Month: November 2005

  • And the answer is…… a radio!  With only volume control and no other channels but the one that comes through.  Brilliant Communist strategy!





    Things I do/say/think/experience here that I never did in the States, part deux:




    1. Wishing I knew more pop songs by heart on the piano so I could be more entertaining at parties with locals


    2. Carrying a bag of five varieties of beans for someone from Kyrgyzstan.   A man met me at the airport to receive these beans (I half expected them to explode inflight), and paid for my taxi cab home!   (a HUGE blessing, because negotiating with airport taxi drivers is absolutely hellacious)


    3. Reusing ziploc bags (we stick them on our kitchen tile walls to dry)


    4. Playing Catan Settlers! (finally!)


    5. Watching an Uzbek lady translate from Russian into Uzbek for one American while the other American spoke Russian (get it?) to the group.


    6. Talking about language and linguistics (“that word in — language sounds similar to this word in — language”) AD NAUSEUM (though it is quite interesting)


    7. Getting excited about being able to buy different kinds of cheeses! (in Kyrgyz, they locally produce parmesan AND cheddar! yippee!)


    8. Having a “turkey day” – an occasion to get together with others to eat turkey

      I am a big fan of Baz Luhrmann and own the whole Red Curtain Trilogy.  This is my fav, followed by Romet + Juliet, then Moulin Rouge.  I also saw his production of La Boheme.  I hate that opera, actually, but his version of it was alright. 

  • This past weekend, I visited another Central Asian country – Kyrgyzstan.  All the Central Asian “stans” probably all seem similar to most people, and that’s what I thought, too, but oh man, was Kyrgyzstan a big change!  As you may have heard, a revolution happened there a few months ago… and though there was looting… it was mostly peaceful.  I will not say much more about certain comparisons, but here are some pictures:



    A delicious hamburger can be eaten in Bishkek, the capital.  I was happy.



    This building looks like it could be in E. Europe, not Central Asia.



    The older people sometimes wear hats that look like this.  This is at a pro-gov’t rally in Bishkek.  The younger people all dress VERY chic, VERY European.  No women wear long skirts.  I was wearing one and everyone was staring at me. (maybe also because it was cold)



    There are some very obvious legacies of the Soviet Union here, including more Russians and more people speaking Russian.  And Lenin, in spirit.



    No octagonal red sign for stop.  Just “stop”, written in Cyrrilic.



    Inside the airport.  Models of “yurts”, traditional Kyrgyz homes.



    And the US has some planes at the airport.  This plane was BIG and LOUD, like us.


    I spent most of my time at Lake Issy-Kul, the second largest lake in the world, next to Lake Titicaca.





    Doesn’t this look like New England?



    This was in our hotel room. Guess what it is.




    Women selling dried fish from the lake. Notice how much more “Asian” Kyrgyz people look (girl on left).