kyrgyz diary

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: June, 2004

#1: June 16, 2004—Day 1

All is well. And this might turn into a rather lengthy e-mail, since I have lots to say. So read selectively (or delete selectively.) A little bit of chronological stuff.

We had dinner last evening (Tuesday) with the Board of the local Habitat affiliate. This was a big deal for them, of course. The dinner was held at one of the finer hotels. We were all pretty exhausted (the woman next to me actually fell asleep periodically during the dinner) having been up for 36 hours or more. The dinner itself was very elaborate, and multi-course (we kept thinking this was the last, and another would still come!) All of the food (well, actually, almost all) was excellent. The only thing I passed on was the pickled horse intestine. I did have some of the "national drink" of Kyrgyz, which is a fermented wheat drink that is not actually like anything else I've had. But it was okay.

This morning (Wednesday) we went to our work sites. We are involved in renovating two (or possibly more, depending on our progress) apartments. Turns out that initially Habitat built houses in Bishkek, but because of rising costs, they are now doing more renovating of apartments. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1992, apartments were privatized. So Habitat will purchase run-down apartments and refurbish them, then sell them to qualifying families. They currently have four in various stages. The one I worked on today (and perhaps, for the entire time) is in the scraping/plastering stage. So I spent some time plastering, then spent some time scraping the ceiling of the rooms. Hard work, but good work.

We only worked until noon today. At noon, the family who is buying the apartment provided our lunch. (This will be true each workday. We provide them with the funds to purchase the food, and the time they spend preparing the food goes toward their 2000 hour sweat equity requirement.) Today's lunch was an absolutely elaborate and wonderful "picnic" spread. We gathered outside, under the trees, with marvelous Kyrgyz blankets spread on the ground. All of the food was laid out in buffet style, on china, with glassware, etc. We all sat on the ground, around the spread. And once again, the food was fantastic. Rice pilaf, lamb shanks, dried fruits (raisins, apricots), cookies, breads, salads, and endless tea. I couldn't get over the thought of a woman preparing this all for 35 people in the size of an efficiency apartment kitchen. And presented in grand style.

After lunch, we went on three site visits. The first two were to the current housing of the families who will be moving into the apartments we are helping to renovate. The first family (two adults, 3 children, including one who is 18 months) lives in one room plus a shared kitchen with another family. Their room was beautifully decorated, on the top (6th) floor of a building without an elevator. They did have a full bathroom, shared with the other family. The woman had taken the afternoon off from work to host us. She had prepared a lavish spread of breads, fruits, pastries, and (yet another) "national drink". This one was the highly regarded (by them) drink made from fermented mare's milk. I managed to consume all of mine. Others weren't quite as successful.

Next, we went to the family of the other apartment. They currently live on the 5th floor of a building without elevator, in a one-room efficiency. The family consists of two adults and two children. Both of the adults work at professional type jobs. 26 families live in this building, all in one-room efficiency apartments. There is one shower room, on the first floor of the building. And there is one toilet room, also on the first floor. (Anne, don't think you'd survive nightly trips from the 5th to the 1st and back.) Again, their current apartment is beautifully decorated with Kyrgyz blankets stacked high (no one has beds--they sleep on the floor, communally of course, and use the blankets under and over them.) The woman had also prepared food for us and (yet another!) "national drink"--this time, it was described as "salty cottage cheese" in liquid form. Better than the mare's milk (which isn't saying much.)

Next we went to the neighborhood where Habitat has built 10 single-family homes. These are larger, of course, and more substantial. The families welcomed us and very proudly showed us their home. But fortunately, they hadn't prepared any food for us, since we all were very, very full (and tired of "national drinks")

Home at last to get cleaned up, then back out to dinner at an American-style restaurant...and a visit to the Internet cafe!

A few random thoughts/ observations--Bishkek is a puzzling contrast. Modern in some senses (lots of cell phones, ringing constantly), shops, etc. And yet, at our worksite, the only toilet available to us and to the residents of the complex was outdoors, literally barely a shallow hole in the ground. (The apartment we are renovating has a toilet, but it isn't working, but may be tomorrow.) There are modern stores, and yet, there are small kiosks everywhere, on every block, that sort of function as small convenience stores for the local residents. Keeping in mind small, shared quarters, this means people have to shop regularly, at least daily, for anything they might need. It also seems as though people will set up little stands to sell almost anything (e-Bay in person!), including I saw a woman behind a table and offering to allow people to weigh themselves on her bathroom scale. Entrepreneurship on a very local, small level.

As I mentioned before, the geography is beautiful. Snow-capped mountains south of town that are always visible (reminds me of Denver), regardless of whether you're looking from a 5th floor walk-up or street level. Lots of open, green spaces in the center of a bustling city, and on the outskirts, shacks and concrete buildings that are falling apart, despite being less than 30 years old. (The apartment we are renovating was built in 1975.) So, a city (and country) of contrasts.

The group dynamics are always interesting, of course, and I might say more some other time. But now, the group is waiting for me, so I'll go.

Love to all. Having a wonderful time. Every so often I have to remind myself "this isn't the normal life and place I live." And it is a privilege to be able to live it.

#2: June 18, 2004--Settling In

Woke up this morning (Friday) feeling "in synch". As many times as I travel distances, I never seem to remember that for the first few days, I'm not really in synch, both within myself and in my surroundings. And then, when I get there, I think, oh yah, that's why I wasn't before. Anyway, in addition to feeling happy thinking about this being my 38th anniversary, I felt good because I was in synch.

Had a full workday Thursday. I passed plastering! Began on Wednesday, and seemed to have the approval of the on-site supervisor who is in charge of the project. But you never really know whether you're doing it right (whatever "it" is) until later, when you either are (or are not) asked to do it again. Thursday, I volunteered to continue scraping. But the supervisor asked me to resume plastering. So now, I'm part of the "plastering" team. Funny how that makes me feel good, but it does.

Plastering really is like spreading frosting on the walls and ceiling. A thin coat of frosting, that has to be as smooth as possible, without any scrapes or marks. And spreading with a fairly large "knife" since the space to be covered is large. And when you're done, and it's dry, it really looks terrific--smooth, white, ready for sanding and painting. I did some more plastering today (Friday), a half workday. Not sure what awaits me this weekend (we work full days Saturday and Sunday), or next week, but think plastering may be in my near-term future.

The fact that we worked the full day Thursday also meant we didn't visit any families and didn't have any more "national drinks" to try (nor any "extra" food, for that matter.) We did have another fantastic lunch on-site, provided by the family that is purchasing the apartment. I learned that we provide the money for them to purchase the food, and the time they spend preparing it counts toward their "sweat equity", but I still can't imagine preparing lunch for 30 people in a small kitchen. Amazing.

One correction from earlier--the second family we visited Wednesday (the ones living in an efficiency): actually, there is a toilet room on each floor (26 families per floor), not just on the first floor of the building. But there is still only one shower room, for the 125 families in the building.

Adventured out a little bit after work Thursday. David and I got off the van before the apartment and shopped at a grocery store to re-stock for breakfast. This involved navigating a store, in Russian, and then navigating home. I have a pretty good mental map, and I have a supplement of the real map. But on the real map, the street names (in Russian) are in the Roman alphabet. But the street signs themselves (and, for that matter, all signs) are in Russian in a Cyrillic alphabet. Really makes it difficult to connect the mental/paper map to the reality. But David and I knew approximately how many streets to go, in each direction, and managed quite nicely.

The other discovery at the grocery store was a fantastic bakery. We bought pastries for breakfast--wonderful honeycombed things, much like butterfly pastries at home. And we also bought utterly decadent strawberry tarts for each of us--sustenance for the long trip home. Half dozen pastries, plus two tarts, totaled.....$1.30. I can get fat here.

Thursday night, we went out to a Chinese restaurant. Wonderful food. And Mark, they had crispy frog on the menu. I thought of Monty Python, replayed some of the routine.....and ordered chicken.

This afternoon we're going to the local historical museum, then to dinner at a Turkish restaurant, where we'll be joined by an historian. Promises to be an interesting evening. I'm just tuning into the frequency of the phrase "after the Soviet Union dissolved...." which precedes many statements. Seems to mark two periods of recent reference point: before and after 1992. Only beginning to contemplate just what it means to have been forcefully sovietized 90 years ago, then fairly abruptly cut loose. Sort of like ending Washington and leaving the 50 states to function completely on their own, independently, with minimal preparation.

Other meanderings of the mind: Many in the group have traveled fairly extensively. This leads to a curious form of one-upmanship within the group. Comments about "when I was in Vietnam/Nepal/whatever..." which are immediately followed by the other person talking about when they were in Peru/Tanzania/whatever. As you might imagine, I opted out of the game fairly quickly--partly because I haven't traveled to exotic places, partly because I really get tired of the one-up game. (Mark, it also reminded me of the Monty Python routine about growing up and how hard I had it.)

The streets of Bishkek are alive and filled with a very successful form of mass transit: 15 passenger mini-buses. They have fixed routes, but their size means they can have very local routes and still be filled. Virtually everyone I see is filled, or almost filled. Makes much more sense than having large buses, mostly empty, or trains, also mostly empty, as in the U.S. Wonder why our cities haven't tried something like this.

Enough for now. I need to go meet the rest of the group at the museum before they put out an "all points" for me. May not get back to the Internet before Sunday. And then will be "out of touch" for three days while we go to the mountains, then the lake. I'm told it is amazingly beautiful and remote. Looking forward to both parts.

#3: June 19, 2004--Update

Happy Saturday. Hope all is well for the weekend. Have a nice time at the going away party for Rea and Charlie. Give them my best. (And as you know, I'm happier to be here than at their party.)

Full day of work today. Plastering, as usual. Must admit I'm getting a little tired, and a little tired of plastering. But that's what's needed, and looking around, I realize that actually, I do do it better/faster, and that's important for the project. Still, won't be sorry to get a 3-day R&R break Monday.

We finished one of the apartments this noon--not the one I'm working on, the other one. We'll have the dedication and handing over of the key later next week. We all went in to look at the finished product today. I must confess I was a little disappointed in the quality of the/our work. The painting just wasn't up to my standard (which isn't all that high--coverage, smooth), nor was the linoleum. And with just a little extra attention from us/the site supervisor, it could have been better. I need to see whether that's the same in the Raleigh houses. Disturbing to me. People are paying significantly for these new homes, and while they are a dramatic improvement over current conditions, with just a little more effort they could really be nicer.

We'll divide into two equal groups tomorrow (they've been unequal because of the smaller apartment that is now finished) and one will start on a new apartment--scraping, etc. Not sure what I'd prefer, but am willing to do wherever I'm needed. We'll work a full day, then off for three days.

As you might expect, I've been walking whenever I can--to/from dinner, to/from e-mail, etc. This also gets me into other neighborhoods (since I never want to take the same route twice!) The city is really very attractive--leafy, multiple boulevards with trees, benches, promenades, etc. The apartment complexes themselves are austere (concrete, Stalinesque, no higher than 8 floors because we're in an earthquake zone and generally, not higher than 5-6 stories), and often around a large courtyard/open space area. So intrinsically, it could be very pleasant. The apartments generally are quite small (make our New Orleans place look spatial), but again, with care and attention, can be quite nice. And like other places we've seen, the individual apartment doors are often elaborate--the "front door" after all, while the common space (the stairwell) is rundown, with debris around, etc. The age-old individual/community dilemma that economic and social systems never fully resolve.

Tonight, walking to dinner, I took another route and walked past a wonderful local farmer's market/bazaar, including the sidewalk lined with vendors of fresh produce. All kinds of things, all fresh, all incredibly cheap. The thing that caught my eye was quart jars of raspberries! I simply couldn’t' look at the price, because I really don't dare eat fresh fruit that hasn't been washed in sanitized water. And yet....I may succumb and throw caution to the wind. They are simply so tempting!

The Kyrgyz people are really quite handsome. They are a wonderful blend of Asian and Caucasian. In fact, I have seen many small children that remind me of Ethan--that handsome! And then it occurs to me that Central Asia alternately was overrun by the Turks and Greeks for some centuries, Genghis Khan and the Chinese other centuries, and why should I be surprised that the resident ethnicity is a blend?

I also see relatively few overweight Kyrgyz. Don't know whether that's diet, the fact that they walk everywhere, genetics, or what. But they certainly don't have the US obesity problem. Yet. (And they don't have the Golden Arches, either. Connection?)

Kyrgyz is also a predominantly Moslem country--70%+, supposedly. But I see very few signs of it. A few mosques with the onion dome, but otherwise, it looks very much like any other European city. The women are very stylishly dressed, alcohol is readily available at every kiosk (of which there is a multitude)--two of the prohibitions of Islam. I think I understand better why Osama is so upset. And I know that Saudi Arabia is only an exaggerated form of what I'm seeing in Kyrgyz. Not that I subscribe to his view, mind you. Just better understand why he might be so upset.

I think that's about it for now. It's dark, time to wander home. Our flat is quite comfortable. Only downside is that one of the guys moved his bed into the living room (because his roommate snored), which means there really isn't any common space for reading since he tends to go to bed fairly promptly. So I go to bed, too, and get extra sleep/rest. Not all bad.

Love to all. This being in touch while I'm gone is a new thing, one that changes the feeling I usually had of being isolated. It also gives me a chance to sort of keep a diary, which as you know, I wouldn't otherwise do. So this is an improvement. And it's incredibly cheap!

#4: June 20, 2004—Day Six

Another full day of work. Started by re-dividing into two equal sized groups. I remained with the apartment I've been working on. Should be completed late next week, at which time we will move on to the fourth new one. The other group went to the third new apartment this morning. We stopped to inspect it at the outset. I did a rough measurement, just for comparative purposes. Remember the room we added to our Radnor Hill house? About 400 square feet. The apartment we began renovating this morning measures approximately 450 square feet. It is divided into two rooms, plus a kitchen, plus a bathroom, plus a hall connecting all of this. Totaling 450 square feet. It will be occupied by a family of four. They were there to greet us this morning, very excited, and feeling very appreciative of the improvement in their living quarters.

The apartment I'm working on is larger, by 1 room. In other words, it's about 600 square feet, divided into three rooms, plus a kitchen, plus a bathroom, and the hall connecting all. Seems spacious, and then I think.......

Several times while driving around I've seen police with radar guns, catching speeders. Have actually seen them catch people several different times. Each time, the policeman gets out of his car, the speeder gets out of his car, they approach one another....and they smile and shake hands before carrying out the business of writing a ticket. Occurs to me that if we approached a policeman with our hand extended, he/she might draw their gun. But also occurs to me what a civilizing custom it would be. Fits with my notion that when southern-raised kids have to say "sir" and "m'am" at the end of a sentence, it's lots harder to be nasty and uncivilized.

Our trip to the local museum was most interesting, in several respects. The entire first floor was devoted to Lenin. Letters, busts, pictures, letters, more busts, more pictures, more letters.....The word hagiography occurred to me. The second floor was devoted entirely to the history of Kyrgyz and its people. We were also told that the museum had been part of a series of them, strewn/spread throughout the former Soviet Union, each with a floor devoted to Lenin. This fall, the Lenin floor will be vacated and replaced with more Kyrgyz stuff. Yet another indication of the "after the dissolution" effect.

Lunch today was indoors. Not because of the weather (which continues to be dry and wonderful), but because the homeowners, who prepare it, wanted to host us as their first meal in their new apartment. Several of the rooms have been completed, and I saw the woman sweeping up one of them this morning. Only later, as she spread the rugs/blankets on the floor and set out the dishes and food, did I realize that she was hosting her first meal in her new home. She and her husband were very proud and pleased as they served yet another wonderful lunch.

The Kyrgyz food is wonderful. Lots of fresh vegetables, always a main course that has small amounts of meat, excellent bread, homemade jams, dried fruits, nuts, etc. And endless quantities. And since we're sitting there, grazing, we all tend to eat..and eat..and eat. What a (pleasant) change from my experiences in El Salvador!

And now for the 3-day R&R adventure, which promises to me wonderful. Tomorrow it's a drive to the mountains, with a rafting trip along the way. The mountain road has just recently (last week) been opened after the winter's snow has been sufficiently cleared! Several of us (including me) also hope/plan to go horseback riding before nightfall. Then we'll be sleeping in a yurt.

Tuesday, we drive to a huge lake, stay in a fairly upscale resort (Putin, of Russia, is expected to be visiting at the same time!), swim in the lake, etc. And on Wednesday, back to Bishkek. The route from here to the mountains includes going on a paved road for a while, then we leave the road, journey across grass and fields, navigating by a compass, up to the mountains (since the only road involves a very long way around they say.) Should be memorable.

Enough for now, I think. Will not be back anywhere near Internet until Thursday. Where we're going has no phones, no cell phones, no electricity, etc. etc. So certainly no e-mail.

5: June 22, 2002—(Santa Fe) Surprise

Greetings from the "Camp David" of Kyrgyz! We're staying at the compound that houses the President's summer residence, plus houses for various ministers of state, plus guesthouses for guests of state. Plus a hotel, slightly fraying at the edges, which is where we're staying. And a spa. And a beach, with a backdrop of snow-capped mountains. Not too difficult to take, actually.

Yesterday began normal(?) enough with a 3 hour, 100 mile bouncing ride from Bishkek to the base camp for a rafting company. The vehicle of choice: a former Soviet Army all-terrain vehicle, of course, chosen because we were going up a mountaintop and would be off any paved surface. The vehicle looks like a poor relation to the U.S. Army Humvee, the parent in turn of the Hummer. It is certainly lacking in any comfort. Or suspension. It has a capacity that is one less than the number in our traveling group. And we had it packed with luggage, sleeping bags, water, etc. But hey, it's an adventure.

Quick snack at the base camp along the river, then a wonderful rafting trip down a glacier-fed, fast-moving stream with category 3 and 4 rapids (don't know what that means--just repeating). I rode in the front/center position (by choice), guaranteeing that I got the maximum amount of 40-degree water in/over/around/through me. And the maximum amount of fun, in my mind. By the end, I was very cold, despite wet suits we were wearing, and very hoarse from all the whooping. But happy.

Late lunch back at the camp along the river, then a 7 hour/5 mechanical breakdown/1 change of destination/0 dinner ride to arrive here about 11 p.m. Never been so happy to get somewhere--anywhere! But that was the surprise--we weren't originally planning to be here until tonight (Tuesday). But after the fifth mechanical breakdown, no certainty of being able to make it up the mountain, growing darkness, and the forecast of a possible snowstorm where we were going, we wisely changed course and ended up here.

The site of our 5th breakdown was just outside a little village. After a while, the village children came out to inspect, riding their donkeys. We then took a little walk into the village. By that time, many were out in front of their houses, curious to see the strangers. Many in traditional Kyrgyz dress, all friendly. Saw one little boy who looked remarkably like I think Ethan might look. Didn't have my camera, or I'd have taken his picture. Drop dead cute in traditional Kyrgyz clothes, which are very colorful.

A very welcome night's sleep in a bed, rather than the promised yurt.

This morning, breakfast was chicken, couscous, vegetables and two salads. Go figure.

David and I did the town after breakfast, which didn't take long. Then a beach chair called me, and I zoned out for a while all alone on the beach. Hot sun, cool breeze, heaven.

We then went for a walk in a canyon nearby (about an hour's drive in the dreaded vehicle). Beautiful setting, had a box lunch to take with us and eat by a mountain stream, local kids and horses looking on. Great lunch--chicken, meat pie, hard-boiled egg, salad. Not your usual fare.

The local kids wanted very much to have us ride their horses. No one else wanted to, but I did. So I got my horseback ride after all! Went down the road and back--probably all of 10 minutes. And I have now fully satisfied my yearning to go horseback riding. Others then followed suit.

The ride to/from the canyon took us through the countryside. A few of the snapshots of life in the country: men cutting alfalfa by hand in the field; others using pitchforks to load it onto donkey-drawn carts; a few tractors in other fields; a man on horseback, bending down at a roadside stand to pick up something off the counter which he had purchased; little kids and adults in traditional Kyrgyz dress; others in Polo and Nike outfits; village Moslem cemeteries with monuments of mosques, minarets, etc.

Back to the compound, then immediately out on a boat for a 3-hour cruise on the lake, which is huge, and incredibly deep (3,000 feet at its deepest), ringed by snow-capped mountains. They had a barbecue for us, cooked on the boat. Wonderful food--salads, fruits, lamb shish-kebab, then chicken shish-kebab, then cookies of all sorts. And the vodka was flowing freely (at $1.50 a bottle, why not said many? I resisted).

A few other random things--I succumbed to the raspberries on Sunday. Bought a quart jar of them from a woman in the street market and took them home for snack and breakfast. Cost: 15 soames ($.35) Also began the drugs of choice Sunday. Ibuprofen and Immodium. Ibuprofen for my right shoulder--plastering is repetitive sweeps with the arm/shoulder, and after three days, my shoulder was rebelling. And Immodium is the traveler's friend. Both are doing their job.

Also learned there is an enormous and growing drug problem in Bishkek. After the defeat of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the opium production has sky rocketed. (Holding it down was one of the possibly few benefits of the Taliban.) One of the main trade routes is from Kabul to Moscow, via.....Bishkek! So heroin is readily available here, and costs about $1 an ounce.

A few comments about some of the people with me: Sam and Louise, both Grinnell '59 (small world!), he's retired IBM. David, 26, works at CDC, wants to go to graduate school in information technology, we spend a fair amount of time together. Alice, an Episcopalian American Princess (didn't know there was such, but she is) from Boston, Dulia, a Kyrgyz princess who is serving as a volunteer interpreter, drives many of us crazy, and has latched onto me as the father figure she lost when she was 6. We all get along amazingly well, though there's a real possibility the group will kill Dulia before we get off the vehicle tomorrow.

And that seems enough for now. Time to go back to the compound, get some rest for another 1/2 day of R&R. We leave for Bishkek after a late lunch, back by dinner. And then, back to our real work on Thursday!

#6: June 24, 2004--Back to Work

Back to work! A phrase that I haven't used for many wonderful months.

A few odd bits of Kyrgyz because they're at the top of my head:

The television station here broadcasts (at least) three English language news stations: BBC, CNN, and......(ugh) Fox. I'd say that pretty much covers the bases. (They also broadcast MTV.)

Mark--saw a can of Pringles in the grocery store. 125 Soames (approximately $3.)

Along the major roads, around town, there are many people sitting along side the road with racks, selling gasoline and oil in plastic containers. I learned that the gasoline is smuggled, and therefore, cheaper than at the "regular" stations. Of course, it may also be contaminated (and apparently, frequently is.) Not clear why there's a market for oil alongside the road. The person I asked said "because that's when you need it--when you're driving." But given the (in)frequency of my purchase of it, I'm still puzzled. (But then, one person reported seeing a car stop at one of these markets staffed by a very attractive girl, and after a conversation, the girl got in and drove off with the driver. Hmmm.)

At our hotel at "Camp David" there was a sign in the bathroom (in Russian, of course) that said something was available 6-9 a.m. and 6-11 p.m. I decided it was breakfast and dinner. I learned that it was hot water, when I took a shower around noon. Tepid, at least.

Back to work: a full day today, though as we are nearing finishing the apartment I've been working on, the jobs/people quotient is falling rapidly. This leads to periods of inactivity, a bit of jostling to get something to do, and an occasionally ridiculous situation like five people in a small corridor, three painting in and around (including ceiling), one holding the tray for the others, and one moving the ladder. The good news is that we're going to scale back the crew tomorrow and let some of them go to the other site to work.

I was (surprise, surprise) plastering today. The only thing that remained was the bathroom, and I had thought/hoped they might have done that while we were away, but no, they saved it for me. So I plastered what is a fairly small and tight space. Did manage to get one of the locals to do the ceiling, though. Tomorrow, I know that will be my first task--the second coat. Not sure we'll actually be able to paint it, though--takes too long to dry, since there's no air circulation.

Did manage to move into painting this afternoon, which you know is my favorite. And will probably do some of that tomorrow, too, as part of finishing up.

A little about some other of the people: Laura works for LabCorp in Burlington--31+ years, on the lab side. She reminds me that NC really is a southern state. Max and Meredith live in Ipswich, MA. Max left corporate life 25 years ago to start a fruit orchard. Very successful--makes me think of Ward's Berry Farm in Sharon, where Lois lived. Margo is in alumni affairs at Salem State in Boston, lives in Marblehead (I'm envious--right across the street from the waterfront restaurant Lois and I used to go to whenever we went to Marblehead.) Ron is a Lutheran minister near Tacoma, WA. Age range is 26-70, but the dominant age group is late 40s up to 61 (me.)

Before leaving "Camp David" yesterday, I indulged and had a massage, which of course meant that I could then barely drag my relaxed self out to the beach bench, where I "rested" for a couple of hours before lunch. I do think I turned over, at least once, and I did go for a swim (the water was "refreshing".....once you got over the "whoop" when you jumped in). I call it my full resort mode: shorts, t-shirt, barefoot, moving from room to beach to room to beach to.....

On our way back from the lake, we stopped on the outskirts of Bishkek (by arrangement) at the home of a woman who makes shirdoks, which are rugs or hangings made out of felt. She also demonstrated how they are made. Basically, it's wool that isn't spun but is beaten and rolled. Mostly they leave it natural sheep-colored (off-white, brown, black) but they also sometimes use natural dyes to make colored rugs or hangings. Saw some beautiful things, but I really couldn't get into them for us. About the only one that might have grabbed me was quite large--can't even estimate how big, and I couldn't imagine where we might use it. And besides, it was big enough that (a) I couldn't imagine getting it home and (b) wouldn't buy it without your involvement. And it was $100, negotiable!

I think this is about enough (probably too much) for now. I'm off to meet the group for dinner at a restaurant nearby. It's Indian, tonight. Curry here we come!

#7: June 26, 2004--Bizarre Bazaars

Today was "shop 'til you drop" day. And I've dropped. By plan, we have the day off from work. So we began at the Osh Bazaar, located along the main street but on the west edge of town.

Osh is a city in southwest Kyrgyz. Don't know why it's the Osh Bazaar in Bishkek, but it is. I cannot begin to describe this place fully. It is huge. Perhaps 4 square blocks, but I really can't be sure. Almost all open-air, and packed (and I do mean packed) with stalls selling everything (and I do mean everything.) The aisles between counters were about 1 1/2 persons wide (if you're reasonably trim.) It is arranged by broad category of merchandise, and we had our local expert guiding us to a couple of the areas. Went first to the food area. An incredible array of fresh fruits and vegetables, bulk grains and spices, meats, cheeses, other dairy products (including the national drink), honeys, cooking oils, etc. etc. We'd kill to have anything remotely like this available to us.

We then went to the souvenir area, which has the stuff that tourists like, including all sorts of shirdoks, clothing, "flash", etc. I finally succumbed and bought one shirdok (don't panic--it's small). Others really went wild getting all sorts of things, big and small and in between. But as you know, I don't do well in small spaces, and it was all I could do to remain calm and get through it. Oh, I did buy another small thing for me--a Kyrgyzstan passport case, which I couldn't resist (for all of 30 cents.)

Other areas included anything you might like from a drugstore, hardware store, clothing store, video store, etc. etc. About the only thing I didn't see was furniture and cars. Otherwise, if you can't find it at the Osh Bazaar, it probably doesn't exist.

Oh, and of course, haggling was the order of the day, and to be expected. (I declined to haggle on either of my small purchases.)

I then chose to walk back to town (surprise), along the main street. Stopped along the way at one of the myriad sidewalk cafes for lunch and enjoyed people watching while eating and drinking. Then on to Zum, the "other" bazaar, located just east of downtown. This is a 4-story department store, but in a building. Again, practically everything you want, including furniture (but not cars), and including a souvenir section again. I had actually scoped it out earlier, so I went with definite ideas in mind, and bought them. And even did a little haggling (though I felt vaguely guilty, since the prices are already so ridiculously low.) And now I've shopped for the duration!

About work (remember what I came for?) I only worked a half day Friday because as I expected, we ran out of work. The remaining tasks couldn't be done until the things we did had dried overnight, or materials were delivered. So a little after lunch, we left for home. This gave me a good chance to go to the British Airways office and straighten things out for my trip home. Short story with a happy ending--I'm coming home when I thought I was (British Air and American Eagle willing). I then went to Zum to scope things out for today's shopping binge.

We had dinner last night at a Korean restaurant. Once again, excellent. Tonight it's a Russian restaurant. I'm hoping it's better than the one we ate at in Madison. If not, I'll give up on Russian food.

Tomorrow is a full workday, at the new site. I'm hoping to go there rather than to the other site, but will go where I'm told. Monday, we only work in the morning, then have the afternoon off to get ready for a dinner with families starting at 4:30, followed by a folk concert and an early end since we have to leave our apartments at 5 a.m. Tuesday to get to the airport for our 8 a.m. flight.

I had my first ice cream novelty the other day. It was....novel. An ice cream bar of vanilla ice cream with poppy seeds in it, covered by chocolate. Surprisingly good, actually. I'd readily have it again.

Walking home from Zum yesterday I discovered a small farmer's market about a block from our flat--where I originally bought raspberries on the street. This one had wonderful produce, dairy, meat and baked goods, along with household items. I was fine until I walked past the meat counter and saw the display of intestines. I retreated to the produce and baked goods section, the latter having strawberry tarts which I will sample on my way home this afternoon. (I always think of Rachel when I get one of these tarts.)

Remember the convenience kiosks that I mentioned are seemingly on every block, sometimes in multiple? I learned that most of them are open 24 hours a day. When I was surprised, the person said well, you never know when you want to buy something to eat or drink. He has a point.

All for now. Off to home, by way of the strawberry tart that has my name on it.

#8: June 28, 2004--Winding Down

We are finished working. Had our farewell dinner, said our goodbyes. Now all(!) that's left is a short night's sleep and a 30+ hour trip from Bishkek to Baku to London to New York to Raleigh. When we get to London, we're....halfway home!

This is the time when I get a little sad--about leaving my friends (both local and group), leaving the country (which I have come to enjoy), and leaving a life that has virtually no responsibilities. I continue to be very grateful to have the opportunity to do this kind of thing. And I'm especially appreciative that you are willing and supportive of it. I couldn't do it without you.

And I'm getting ready for re-entry. Looking forward to being with you, and with Mark and Dora. Looking forward to being in my home situation. And almost looking forward to resuming the responsibilities attached to it all.

This really has been another incredible trip. The work has been as satisfying as my trips to El Salvador, but of course, far less physically challenging because of the much superior accommodations and food. And the work has been much more satisfying than my Honduras trip.

We had a good work day yesterday and this morning. I spent much of it scraping wallpaper from the concrete walls. Hard work, but so visible when you've accomplished something.

Also spent some time sanding. All of this was prep work for painting and wallpapering, which will be done starting tomorrow, after we leave. The site supervisor expects to finish this weekend. Maybe optimistic, but certainly next week. We finished two apartments completely, a third nearly completed, and the fourth completed in a few days. So 4 families will be moving into significantly improved housing conditions within the next 10 days. I should mention that the breadwinner of one of the families is a physics professor at the university and another is a physician. And they qualify for Habitat housing. Says something about the wage level, even for professionals.

The farewell dinner was a production. All the families, all the volunteers, all of us, all the local Habitat staff. The dinner was prepared by the families and served in a catering hall well outside of town. A lovely setting, though a pain to get to. The obligatory speeches, some wonderful music and traditional dances, lots of photos, little gifts from them to us and us to them, etc. etc. My "nice" pill wore off a little before the end, but I managed to keep smiling anyway. And it was very special to me to realize I had, indeed, made a couple of close connections to people here, particularly my site supervisor and the family of the apartment I worked on most. I feel very privileged to know them.

And now, it's for the "lasts"--last Internet cafe visit, last walk home from town, last raspberry tart (yes, they shifted from strawberry to raspberry yesterday, and today, it's a combination of raspberry, mandarin orange, and something else.) The pastries have been a special treat for me, as you can imagine.

See you soon. By the way, I'm back on the flights I originally had on British Air. And I need to warn you--I was confronted with a choice of violating two of our rules: (1) don't return home with leftover money; and (2) don't buy something for the wall without joint involvement. I chose to violate the second, with hesitation. Last night, walking back from the restaurant, I stopped at a more upscale ethnic arts place. All the usual things, but of a higher quality of workmanship. I saw a shirdok rug that I thought we'd love, but I resisted--really can't buy that without your involvement. And then I saw a wall hanging that I really love. Thought about it during the night, hustled back today, still loved it, haggled a bit on the price, and bought it. It's not too big---fits in my suitcase. And if you don't like it, we'll hang it on the inside of a closet door somewhere. But it is an excellent example of the art form, but in a more modern design that fits our taste. Anyway, just wanted to warn you that I am coming home without money (or credit card, of course) but bearing some gifts.

#9: June 30, 2004--Home (not alone) Again

Well, the trip home was about what I expected (which

in today's air travel climate, is a wonderful thing to

be able to say.) 30 hours, door to door. My day

began at 4 a.m. in Bishkek and ended at 11:30 p.m. at

home, in Cary. Qualifies as the longest "day" I've

spent in an upright position when you factor in the 10

hour time change.

This may also have been the only time in my life when

my entire eating for a day was airline meals. All on

British Air. All actually tolerably good. Especially

since their complimentary open bar was available.

Mimosa for breakfast (champagne plus glass of orange

juice, divided between two glasses), mimosa for lunch

plus a glass of wine, English ale plus champagne for

dinner. As Lois would say, takes the edge off nicely.

I learned that the reason my airfare was below the web

price listed was because the agent who arranged it for

me at Habitat qualifies us as missionaries and gets a

reduced fare from the airlines.

This information turned out to be useful later, too.

Went through customs in NY. One of the questions on

the customs declaration is the country visited prior

to coming to the US. Kyrgyzstan, says I. The customs

official looked, waved me over to the inspector to

have my bags inspected. Inspector looked at the form

first, said "you've been to a country I can't

pronounce" (I agreed). Then asked what I was doing

there. "Missionary work" I said (as brightly as 25

hours into the journey allows). "God bless you," he

said and waved me through without looking at anything.

"Keep up the good work."

And I hope to. In my newly pronounced status of

"missionary." My mother would be proud.