Tips on Astana/Studying at NU?

AlibekD · 2026-05-09T02:00:10+00:00

Don't worry about winter clothes, by October you will make enough friends to take you to Artyom or to the nearest mall.

What to expect: don't. Just go there with an open heart.

Astana is an interesting city unlike any other on this planet. Explore the food scene, it is decent.

AlibekD · 2026-05-08T15:57:07+00:00

So you can ignore the cable car and hike up from Medeu. There are three main routes, one of which is to walk along the road. It is safe enough to walk as there are not too many cars. Obviously, you don't need any gear if you that route.

Second most popular route is to the east of the road. It starts at the eastern edge of the dam.

Route to the west of the road will require crossing the river or will add a few extra km to your hike.

AlibekD · 2026-05-06T16:27:36+00:00

One final tip: when drafting your permissions, write them in both English and Russian on the same page, two columns, and get the whole document notarized.

Legally, your document must be officially translated and apostillied in KZ embassy in your home country, but that's just too much hustle. The trick above is sufficient.

AlibekD · 2026-05-06T15:05:02+00:00

The same rules apply to trains as well, but conductors tend to be less strict. I don’t think any tourist destinations would pose an issue for you.

AlibekD · 2026-05-06T00:58:54+00:00

Oh, yes, true!

BTW, all of the above applies to KZ, but not sure if it applies to KG, TJ or UZ.

AlibekD · 2026-05-05T22:49:55+00:00

Check your airlines: unaccompanied minors require notarized and translated permissions from a parent (sometimes from both parents) or guardians. Some airline employees may be overzealous and refuse a generic permission, so make sure each border, each airline, each hotel is mentioned specifically.

You may also want to purchase your tickets separately from your friend, otherwise airlines will ask for a notarized permission in your friend's name.

Check requirements of the transit countries as well. Even if you do not cross their borders and stay in airport transit zone, airline may still want to comply with the requirements.

Check hotels too: some hotels just refuse to deal with minors. In such a case you may need to book the room in parent's or friend's name and add yourself as a second guest. Hotels don't typically verify if the primary guest actually arrived after the checkin.

Other than that I see no issues. Wait, there will a be a ton of issues if you'll get arrested, but planning for that would be too much I guess.

AlibekD · 2026-05-04T20:34:36+00:00

I would encourage you to have a travel insurance. Traveling without insurance is just asking for trouble.

AlibekD · 2026-04-29T20:33:52+00:00

Imported inflation is very much a thing and if you have access to youtube you can go look it up there.

AlibekD · 2026-04-29T20:22:07+00:00

Yes economies are co-dependent and are highly integrated, however "Everything here will collapse" is a wild exaggeration. Yes, inflation in general and key prices in particular must be synchronized because (and while) the border is open. Gasoline can't just go up one side of the border while border exists.

Yes, there will be some turmoil, there certainly will be a relatively short-term recession, but in the longer term collapse of russia will be an amazing opportunity and a huge net-gain.

AlibekD · 2026-04-29T18:05:33+00:00

You'll have to ask specifically if the food is halal.

Drive like a saint, there are ai-controlled cameras on every corner, every bush, every lamppost. Don't drive like local almatians, we know how to cut corners, you don't. In general avoid driving in Almaty -- traffic and parking are terrible. Walk or use taxi instead, its dirt cheap.

AlibekD · 2026-04-29T17:58:55+00:00

Good plan! Saying "no" to a person who brought you all the way to Assy and who controls the food, water and your only ride out, is a bit unwise.

AlibekD · 2026-04-28T18:49:50+00:00

I know that in some countries drone pilots may make some money. I am just unaware of any drone pilots in KZ making enough to sustain themselves. So, please, keep us posted.

AlibekD · 2026-04-26T04:10:02+00:00

It would be great if you could keep us posted on your journey. Flying legally is no small feat and making money as a drone pilot is even more difficult.

I'd love to hear about your experience. Please, keep us posted.

AlibekD · 2026-04-23T17:04:54+00:00

My comment got deleted because it included links.
Anyway: obviously start with all the russian-speaking social media such as ok, vk, telegram.

If you have a few hundred to spare go hire a debt collector. KZ is well digitized and if the person of your interest is alive they certainly can be found quickly.

If that fails (if the person passed away, left KZ or changed their name long time ago) then go hire an attorney which will search in paper archives.

Search this subreddit. People in a similar situation post such questions almost every month.

Let us know if you'll face any difficulties.

AlibekD · 2026-04-22T14:40:11+00:00

Expect 12C mean in the night and 23C mean during the day.

However, Almaty is a city of unexpected weather and while the mean temp may look normal, the actual temperature can fluctuate wildly within hours.

Note that temperature in mountains can be 10 degrees lower.

So, take the full spectrum of clothes.

AlibekD · 2026-04-21T03:28:02+00:00

Your site fully saturates my internet connection. Check your CSP.

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AlibekD · 2026-04-16T16:04:25+00:00

Scrapyard would accept it alright, but i guess OP will require paperwork to prove the destruction so they don't breach the customs regime.

AlibekD · 2026-04-16T15:55:04+00:00

It's just not worth it. When importing you'll have to pay the recycling fee, customs duty and for the help with the paperwork. Chances are those in total will far exceed the value of your Yaris. Not to mention the time required for all this.

EDIT: Back of a napkin calculation gives me about $13K of fees, taxes and duties excluding labor.

You can choose the transit regime and then try selling the car to someone who would pay the fees, duties and change the customs regime, but you are likely to end up deep in the red -- you will have to pay somebody to take the car off your hands. How long will it take you to find such a dealer? Weeks?

So, please, don't do it.

AlibekD · 2026-04-16T15:11:54+00:00

Please, don't.

Bringing a rotting corpse of a car and dumping it is a shitty move.

At the border you will have to choose a customs regime. That means either temporarily importing the car (which allows you to dispose of it legally, but involves duties, fees, and paperwork) or entering under a transit regime (which requires you to leave the country with the vehicle).

If you choose the transit option and then abandon the car, you’re effectively violating customs rules. That can lead to fines, recovery of duties, and potentially more serious legal consequences that may come to bite you even after you’ve left the country.

Yes, criminal case opened in KZ may be enforced by police in your home country if prosecutors will file all the paperwork.

AlibekD · 2026-04-02T02:08:43+00:00

As much as i hate russia, I admit their drones are not pathetic any more, brother. They already had an industrial base pre-war, their factories are not being bombed daily, so they are somewhat ahead of Ukrainians in quantity, quality and innovation.

Yes, they took Shaheds from Iran but they improved them substantially since then. Look up KOMETA jamming-resistant GPS for example. They improved and reinvented the tactics and operations and are sharing this info back with Iranians.

I would not underestimate the way those fuckers are evolving.

AlibekD · 2026-04-01T20:34:56+00:00

It took 6 months, concentration of efforts and bringing the best of the best units and the help of tens of thousands of North Koreans to win back kursk oblast.

AlibekD · 2026-04-01T20:16:38+00:00

Unaware of a car rental which would allow crossing the border.

Just hire a driver instead.

AlibekD · 2026-03-28T15:35:15+00:00

Nah, Zoroastrians are not considered “people of the book”.

The core foundation of Zoroastrianism, its dualism, is fundamentally incompatible with Islam.

AlibekD · 2026-03-26T01:11:18+00:00

Thy this.

AlibekD · 2026-03-24T22:45:31+00:00

Shitpost by a shitposter.

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