Regardless of the weather, heavy rain or 100ºF heat, most adults around Almaty dress relatively elegantly and formally compared to casual American clothes. While many college students in the U.S. can get away with rolling out of bed, throwing on sweatpants and flip flops and bumbling into class, expectations in Kazakhstan are different. In our classes, the professors have not enforced much of a dress code, however Kazakh students are typically required to wear more formal, conservative clothing. I have been told that students can even be asked to go home and change if they come to class in casual attire. Outside of the workplace and classroom, there is an expected level of effort that you must put into your appearance. My friends and I usually get some strange looks and sometimes even comments when we walk home from the gym in our work-out clothes.
In an attempt to better integrate into the community and understand more about daily life, several students and I have begun participating in extracurricular activities with Almaty locals. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays a group of us goes to a hip hop class. We learn short numbers, take turns freestyling and occasionally take part in dance battles with the other regulars. We have also frequented the American Corner, where all are welcome to learn and practice English with native speakers, as well as learn about American culture. Partaking in such activities gives us the opportunity to interact with and befriend people outside of our American cohort. We can teach each other about our respective countries, languages and cultures and learn how to better adapt to Kazakh life.
