The expatriate spouse and partner

I strongly believe that spouses should accompany the expats that want to come and work in Kazakhstan. Spouses and partners have the ability to bring some normality to the new location, and it is a helpful way for expats to deal with the culture shock, as they will have someone that will understand their viewpoint and tend to have a similar background as them.

The majority of expat spouses are still women, but expatriate husbands are also not uncommon in Almaty.

Sadly, there are limited activities available for the stay at home spouse, especially if they are not very sport or outdoor orientated. Almaty is great if you have the financial means, time, and inclination to practice winter sports like skiing or playing golf in the summer.

Although the support for expatriates has been acknowledged as key to successful integration, many companies do not believe that the life of their spouses/ partners are difficult, and therefore few companies have the tendency to provide them with support.

The reality is that expats still have some normality in their working life, as the work environment, however difficult, still represents an environment where they are respected and valued. In the work environment they are still surrounded by people that they can communicate with and where they can feel confident in their own abilities.

The same cannot be said for the spouses/ partners who are thrown into a new environment with a no support system.

Unlike the expat, the spouses and partners will experience a greater culture shock as they carry on with the domestic duties in the new environment. In their normal day to day they are unlikely to encounter anyone that speaks English or are unlikely to experience anything that is familiar. Communication will be a problem, finding stuff that you want will be a problem, and commuting around town could also be a problem... these are simple things that can be overlooked by the company and even the working partner.

Therefore the difficulty of adjustment for an expat spouse in a new environment should not be underestimated!

I hope you have enjoyed this post and look out for the follow up post, which will review other aspects of the expatriate spouse/ partner.

Esentai Mall in Almaty

The Esentai Mall is the latest edition to the shopping malls in Almaty http://www.esentaimall.com
And I must confess... I love it!!!

Excluding the fact that the mall is filled with luxury brands and shops way above my price range, the mall is also filled with other brands and shops like Crocs, Promod, Mango, Flash and Kari (accessory shop) to cater to the standard shopper as well.

Most importantly the mall has a cinema that seems to now show movies in English too... This is great news for all the foreigners that struggle with the Russian language and I am sure all of us are happy about this new feature in town!!!

Here is the link if you are interested
http://www.kinopark.kz/kinopark11-almaty/?lang=ru&shedule

Lea's Cooking: Russian Honey Layered Cake Medovik "Медовик"

I found this great cooking blog ... see the link below of Lea's Cooking.  Much of the food found in Kazakhstan is influenced by the Russian cuisine. Many of the wonderful Russian food that Lea's blog covers can also be found in Almaty's shops and restaurants.

And this Russian honey cake is to die for : )
 
Lea's Cooking: Russian Honey Layered Cake Medovik "Медовик": Medovik is one of the most popular cakes in Russia. It is also known as Honey layered cake.


The great thing about Lea's blog is that it is a great way to see what you might expect to find in Almaty, and just another way to prepare and familiarise yourself with how life will be here.

Preparation and being open about the experience is key to increasing the adjustment to a new environment.

Thank you for all the kind feedback that I have been receiving.

Please feel free to contact me with possible topics suggestions and feedback.
Tulipakz@gmail.com

Winter in Almaty

So the winter is upon us again in Kazakhstan.

The winter weather in Almaty is described as mild compared to other cities or regions in Kazakhstan.  January through to March might be the worst winter months as it tends to be cold and overcast with little or no sunshine for weeks. During January and February the average high can be -10 to -15 degrees celsius while the average lows can be about - 25 to -30 at night.

I think those individuals that come from Scandinavian and other countries known for cold and overcast wintery days, really would not mind this weather. But those individuals that come from warmer and sunnier climates can find this time of year a little depressing.
 For those of you are not familiar with cooler climates the key word is "layering". You need a proper winter jacket to take you through the season and add or remove garments underneath the coat as the temperature requires.

I suggest buying winter coats and shoes here, as other regions might sell you stuff that is insufficient for this weather (that is if you come from warmer climates). Some people will suggest that you need to buy fur or sheepskin coats, but I believe a good insulated or down coat will do.  Fleece pullovers underneath the coat for colder days are great and having thick socks, gloves, and wooly hat is essential for the colder months. There are various places to buy you winter clothing, a good place for essential winter gear is the sports/outdoors clothing stores like SportsMaster which is a Russian chain. You could also try the markets like Green Bazaar or Baragolka for clothing or the fashion retailers like Savage (also a Russian brand) or Finn Flare and many more brands available at most shopping centres. I advise you to invest in one decent coat and a good pair of shoes (with thick soles and lots of grip) for the winter.

Expect the city to be covered in ice, with only some main roads being cleared from the snow. Walking on slippery icy roads and sidewalks is a skill that you will have to master as soon as possible.

If this is your first winter here... enjoy and try to get out to the mountains as much as possible it is really beautiful.

The Kazakhstan food festival

The food festival in Almaty runs from the 26th of November to the 2nd of December 2012.
For more details and the list of participating restaurants check out the My Destination website

http://www.mydestination.com/kazakhstan/travel-articles/721359/a-kazakhstan-food-festival

Some sightseeing experiences

Sightseeing around Almaty

Eva Ferriere has posted some wonderful pictures of her trip to Charyn Canyon. See her beautiful pictures on her blog http://evaferriere.com/blog/2012/10/28/the-charyn-canyon/#comment-662.

Some additional views about Kazakhstan

Hi All

I am sorry that I have not updated this blog much in the last couple of days. Hopefully in a few weeks things will be back to normal.

I found this great blog of Joseph Weber, a professor who traveled to Kazakhstan. Check out his blog
http://joeweber.org/tag/almaty/
I found his stories and his observations quite insightful and very well put.

Its almost December, which means it is time for the Almaty Oriental market at the Central State Museum on Furmanova street (1-2 Dec 2012). Four times a year, sellers of all things Oriental come together at this event. Everything from oriental carpets from Iran, Turkmenistan and even Kazakhstan are being sold and other handcrafts, all of which will make great Christmas gifts for those going home over the holidays. I especially love the hand-painted plates and bowls which comes is such amazing colours.
See the picture below of the first one that I bought. They come in various sizes and this one is about 35cm across.

And if there is one thing that I would recommend to everyone staying or visiting this area, is to buy a carpet!!!! They are truly beautiful and come in various colours, textures and price ranges.  Just note that the antique ones can be tricky to get out of the country.... You can even have one made especially for you... or so I have heard : )

I would love to get some feedback, please email me at tulipakz@gmail.com