Ah, sweet, wired, Bishkek!
While it was nice to be in the boondocks at 2000+ meters altitude in the fresh, clean, air, I was happy to trade in the dirt path where I had to sidestep goat poop for Bishkek and its sidewalks, internet cafes, and AC. Country living feeds the soul, but in my case, only for a few days. Then the city girl in me comes out and I am happy to be using flush toilets and the Internet.
It was an absolutely breathtaking drive from Karakol to Bishkek. When I get back to Almaty I can finally upload all of my photos from my laptop. Tons of mountains, yurts where people sell dried fish and Kimiz (fermented mare's milk), a glorious view of the lake, and many, many cows, goats, and horsemen. I even saw a motorcade, some bigwig was likely heading to Issyk-Kul (the lake) for vacation. The graveyards here are spectacular--people build these enormous mosque-like buildings in memory of someone who died, and the custom is to leave it untouched so that it crumbles to the ground some day. Ashes to ashes and all that. Very neat.
I am finding the Kyrgyz an interesting, extremely hospitable, and very proud people. They, too, are of Turkish and Mongol extraction, as are many in Central Asia. Historically, however, they never fell under any of the empires that overtook many neighboring countries: Alexander of Macedonia, the Ottoman empire, and Ghenghis Khan all came to the borders of Kyrgyzstan but never invaded. Whether it was a function of geopolitics (the country is surrounded by mountains) or a lack of vast reserves of natural resources like neighboring Kazakhstan, they don't know. Under Czarist Russia, they willingly became a region/partner/something-or-other so that they could take part of Russia's power and wealth. Under the Soviet Empire, the country took many great steps forward in developing from a yurt-dwelling, agrarian society to one with a decent infrastructure, educational system, etc.
It was fascinating to listen to the Kyrgyz and Moldovan I was working with talk very matter-of-factly about the gains that were made in their countries as a direct result of communism. Both are ob/gyns, the Moldovan one of 10 children of Kolhozniks. He said that 8 of the 10 children have a higher education, and only because the communists provided it free of charge. There was very little animosity or bitterness, and they acknowledged that had it not been for the Soviets they wouldn't even speak a common language. Then they asked me what is taught in America about why the Soviet Empire crumbled, and we had a fascinating discussion about historical events and how everyone writes about the same event differently---particularly the victors and the losers.
I love getting very broad, general questions about how things are in America because I can always equivocate. :) Even stuff like what people like to eat varies from region to region, whether you're an immigrant or been here forever, urban, rural, etc. I think my colleagues got sick of me saying "it depends" every time they asked me a question about America. But it really does. I guess it takes going to a relatively homogeneous place (though there are Russians, Tadjiks, Chinese, Koreans, and other diaspora here) to realize just how much variety there is in the States.
Speaking of being from America, today a Kyrgyz teenager said something funny when I told him where I was from. Yesterday I had gone to his internet cafe and it was down. Today he said it was down and I was like "What's up with that?" (in Russian, of course). He started directing me to another place and asked if I knew where Gogol street was, to which I responded, "I've only been in Bishkek one day." So of course I get the requisite "where are you from" questions. Most adults have already met Americans, but I think I was the first for this kid. He said "So cooooool." and then inhaled deeply on his smoke. :) That cracked me up.
A note about technology. I bought a new SIM card for my cell phone and was able to make and recieve phone calls in the freaking BOONDOCKS of Kyrgyzstan. As I was lying there on the bed in my room, chatting with my mom (Hi, Mom!), I just couldn't get over what technology has done to our world. Here in a part of the world where a maternity hospital doesn't have hot running water, where the roads are filled with ruts and potholes so vast that most driving takes place at 5 MPH, weaving all over the road to avoid potholes, and where some people still live in yurts, I'm talking to someone 180 degrees around the world on a wireless connection. It blows the mind. Five years ago, I would have had to trudge 30 min to the center of Karakol, go to the main telephone office, order an international phone call, wait for the operator to repeatedly dial the number until she got a connection, then shout out a cabinet number where I would run and pick up the phone. Amazing.
Though I do miss ordering those phone calls. :) There was that thrill of anticipation that just doesn't exist when you can dial 'em right up, yannow?
For those CCP people reading this: my work hours are about as the Handbook. We worked all weekend, and after a brief tea break Sunday night, worked until 11 pm writing up how well (or not well) each maternity is doing with adopting and implementing Safe Motherhood technologies, and making recommendations for improvements. *sigh* I guess there's no rest for the wicked.... ;>
While it was nice to be in the boondocks at 2000+ meters altitude in the fresh, clean, air, I was happy to trade in the dirt path where I had to sidestep goat poop for Bishkek and its sidewalks, internet cafes, and AC. Country living feeds the soul, but in my case, only for a few days. Then the city girl in me comes out and I am happy to be using flush toilets and the Internet.
It was an absolutely breathtaking drive from Karakol to Bishkek. When I get back to Almaty I can finally upload all of my photos from my laptop. Tons of mountains, yurts where people sell dried fish and Kimiz (fermented mare's milk), a glorious view of the lake, and many, many cows, goats, and horsemen. I even saw a motorcade, some bigwig was likely heading to Issyk-Kul (the lake) for vacation. The graveyards here are spectacular--people build these enormous mosque-like buildings in memory of someone who died, and the custom is to leave it untouched so that it crumbles to the ground some day. Ashes to ashes and all that. Very neat.
I am finding the Kyrgyz an interesting, extremely hospitable, and very proud people. They, too, are of Turkish and Mongol extraction, as are many in Central Asia. Historically, however, they never fell under any of the empires that overtook many neighboring countries: Alexander of Macedonia, the Ottoman empire, and Ghenghis Khan all came to the borders of Kyrgyzstan but never invaded. Whether it was a function of geopolitics (the country is surrounded by mountains) or a lack of vast reserves of natural resources like neighboring Kazakhstan, they don't know. Under Czarist Russia, they willingly became a region/partner/something-or-other so that they could take part of Russia's power and wealth. Under the Soviet Empire, the country took many great steps forward in developing from a yurt-dwelling, agrarian society to one with a decent infrastructure, educational system, etc.
It was fascinating to listen to the Kyrgyz and Moldovan I was working with talk very matter-of-factly about the gains that were made in their countries as a direct result of communism. Both are ob/gyns, the Moldovan one of 10 children of Kolhozniks. He said that 8 of the 10 children have a higher education, and only because the communists provided it free of charge. There was very little animosity or bitterness, and they acknowledged that had it not been for the Soviets they wouldn't even speak a common language. Then they asked me what is taught in America about why the Soviet Empire crumbled, and we had a fascinating discussion about historical events and how everyone writes about the same event differently---particularly the victors and the losers.
I love getting very broad, general questions about how things are in America because I can always equivocate. :) Even stuff like what people like to eat varies from region to region, whether you're an immigrant or been here forever, urban, rural, etc. I think my colleagues got sick of me saying "it depends" every time they asked me a question about America. But it really does. I guess it takes going to a relatively homogeneous place (though there are Russians, Tadjiks, Chinese, Koreans, and other diaspora here) to realize just how much variety there is in the States.
Speaking of being from America, today a Kyrgyz teenager said something funny when I told him where I was from. Yesterday I had gone to his internet cafe and it was down. Today he said it was down and I was like "What's up with that?" (in Russian, of course). He started directing me to another place and asked if I knew where Gogol street was, to which I responded, "I've only been in Bishkek one day." So of course I get the requisite "where are you from" questions. Most adults have already met Americans, but I think I was the first for this kid. He said "So cooooool." and then inhaled deeply on his smoke. :) That cracked me up.
A note about technology. I bought a new SIM card for my cell phone and was able to make and recieve phone calls in the freaking BOONDOCKS of Kyrgyzstan. As I was lying there on the bed in my room, chatting with my mom (Hi, Mom!), I just couldn't get over what technology has done to our world. Here in a part of the world where a maternity hospital doesn't have hot running water, where the roads are filled with ruts and potholes so vast that most driving takes place at 5 MPH, weaving all over the road to avoid potholes, and where some people still live in yurts, I'm talking to someone 180 degrees around the world on a wireless connection. It blows the mind. Five years ago, I would have had to trudge 30 min to the center of Karakol, go to the main telephone office, order an international phone call, wait for the operator to repeatedly dial the number until she got a connection, then shout out a cabinet number where I would run and pick up the phone. Amazing.
Though I do miss ordering those phone calls. :) There was that thrill of anticipation that just doesn't exist when you can dial 'em right up, yannow?
For those CCP people reading this: my work hours are about as the Handbook. We worked all weekend, and after a brief tea break Sunday night, worked until 11 pm writing up how well (or not well) each maternity is doing with adopting and implementing Safe Motherhood technologies, and making recommendations for improvements. *sigh* I guess there's no rest for the wicked.... ;>
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