And it is. I arrived late last night around 11:15 pm and was met by my very efficient and courteous driver. And yes, he was holding a placard with "Keller Nicole" written on it. I transferred my suitcase into his custody and we were off! That particular flight was actually pretty full, and there was quite a crowd of people waiting at the airport. Incidentally, I didn't get half the scrutiny here in Kazakhstan as I received when I got off the plane in Russia last fall. There was so much looking-me-up-and-down and typing onto the Russian Customs official's keyboard I thought for sure I was going to be lead into a dark, dingy room with a single light hanging over one lone chair. But alas, here in Astana she barely looked at me, documented my information, swiped my passport, and I was off.
Judging by the looks of the airport above, I was sure the rest of the city was going to be an adventure. All the pictures I had seen on line gave the city a very futuristic look, and I wasn't disappointed. On the descent in the airplane all you saw for the most part was one well lit road with a handful of cars on it. Really. That was it. The rest of the landscape seemed dark and non-existent. We left the airport by that same well-lit road, where apparently driving within the lines of your assigned lane was optional. Efficient And Courteous Driver was safe enough, however, and even pulled over at one point so I could take a picture of some of the stunning scenery. I felt like I was driving through one of those futuristic cities you see in all the new James Bond and Mission: Impossible movies - hey, I was! The modern, sleek, new architecture in Astana is very much like the buildings you often see used to film all those exciting action movies in places like Dubai, etc. The pictures I took through the car window didn't come out so great, so you'll just have to wait to see those.
My seatmate on the airplane gave me quite a bit of information about the city - he is a young professor at one of the many universities here, but is originally from Coventry, England. Apparently, all the classes at many of the universities are taught in English, partially due to the high percentage of foreign students who study here. He actually doesn't speak much Russian or Kazakh at all, but speaks enough to order coffee and get a taxi. Speaking of taxis, those are an interesting story. There are the "normal" taxis, but those are considered too expensive. Another option is the "unmarked" taxi. If you hold your hand out a certain way on the street, a car will pull over. You tell him where you want to go and how much money you want to give him, and if he agrees you hop in and go. Seriously???!!!! And apparently, if it's cold or raining, it's more expensive. If you want to go to the north side of town, which is nicer, it's more expensive. Hilarious! I think I'll stick to the bus - you get on, pay the fare and get your receipt. You don't even have to talk, because no one really cares where you're going as long as you pay. I can do that.
Efficient And Courteous Driver got us to the hotel in one piece and I made my way into the hotel. The staff was polite and helpful, which was a relief. Whenever I travel overseas, I always check out the various online reviews of hotels and restaurants to see what other foreigners have to say about them. Most of the time, I'm just concerned about cleanliness and such, but when I'm travelling to a place where I don't speak the language it's always good to know you're not going to get screwed. And I wasn't! I will have to switch rooms in the middle of the stay - a minor inconvenience, but not a big deal. When I got to my room, I was reminded of the hotel room I had in Munich last summer when I opened the door and flicked the light switch and nothing happened. In many European hotels you have to insert and leave your key card in a little slot by the door to activate most of the electricity in the room. Saves lots of cash - I'm surprised American hotels aren't all over that. The room is great - air conditioning, strong and consistent wireless internet signal, and a comfortable bed. The hubby would love it - nice and hard. And believe me, last night all I cared about was the bed. After 24 hours of travel I was ready to change into some other outfit, didn't even care which one, and fully extend my body in whatever position I wished. And I did. It was time for a little relaxation. I had disciplined myself during the journey not to freak out about the details of my performance (of which I had none, hence the freaking out), but to try and enjoy the experience. And during my 5 hours or layover time each at Dulles in DC and the airport in Frankfurt, I had adopted my favorite coffee shops, rest rooms, internet terminals, and the most comfortable benches to lie down on and sleep off the jetlag. In fact, Frankfurt has these cool little "leisure areas" with soft, plush chairs on one side of the area and what look like those reclining lounge chairs you find next to swimming pools on the other - perfect for sleeping. I'll be set on the way back home.
For today, I am awaiting orders. After a restful night of sleep, if not short, I woke up feeling as if I had loaned my body to a triathlete and was left with the painful realization of what you had done to yourself the next morning. I think I see hip surgery in my future...anyway, I got myself ready for the day, but only after almost flooding the shower stall due to a clever little contraption over the drain which I can only surmise is there to keep you from you using too much water. Nice. Of course, what I really wanted to do next was go back to bed since it really was 11 pm EST!!! But, duty calls, and I headed out to the bank at the end of the block to get some local currency, which you can only get once you are inside the country...strange. I head back to the hotel for a typical Russian-style breakfast - hard-boiled eggs, cold fish, yogurt, some cold slaw-like salads, breads, and to my horror, instant coffee. Oh boy. But beggars can't be choosers, as my mother always said to us growing up (because us kids were destitute, ungrateful peons living off the largess of our overworked parents), so I dumped the little crystals into my cup and drowned them in steaming hot water. And voila, a caffeine buzz was born.
My host had emailed the night before and told me to contact him when I was awake, so I emailed him that I would be waiting in my room. Now was my chance. I went back to the room, grabbed the pillows off the bed, and arranged them so I could take a little nap on the couch next to the bed. After trying several different positions designed to avoid wrinkling my clothes, I said screw it, got undressed, and climbed back into bed, waiting to be summoned. Instant bliss.
Next on the docket? Hopefully some practice time. After a nap. I'll probably have some free time today for a little sight-seeing, too. After a nap. I'll have to find somewhere for lunch, eventually. After a nap.
Guess where I'm going now?
Judging by the looks of the airport above, I was sure the rest of the city was going to be an adventure. All the pictures I had seen on line gave the city a very futuristic look, and I wasn't disappointed. On the descent in the airplane all you saw for the most part was one well lit road with a handful of cars on it. Really. That was it. The rest of the landscape seemed dark and non-existent. We left the airport by that same well-lit road, where apparently driving within the lines of your assigned lane was optional. Efficient And Courteous Driver was safe enough, however, and even pulled over at one point so I could take a picture of some of the stunning scenery. I felt like I was driving through one of those futuristic cities you see in all the new James Bond and Mission: Impossible movies - hey, I was! The modern, sleek, new architecture in Astana is very much like the buildings you often see used to film all those exciting action movies in places like Dubai, etc. The pictures I took through the car window didn't come out so great, so you'll just have to wait to see those.
My seatmate on the airplane gave me quite a bit of information about the city - he is a young professor at one of the many universities here, but is originally from Coventry, England. Apparently, all the classes at many of the universities are taught in English, partially due to the high percentage of foreign students who study here. He actually doesn't speak much Russian or Kazakh at all, but speaks enough to order coffee and get a taxi. Speaking of taxis, those are an interesting story. There are the "normal" taxis, but those are considered too expensive. Another option is the "unmarked" taxi. If you hold your hand out a certain way on the street, a car will pull over. You tell him where you want to go and how much money you want to give him, and if he agrees you hop in and go. Seriously???!!!! And apparently, if it's cold or raining, it's more expensive. If you want to go to the north side of town, which is nicer, it's more expensive. Hilarious! I think I'll stick to the bus - you get on, pay the fare and get your receipt. You don't even have to talk, because no one really cares where you're going as long as you pay. I can do that.
Efficient And Courteous Driver got us to the hotel in one piece and I made my way into the hotel. The staff was polite and helpful, which was a relief. Whenever I travel overseas, I always check out the various online reviews of hotels and restaurants to see what other foreigners have to say about them. Most of the time, I'm just concerned about cleanliness and such, but when I'm travelling to a place where I don't speak the language it's always good to know you're not going to get screwed. And I wasn't! I will have to switch rooms in the middle of the stay - a minor inconvenience, but not a big deal. When I got to my room, I was reminded of the hotel room I had in Munich last summer when I opened the door and flicked the light switch and nothing happened. In many European hotels you have to insert and leave your key card in a little slot by the door to activate most of the electricity in the room. Saves lots of cash - I'm surprised American hotels aren't all over that. The room is great - air conditioning, strong and consistent wireless internet signal, and a comfortable bed. The hubby would love it - nice and hard. And believe me, last night all I cared about was the bed. After 24 hours of travel I was ready to change into some other outfit, didn't even care which one, and fully extend my body in whatever position I wished. And I did. It was time for a little relaxation. I had disciplined myself during the journey not to freak out about the details of my performance (of which I had none, hence the freaking out), but to try and enjoy the experience. And during my 5 hours or layover time each at Dulles in DC and the airport in Frankfurt, I had adopted my favorite coffee shops, rest rooms, internet terminals, and the most comfortable benches to lie down on and sleep off the jetlag. In fact, Frankfurt has these cool little "leisure areas" with soft, plush chairs on one side of the area and what look like those reclining lounge chairs you find next to swimming pools on the other - perfect for sleeping. I'll be set on the way back home.
For today, I am awaiting orders. After a restful night of sleep, if not short, I woke up feeling as if I had loaned my body to a triathlete and was left with the painful realization of what you had done to yourself the next morning. I think I see hip surgery in my future...anyway, I got myself ready for the day, but only after almost flooding the shower stall due to a clever little contraption over the drain which I can only surmise is there to keep you from you using too much water. Nice. Of course, what I really wanted to do next was go back to bed since it really was 11 pm EST!!! But, duty calls, and I headed out to the bank at the end of the block to get some local currency, which you can only get once you are inside the country...strange. I head back to the hotel for a typical Russian-style breakfast - hard-boiled eggs, cold fish, yogurt, some cold slaw-like salads, breads, and to my horror, instant coffee. Oh boy. But beggars can't be choosers, as my mother always said to us growing up (because us kids were destitute, ungrateful peons living off the largess of our overworked parents), so I dumped the little crystals into my cup and drowned them in steaming hot water. And voila, a caffeine buzz was born.
My host had emailed the night before and told me to contact him when I was awake, so I emailed him that I would be waiting in my room. Now was my chance. I went back to the room, grabbed the pillows off the bed, and arranged them so I could take a little nap on the couch next to the bed. After trying several different positions designed to avoid wrinkling my clothes, I said screw it, got undressed, and climbed back into bed, waiting to be summoned. Instant bliss.
Next on the docket? Hopefully some practice time. After a nap. I'll probably have some free time today for a little sight-seeing, too. After a nap. I'll have to find somewhere for lunch, eventually. After a nap.
Guess where I'm going now?
PS - sorry if the formatting on the page looks weird - the firewall on this internet connection will let me manage everything behind the blog but won't actually let me see the finished product. Sounds suspicious to me...Big Brother is always watching!
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