CURRENT MISSION

learn to be charming without the assistance of beer :o)

ABOUT ME

My name is Jason my beautiful wife Gaukhar and I have returned from living in the Republic of Kazakhstan for the last three years. We love to travel, laugh and engage in all sorts of merriment and revelry.

PHILOSOPHY

Damn that's tough, well as far as travelling is concerned I always remember my late mother telling me to get out and go while your still young and can, always stuck with me.

Perché sono iscritto su Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We have hosted a few very cool people with nothing but fun, eye opening times. Really love hosting folks with world experience and different views than our own.

Interessi

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• books
• dining
• beer
• running
• partying
• drinking
• flying
• traveling
• socializing
• emergency services
• law

Musica, film e libri

Movies : My base would be old movies. Any Humphrey Bogart or Jimmy Stewart flick, also love a lot of Tom Hanks and am a huge Bond Fan (I'm a Pierce man :o)

Music : I really listen to a lot of different things. I can get down just as well to some old American country like Hank Williams or Patsy Cline. Also grew up a punk kid loving NOFX,MXPX and Operation Ivy (have there logo tattooed on my arm.) But if I was on my death bed the last thing I would want to hear would most defiantly be anything Pavarotti.

Books : Would have to say being a World History major I love Alexis de Tocqueville Democracy in America. Also love Anchee Min's Red Azalea.

Una cosa incredibile che ho fatto

Probley my travels around Europe with a childhood friend, always "Myspacing or Facebooking" our next cities lodging, and getting through so many countries with less then 30 euro in our pockets (but always enough to get drunk....we are Germans after all) and upon running out of funds working odd jobs, my favorite picking watermelons in Spain and my friend becoming all-star watermelon picker even among the locals. Or getting a random email from a Indian friend I had made in America, and flying out to stay with her family in Goa province for a month. Or moving my whole life to Kazakhstan to follow my love.

Insegna, impara, condividi

About Kazakhstan -

(this info is the best of MY knowledge would suggest you double check any visa/legal advice)

Visas - Pretty much any European/North American passport holders require a visa prior to arrival. If you hold a passport from one of the former Soviet States you are free to come and go.

Get in -
By plane, a number of western air carriers now fly regular routes to more major cities in Kazakhstan such as Astana and Almaty. Regular flights from Lufthansa, KLM, BMI and Turkish Airlines are available with linking flights from Air Astana or SCAT to smaller KZ destinations.

Train, Popular train routes from Moscow or Novosibirsk or Urumqi China are available but quite lengthy. The trains are a great way to meet people. A lot has been written about the pitfalls of being included in a vodka drinking party on a train, but for the most part fellow travelers are friendly, and keen to find out about you ("why aren't you married?" and, if you are, "why don't you have children?", and if you do, "why don't they have children?"!). Most travelers take food for the journey, as restaurant car provision is sporadic (and they expect you to share yours too!). If you don't have enough to last the distance, the trains generally stop for 15-20 mins at each station and there are always people on the platform selling food and drink, at any time of day or night.

By car or bus, connections via all the countries that border KZ are available, just be advised of a long wait at border. My wife once told me of a British couple that were held up in there RV for over 72 hours at the border due to a minor visa problem. The KZ border authority are quite by the book when it comes to visa requirements, if you can swing it air is the best way to come.

Safety - Kazakhstan compared to other former Soviet Central Asian countries is quite safe. Realizing that in smaller villages where there may be locals operating in a gang type they are still quite wary of westerners. The larger cities are safer but city police may a bit apathetic. Be careful and use your wits and you will be fine. Coming from America I can say I feel safer here in Almaty or some smaller villages then I do in a lot of American cities.

Language - Kazakhstan unfortunately as far as my travels is one of the less English or western language friendly countries. People will work with you if you are struggling in Russian, and a lot of younger -25 y/o's have a general knowledge of English. Just bring a phrase book. Russian is spoken by most 95% with the exception of smaller villages and older towns people where Kazakh is the language.

Overall - Come here! Kazakhstan as I have come to learn is a really amazing place. I came here to follow my wife and was basically adopted by her amazing family. I have really come to respect and love this country very much, and when I am away have begin to miss it like home. Kazakhstan is a country rich in many different cultures, histories and filled with people that are very welcoming and hospitable !

Some Advice - Please be advised Kazakhstan especially some of the more remote towns and villages are not extremely tourist friendly. Please have a plan and some contacts on the ground. Like I mentioned earlier this country while amazing is not very easily navigated without a cursory knowledge of the language. In Astana, Almaty you will find some travel aide from English speakers but it can be at time's few and far between. Just have a plan, some contacts and a phrase book and you should be fine and will have a great time !

You can read some really insightful blogs by Ex-Pats living here that may give you some more insight :

http://kazakhstan.blogsome.com/
http://chrismerriman.com/

Paesi che ho visitato

Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, Bulgaria, Cayman Islands, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vatican City State, Virgin Islands, British

Paesi in cui ho vissuto

Germany, Kazakhstan, United States

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