Kazakh Rhapsody

On a freezing January evening, when my dorm friends, Zhuldyz and Kamila, at Saint Petersburg University, where I’m currently pursuing my Masters in Psychology, casually asked if I’d like to visit their country – Kazakhstan – little did they expect me to reply in the affirmative. “I will come in July,” I said. A few Google searches later, after checking out pictures of Astana, I was completely flabbergasted by its splendour and all thoughts of going home to India for the holidays flew straight out of the window. Fast-forward to June, I surprised my friends with my Kazak visa and it was only after I earnestly started hotel hunting in Astana, did it actually dawn on them that this was for real and that I was indeed flying to their hometown! My large-hearted friends generously invited me to stay at their house in Astana, I graciously accepted, and began planning my trip to Kazakhstan.  Flight tickets were booked from Pulkovo Airport, Saint Petersburg, to Nur-Sultan Nazarbayev International Airport, Kazakhstan. On the day of departure to Nursultan, while my roommate, Edgar, and I waited for Zhuldyz to get the car to load the luggage, a BMW 3-series pulled up. “Now, wouldn’t it be cool if that