was built during Soviet time, when there was no border inbetween).

In other circumstances it would be enough. But not when you are crossing the national border between Kazakhstan and Russia. So, I was taken off the train by Kazakh border and customs soldiers (somehow, I feel good that it was not Russians, as my experience with Russian border and customs has never been a pleasant one).

I spent 24 hours under arrest, occasionally going out with one officer for having food in local canteen and for visiting toilet outside. I was sleeping just on my clothes on the tables, which I put together - not the most comfortable way of sleeping...

The Kazakh soldiers were actually pleasant people, they had every right to keep me there. They were rather bored in this tiny dirty village, where they worked, so presence of Estonian working in Kazakhstan and traveling around the country was rather amusing for them. We have talked about all kind of topics and finally they released me.

Freedom is like the air we breathe - you can understand a true value of it, only once you are staying without it...

I was kept in the chamber with two guys, who had been taken off the train one day earlier. One of them was a Kyrgyz guy in his 40s, who is actually a citizen of Russia, but went back to Kyrgyzstan, committed some crime there and was put to jail for two years. Another one is a 59-years-old Russian guy, who had worked illegally in Kazakhstan for four years already.

Not the nicest company to spend 24 hours, one may think.

Add to this that in the very train I was taken off from, I was sitting together with six members of one Gipsy family - a dad, a mom and four children, who all shouted, played with all possible things in the train and needed a constant attention.

To be honest, I enjoyed this trip with Gipsy family - they were nice, though poor people, with whom we shared our food.

And I enjoyed staying together with these two older men next to me. There was just such a situation, when all three of us, under different circumstances, got together into one room. It was very uniting.

The men had experienced the things I have never been through myself. As we had plenty of time to stay together with, we talked and talked and talked (to be more precise, two men mainly talked and I was mainly asking)... Kyrgyz guy managed to buy a vodka through one of the soldiers - two men were drinking, I took couple of shots for solidarity as well.

One of them - this second Russian guy - impressed me a lot with his life-story. I created a new term to call people like him - a simple leader.

About a simple leader Sergey

Sergey - that's how the man is called - was born in 1952 in one small village. When he turned 14, he decided to start to live independently from his parents. His father approved the wish of his son, saying that he is free to do everything in his life which won't put his family to be ashamed of him.

Sergey went to bigger town nearby his village and went to study a technical specialty of tractor driver. After he graduated, he decided to travel around, having just sixteen years of live passed. During next years he traveled all around Soviet Union - starting from the most northern areas of Russia, ending with Caucasian mountains of Chechnya, doing all kind of possible jobs.

Then he married for the first time. His wife was cheating him, spending family's money on herself and her lover. Sergey left a house to his former wife and went to the army.

Sergey was a tall, strong man, who got an attention of recruiting officers. He got "a special task", true purpose of which he got to know just few years later...

He was sent to Navy in northern seas of Soviet Union. He served his duty on the atomic submarines, being an underwater engineer - meaning that he repaired submarines under the water. The job was dangerous and atomic submarines were, understandably, a secrete place to work. Sergey was earning much more than the ordinary soldiers.

Once their submarine heard S.O.S. signals from a ship in neutral waters. It was U.S. ship. Sergey and his team rescued the ship from some underground plants, which prohibited ship to move on. Americans invited Sergey and his team to their ship. It was the very end of 1970s, high-time of Cold War.

Sergey saw VHS and porn movie for the first time. He was describing amusement of American soldiers, when they were looking at Soviet man in his late 20s, who saw porn movie for the first time in his life. Then Sergey was teaching Americans to drink Russian vodka. Of course, they did not learn it :) Grateful Americans gave Sergey and his team 1000 USD each.

1000 USD in the end of 1970s in USSR - it was more than a dream. In addition, a good salary Sergey got from his dangerous post in the Navy. After 1,5 years serving in the Navy he got vacations and went home. He flied home through Moscow and went to the special shop, where you could buy stuff only for foreign currency. A stuff, which was not available for an ordinary Soviet citizen. Sergey spent all his Dollars for presents for his parents and other close relatives. Giving these presents out was one of the happiest moments in his life, he said.

In the middle of vacations, once, when Sergey came back home in the evening, he saw his parents wearing black and being sadder than usually. They just got the news that Sergey is being sent to Afghanistan with a special task. That was the task he was recruited and prepared in the submarine for.

He spent four years, fighting a war in Afghanistan, needless war, as Sergey told. Sergey crashed 27 guns of enemy. He got several awards. Once he rescued fifty-two young 18-19-years-old Soviet boys, who were just sent there from their homes. They were sent to very dangerous cave by one officer, who knew that they will most probably get killed. Sergey came there alone, called helicopter and crashed the enemy. He got injured and did not hear anything for one month. After he came back from hospital, the first thing he did, was going to this officer, who sent young boys to the cave, and throwing the full glass of water against the officer. Sergey missed, he said.

The consequences of that could be severe - the officer had higher rank than Sergey. Sergey was rescued by a Colonel, who knew about his bravery. Sergey said about the whole story and the officer was dismissed.

Sergey described how he and his men distributed food among the locals and how he let go several captured Afghanis, whose only fault was that Talibani men came to their village and gave them two choices: whether they will join their army or Talibani will kill all their families, rape their mothers, wives and daughters and burn down their houses.

Then Sergey suddenly cursed (the only time I heard him cursing) on Soviet officials and the war and started to count, how many friends did he lose in Afghanistan. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13... I saw the tears on his face... Sergey, Kyrgyz man and me took a shot of vodka each in complete silence. We did not talk for some mintes at all. Something magical was in this moments of silence...

After Sergey came back from the army, he got married with Tatyana, who accompanied the man for whole his life eversince. He got to know Taytana through a friend and said that the very moment he saw her was the "moment of truth" for him - he knew he was going to marry her.

Sergey did a lot of different jobs. His favourite one was driving a tractor in fields. He said that unlike many other men, he treated his tractor as a part of his own. Sergey won several prizes as the best tractor-driver in the area. His secret was, he said, that he spoke with his machine, he knew every part of it and every mood of it.

Four years ago, Sergey went to Almaty, because of better salaries there. By that time he had three children already. Sergey and Tatyana are workers in Almaty - they renovate apartments. Sergey tells he can do basically everything - from electricity till walls in the toilets. He said he has to refuse from many jobs - so big is the demand for his services. He showed me all kind of tools he had with him - he was going to Russia to repair the apartment of his elder daughter.

Sergey said that all the money he is earning (and he is earning quite a lot, he said), he sends back to Russia for his three children and six grandchildren. He said he has enough money for a travel, for necessary clothes and for food. The rest is going to his family.

When I asked, what is Sergey especially proud about his life, he said that he never lied to anyone.

A simple leader is simply honest.

Almaty: the city, where I am going to spend one year

What is actually Kazakhstan?

Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest country in the world by area, but it is only the 62nd country in population. The population in 2006 is estimated at 15,300,000. Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world.

The economic development of the country has been rapid recently. GDP growth constantly exceeded 9% since 2000. So, similiar to Estonia. One of missions is to find out, what is such growth based on.

What is actually Almaty?

Like in many other countries in the world, the capital and the rest of teh country are two different worlds.

Officially, the capital of the country is Astana in the centre of the country. Almaty was the capital before the mid-1990s. Almaty people call the city "Southern capital". So far, it is still financial and business centre of Kazakhstan and the whole central Asia.

Big part of oil incomes (Kazakhstan has vast natural resources, including petrolium and natural gas) flows in to Almaty. One can truly see it. The city is booming. Young people are fashionable. I have never seen so many expensive clothes trends of boutiques like in Almaty. I have neved seen so many expensive cars like in Almaty.

K6ik need, kes arvavad, et kogu Kesk-Aasia on mingi m6ttetult vaene regioon, oleksid v2ga yllatunud, avastades, et Almaty meenutab m6nda rikast USA v6i L22ne-Euroopa linna teatud Aasia omap2raga. See muidugi kajastub ka hindades. Almaty on 30. linn maailmas oma kalliduse poolest.

Economic development has some negative sides as well. Like in big Chinese coastal cities, the main issue here is environment. There are many cars and terrible traffic jams. Almaty is situated in the valley, which makes the circulation of teh air just minor here.

That all compensates with the fact that Almaty is very green city. Indeed, in Soviet times it was known as the garden-city. There are plenty of green alleys, parks and gardens everywhere. I truly enjoy it.

The best part of this city for me are neighbouring mountains. They are simply amazing. Me and Viljo had chance to get proof of that during three-days trip to the mountains next to it. Although it was raining and tehre was not that much sun, the views were breathtaking.

Matk m2gedesse on v2ga eriline syndmus. Nagu kunagi ytles yks my s6ber Slovakkiast, ei l2he halb inimene m2gedesse. T6epoolest, 6hk on seal nii puhas ja loodus nii imeline, et k6ik tumedad m6tted lihtsalt kaovad 2ra ja j22b vaid meelerahu.

How I am doing?

So far, I live in one-room apartment, which is cool. The AIESEC work will be definetely challenging, but that's why I came here. In general, I am doing great, because there are some great people around me here. That's enough to feel happy.

My trip by train from Tallinn to Almaty

Yeah! Finally I got a chance to sit a little bit longer in internet.

After about 5 days travel by train from Tallinn through Moscow to Almaty, after two weeks of integration and solving a lot of practical issues I can say that I more or less settled down.

The trip by train Tallinn-Moscow-Almaty

Every time I said to the locals that I came by train and spent 5 nights in the train, they were really surprised :) They didn't know anyone, who would have done the same. That was actually cool trip! Me and Viljo enjoyed it!

Farewell at Balti Jaam was nice. Some important for me people came to see me for teh last time during this year.

Train from Tallinn to Moscow was quite decent. A couple aged about 50 shared a compartment (kupee eesti keeles) with us. Me and Viljo celebrated our first evening in restaurant-wagon by drinking some Baltika beer.

Crossing the Estonian-Russian border got me a little bit sentimenthal. Probably, I won't see my homeland for one year. A lot of different thought in my head before I got sleep...

We arrived in Moscow and were happily picked up by Nastya from AIESEC Russia. We walked around in Moscow for about a day. We saw famout Red Square and Kremlin. I got impression from Moscow, which I had expected - it is too big, too crowded, too noisy. Too everything. Probably after living there for a while, I would start to like some things there. But so far, no intensions to go there for a longer period.

Jalutades Moskvas, m6istad p6him6ttelist erinevust Eesti ja Venemaa vahel - suurus. K6ik on v2ga suur, imposantne ja muljet avaldada sooviv. Iga hoone, park v6i tee karjub sulle n2kku: "Vaata kui suur ja uhke ma olen!" Sama karjuvad ka loendamatud mustad maasturid t2navatel.

The train Moscow-Almaty was different from previous one. Less decent, so to say. More of 1970s style. The major difference for us was that we were not in a separate compartment, but in platzkart, instead. It means that there is a big wagon, which has separating walls inbetween the sections, but no doors. So, you really had to get to know your neighbours. Me and Viljo discovered restaurant-wagon and celebrated the first evening in our new home for 3 upcoming days and 4 nights. We celebrated it with the first Kazakh beer I ever tried.

During the first night we discovered the whole "beauty" of sitting in the wagon without a conditioner. It was hot. During the day worse. The more south we went, the hotter it got.

Towns in Russia, where we stopped, looked all the same - railway stations, many kiosks, lazily walking people around enjoying summer sun, gray brick or wooden houses with blue windows.

Important moment for us was crossing Volga river. I always dreamt to see Volga - the biggest river in Europe. And it was impressive. Huge, broad, endless massive of water. Tartu Emaj6gi tunduks v2ikse ojana v6rreldes sellega. Me and Viljo celebrated seeing such an impressive picture by having few shots of vodka with borsh in restaurant-wagon.

Looking at Volga river, I rememberd about my feeling in being in Moscow - everything is biiiiig. Kazakhstan is similiar. And that is seen in mentality of people. It is different from Estonia. While Estonians generally (with some nasty exceptions) care about every piece of their small land, Russians and Kazakhs just feel that there is so much of it.

One example of it is one small incident, which happened to me in the train. Generally, people are okey with throwing the garbage out of the windows. The garbage bin in our wagon got full and I told about it to our provodnik (person, working in the train, rongisaatja). He asked me rhetorically: "What do you think, where do I throw out the garbage from this bin? Isn't it easier for both of us, if you will throw your bottle from the window right now?". I saved my bottle until the next train station.

The Russian-Kazakh border was interesting. We crossed it three times. The railway was built in Soviet time, when there was no borders inbetween. So, it happened that the road crossed the border three times. We were checked and asked different questions four times (twice at the first border). Russian bordergards were serious and straightforward, Kazakh borderguards were humourous and friendly.

Huvitav seik oli see, et mina ja Viljo v6tsime osa salakaubaveost. Rongisaatja nimelt palus k6igil, kes l2hevad Moskvast Almatysse v6tta 4-6 tykki mingeid riideid enda kottidesse. Meie Viljoga saime uusi, ilmselt kusagilt Moskva turu pealt ostetud teksasid ja s2rke. Pidime ytlema, kui keegi kysib, et need on kingitused. Yks vene naine tegi selle peale nalja, et kui avastatakse, et k6igil on samad s2rgid ja teksad kottides, siis ytleme, et ostsime sama turu peal :) Keegi ei leidnud midagi. Rongisaatjad (kaks kasahhi rahvusest meest) said ilmselt m6ned tenged (kohalik valuuta) enda tasku.

After about 6-7 hours of the borders we finally entered Kazakhstan. Me and Viljo celebrated it with the beer in restaurant-wagon.

People in the train are generally friendly and helpful. That's interesting phenomena, when you travel together with the same people in closed room for a long time - after a while you become like one big family. Our neighbours were one Russian couple in their 60s. They were really nice. People tend to help each other, share their food, share some stories.

Cool thing about the stations in Russia and especially Kazakhstan is that there is small business flourising, when big train like our is coming (ours had something like 30 wagons). People know the time in advance and prepare drinks, food and all possible and impossible stuff to sell. Some men and women come to the train at one station, travel few hours and walk through the wagons offering stuff from fake jewelry till ice-cream.

The prices were really cheap. Much cheaper than in restaurant-wagon. We were constantly buying different delicious fruits from them. After a while me and Viljo celebrated it with a beer bought from some grannies at some train station.

Impression from Kazakh landscape - it is huge. :) The steppes were interesting to see in the beginning, but became too monotonous after a while. But when the train started to go through mountainous valley, we both became gluied to the windows. Amazing views! The woman next to us laughed that boys from Pribaltika are really excited (she had some good friend in Latvia, who had told her that Baltics don't have any mountains). She was right...

Some of the auls (Kazakh villages), we saw from the window, looked really poor. Mud-hut, couple of horses amd endless steppes around. Nothing to compare with Almaty...

One great thing about travelling in the train is, of course, drinking tea there. It is like a holy process, which you enjoy. Because you don't have anywhere to hurry up to. :) I think I drank the best tea in my life in this train. I am not kidding.

By our fourth night in the train me and Viljo started to get used to being hot. You are just sweating all the time. It becomes your normal physical state :) We were excited about our soon-to-be-arrival and celebrated it with the bottle of Vana Tallinn, which we had with us. We shared some with our neighbours, who got good memories (elder people know Vana Tallinn from Soviet times).

0,5 liitrit kodumaist jooki palavas rongis keset Kasahstani - see oli uskumatult hea tunne. Elu on jummmala ilus! Vahel on vaja vaid v2ga v2hest, et 6nnelik olla...

And then we saw Almaty. Yeah! The city was waiting for its new son, who will rock there one year! That's how I can describe excitement I had, when I arrived in Almaty...