The owner of these containers is living in Astana at the moment and comes here only once a month. His house is opposite and is considered to be situated in the perfect place which is near the entrance to "Salem" clothes market.

"While the owner is in Astana me and my brother with our families are renting his house", says local manager Alik. "Our gates are always open because sales people, who rent our containers, drop in here, bring in and take out their goods".

At this moment one of the salesmen came to fetch his merchandise.

Five metres away from Alik's house is a clothes market living its own life

Gulchakhra has come from Chunja to pick up some goods. Here she lives at her brother and his wife's place.

"I am a lawyer, but cannot find a job in my field. I was even ready to carry documents from one room to another, but could not get even this job", laughs Dilshat. "That is why I came to work in the clothes market. I started as a loader carrying sacks. Then started to sell clothes. I have been working here for 5 years already. I sell fur-coats in winter and sun-glasses in summer".

Serik came from Shymkent and sells prayer beads and books on Islam.

Everything can be sold or rented on the flea market.

"I am a Dungan. I came from Korday", says Ramazan. "Me and my friends are renting a room here. I work as a driver. I earn as much as Allah gives me, but I am not complaining".

Ramazan is loading his car with some goods which he will drive to train stations. From there the boxes will be delivered all around Kazakhstan

Price for one trip depends on the distance and cargo's weight and size.

Usually several people take care of one cargo, including loaders, carriers and drivers. Drivers are the most highly paid as their salary can reach 8 thousand tenge per day. Loaders can get up to 6 thousand tenge. Carriers are paid 300 tenge for one trip, but it is almost impossible for them to have more than 10 trips per day.

Vendor's or recipient's name is usually written on each box so that the goods are delivered to the correct address.

"I have been working as a loader for 10 years", says Bolat (in the picture on the left). "I have moved to Almaty from Shymkent. I earn from 1 to 6 thousand tenge per day. The job is not very good, but I got used to during all these years".

"We are not loaders, we are carriers!" the guys sound offended by the question.

All these loaders, carriers, drivers and clothes traders live right here close to the flea market. Pushful people built barracks especially for them. Immigrants pay 15 thousand tenge per month for a 6 sq.m. room.

But "Zarya Vostoka" is not only barracks and containers. There are normal houses where Almaty-born residents live. The only common thing of all the microdistrict inhabitants is that almost all of them work in the local flea market.

There is no central sewing system in the microdistrict so all the waste water flows down the ditch.

Iliyas and Rasul are 11 and 8 years old respectively. The brothers are on vacation now and are helping their parents to dig a pit for a toilet.

"Rasul have a lot of twos (D-grades)!" says the elder brother Iliyas laughing
"I have only one bad mark", corrects him Rasul.

Milana, Madi and Iliyas are 8 years old. During holidays they collect empty cardboard boxes from salesmen for bath heating.

Madi is helping Milana to carry her enormous sack.

At 5 pm the flea market is closed and sales people carry their goods to the storage facilities.

Tomorrow at around 8 am the gates will be open again.

In the evening local elderly people come out to the street to play cards in front of a hot tandoor oven

Hot flatbread made by local Uyghurs is one of the most delicious in Almaty.

After work driver Ramazan whom we have met earlier that day is inviting us to his home: "OK, you cannot call it a house but it is warm here and we do not need much more", - says Ramazan.

His brother Suleiman is a taxi driver. The next day he is turning 42 years old but he is going to spend his birthday in the flea market as usually.

One more roommate Yusuf cooks a salad. "It is a custom in my homeland to welcome guests with pleasure. All my family lives in Korday and I am engaged in cargo transportation here. We have enough money. Now I have to earn some extra money for bride price as my son is going to get married soon!"

"There in Korday I have a small farm, I grow potatoes and onions", says Ramazan's roommate Iliyas. "But now it is not the season for farming, it gets very boring at home. That is why I came here to have a look around".

It is a bit tight, but all right

"Come and visit us in Korday!" says Ramazan at parting. "Everything is so different there. We have a big house and everything is clean. Come to try a real plov and to have fun at the real Dungan wedding!"