One of the most perplexing aspects of everyday existence in Almaty is the constant need for change. No, not the need for something new and different, but rather the need for money in denominations smaller than 500 Tenge. In Almaty, change is almost a commodity in it's own right notes and coins under 200 Tenge are both extremely useful, and in high demand.
Allow me to explain: to get to work, I usually ride the bus. The bus costs 50 Tenge. If I take a bus with a ticket machine, I must have the fare in change. If I take a bus with a conductor, it is unlikely that this person will have the change to break anything over a 200 note. So, if I do not have any denomination smaller than 200 but greater than 50kt, then I must be sure to stop at the grocery store on my way home to buy a bottle of water for 125 tenge with a 5,000 kt note. The teller at the grocery store will glare, then ask if I have 5 kt to make the change even, and which point I shove my hands in my pockets to at least appear to look for the change, shake my head mournfully and accept the next day's bus fair with a friendly "thank you."
Many places require exact change: vendors at the Bazaar, Gypsy cabs, buses, the neighborhood veggie stand guy, restaurants. Everyone will ask you for change knowing perfectly well that you need it as much as they do.
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