facebook

Recommend an inspiring person

WE matter who is close to us and to our families. We wish to be close to us only reliable people who can be trusted.

    Наши люди WE:

  • Наш Человек стремится создавать то, что улучшает жизнь людей

  • Наш Человек в общении с окружением честен и справедлив, порядочен и верен

  • Вы доверяете ему и уверены в его искренности

  • Наш Человек живет полной жизнью: любимая семья, достойное окружение, любимое дело, интересное хобби

  • Наш Человек всегда идет вперед и развивается

  • Наш Человек неравнодушен и готов вместе с нами создавать добрые дела

Далее closerecommendheropopupa
Recommend an inspiring person

Выберете одну или нескольо рубрик, в которую вы рекомендуете человека


Закрыть поиск
Закрыть поиск
drawnup
ВАША ЗАЯВКА ПРИНЯТА

Спасибо за неравнодушие!
Нам важно узнавать о достойных людях, чтобы рассказывать о них городу!

Вернуться на главную

Subscribe

closesearch
Array
(
    [SRC] => 
    [WIDTH] => 0
    [HEIGHT] => 0
)
coffee-with-heather-priest
logo
Coffee with HEATHER PRIEST

Heather Priest, 53

From LA, an assistant attaché

11.02.2018

Coffee with HEATHER PRIEST


ON LIFE


I spent many years as a freelance designer in Hollywood, worked from project to project. It’s very hard for a single, since you finish one work and have to look for other job. I got tired of people, got tired of Hollywood, but loved the job. I loved my creative team, building a wardrobe, and working collaboratively with the director, good action team made something come to live. But I felt it was high time to change my job, so I transitioned to the administrative work with the rent cooperation. I was working in Santa Monica for two years, then my boss sent me here. So that’s how I happened to be in Kazakhstan!

64a5d77d4f2a1c19f7edefc0c965abd2.jpg

I knew very little about your country. I knew a little about Astana, which was considered to be the world’s weirdest capital. I’ve been here for a year and a month. I’ll be here at least till July, 3 2018, though I’m still not sure. I’ll be at home for a month, do some training, see my family. Then I’ll go to Tanzania, Africa.


ON THE CITY


When I firstly came to Astana, I went out of the airport and smelt a cold smoke. I was a bit shocked. Afterwards I decided not to run outside. The second thing I remember is that it was 1 am, I couldn’t see anything. Driving from the airport I was thinking where the city was, when it finally came out. Astana is new, surprising and cool.

00e56aaf82155939ba809d9c3d9415b6.jpg

I was in LA for about 20 years before coming here. It’s very difficult to spend here winter after LA. I hadn’t had anything like boots or a coat before coming here, I had to go to Evrazia and buy all the stuff. Living here is a whole different thing. I learned a lot.

LA is a city of 17 million people, there’s so much to do. You always have something to do. I lived in 4 blocks of the beach, I could go there, hang out there. The hardest for me is coming to a smaller city. The options are fewer, but it’s still surprisingly interesting in Astana.

Everything is different here. I used to spend a lot of time outside. I ran on the beach, it was easy to keep fit. It’s completely different here.

I have a dog called Pixel. She’d never seen snow before, firstly she was chocked. Now she likes snow, she has fur, so she’s not cold. She sometimes gets stuck in snow, as she’s small. I haven’t made her special suits I might present her for Christmas.


ON FOOD


I like Izbushka, it is so funny! The plants, trees, they have so many different things! Perhaps the quality isn’t the highest, but it became one of my favorites. People are nice and not pretentious. Food there is cheap, you can choose anything. I like London Beirut too, the food is really good there.

I like all cuisines. Unfortunately I haven’t had homemade beshabarmak. There’s a restaurant in Ethnoaul with the yurts there. I had beshbarmak there, all food is great. I’m crazy about bauyrsaks. I usually have dinner with my friends; sometimes I invite friends to my house.

bf30cfd5c7d4283aa4e559e86a0f679a.jpg


ON HOUSING AND UTILITIES


I live close to the Children’s place. Utilities are paid by embassy. Phone bills and internet are much cheaper. For cell phone monthly in the USA I paid about 60 dollars. Gas here is as cheap as twice. A gallon of gas stands for about 2 dollars at least. Occasionally there were moments when I didn’t have electricity or water. It’s a usual thing, when there’re construction works around.


ON TRAFFIC


Local traffic is frustrating and desperating. Drivers here are aggressive, but not mean. People here cut your off all the time, but finally thank you! It surprised me so much. They’re nice. Traffic rules are different too, i.e. you can turn right on the red light. In the states we have a lot of dedicated left road lines and arrows, so it was confusing for me at the very beginning. When you flash your car lights to someone, it means they can go in front of you, but in the states it means “Be aware!” Then we never use blinkers until someone is in trouble, but here drivers use them to thank each other. People here can stop to let other people in, while they are driving in a roundabout, which is completely different in the rest of the world, they go when they can.

449d4572704d9a64f6abab0e8394f085.jpg

I brought my motorcycle from California and rode here with a bikers’ club. The club’s presidents are Root brothers, they’re so nice! It was the funniest thing I did since I came here. I rode with them, I have a shot of the last ride in this season. It was in September, it was so cold that day. Before I had a ride with in spring, it was really fun! I mostly ride in summer. It’s not hard to drive here, though most drivers don’t think about motorcycles. You just have to ride very defensively, the road is good. I think driving too fast is silly.


ON PURCHASES


The best place to shop is Metro. We have the same stores like Walmart, rather big. Metro has a lot of houseware, etc. Then I go to Interfood, it’s across the street next to me, they have really good German things. I’ve been to Mega Silk way, I visited Eurasia many times. There’s a market called Green bazaar, have been there for a couple of times. I do a lot of shopping here. There’s “5 minutes” market, I like it so much.

It seems like Kazakh people aren’t used to having dogs. Sometimes people are scared of my dog, though she’s completely kind. You have many stores to buy pet supplies; one of them is in Khan Shatyr. It’s in underneath, near the parking garage.

df60d27e4aaf1514de77f08b25bc568b.jpg


ON FUN


This time of the year I read a lot. I need to go to Khan Shatyr’s beach. There’s a water slide, sand. I like that, it’s so fun! I and my friends go there, when it gets’ cold and dark outside.

I like parks here, when it’s warm. There’re a lot of people riding bikes, just walking.

There’re more music activities in LA, so I visited a lot of shows in LA. But it doesn’t mean it’s less fun here! The thing isn’t about places, but about the people. I’ve met so many great people in Kazakhstan: some of the nicest, smartest, and coolest. That’s the best thing about Astana, about Kazakhstan. I think Kazakhstan’s an abundance of awesome people.


Узнайте первыми:

Подписаться на рассылку WE project!

Мы пишем о том, что помогает сориентироваться в новом мире и выбрать то, что нужно именно вам.