First week in Astana

Week one and it's straight to the wolves - new interdepartmental dynamics within a unique corporate culture in a country that is completely foreign to me! Interpreters at meetings, company processes in Russian, Windows and software in Russian, very hierarchical org chart, Russian names to pronounce...and not even sure how to email colleagues (have to use Cyrillic characters to search the internal directory). Every day carried with it a fire hose of learnings...exactly what I hoped it would be...

I'm working for the National Atomic Company "Kazatomprom" Joint Stock Company of Kazakhstan - NAC Kazatomprom JSC, or "KAP" - who just listed 15% of their shares on the Astana (AIX) and London Stock (LSE) Exchanges in November, 2018 - 85% of shares remain with the Kazakh sovereign wealth fund. KAP just moved into a shiny new office tower, so although they're still completing finishing work and settling in, it's a great time to join the company:

Lobby...

19th Floor...

 Astana from the office (and with office hours from 9 am until 6:30 pm, it's a long day):

  

Food
Food is great...and cost is low! Office cafeteria had borscht and cabbage rolls (~$3) on day one to leave a good impression on me...

Suppers great as well...can't say I've ever had two 6 oz filets and wine at a 5-star hotel for under $40...with birds and piano for ambiance (plus they'll warn me when to put on my blindfold (Bird Box!)

 

And you can't go wrong with dirt cheap french macrons and helva

Touring
I've yet to do too much around the city yet - time has been spent either at the office, or apartment hunting - but squeezed in a picture with president Nazerbayev's handprint at Baiterek tower, and a visit the Museum of the Future (giant 9-story sphere from the 2017 World Expo in Astana)

All things considered, a great first week...but a few oddities noticed so far:
- It ain't easy to manage my cell services...although they're extremely cheap. Package includes 15GB data (but unlimited Instagram, WhatsApp), 200 mins voice, 100 SMS) and $8/month! WTF.

- elevator buttons can be selected...and deselected (I've wondered for years why North American elevators didn't have that option)!

- I didn't expect the air pollution to get as bad as it does on occasion. When the wind drops off, it can get pretty bad (lots of black coal burned for electricity...hence their desire for nuclear)! Luckily it's usually windy (and -30C). Seems extremely unfair to have bad air AND have to deal with extreme cold...

- People are always outside - even skating and sledding when it's -30C

In one of the more interesting experiences so far, I had to purchase an EU-plug USB adapter and backup battery. I went to TechnoDom.kz (like a BestBuy) at the mall, found them...but buying it was bizarrely inefficient.

1. Give product to one of the dozens of orange-shirt employees wandering around the store (step 1a...find one with some English)
2. employee takes your products, gives you a number
3. go to the front tills, provide the number
4. cashier enters number, brings up product invoice and you pay (7 different interac machines for different banks and credit cards)
5. cashier gives you a receipt
6. take receipt to a different desk (looks like a returns desk at a North American store)
7. more employees dig around and find your products from your invoice
8. employees open your product boxes, check contents, test and confirm performance and compatibility, you sign the receipt and it's bagged

Guess in the end, you can't bring it back saying it didn't work!!!

Next big decision - I need to fit in, so do I go with the genuine fox fur Russian-style hat, or the traditional Kazakh eagle hunting hat with the full silver fox tail?

 

On to week 2.