Привет!
My loyal follower(s) will be happy to see a new blog post! I am reinventing this blog to some degree, but it will be the same old stream of consciousness blog posts to which y'all are accustomed!
My first few weeks in Kazakhstan have been pretty great, actually, despite a few power outages during my Wednesday lecture! I was discussing with a colleague the other night how it seems like we've been here for much longer than almost two weeks, but not in a bad way. I have sparsely explored the city thus far, but it doesn't take much, perhaps only a trip to the 'right bank', to feel the intimacy of a true city that Astana has to offer. Our university resides on the 'left bank' of the Ishim River, as does the main business district, and it feels much more accommodating to the business-type crowd -- hotels, 'pricey' food, immaculate architecture, etc. As a result, the typical city feel on this side of the river is rarely experienced, save through a few trips on a bus to the several shopping malls within a one mile radius of our campus.
I didn't have many expectations coming in to my new situation, but I had some basic idea of what type of scenario I would be dealing with, having spent some time in a former Soviet republic. Astana is a clean, safe, and happening city that doesn't show any affinities to its former imperial ties, with the exception of some monumental architecture. Much of this is due to its relatively young age, having only been christened the capital in the late 1990s (Astana is Kazakh for Capital!). Architectural influences from both the East and West are evident throughout the city. In any case, exploring the city is high on my to-do list, as tomorrow I plan on taking a stroll through the presidential park on the right bank and going through the national museum.
I am happy to report that there are several Georgian restaurants and the grocery stores are stocked with large sections of Georgian wine, which is helping to curb any feeling of homesickness I may have otherwise felt. My home away from home is pervasive throughout my new home away from home, and I am happy to report that the Khachapuri is an adequate facsimile!
I will leave this post here, as there is so much more to explore before I really get a sense of the city, but my first impressions are probably accurate. I just wanted to reintroduce my blog and hopefully make it a habit to post regularly!
Until next time!
До Свидания!
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