Hakloot

Settling in to Almaty

This has to-date been our most challenging location about settling into a new country and city. Rather different from the expectations created by the first impressions of sophistication when one first arrives in Almaty. One however quickly realizes this is just a very thin glossy layer only. It’s amazing how unnecessary non-value added bureaucratic the country can be and to what degree this still is a developing nation in spite of pretences to the contrary built on petro-dollars. Here are just a few examples to illustrate this.

If you want TV, there is a new cable service called ALMA TV which among the 34 or so channels it offers also offers about 6-7 English language channels. So we thought we were saved! However to apply for a subscription, only the landlord of the house can obtain one provided he presents himself in person at the TV company’s office with his national ID papers. Then after a few days of back and forth, paying all the necessary installation and subscription fees you get informed that an appointment has been established to come and do the installation at your residence … TWO weeks later! Then if you want to go and pay the monthly subscription, you have to go in person to their office and pay there in cash while presenting the national identity papers of the landlord! We have given up on trying to understand why …

Another example is internet. Kazakh Telecom has recently established a new company called Megaline. It offers ADSL connections with speeds starting at 128K and going to 512K. Not bad after Pakistan where we had a flawless 512K ADSL connetion at home. Again, nothing is simple. Since the telephone line at home did not support ADSL it had to be changed to a new number. Simple enough we thought. Yet our agreement to accept this is null and void. The landlord, again has to present himself in person with his national identity papers at the Kazakhstan telecom office to accept the change in number. To go pay the bill you also have to go to the provider’s office, Megaline, and pay their on the spot your dues with a copy of the landlord’s ID papers.

On the other hand we are very happy about the house we have moved into. It’s brand new so we are the first occupants and we have an amazing uninterrupted view of the mountains and a beautiful park right in front of the house.

Last Updated: 22-03-2007



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