The other day I visited the beautiful city of Almaty. It's especially wonderful in the summer! Green, intelligent, and hospitable, the city has a lot to offer. Just be prepared for Moscow-level traffic jams and somewhat misleading air quality.
However, I want to tell you not about the city's issues but about an unsung hero at Almaty airport! Due to an injury, I currently travel with assistance, meaning I'm met with a wheelchair and helped out of the airport. Over the past few weeks, I’ve experienced the service quality at airports in Rome, Dubai, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Tashkent, and Almaty. Kazakhstan tops the list (Tel Aviv comes last)!\
I arrived in Almaty late at night at the new terminal, which had only been open for a week and was still unfinished in many parts. A young man named Nariman met me at the plane. He swiftly placed all my belongings on my lap, and off we went. Despite the late hour, Nariman was incredibly hospitable! Our first challenge arose immediately after exiting the jet bridge—the elevator wasn't working! We tried to get it moving for a while, but it seemed the elevator wasn’t fully functional yet and refused to budge. Did this stop Nariman? Not at all! Like a snow leopard, he grabbed all my stuff and rushed up the stairs! He was even ready to carry me, but I managed on my own. The next challenge came at the second elevator. It worked, but it gave Nariman an electric shock. My attendant yelped, but fortunately, the shock wasn't severe. Any other person might have left me, cursed the job, and gone home to sleep, but not Nariman! He bravely continued to push my wheelchair despite the pain from the shock and the difficulties with the stairs.
At the very end, after we passed all the controls, Nariman was ready to accompany me further and help me get into a taxi! This wasn’t part of his job, he didn’t know who I was, he was simply a kind person wanting to help a stranger. I haven’t encountered such exceptional service in any other country!
Thanks to this compassionate airport employee, my impression of the terminal's shortcomings was smoothed over. I express my sincere gratitude for his help and hope the management rewards him with a bonus and a holiday for a well-deserved rest!
