Bayan-Olgiy is a district located in the west of Mongolia. The vast majority of residents of this district are Kazakhs. One of them is Serzhan Tashkentovna. Our kandas (compatriot living abroad) recently won a competition organized by the Otandastar Foundation for compatriots abroad and won a ticket to the capital. Here is the interview Serzhan Tashkentovna gave to BAQ.KZ website.

Serzhan Tashkentovna was born in 2008 in the Bayan-Olgiy region of Mongolia. She lives in Bayan-Olgiy with his parents and two siblings. This year Serzhan graduated from the 9^th grade and enrolled for the 10^th grade. Her parents are teachers. Her father teaches physical education, and her mother teaches crafts.

- When did you arrive in Astana?

- I arrived in Astana 10 days ago. I won the competition organized by the Otandastar Foundation for compatriots abroad and won a ticket to the capital. The main goal of this competition is to bring children to Astana and introduce them to Kazakhstan. This is the main feature of the competition, as it is dedicated to compatriots abroad. Many children took part in it. About 40 children come from Mongolia. The visit schedule starts on July 1.

- Kandas children spend their time in Burabay. I think there will be 2 weeks of interesting outdoor activities. Because the visit itinerary features various interesting items.

- How did you win the ticket?

- I read poems expressively. I took part in the competition to show my talent and was among the best, which won me a ticket.

- Did you manage to travel Kazakhstan in 10 days? What place did you like?

- I was in Burabay recently. It is a very picturesque place. Its nature never seized to amaze me. Back home (In Mongolia - editor's note) we do not have cities like Astana. I was particularly impressed by this very modern, beautiful city. I also visited Kokshetau, the birthplace of Shokan Ualikhanov. Such a green city. However, Bayan-Olgiy landscape is more mountainous and rocky than Kazakhstan. My homeland is very beautiful and picturesque. However, winters are harsh. But who can call their birthplace bad?!

- What can you say about the people of Astana? What did you like?

- I liked people of Astana. Everyone is open and easygoing.

- What is your dream? What do you want to do in the future?

- I want to become a lawyer. I want to study law in Astana. I dream of studying at Gumilyov Eurasian National University. I am trying to study well to get there.

- Do you have plans to move to Kazakhstan?

- Actually, I do have it in mind. I want to move to Astana and live here. There are no obstacles to immigrating to Kazakhstan. I have many relatives there, especially relatives on my father's side.

- What do you do in your spare time?

- I read books, I study English. Now, I can speak Kazakh and Mongolian. At school we are studying Russian and English.

- Do Mongolians and Kazakhs have something in common?

- Mongols are shorter and their eyes are narrow. Kazakhs are tall.

- Did you experience any difficulties when you first came to Kazakhstan?

- There were no issues, even in terms of language. But when I first arrived, I felt like I was standing on a rimless wheel. There were no mountains, I felt like I was going to fall.

- How do Kazakhs live in Mongolia? What do they do?

- Our life is good. Most of us are engaged in animal husbandry. The common business of both Mongolians and Kazakhs is cattle breeding. There are also teachers. People work in many other fields as well. That is, if a person has education, it is possible to get a job anywhere.

- How do schools in Bayan-Olgii provide education?

- In Bayan-Olgii, textbooks from 1^st to 5^th grade are available in Kazakh language. From 6^th to 12^th grade, the lessons are taught in Mongolian. Our country has a 12-grade education system. English is taught from the 5th grade, and the Russian language is added from the 7^th grade. I know Russian and English, but my vocabulary is lacking when talking to people, I need more practice.

 - How old were you when you started reading poetry? Whose poems do you like to read?

- I started reading poetry since I was four years old. I very much enjoy Mukhtar Shakhanov's poems. When entering a competition, we were given a preliminary theme. Based on that, we chose the poems. There were a lot of poems of Abai Kunanbayev, Ybyray Altynsarin and others.

- Serzhan, thank you for this interview!