The extreme cold of the winter months skewed Astana residents’ perceptions of the weather. When temperatures crept above -15C then above -10C during the day, it felt like spring had arrived.
Parents stood outside their buildings letting their babies — so bundled up in clothes and snowsuits that their arms and legs stuck out at angles like starfish — have some fresh air and sunlight.
On one sunny morning I went out to the corner shop for some bottled water without bothering to put my coat on. After all, it was only -11C — hardly cold at all.
When I got back, I decided to clean the grimy windows of my flat, and was surprised when the water I used to wipe them froze solid. The bedroom window remained covered in soapy ice until late March.
Spring in Astana
As the weeks rolled by, the days grew longer and the temperatures slowly started to rise, also raising the mood of the expats with the beginning of spring in Astana. We started to go out to cafes and make travel plans together (instead of sitting alone in our apartments drinking and watching DVDs).
It had been hard finding fresh food during the winter, unless we wanted to pay the extortionate prices at the high-end supermarkets — £6 for a lettuce… really?
When the snow had all melted in April, a small weekend market opened, selling spring vegetables. I bought new potatoes, bunches of beetroot and celery with the leaves still attached, lettuces and tomatoes.
The spring had arrived.
Steppe in Style 
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