reception booklet, aiesec almaty
TRANSCRIPT
Welcome letter
Dear Trainee, welcome to Kazakhstan!
We are glad that you have been matched to our beautiful country – the
Kazakhstan - situated in the heart of Central Asia. Your host local committee
of AIESEC Almaty is waiting you impatiently to show you the traditional hos-
pitality of our nation and help you to discover all the wonderful places that
our country possesses.
This booklet gives you a glimpse of Kazakhstan life. With the help of AIESEC
and this booklet, you will be able to acclimate to your new environment
more quickly and avoid possible surprises and misunderstandings.
We recommend you to read this booklet carefully.
CONTENT
1. About AIESEC Almaty
2. AIESEC in Kazakhstan
3. Introduction to Kazakhstan
4. Almaty — apple city
5. Places to visit
6. Prices
7. Transportation system
8. Festivals and holidays
9. Reception program
10. Your buddy
11. Pre arrival information
12. Contacts
About AIESEC Almaty
AIESEC was introduced in Kazakhstan in
1989, when the local committee of Almaty
was established. In the beginning, LC of Al-
maty was part of AIESEC Soviet Union. In
1992 AIESEC Soviet Union split into AIESEC
Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
During last 21 years organization gained
sustainable status and managing more than
80 members in, running successfully more
then 4 EP recruitments annually and realiz-
ing DT and MT projects in ICX area, as well
lately our ER projects oriented to youth
marker such as Development Leadership
Day, Top Talents, School of Leadership
gained popularity.
You will be amazed that AIESEC Almaty is
much more older than AIESEC in Kazakh-
stan (LC is 21 years old, and MC is 4 years).
For term 2010-2011 AIESEC in Almaty is well
known for its amazing results among top
GUN LCs as one of the best EP providers.
Our success is combined effort of our Lo-
cal Committee, Board of Advisors, our
kind partners, members and alumni.
AIESEC in Kazakhstan
AIESEC envisions a world that doesn't have
conflicts that arise from cultural, religious or
any other aspects of differences in Humani-
ty. Underlining everything we do is our fun-
damental belief that the foundation for posi-
tive change in society is people. In partner-
ship with business and higher education and
the global network, AIESEC in Kazakhstan
provides an innovative development pro-
cess consisting of unmatched leadership ex-
periences, international opportunities and
participation in a global learning environ-
ment.
AIESEC in Kazakhstan has been helping the
development of socially responsible leader-
ship in Kazakhstan’s youth for over the past
20 years for the long term benefit of Kazakh-
stani society as a whole and ultimately of
the world.
As a thriving AIESEC country, our initiatives
are thought to enlarge such contribution
and to enable us to be recognized amongst
the top contributors to the global network.
Over the next 18 months, we will streamline
our existing projects to make them work
even better, scale up the opportunities we
provide to students of higher education and
recent graduates and reach uncharted ter-
ritory of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan has immense untouched landscapes, great, open and free, with a unique mix
of true deserts, steppes, savannas, taiga, tundra, wild forests, pristine lakes and rivers.
Introduction to Kazakhstan Kazakhstan is located on the border of two
continents: Europe and Asia. Situated be-
tween 45 and 87 eastern longitudes and 40
and 55 northern latitudes, Kazakhstan is in
the centre of the Eurasian continent.
The country stretches for 3,000 km east to
the west, from the Caspian Sea and the
Privoldzsk plains to the Altay Mountains, and
1,600 km from the foothills of Tyan-Shan in the
south and south-east to the Western-Siberian
lowland in the north. With a territorial area of
2,724.9 thousand square kilometers, Kazakh-
stan is the fourth largest country in Eurasia af-
ter Russia, China and India, and it is the ninth
largest country in the world. The longest
stretches of border are with Russia (6,846
km), Uzbekistan (2,203 km), China (1,533 km),
Kyrgyzstan (1,051 km) and Turkmenistan (379
km).
More than a quarter of the territory is oc-
cupied by steppes, half by desert and semi-
desert, and the remaining part is made up of
mountains, seas, lakes and rivers. North to
south there are four natural-climatic zones
which replace each other: forest-steppes,
steppes, semi-desert, desert, as well as foot-
hill zones and high-altitude mountain zones.
The climate is mostly sharply continental. The
average temperatures in January range
from -19°С to +4°С, and in July from
+19°С to +26°С. Quite often
Temperatures reach +45°С in the
summer and -45°С in the winter.
There are 8,500 large and small rivers in Ka-
zakhstan. The biggest rivers are: the Zhaik, and
the Zhem which flow into Caspian Sea, the
Syrdariya which flows into the Aral Sea and the
Ertis, Esil, and the Tobol which traverse the
country and flow into the Arctic Ocean. The to-
tal number of large- and small-sized lakes in the
country is 48,000, among which the greatest
are the Aral Sea, Balkash, Zhaysan, Alakol’,
Teniz, and Siletyteniz. The greater part of the
northern and half of the eastern shore of Caspi-
an Sea belongs to Kazakhstan. There are sever-
al mountain ranges in the country. The highest
peak is Khan-Taniri (Khan-Tengri) (6,995 m) in
the Saryzhaz ridge.
Kazakhstan is famous for deposits of hydro-
carbonic raw material, coal, iron ore, manga-
nese, chrome, nickel, cobalt, copper, molyb-
denum, lead, zinc, bauxites, gold and uranium.
Symbolism The national emblem consists of
a picture of a shanyrak (the cupola of a yurta)
on a blue background, from which uyks (body
brackets) are radiated like the rays of the sun
and framed by the wings of mythical horses.
The word «Казақстан” is inscribed in the
bottom part of the state emblem.
The State Flag is represented by a blue rec-
tangle with an image in
the center of the sun,
beneath which there is
a soaring eagle. There is
a vertical strip with a
national ornament
which passes along the
hoist; the ratio of the width of the flag to
its length is 1.5:3.0 m.
Currency: the Tenge was put into circulation
in 1993. It can be exchanged for a foreign curren-
cy in any bank or official bureau de change. The
majority of European and international credit
cards are accepted in good hotels, restaurants
and shops.
The form of state government presidential.
Noursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev is the first Pres-
ident of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Population: Kazakhstan has a population of
over 15 million people. Astana is the capital of
the country. Political divisions: 14 regions, 86 cities,
160 areas, 241 city-like settlements, and 2,049 vil-
lages (2000 data).
More than 100 nationalities live in Kazakhstan.
Each nation has its own historical culture and it is
possible to get acquainted with features of differ-
ent cultures during tourist ethnographic trips.
Language: The national language of Kazakh-
stan is Kazakh. Kazakh uses the Cyrillic alphabet
like the Russian language. During the Soviet era,
Russian was the main language of the country
and still remains popular today, especially in the
larger cities. Consequently, there are both schools
in which Russian is the main language and schools
in which Kazakh is, nowadays Russian serves as an
interethnic language.
Transport rail is the basis of the transport sys-
tem in Kazakhstan. There are 17 local and 12 inter-
national railway routes in the country. There are six
international airlines and the domestic company
―Air Astana‖, and in addition to these there are 23
foreign airlines operating in Kazakhstan. The re-
public has thirteen airports and is
accessed by international airlines.
Almaty — apple city The name "Almaty" derives from the Kazakh
word for "apple" (алма), and thus is often translat-
ed as a city "rich with apples". The older Russian
version of its name, Alma-Ata, originates from a
mistake (the name literally means "Grandfather of
apples"). You wonder why? What if I say that ap-
ples come from Kazakhstan.
Well, the apple tree originated in the moun-
tains of Central Asia and North-West of China.
Hence, so many wild apple trees in and around
Almaty. In the surrounding region, there is a great
genetic diversity among the wild apples; the re-
gion is thought to be the ancestral home of the
apple.
Almaty is also regional financial and business
centre.
Almaty is situated in the centre of the Eurasian
continent, in the south-eastern part of Republic of
Kazakhstan.
The city of Almaty takes an area of over 170
square kilometres. Main source of the water sup-
ply to the city of Almaty is Mountain rivers and
lakes
If you are in Almaty for some time and think
you've "seen it all", try to meet some local friends as
Almaty people are very imaginative when it comes
to entertaining themselves! They'll take you to a
cool new bar, to a bowling/ carting party, to
friends' dachas (summer houses) for shashlyk or on a
fishing/ rafting trip to the Ili River.
Places to visit Get high!
With only a few days in Almaty, you can see
a lot. Start with the city's most famous attraction,
the tram to Kok-Tyube hill and TV tower, leaving
right from downtown. Grab a meal or beer and
enjoy the view at one of the many restaurants
and bars on top.
Next, try Medeo, an Olympic-level skating
rink, and the highest in the world, a 15 min. drive
from the city.
From there, get even higher at nearby
Chimbulak ski resort, take the lift and enjoy an
aerial view of the city.
On the way to Kok-Tobe
Medeo
View from Kok-tobe
View from Chimbulak
Places to visit Take a 1-day trip
If you have spare day, head to the moun-
tains to Big Almaty Lake and observatory, or
Talgar gorge (trout farm, ostrich farm and
nomadic burial sites where the famous Gold-
en Man was discovered) If not in the mood
for cold mountains, go in the opposite direc-
tion to Kapchagai Lake and the spectacular
Ili River, with ancient Buddhist petroglyphs
and a huge fort built for the movie "Nomad",
or visit local ―Grand Canyon‖ calling
Charyn.
Nomadic burial sites
Big Almaty Lake
Trout Farm
Ostrich farm
Charyn
Shooting Scene for “Nomad”
Ili River
Near Observatory
FOOD PRICES
Here you will be able to find some additional information about prices for food.
Exchange rate: 1 $ its about 147-150 tenge, and 1 euro its about 197-200 tenge
Prices of the most com-mon products and
services
Volume, NR. of Units
Price ($) (1$- 150 tenge)
Price Tenge (KZT)
Loaf of Bread 500 g 0,4 60
Butter 200 g 0,9 140
Tea 25 teabags 1,3 200
Milk 1 liter 1,1 165
Sugar 1 kg 0,8 130
Spaghetti 400 g 0,6 - 2 from 90 – to 300
Tomato Ketchup 250 g 0,6 - 1,4 90 - 220
Cheeps 160 g 1,3 -2,6 200 -400
Fruit Yogurt 320 g(packing) 1,3 195
Rice 1 kg 1 150
Pepsi 1 liter 0,7 105
Mineral water 1,5 liters 0,4 60
100 % Fruit Juice 1 liter 1,3-2,7 200-400
Coffee 100 g 2,6 400
Hamburger 150 g 1 150
Beer (in a shop) 0,5 liter 1 - 2,3 150 - 350
Prices of the most com-mon products and
services
Volume, NR. of Units
Price ($) (1$- 150 tenge)
Price Tenge (KZT)
Beer (in a pub) 0,5 liter 4 - 5,3 400 -800
Potatoes 1 kg 0,6 90
Tomato 1 kg 0,8 120
Meat 1 kg 5,6 850
Chicken 1 kg 3,3 500
Beef , pork 1 kg 5,6 850
Sausage 1 kg 4,6 - 12 700 - 1800
Cigarettes 1 pack 0,7 - 1 110 - 150
Toilet Soap 1 roll 0,4 – 0,6 60 - 100
Shave Foam 450 ml 4 600
Milk chocolate 100 g 1 150
Shampoo 250 ml 2,3 350
Sunflower-seed oil 1 liter 2,3 350
Tooth paste 100 ml 1,6 250
Eggs 10 pieces 1,6 240
Cheese 1 kg 5,3 – 10,6 800 - 1600
Transportation system
There are 2 types of taxis in town. Official
and non official taxis. this means that every-
one that wishes to make some extra money
can take you where you want. This can be
tricky so make sure you somehow trust the
person who stops to take you somewhere.
Another important thing is to deal the mon-
ey of the trip before the cars starts. If you are
not happy you can get out and get another
one. they will just leave.
Official taxis have check board signs all over
and telephone numbers so you will not miss
them. The normal price for a ride in Almaty
goes from 200, 300, 500 tenge for a ride de-
pending the distance of your trip inside the
city. If you want a bigger distance don’t for-
get to deal the money first before you go
with the trip.
You can call for a taxi at this number: 58 or
068. They don’t speak English, only Russian or
Kazakh. You’ll have an extra $1 charge for
calling asking for a taxi.
You can use buses or trolleybuses as well.
Ticket will cost you 50 tenge to any destina-
tion inside of city, and it will save your mon-
ey, but be sure that you know which
bus you should use, and where you
are going.
Festivals and holidays
January 01- New Year Day
All people in Kazakhstan start to celebrate
New Year 31 of December. All family mem-
bers gathering to have festive dinner (young
people gathering together with friends),
give a present and make good wish. After
New Year is coming people go to the street
to make fireworks. 7 of January – Christmas
for orthodox Christian and official state holi-
day. 14 of January – Old New Year people
celebrate it almost the same as New Year
(gathering together, watching New Year TV
program)
March 08 - International Women Day
Global day cele-
brating the eco-
nomic, political
and social
achievements of
women in past,
present and fu-
ture. In this day
men make a pre-
sent for all women (home, work, school) and
women make presents for mothers, grand-
mothers, friend and relatives (female)
Festivals and holidays March 22- Nauryz Meyrami
―Nauruz‖, Persian for ―New Year‖ To wel-
come the spring, relatives gather around a
table and exchange gifts. All who join in the
festivities asked for forgiveness of their sins,
reconciled with relatives and friends.
The main ritual dish is ―Nauryz-kozheh,‖ in-
cludes seven ingredients: Water, Meat, Salt,
Fat, Flour, Cereal, Milk. During the day there
is organized holiday in the streets, squares,
parks and stadiums, where you can observe
and participate in plenty of activities (Horse-
racing, Kazakhsha-kyres (national sport in
which men wrestle while riding a horse), Pa-
rades (marches that teach visitors about the
Kazakh culture and the importance of re-
specting other countries), see Yurt (national
dwellings) and taste traditional food)
May 01- Kazakhstan Peoples Unity Day
Unity day is celebrated as a form of Labor
Day: a day of national, regional, and
global solidarity. Within the borders
of Kazakhstan, many associations,
unions, and communities of ethnic
groups exist peacefully.
Festivals and holidays
May 09 - Victory Day
Victory Day celebrate the Victory of the So-
viet Union in World War II, where is participat-
ed a lot of people from Kazakhstan. During
this day you can participate in big celebra-
tion in Panfilov Park in Almaty, where you will
see a lot of veterans and you can bring a
flower for monument of victory.
August 30 - Constitution Day
Constitution Day is a public holiday honoring
the day Kazakhstan signed and adopted
their Constitution.
October 25 - Republic Day
Kazakhstan commemorates the day in Oc-
tober 1990 when Kazakhstan declared it sov-
ereignty from the U.S.S. R. This day is a day of
Kazakh nationalism, with many speeches,
songs, and performances throughout the
country.
December 16 - Independence Day
Kazakhstan has become independent
country in this day. In honor of this celebra-
tions are held throughout the country, in-
cluding concerts, conferences, exhibitions,
and feasts.
Reception Program We are responsible for your stay in our country. Your buddy will be your first friend here. If
you have any questions or need more information, feel free to contact your buddy. We or-
ganize a number of interesting events for trainees every year, such as Reception week-
ends, educational projects, parties and so on. We would be also pleased if you join our
AIESEC activities and conferences and be the best friends with us.
!!! Please do not forget to take with you various items, characteristic of your country and
nation (flag, postcards, movie presentation, music,…) to present your country at AIESEC
events!!!
Your Buddy’s JD
Tasks before you arrive:
buddy sends you the Reception Booklet
and Buddy profile
communication with you via e-mails
buddy sends you:
- information about the company
(clothes, location, other trainees at the
same company, etc.)
- some contacts: flatmates, other train-
ees, VP ICX, information about the flat.
When you arrive, buddy:
-picks you up at the airport/station and
takes you to the flat
-introduces you to the other trainees in the
flat
-shows where a shop is close to your flat
-gives you a welcome package
-arranges the transportation ticket for you
-arranges a meeting with the TN manager
before the first working day
-goes with you to the foreign police, if it is
necessary
-organizes a welcome party for you
Your Buddy
When you are here:
-takes you to the first LC meeting and intro-
duces you to AIESECers;
-shows and explains to you what kind of
possibilities you have in AIESEC;
-invites you to every LC meetings (can take
you to the University), LC day, conference,
trainings, reception weekends, other
AIESEC events;
-meets with you for an informal meeting, to
be sure that everything is ok with you in the
first 3 weeks: once per week; later: at least
once month;
-asks you to fill in the measurement form;
-organizes a good-bye party.
Additional activities:
If you are ill, and need help, he/she goes
with you to the doctor.
If you will have problem with authorities,
buddy helps you.
Pre-arrival information
Your VISA:
EP has to fill in pre-arrival package sent by
LC Almaty: Volunteer Contract, Excel file,
Copy of passport;
AIESEC Almaty is responsible for providing
you VISA INVITATION which is sent via e-
mail;
VISA invitation is made within 2-3 weeks
usually, in some cases it may be even fast-
er;
EP is applying for KZ visa him/herself: type
of visa should be private other details for
application are available upon request;
AIESEC Almaty strongly recommends you
to make book reservations only till you ac-
tually receive your visa.;
Your Buddy will communicate with you
and assist you in finding accommodation
for you unless it is not DT internship you are
coming to;
In case your country doesn’t have KZ em-
bassy you need to find a country where KZ
embassy exists (fin out for which country
you do not need visa) and LC Almaty will
make you an invitation;
You need to buy medical insurance,
make sure there is a office in Almaty and
provide all contact details of insurance of-
fice to LC Almaty before arrival;
Make sure you have current con-
tacts of your Buddy, VP ICX and
LCP AIESEC Almaty.
Contacts
In order to stay in touch and be fully aware about where we are locating, here is
some of our contacts:
Adress of AIESEC Almaty OFFICE:
2, Abaya str., KIMEP, Dostyk bld., 402 A, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Phone/fax: + 7 (727) 270 44 51
www.aiesec.kz
Email: [email protected]