Bishkek Journal-Cal Preece Weekending 8 March 2012

Friday, 2 March 2012-Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Another slow day. I have a bit of a cold and it is overcast and very chilly today. I spent the day writing and reading, and watching television. Thinking about some of the more interesting issues one faces as an ex-pat in a developing country. Questions about what is that I miss or find difficult to locate often buildup over a week of shopping, walking and thinking. This week I realized that part of what I miss is a greater accommodation of personal space. I always feel a bit jostled in any crowd or line in Bishkek. Part of that is because as I have gotten older I am a little more cautious myself about pushing to the front of any group. I often stand back to let others go ahead of me at doors, on walkways, or openings. That is because I have realized that closeness is a normal thing here for the inhabitants, so a little crowding and nudging is acceptable. I am always a little worried that I will fall over when bumped, so I try to err on the side of caution. I mention this because I wrote something for publication about it, but don't know if it got published or not. Maybe I should ask about it.

Saturday, 3 March 2012-Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan The big event today was a celebration of Flag Day. It is the 20th annivsary of the creation and adoption of the national flag. I went early to Ala-Too Square to see the ceremonies, but the weather was not as nice as one would hope. And we got the time wrong. We stood around trying to keep warm for about an hour before the events began at 10 am. I did take some photos and posted the best of them to Facebook. Here's a sample that reflects the feelings held for the flag. What is interesting, of course, is that there is a group of people along with some members of the parliament who want to change the flag. The argument is that the red of the flag is too belicose, has its origins in the Red Flag of the Soviet era, and that the representation of the sun's rays as the Kyrgys tribes leaves out much of the country's population. The proposals I have seen are not nearly as dramatic.

Around 10:30 am we gave up at the square and moved on to FatBoys to meet with a young student from Osh who is studying at Ala-Too Ata-Turk University here. I met Aimeerim in 2009 while I was staying with my friend's aunt and uncle for a couple of weeks. She was studying English and she helped me as a translator and accompanied us as we took in the sights in the area of Osh. I had invited her and her friends to join us for breakfast. We had a nice reunion and talked about things we have in common. She has invited me to an International Food Fair at her university on the 20th of March. I am looking forward to that. After parting I walked back home because the sun had come out and it was not too hot or too cold.

Sunday, 4 March 2012-Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Yesterday's sunshine disappeared today in an overcast sky. It can be quite gray when the sun does not shine here. I am never motivated to venture out when the gray skies cover us and temperatures are below freezing. As the day proceeded the snow began to fall in the late afternoon and into the night.

Monday, 5 March 2012-Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan What was an overnight snowfall has now turned to drippings off the roof and is turning to slush on the ground as our temperatures head above freezing today. Bishkek weather in March can be very strange.

Tuesday, 6 March 2012-Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan There was a blue sky at dawn this morning with bright sunshine and temperatures above freezing overnight. Much of the ground covering snow has melted and I took advantage of the nicer weather to get out for a walk and a trip to the stores for bread and cola.

Wednesday, 7 March 2012-Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Not much happened today. I stayed at home and read most of the day.

Thursday, 8 March 2012-Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan is one of the countries in the world that celebrates International Women's Day in March each year. The day is marked with gifts of flowers, scent and jewlery to the women in your life along with greetings by text message on mobile phones. It is also a holiday and most banks, government offices, etc are closed. Retail, of course, goes on and there were street vendors on every corner selling roses and carnations, singles and larger bouquets. My favorite image for the day was this one.