Uralsk, Kazakhstan - Accomodations and Internet
Aug 17th 2009, 4:48 pm
#1
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 2
Uralsk, Kazakhstan - Accomodations and Internet
Hi everyone!
First, I must apologize. I am not currently expatriated (though I have many times...) and am not British at all (rather, a mixture of French and Canadian...)
However, I thought you might be able to help, so please hear my plea!
I am in the process of adopting a little girl from Uralsk, Kazakhstan. I would very much get in touch with anyone currently living there. I believe I will be visiting some time in the fall 2009.
For now, my main preoccupations are lodgings and Internet access. The appartments that are proposed to us, adopting parents, are rather basic and very, very expensive. I was hoping there might be alternatives, and that perhaps some of you could provide leads in this regard. I will be traveling by myself (am a single mother, or rather future single mother...), so don't need anything large, but I do need safety and good location.
As for the Internet access, I will be in Uralsk anywhere between 6 and 12 weeks and was hoping to continue working while there (am a translator). I would need preferably high speed internet access. Anyone can help? So far, I am only aware of dial-up possibilities, with a card, or the Pushkin hotel, or the Kazakh Telecom establishment.
I thank you so very much in advance, and cross my fingers, hoping this message will find sympathetic eyes!!
Dominique
First, I must apologize. I am not currently expatriated (though I have many times...) and am not British at all (rather, a mixture of French and Canadian...)
However, I thought you might be able to help, so please hear my plea!
I am in the process of adopting a little girl from Uralsk, Kazakhstan. I would very much get in touch with anyone currently living there. I believe I will be visiting some time in the fall 2009.
For now, my main preoccupations are lodgings and Internet access. The appartments that are proposed to us, adopting parents, are rather basic and very, very expensive. I was hoping there might be alternatives, and that perhaps some of you could provide leads in this regard. I will be traveling by myself (am a single mother, or rather future single mother...), so don't need anything large, but I do need safety and good location.
As for the Internet access, I will be in Uralsk anywhere between 6 and 12 weeks and was hoping to continue working while there (am a translator). I would need preferably high speed internet access. Anyone can help? So far, I am only aware of dial-up possibilities, with a card, or the Pushkin hotel, or the Kazakh Telecom establishment.
I thank you so very much in advance, and cross my fingers, hoping this message will find sympathetic eyes!!
Dominique
Aug 18th 2009, 1:57 pm
#2
And YOU'RE paying for it!
Joined: May 2007
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Posts: 2,328
Re: Uralsk, Kazakhstan - Accomodations and Internet
Hi Dominique. Congratulations on your news!
I am not familiar with Uralsk specifically but am familiar with Kazakstan/CIS generally (and have been inside a couple of children's homes a while ago). So while I don't have any specific info to that city, you might wish to see whether a "kvartirnoye byuro" (apartment bureau) exists in the city. I used them a few years back; they rent apartments from short to long term. At that time everything was on paper cards but probably by now they would have photos on the computer. And perhaps by now they might even come with internet access and/or cable TV? Surely a phone line for dial-up, anyway. Safety? Well, you would be living in a tower block alongside ordinary Uralskers so you're about as safe as they are...
One thing you might consider is paying a young/enthusiastic student to help you for a couple of days in the first week you are there to situate yourself. Again, I've done this before in the past for work when I needed so messengering done - I went on the website of the local uni and started emailing a few kids and seeing who replied. It shouldn't cost much and if it helps you work out the internet/accommodation problems early on, it will be worth it and save you money. Unfortunately I don't have my Cyrillic-enabled PC here so I can't search. Maybe the languages dept of the local uni/college would be able to refer you to someone, esp if one of the languages you speak is even more unusual than French or English so the kids would have less opportunity to practice it?
Also - if you look halfway down this page, it says that the Decker family managed to rent an apartment - perhaps you could email them through their blog and find out who/how? http://kazapalooza.blogspot.com/2009/05/uralsk.html And so did these guys: http://www.thesneddens.com/journal.html
Finally, I am sure you have read many, but also wanted to link to this: http://dougtran.com/journal.htm
I wish you all the best with your journey and your adoption. If you find yourself worried or upset: don't panic!
I am not familiar with Uralsk specifically but am familiar with Kazakstan/CIS generally (and have been inside a couple of children's homes a while ago). So while I don't have any specific info to that city, you might wish to see whether a "kvartirnoye byuro" (apartment bureau) exists in the city. I used them a few years back; they rent apartments from short to long term. At that time everything was on paper cards but probably by now they would have photos on the computer. And perhaps by now they might even come with internet access and/or cable TV? Surely a phone line for dial-up, anyway. Safety? Well, you would be living in a tower block alongside ordinary Uralskers so you're about as safe as they are...
One thing you might consider is paying a young/enthusiastic student to help you for a couple of days in the first week you are there to situate yourself. Again, I've done this before in the past for work when I needed so messengering done - I went on the website of the local uni and started emailing a few kids and seeing who replied. It shouldn't cost much and if it helps you work out the internet/accommodation problems early on, it will be worth it and save you money. Unfortunately I don't have my Cyrillic-enabled PC here so I can't search. Maybe the languages dept of the local uni/college would be able to refer you to someone, esp if one of the languages you speak is even more unusual than French or English so the kids would have less opportunity to practice it?
Also - if you look halfway down this page, it says that the Decker family managed to rent an apartment - perhaps you could email them through their blog and find out who/how? http://kazapalooza.blogspot.com/2009/05/uralsk.html And so did these guys: http://www.thesneddens.com/journal.html
Finally, I am sure you have read many, but also wanted to link to this: http://dougtran.com/journal.htm
I wish you all the best with your journey and your adoption. If you find yourself worried or upset: don't panic!
Aug 18th 2009, 2:54 pm
#3
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 2
Re: Uralsk, Kazakhstan - Accomodations and Internet
Wow! Thank you so very much for all that information: lots of food for thought. You are obviously very resourceful. I am trying to establish contact with the American Corner, that has an English language practice group, so perhaps that would be somewhere to start to find a youngster willing to act as an interpreter/facilitator.
I'll read all the material you recommend. Things are complicated by the fact that I do not speak or read Russian (I can read it, but I don't understand what I am reading anyway!!) And this is a fairly out of the way place, and English does not seem to be prevalent (I could find in the past an appartment in The Netherlands, in Malta and in Prague, in spite of the language barrier, but here, my Internet research so far has come to naught...)
Thanks very much for the words of encouragement: believe you me, I need them!!! Becoming a mother through adoption is somehow more daunting than if you feel the child grow inside of you, I think, because of the lack of transition. Hard to explain... Though both paths have their challenges!!
Have an excellent day!
Dominique
I'll read all the material you recommend. Things are complicated by the fact that I do not speak or read Russian (I can read it, but I don't understand what I am reading anyway!!) And this is a fairly out of the way place, and English does not seem to be prevalent (I could find in the past an appartment in The Netherlands, in Malta and in Prague, in spite of the language barrier, but here, my Internet research so far has come to naught...)
Thanks very much for the words of encouragement: believe you me, I need them!!! Becoming a mother through adoption is somehow more daunting than if you feel the child grow inside of you, I think, because of the lack of transition. Hard to explain... Though both paths have their challenges!!
Have an excellent day!
Dominique
