Bishkek Journal-Life in Kyrgyzstan Cal Preece

Catching up on Spring Activities

I have been a bit hampered in my blogging schedule by the unfortunate demise of my 2008 MacBook Air a few weeks ago. My trusty companion had seen me through three trips to Kyrgyzstan and back to the US, accompanied me to Film Festivals in Los Angeles, New York, and Venice. Survived a fall early in its career in the security line at LAX as I tried to put it back in its case and numerous trips around Kyrgyzstan in snow, rain, and heat. I will miss its convenience and lightweight portability. I have been an Apple computer user since 1983 when I first used an Apple IIc and then in my work life at Rice University in Houston, I was appled up for the last 16 years of my time there. I am not sure I would be able at my age to switch back to Windows Operating Systems. But that issue has now been solved. My Kyrgyz friend lugged a MacBook Pro through IAH (Houston Intercontinental), IAD (Dulles in Washington), LHR (London Heathrow) and FRU (Bishkek Frunze) over a 72 hour trip, to give me top computing power again. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

It's been quite some time since I wrote, so I will just try to hit the highlights and will abandon the day by day approach I had been using. There have been some great experiences over the last couple of months and some new developments in older stories.

Spring is here, warm days, cool nights

First, Spring has come in Bishkek and we are enjoying warm days and cool nights these days. Indeed, sometimes the days seem hot to us for Spring. Indeed, by the end of this week the metrologist are predicting a high in the low 90's F, or about 34 degrees Celsius. We have had more thunderstorms than I can remember from the other years I have been here this season. The heat of the day seems to cause a buildup that gets trapped by the Ala-Too mountains to the south and then it comes back in the late afternoon and evening as rain, wind, thunder and lightening.

But that has been good for the flowers and the trees, of course. The roses have bloomed now, we have seen the fruit trees blossom, irises and daffodils were showy for awhile, and the migratory birds have returned from their winter visits to India, Pakistan, Turkey, and Africa, to sing their songs and find new mates. 

Bolgu Bolgu is a Hafazi Nightengale

The nightengale likes to wake me at 5:05 each day singing a strong song. And later in the morning around six another returning visitor adds his call to the wakeup routine.

The common Eurasian Cukoo

With the disappearance of the winter weather the kindergarten children are back again playing outside my windows as I write today. A burbling stream of constant excitement travels up from their school playground to keep in alert to what is going on outside. I have to schedule my naps when they take theirs.

I have been able to go to a number of cultural events recently. I attended a ballet performance at the Kyrgyz State Theater for Opera and Ballet that featured principal dancers from Moscow in “Giselle”. The house was packed and the dancing was good, especially from the Russian artists. And the local corps de ballet was enchanting as always. I also have been attending some interesting concerts.

A special night at the Philharmonic Hall at Manas and Chuy on May 10^th featuring 35 years of Woman Power was great. Outstanding female singers and girl groups, sextets, triple trios, and others performed wonderful pop music in Kyrgyz to a full house. My favorite singer, Dunara Akulova, performed and it was really good to hear her sing again. The concert, in a most un-Kyrgyz fashion, started exactly on time at 6:30 pm and went non-stop until its finale with all performers on stage at 9:30 pm. We probably could have used an intermission, but it was great. Afterwards my friend Marat Zhaparkulov and a friend of his who works for the state television channel set off to find shashlik (shishkabab) dinner. After not being able to e served at Restaurant Jalalabad, we found a no table cloth restaurant on Gorky street near the Vefa Center and had a combo plate of chicken and mutton shashlik and a tomato and cucumber salad. It was very good.

I also attended an outdoor rock concert at the Russia Kinotheatre on Chuy to see my friend Farrell Styers' band Plov 4 2 perform. It was a strange concert. It was a fundraising occasion for good cause. I went with some friends, but delays in the start of the program (more typical than the Woman Power concert) meant that it would be about an hour late in beginning. My friends decided to go get a drink elsewhere. I thought getting a seat somewhere might be a better idea for me, so I waded into the crowded seating area, found two girls alone at a table for four and asked if I could sit. So I had a nice place to wait for the concert. It finally began with some sort of choreographed martial arts group wearing fatigues, carrying mock weapons, and real knives began to attach one another. Lots of judo, karate, and sambo moves set to heavy rock music. It was well received by the crowd, especially the younger ones (under 12's). I thought it was boring and that it went on for way too long. Nearly 20 minutes or more of it. But finally, the bands began to play and the break dancers provided some time for stage shifting. Best band of the the night, the Rolls Rock Band, who are a Beatles tribute group, but who also do 80's rock covers. Plov 4 2 brought its slamming sound onto the stage at around 10 pm. Concert was over at 10:30 to 10:45. I never saw my friends again. They said they came back but got bored and left. I had room at the table for them since the girls had left. I did meet a new friend though. Victoria. A beautiful auburn haired woman who brought me an ice cream as part of her introduction. She was with Ruslan who was a great dancer and we talked. I left and encountered a camel on the streets of Bishkek who I think had been entertaining kids at the nearby amusement park. He was on his way back to his yard with his trainer-keeper. He gives rides and photo ops at the park. Fun night with surprising conclusion.

That was on Wednesday night, May 9th. I had taught some private lessons that day and by the time I got home, I was really tired. Thursday was a very slow day and I woke up late. I mostly stayed home and read and wrote some things. I prepared some lesson materials for my EFL students for my Friday classes. Friday, I taught the two groups of students at 11 am and at 2:30 pm. And ended the day quietly at home.

Saturday morning I was able to go to the Fatboy's Breakfast group and say final goodbye to my friend Songbae Lee, who is leaving Bishkek after 2 years to return to the USA. He was one of the prime movers in creating the Fatboy's fun and I will miss him greatly. He had a nice going away party earlier in the week at a restaurant with a great 4^th floor patio at Vefa Center for his co-workers and his friends. One of the recurring issues for me in Bishkek is that those who come to work for NGO's and Universities are usually only here for a year or two. I am always sad to see them go.

Songbae Lee with Photographer Andrew Chin

Sunday, May 13^th, Mother's Day for the USA. Not really observed in Kyrgyzstan. I sent email greetings to all the mothers I know and gave flowers to women I know here. They were surprised but thrilled when I explained that it was a day in the US reserved for treating your mother nicely.

Monday, May 14, I was recruited to help raise awareness of a new language center in Bishkek. There are a growing number of facilities teaching English as a Foreign Language. I met the owner of the British Language School at an InterNations meeting in April. Monday we went to two schools to sell her programs to the students. I hope it worked. I had a great time meeting all the students and promoting English learning for the summer to them. I may teach conversational English part-time for her center.

Tuesday, May 15, I was interviewed by a professor at Manas University's Radio Manas for her program called Kyrgyzstan Through the Eyes of our Visitors. I visited the new campus of Manas University that is being created in Jal, a Western suburb of Bishkek. They have a very large piece of land and are creating a beautiful, modern new campus there. The school of communications is located there, along with their radio station. They are available on the internet at http://radio.manas.kg/

The audio file of my interview with Professor Saltanat Mambaeva is available here.

file upload

It is about 20 minutes long. And is an mp3 file.

A U.S. Air Force Rock-Country Band, NightWing, came to town and gave a free concert as a part of Night at the Museum in the State Historical Museum on Ala-Too Square on Wednesday. As time for the concert arrived we had a little sprinkle and ominous clouds, but the rain did not last long and there was a full rainbow to the East just before the group performed. Great music from a great band. I ran into Victoria again and her friends from the Rock Concert at Russia KinoTheatre. We talked and listened to the music. She is a really interesting young woman. She is a metrologist at Manas Airport and has impeccable English skills. It was a great concert. I am really glad my friend Seth Fearey send me a reminder email about it. Lots of fun.

Victoria at NightWing Concert 

On Thursday, I used the day to work on new lessons for my students and read some more of my current Kindle Book, “Catching Fire, How Cooking Made us Human” by Richard Wrangham.

And Friday, it was the beginning of the American Studies Association of Kyrgyzstan's 9^th Annual Symposium where I moderated panels through two days of events. More about that in a subsequent blog.

And here are some flora images and a rainbow from Spring in Bishkek.

And a few images of the flora of Bishkek for you.