Student Spotlight: Flagship Student Kristine Carrillo

Kristine Carillo, a UCLA Russian Flagship student from Delano, California, is a fourth-year economics major with a minor in Russian language. She is currently studying in Almaty, Kazakhstan on the Flagship capstone year. Kristine was awarded a Boren Scholarship, which helps fund her current studies. The UCLA Russian Flagship team recently contacted Kristine about her impressions.

 First Impressions

When I first told my parents about my plans to study in Kazakhstan, they had some reservations. My dad didn’t understand why I would choose to go there, and my mom, while more sympathetic, often agreed with my dad's concerns. Their worries were amplified when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, and tensions rose between the US and Russia. My dad was especially worried about my safety, often asking why I would want to travel to Kazakhstan at such a chaotic time in history. I responded that, though this is a wild chapter in the history of the world, it’s important that I develop skills that could contribute to its future stabilization and prosperity, particularly in Russian-speaking areas.

Despite seeing photos of Almaty and watching videos about Kazakh cuisine, I had no idea what it would be like to live there. I've been pleasantly surprised by the abundance of coffee shops and cafes on every corner, and I've even made a running list of all the cafes I've visited. One of my favorite things to do here is just to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee while journaling. I also didn’t expect there to be so many malls in Almaty, all located in a concentrated area.

On the downside, I wasn’t prepared for the air pollution in Almaty, and it has been difficult for me. On my first few walks to school, I actually found it hard to breathe - something I have never experienced before. There was one vivid moment where I thought, “I can’t do this every day –– this air is literally going to kill me!” I think the pollution mainly comes from cars, and I've seen government trucks emitting black smoke, which was extremely alarming to me. The smell of smoke here, in general, is much stronger compared to what I’ve experienced in America, so much so that you can smell it on your clothes when you finally get home. I suspect that I got sick at one point because of the air quality, and I almost completely lost my voice during the week of my final presentation. But, thankfully, I could still speak.

Culture Shock and Adaptation

I didn't understand the kind of culture shock I would have until I actually got here. I never thought I’d miss the ocean because I didn't live close to it growing up. Once I moved to LA for college, I could go to the beach whenever I had the time since it was right there. But in Almaty, there is no ocean, and when I first arrived, realizing that actually terrified me. The thought of being “trapped” in a land-locked country was overwhelming. They also don't have Mexican food here, a fact that made me really nervous about eating in general because I feel like I can’t live without spicy food. Every student who comes here quickly realizes they're not in America anymore, and some of the things you love or are used to will be missing. So, you have to bring the things that make you happy or remind you of home. For me, one of those things is food, so I brought spices and other Mexican things with me, and I'm so glad I did. It definitely helped me with my food blues and missing home. I also brought pictures with me and ended up buying a garland with lights to make me feel cozy. Sometimes you need extra comfort in a place that is so different from where you came from.

The First President's Park

Making Friends

Making friends and connecting with people has been a bit of a challenge for me. My host family has been very welcoming, and I have a good connection with my host brother and sister.

While it was tough to make friendships when I first arrived, I was able to connect well with my host family very quickly. I have a host brother who is one year older and a host sister who is six years old. That was exciting for me because I also come from a family with siblings. Usually, we love to eat, have interesting conversations, and watch movies in Russian together. But I’ve been able to make the most connections and friends at a local church. I've been going to services on Sundays and also on Thursdays, where they have events for girls. Yesterday, I went to a Christmas dinner, and once they found out I was from America, people began to talk to me, ask about America, and try to practice their English. Other people in Kazakhstan often do the same, but I find that I rarely have those kinds of interactions. I've been told many times that I have Asian features, so everyone thinks I'm Kazakh. I've even been stopped multiple times on the street, where people have asked me for directions in Kazakh. I then have to tell them in Russian that I don't speak Kazakh. We did have a Kazakh course, so I did learn some Kazakh, but I focused my energies more on Russian.

Russian Language and Professional Development

Since August, I feel like I know a lot more words and have a better understanding of descriptive words. Verbs of motion are still challenging for me, but I've been using them more often. My vocabulary and knowledge of adjectives have also expanded. Additionally, I feel like I can now talk in an abstract way and give examples of what I mean, and talk about international events. I also took a dual-enrollment course with local students called Budget and Budget Systems of Kazakhstan, which helped improve my economics vocabulary. In my final presentation, I was able to explain economic phenomena in greater detail. This has been the most exciting part of the program for me because I can study a topic that I'm very interested in. Next semester, I’ll start an internship with the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA). I learned about the organization from a former flagship student, Leanna Kramer, who talked about her work and experience there at Flagship events. It sounded like something that I’d be interested in, so when it came time to talk about internships, I said what I wanted to study and was soon assigned to EFCA. My ultimate goal is to have a career in government, and my dream job would be to work as a trade representative. I'm looking into the Bureau of Economic Affairs to work in an area such as trade analysis.

On the Current Situation in Kazakhstan

In Kazakhstan, I have observed the aftermath of the protests from last year. My host mother and brother were especially worried about riots breaking out again, as they live on the same street where people were protesting, walking, and shooting one another in January 2022. There was even a car that went up in flames right next to their apartment. I've also heard other people, like teachers and neighbors, mention their concerns as well. Recently, on Kazakhstan’s Independence Day, I noticed a large number of police all over the city, especially near national monuments and the area where protests took place last year.

Regarding the current migration from Russia caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, I haven't seen a lot of migrants from Russia myself, but I've heard about it. My host mom talks about it a lot, and she's been to places where she said she only saw Russians. I've also heard that housing is more expensive because of the influx of migrants, and my host brother has said that more Russians are getting hired at his workplace. The impact of this migration on the Kazakh economy is uncertain, as migration can have positive ramifications for an economy. I would say that heavy migration benefits a country’s economy if the country is developed enough to handle it. Kazakhstan is still developing its economy and needs more infrastructure. I’ve also noticed that, as in America, people in Kazakhstan also have tendencies to believe that immigrants take job opportunities away from local citizens. Although that’s not always the case, I’ve heard that employers in Kazakhstan sometimes prefer to hire Russians over Kazakhs if they have a personal connection with them.

Old Soviet car covered with snow on the streets of Almaty

Leisure

I’ve done a variety of interesting things here in Almaty. One of the things I enjoyed most is going to Medeu, an ice skating rink in the mountains. I've been ice skating before, but here, you find yourself on an outside rink surrounded by tall mountains and trees. I went in the morning with some friends and we were able to see the sunrise while we were skating. You can't do that in a lot of other places. I also really enjoy it when it snows. Snowfall here in Almaty is such a magical experience, and it always reminds me of Disneyland.

Overall, I've enjoyed my time in Kazakhstan and would recommend the following coffee shops in Almaty to anyone visiting the city:

1. Traveler's Coffee https://travelers-coffee.com/points/kazakhstan#2.1
2. Nedelka: https://www.facebook.com/nedelka.kz/
3. Cafeteria https://abr.kz/restaurant/cafeteria
4. Costa Coffee https://www.instagram.com/costacoffee_kz/?hl=en
5. Medovic - https://www.instagram.com/medovic_cafe/?hl=en

Kazakhstan Independence Monument