Kazakhstan: fun facts

We learned by now that most of the fun facts are similar between the Central Asian states (most of them probably ex-Soviet fun facts for that matter), but here are some we came across in Kazakhstan:


1. In bakeries (patisseries), you find pastries, sweets, cakes and... sausages.
2. The Kazakhs queue in a peculiar way: one talks to a person who is already queueing, upon which he/she is allowed to queue behind the person he/she started talking to. Leaving your place in line doesn't mean you lose your place: it's very common that someone claims to have been here "much before you"...
3. Ordering coffee without explicitly mentioning you don't want sugar, leaves you with a mug of sugar with some coffee in it. The Central Asians like their coffee extremely sweet!
4. Miss Universe 2008 will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan - and it's quite easy to understand why: there are a lot of gorgeous women in the streets of Almaty. (Of course, travelling together with Miss Finland makes Floris a mere observer of this fact...)
5. In marshrutkas, people hurriedly give small notes to the driver when being pulled over by the police, to pay for the "traffic fines" (/bribes). But fair is fair: these bribes are deducted from the taxi fare.
6. Everyone in the whole of Central Asia seems to carry plastic bags with the marking "A&C Aygen Collection - styled in Italy".
7. Despite decades of Soviet rule, it's quite common to see people wear T-shirts with "CCCP" on them or hear Soviet Anthem in ringtones.