Bishkek: Round 2

Friday the 10th I took a Marshrutka (mini-bus) from Karakol back to Bishkek. There I met up with Dan and Anders, two Americans who have been living in Bishkek and volunteering with the Alpine Fund. We had dinner, then met up with Frieder, a German AF volunteer. Fireder had a place for me to crash at his 'flat'. I was amazed at the hospitality I was shown by this tight-knit group of foriegners. The next day we went to check out the Alpine Fund's office, where I met Noemi and Gaeten, Swiss and Dutch respectively, both volunteering at AF. (More on AF in a seperate post). Gaeten and I made plans for the evening to go see the the Vagina Monologues, of course. We arrived about an hour late, which was fine because a half hour of Russian monologues was plenty for me.
This was the first time the VM's had been put on in Kyrgyzstan, (actually the second, once in English 2 weeks ago) which is amazing giving the untra-conservative culture and traditions surrounding sex and marriage. The most striking example is the tradition of bride kidknapping. This is when a "groom's" family kidnapps a young (like teens young) woman and guards her through a night. If she does not manage to escape and spends the night in the house, it is assumed she is no longer a virgin and therefore no longer desireable for marriage to anyone else. Her best option then, is to marry this man, who she may have never even met. I admitt I laughed when I first read about this, assuming it was out-dated and no longer applicable except maybe in communities in some far off valley forgotten by time. Imagine my shock when I learned that the practice is alive and well in Bishkek and it happens to females in who are studying at university, independant women who are on a carreer path. The fact that the Vagina Monologues took place in this society steeped in, dare I say, antiquated traditions, is a huge step for womens' rights. I felt that this was, to some degree, a historic event and I was excited to be able to witness it.
The next couple days were spent checking out the sights of Bishkek. The highlights are without a doubt the bazaars. Dordoi Bazaar is situated outside of town and is literally a small city built of shipping containers. You can buy anything here... if you can find it. I spent a good 45 minutes wandering, not daring to stop lesst someone started talking to me. I was completely overwhelmed. I finally made a circle, recognized where I had entered, and promptly fled back to the relative tranquility of the city. In Bishkek there is the Osh Bazaar, smaller than Dordoi but with a reputation for pickpockets and crime. I didn't experience any of that, just colorful displays of foods as far as the eye could see, unlimited pirated DVDs, and just about any piece of hardware you might ever need.
It struck me that these bazaars are like E-Bay, but in real life. They are both market places, right. I was then bothered by the fact I had just my reality consists of virtual, sterile, artificial E-bay and the real feeling, breathing, moving market place of Bishkek was a foriegn spectacle to me. Eh, I guess that's how it is.
Sunday night was Easter. I shared it with a jovial international group, foriegners and locals who were somehow connected to each other here in Bishkek. At the flat lived 4 Poles and Gaeten, from Brussels. Countries represented included Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Russian, and the ol' US of A by yours truly. It was a wonderful amalgum of languges, most of which I didn't undertstand, but the universal language of flowing vodka made for a memorable evening.
I'm still amazed and touched at the kindness and hospitality I have been shown by the community of foriegners here in Bishkek. I suppose that what binds us is that we are different, and I was therefore one of them.
Monday Sara, Devein and Cam arrived in Bishkek and Tuesday we took a ten hour taxi ride to Osh, a city in the southwest, 10km from the border of Uzbekistan.
More to come.

-Dan