Everyday Living in Bishkek

It's been almost three weeks since my last posting to this blog. That means I am again having difficulty imposing a discipline of writing at least weekly about my life and the lives of ordinary and extra ordinary people I encounter. It is something I need to work on.

So, let's look at what's been happening since March 8th. On Sunday, the 9th of March I attended a performance of the Ludwig Minkus ballet La Bayadere. It was a remarkable performance of the work. For this ballet principals were brought from Moscow. Alexandra Surodeevoj, the leading ballerina of the Perm State academic Opera and the Tchaikovsky and Andrei Balatova, the first soloist of the Mariinsky Theater danced with the company of the Kyrgyz State National Ballet. Surodeevoj was incredible. Her movements seemed absolutely effortless. It may have been the best performance by a female dancer I have seen in Kyrgyzstan. I left the performance wishing there had been even more.

After the ballet, my young friend Andy and I joined my German friend Richard Heider and his wife and delightful children at dinner at Кафе У Француза which translates to The Frenchman Cafe. Richard and I are working on a project to get some local cinema theatre in Bishkek to have a once a month showing of an film in the English language, or some French, German, European films in their original languages with English subtitles. I am hoping to move this project along as quickly as possible. At the moment all cinema is dubbed into Russian and shown without subtitles. For me, it means I only go to the theatres to see films where I think the dialog will be minimal or unnecessary. Like "Need for Speed" for example. We had a lovely meal once we convinced the female server that a English language menu for the food really did exist. She originally handed us Russian language menus. I do okay with standard restaurant fare when I have to translate the Russian, but french selections in Russian seem a little confusing to me. I selected a dish described as Chicken Breast in a curry sauce. It was very tasty and I will order it again. The restaurant also has some nice duck dishes and recently added some pork cutlets to the menu. That evening we had wanted to order skewered meat, but apparently the mongol grill was not fired up. It is one of the constant disappointments in Kyrgyzstan that items listed on the menus are often not available. But it surprised me that it was the case at У Француза as well.
The meal was topped off by some very nice sorbets.

Monday, the 10th of March was a quiet day, but another eating adventure came in the evening. My friend Telek Nordoolotov

invited me to join with some of his friends to a Beshbarmak dinner. Beshbarmak is a favorite national Kyrgyz dish. I have often had the dish which consists of mutton and hand rolled and cut noodles, often it seems a bit tasteless. The meat is unseasoned and the noodles lack any flavors. But Telek assured me we were ging to a special restaurant where the Beshbarmak was really good. I am always up for a new restaurant experience so I was picked up a off we went down Bokonbaeva in a taxi.

I live on the Eastern end of Bokonbaeva and I use it often to walk to a park nearby, and often take a taxi over to Manas Prospect which is on the Western side of Bishkek's Central District. But that night we continued past Manas and the street became an incredibly bad road because of an enormous number of potholes. We stopped to pick up another dinner guest and then continued on to Moldo Guardia where we turned left and went to Lev Tolstoy where we turned right and went aways almost to an area called Pishpek (one of Bishkek's previous names) but a left turn onto Nekrasova Street and arrived at our destination. The AAA Uzguchu Restaurant whose menu is almost entirely various forms of Beshbarmak. There was a Beshbarmak from Naryn, one from Talas, one from Uzgen and on and on. I am not sure which one Telek ordered but I have to say that this was the best I have ever had.

Beshbarmak surrounded by Chukchuk

And it came with a sausage made from horse and horse fat called Chukchuk. The Chukchuk is a taste that even after three years here for which I have failed to develop a tasted. This dish including the mutton was very good and I have put the restaurant on my list to recommend to others and to take groups to celebrate events.  Several others joined us and the dish ended up serving seven people with a sizable portion left over our friend Suiun took home. After dinner we piled into two taxis, the boys accompanied me home and made sure I got in to the building safely. It was a wonderful experience.

On Tuesday, March 11,  I had an unexpected call from a young Kyrgyz whom I met through my affiliation with a group called Zamandash. Kulanbek has come back from spending time in China, most recently in Urumchi, a city in the Western province of Jinzang.  He invited me to coffee at Adriano which is relatively close to my house, but for some reason I did not understand exactly where it was located. After some fun in the taxi, I called and had Kulanbek explain what and where we needed to be. Kulanbek speaks Kyrgyz, Russian, Chinese and English. He is currently taking a course to brush up on English grammar near where I live. We had a really nice visit and agreed that we need to meet again soon. Also had very good coffee at Adriano. They have a number of coffee shops around the city and I have found the coffee to be first rate, though service can be a little too laid-back for me.

That afternoon I met with Andy and had a late light lunch at Sierra Coffee. I had a small taco salad, which is made with chicken and is very good, and I had a small bowl of the lentil soup.

Wednesday, March 12th is a bit of a blur. I stayed home most of the day and read. I am currently reading in my Kindle Fire Moshin Hamid's How to Get Filthy Rich In Rising Asia. It is a very captivating novel thinly disguised as a self-help book for young Southeast Asian readers looking to get ahead. It turns out to be a biography of the main character and his adventures on the road to success. Very entertaining and perceptive about the struggle.

Thursday, March 13, I went to the bank and picked up my new ATM card for my accounts at Demir Bank KG. While I was in America the card I was carrying expired, so the first time I went to use it I was greeted with a message from the Bankomat screen about that fact. It had never occurred to me to look. It turns out they expire annually and you have to apply and wait a week for a new one. After retrieving it I went to VEFA Center and had some really good Italian coffee at Coffee Time. Saw a couple of friends at the center, but then went to Sierra Coffee for a lunch. Afterwards I went shopping. I am looking for a new vacuum cleaner. The one provided with the apartment has become unusable because of a broken attachment and it is getting a bit old. Having a new one of my own will make life easier. I saw vacuums ranging in price from 2800 soms to 28,000 soms. And to be honest I cannot tell what makes the price so different. I think I will be settling on the least expensive model. But will do more looking. A quick trip to the grocery and then back to the apartment. More reading.

Friday, March 14th, another day staying in because the weather was a bit dreary. I read and slept most of the day. 

Saturday, March 15th. Normally I would get out and go to the Opera and Ballet on Saturday and Sunday. The Opera was Barber of Seville on Saturday, but I decided not to go.

Sunday, March 16th, the Ballet was offering Giselle, I also decided not to go. So it was a quiet weekend with an overload of British television and a substantial amount of progress in my reading.

More later. And as I always say to my Kyrgyz friends in parting, Ak Жол. It is a nomadic wish for clear roads ahead.

Back in the Kyrgyz Republic after 4 months in America

I flew direct from Houston to Istanbul, leaving Houston in the evening at about 8:30 p.m aboard Turkish Airlines. Landing in Istanbul at 4 p.m.  and after waiting in the transfer area for my flight to Bishkek at 12:40 a.m., managed to make a decent time of it in the transit area. A food court provided a number of recognizable options including Burger King, a Fried Chicken outlet, Italian fast food, a Turkish Kebab House, and Nero Coffee. I settled on Italian and a fried wrap sandwich that was indeed vaguely Italian. The Americano at Nero Coffee is very good and the outlet in the food court has some comfortable places to sit and sip. My 8 hour layover went quickly as I read in my Kindle Fire and did my usual people watching. Istanbul has become a gateway hub for air travelers heading on to India, Lebanon, Egypt and other parts of Africa, the Mid-East, and Asia.

My flight to Bishkek boarded on time. I was lucky enough to be in a row with only one other person who was traveling from Moldova. We talked a little. I read a little more, but mostly I slept the flight away. We arrived in Bishkek at 10 a.m. at Manas International Airport. The process through passport control was easy and all three of my bags arrived with me.  I struggled to lift the three 22 kg bags onto a cart, but got it. Then went to go through customs control but an official there waved me through without looking or scanning my bags.  One of the bags was destined for my friends mother and one of her employees whom I knew was waiting to pick it up.  My young friend Azkarbek had come with his friend Atai to pick me up and bring me to my apartment. I was thrilled to see him and to have a nice ride to the apartment. It was also nice to have the two boys help me with the luggage up the stairs. Azkar also has keys to the apartment and I did not have to fish around to find mine, which my friend Emil had packed in one of the suitcases without realizing it. But we did not need keys because Kanykei, the woman who cleans was waiting for me and trying to straighten up the place. She opened the door when she heard us rattling outside. It was really nice of her to be there to welcome me home.

Four months gone is a long time in Bishkek and much has happened. The apartment was repainted and seems nicer somehow. It also is a very cozy personal space for me. A couple of unexplained mysteries popped up as I begin to take stock of things.  I had left two walking canes or sticks as I call them in the hall cabinet. They are missing.  I had about four stainless steel dinner knives in the silverware jar. They are missing. At first I could not figure out what had happened to all the spices and dried herbs, but eventually managed to locate them. Someone put the chili powder into the refrigerator along with the honey. I have found the powdered garlic, the basil, and bought new peppercorns and dried parsley, known as petrushka here, and am able to cook.

Indeed, just a moment ago I pulled a lovely hunk of roasted beast out of the oven. It will provide a number of small meals for me over the next few days.

The Roast of Beef and veggies

The weather has been very nice since I returned with sunny skies and highs in the upper 40's F. I arrived here on the 26th of February. I did suffer a significant amount of jet-lag and for almost a week was still partially on Houston time. That seems to have subsided and I am now sleeping and waking with the rest of Bishkek. Today, the weather has changed to dreary. It is raining and the weather forecasters say that the precipitation will turn to snow tonight and a 4 to 6 inch accumulation is expected.  It will be good to see the snow. It helps to cover up what is not very beautiful at this time of year in Bishkek. The flowers have not begun to bloom, the icepack on the sidewalks is melting and little rivers of muddy water are dirtying the cuffs of pants, shoes, and boots.

Several changes while I was away. An institution in Bishkek which for years was a stopping point for expats and travelers has closed. Fatboys on Chuy Prospect is up for rent. I am sorry to see it go, it was a touch point when I first came. The coffee was okay, the food was acceptable, but mostly it was meeting people from many parts who came to Bishkek.  The Lonely Planet Guide to Central Asia described Fatboys as "a prime foreigners’ hang-out – especially at breakfast, where you’ll find fresh juices, fruit teas, hash browns, bacon, eggs, yoghurt, muesli and pancakes. It’s got a central location and in summer the sidewalk tables make for great alfresco dining." Perhaps someone will resurrect the space soon and the al fresco dining will return.

The biggest changes seem to be happening in the construction industry and in the automotive realm.
Four months ago there was a report that there were about 600 thousand cars registered in Bishkek. That is a lot of cars on the streets of what is not a very large city. There was a lot of traffic and some places were predictable traffic jams and gridlocks. But since my return, I think the number of cars has increased significantly. What used to be a 10 minute taxi trip across town now takes about 20 to 30 minutes because of the increased traffic. I asked one local if it was just my imagination. His reply was very interesting. He said many people rushed to buy automobiles when there was talk of Kyrgyzstan joining a Russian sponsored Customs Union because prices would go up.

The other noticeable growth industry is construction. Throughout the city new high-rise buildings for offices, shops, and luxury apartments are under construction. Much of the older buildings from the Soviet period are being torn down to make way for these new buildings. That construction process also is creating delays along major thoroughfares and the big trucks carrying concrete and cranes are not helping the pothole problem.

My biggest adjustment has come at the apartment because of the new security electronic door. It uses a special little device to open the door and, of course, I don't have one. I would just wait outside sitting on the benches I put in 3 years ago until someone came out or went in to get to the apartment. The installers came the other day and put in the intercom instrument for me to be able to admit guests, but they did not have one of the key devices for me. Finally, I got help from a friend to find out where I had to go to get a device. I went yesterday. And they are supposed to deliver it to me today. I am waiting somewhat impatiently, because I would like to stock up on a couple of items if the snow is coming tonight. But I don't want to be sitting in the rain outside waiting for someone else to open the door. Hopefully, it will come sometime before dark.

The first part of March is filled with special days in Kyrgyzstan. There was a celebration of Flag Day earlier this week. I love the Kyrgyz Flag and I am sorry that my jet-lag kept me from knowing about it until it was over.

Kyrgyz Republic Flag

It was also Ak-Kalpak Day this week. Again, I did not know about it until it was gone.

Me in my Ak-Kalpak

And today, Saturday, 8 March we celebrate International Women's Day. A wonderful holiday that brings joy to the hearts of flower sellers, perfume dealers, and chocolatiers. Yesterday many people were beginning the celebration buying bouquets and chocolates for the women in their lives. It is a very well observed occasion in Bishkek.