ALMATY, May 2026 — The morning of the second day of the international exhibition-forum GITEX AI Kazakhstan. Coffee, quiet conversation at the next table, a chance encounter. The girl introduces herself: Eleanor, a correspondent for the Financial Times. Later I learn her full name — Eleanor Olcott. A Cambridge graduate. Studied Chinese in Taiwan. Currently works in the Beijing bureau of the British media giant.

I mention that I work for the site orient.tm. She instantly takes out her smartphone, finds the app, opens the English version. Looks at the screen, then at me. Asks again — with genuine, lively surprise. Then she records my contact information. I record hers.

The whole episode took less than a minute. But it was revealing: a Financial Times journalist makes a quick, almost automatic cross-check. Not out of politeness. Out of professional habit.

[Image: Financial Times brand at the correspondent's workplace. GITEX AI Kazakhstan, Almaty, May 2026]

Contrasts of One Morning

Her English is impeccable. She is simply naturally kind to a conversation partner searching for words. At breakfast, she is sociable, easy, open. Coffee, a smile, no awkward questions. We talk about Cambridge, Taiwan, Beijing. About how the Chinese language opens doors in international journalism. No superiority. No coldness.

On Stage: A Different Person

A few hours later, I see her on the forum floor. She is moderating a session dedicated to AI cities, security, and the technological future. And this is not her. Or rather, this is her professional alter ego. She doesn't just introduce the speakers. She strictly, almost interrogates — the distinguished men in expensive suits, representatives of business and government administrations. The questions are precise. The timing is strict. She doesn't let them drift into generalities.

[Image: GITEX AI Kazakhstan stage. Participants of the discussion "AI cities. Smart. Secure. Future ready."]

On stage with her are panel participants:

• Farrukh Farajullayev — Chief Commercial Officer, AzInTelecom

• Ilya Belyakov — CTO, Integra City

• Meirbek Mukatov — Managing Director for Government Relations, Yandex Qazaqstan

• Alexey Timchenko — Principal Banker, Sustainable Infrastructure Group, Eurasia, EBRD

The session organizers are the Almaty Akimat and AzInTelecom. The venue is GITEX AI Kazakhstan.

[Image: Representatives of the Almaty Akimat and AzInTelecom — organizers of the strategic session.]

Photos from the event capture her with a microphone, focused, without a trace of her morning softness. Some might call it acting. No. This is top-tier professionalism: the ability to be human in a private conversation and uncompromising in a public role.

[Image: Eleanor Olcott moderating the session "AI cities. Smart. Secure. Future ready." Strict tone, professional approach.]

What a Few Seconds with orient.tm Mean

The smartphone episode is not just a charming detail. It shows three important things. First: speed of reaction. An FT journalist doesn't put off verification for later. The interlocutor names a media outlet — she immediately looks to see what resource it is, whether its English version exists, how serious it is. Second: respect for the fact, not the status.

It doesn't matter to her who is sitting in front of her. What matters is whether the publication has an English-language footprint, whether it can be verified. Third: the habit of instantaneous switching. Breakfast is not an interview. But her brain is already working in "data gathering" mode. "She recorded my contacts. Not for protocol. But because an international journalist is always building a network of contacts. You never know where information might be useful."

Who is Eleanor Olcott?

According to the Financial Times, Eleanor Olcott specializes in China's technology sector, chip supply chains, and the geopolitics of artificial intelligence. She is a Cambridge graduate. She studied in Taiwan (language courses, Chinese). She works at the FT's Beijing bureau. At GITEX AI Kazakhstan, she is moderating key sessions: global capital and local project implementation; sovereign AI and digital borders; green data and energy. She is not just a host. She is gathering material for future articles.

Why This Matters for Kazakhstan, the Region, and orient.tm

The presence of a foreign journalist at this event highlights growing interest in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. GITEX AI Kazakhstan is being held for the first time. Kazakhstan is declaring itself as a regional digital leader. And here — an FT correspondent from Beijing is sitting at breakfast in Almaty, takes 30 seconds to check the English version of the orient.tm website, and jots down the editor's contact info.

This is not just a personal episode. It is an indirect recognition that the publication has an international footprint. That it is visible. That it can be cited.

Afterword

On the forum floor, I told Eleanor I had seen her moderate. She smiled:

"I hope I wasn't too harsh."

I didn't have time to answer. But if I had, I would have said this: "You were exactly as the work of an international journalist should be. Especially when behind you is the Financial Times brand, and in front of you sit people accustomed to soft questions."

We exchanged contacts in the morning. By the evening, I already knew: that minute at breakfast, when she checked orient.tm, was worth more than many hours of negotiations at panel discussions.

Because respect in international journalism begins with a quick glance at a smartphone screen and one short question: "Is this you?"