Russian Easter 5 May 2013

As the Russian Orthodox  church uses the Julian calendar Easter is celebrated on a different day than Christians who use the Gregorian calendar.  In 2013 the Russian Orthodox Easter falls on the 5th of May.

A very traditional food item enjoyed over Easter is Kulich a small bread covered in icing and sprinkles. This is usually only eaten in the 50 days between Easter and Pentecost. You will also find beautifully painted or decorative plastic covered Easter eggs during the time of Easter, but unlike other Western traditions this is actual boiled eggs and not chocolate.

The Zenkov Cathedral in Panfilov Park is a great place to go and experience the Easter celebrations. Please consider the following if you want to enter the cathedral, the Russian Orthodox church is relatively conservative and expect men and women to dress conservatively, women should cover their hair if they want to enter the church and overall modesty is the key. Please keep in mind that it is impolite to walk in and out of the church during the service.  

Tick season

Ticks are active during April and October, however the peak period in Almaty for ticks is May and June. It is therefore recommended to take precaution during these two months and wear appropriate clothing while walking or hiking in areas that are prone to ticks like the mountains.

The tick born Encephalitis vaccines are available at the International Medical Centre (IMC) for 3 500KZT http://www.imcalmaty.com

For more information follow this link
http://mountain.kz/ru/publications/1537/mai-iyun-vremya-kleshchei-kak-zashchititsya-ili-udalit-kleshcha

Fun run on the 27th of April 2013

Sign up at the Student Affairs building on the KIMEP campus before April 24th!!!

Medical Services in Almaty

There are various options for medical services providers and clinics in Almaty, with the following three being highly recommended.

International SOS, is a highly acclaimed international medical service provider with western doctors, but membership is very pricey.

IMC International Medical Center, consulting fees start at 6 000KZT and all doctors can speak English.  http://www.imcalmaty.com

Last but not the least,
The Center of Isreali Medicine, non-member consultation starts at
5 000KZT http://www.cim.kz/

13 April Fashion show

On the 13 April Esentai Mall in association with Fashion TV will be showing new collections of brands featuring Son Pascal, Lido, Okapov, Sahar Ali, Amouage. 
From 15:00 to 19:30-admission is free!

Green Bazaar Photos

I found some amazing old photos that I would like to share with you of the green bazaar in Almaty.

The apple bazaar,1929-1930

This bazaar in 1975

In 1980, the place looks so empty with so many open counters and so few people

 This is the inside of the bazaar that we know today. Of course these days the bazaar is not only confined to the main building, and no matter what the weather is like you will find many more stalls outside.

Kyrgyzstan to cut electricity exports

The Kyrgyzstan Parliament recently announced that they will cut their electricity export to Kazakhstan. The question is how will this effect people living in Kazakhstan?

The last couple of years power cuts were very rare for those living within the city centre of Almaty. However,  before 2009 we did experienced regular power and water cuts that would last the whole day, if not more.  One government site declares that Kazakhstan is generating enough power for its energy demands, however, the site also confirm that at least 15% of the generated electricity is lost before it reaches the end consumer due to poor infrastructure.
So, the question still remains how the Kyrgyzstan's actions will impact us living in Almaty.