Blogs from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Asia
Hicran Cigdem Yorgancioglu Krygzstan Bishkek 2011 Kirgizistan Biskek (98th country)
Published: October 3rd 2011Asia » Kyrgyzstan » Bishkek
October 2nd 2011
Hicran Ciğdem Yorgancıoğlu ‘nun Kyrgyzstan Devr-i Alem Hicri Alem Hicran Çiğdem Seyahatnamesi’nden ..seyahat notlarından alıntılardır . Her hakkı saklıdır .. / Eserin tüm telif hakları H.Çiğdem Yorgancıoğlu’na aittir . Eserin izinsiz kopyalanması çoğaltımı ,yayını ,dağıtımı halinde 5846 sayılı Fikir ve Sanat Eserleri Kanunun hükümleri geçerli olacaktır. Hicran Ciğdem Yorgancıoğlu ‘nun Kyrgyzstan Devr-i Alem Hicri Alem Hicran Çiğdem Seyahatnamesi’nden ..seyahat notlarından alıntılardır . Her hakkı saklıdır .. / Eserin tüm telif hakları H.Çiğdem Yorgancıoğlu’na aittir . Eserin izinsiz kopyalanması çoğaltımı ,yayını ,dağıtımı halinde 5846 sayılı Fikir ve Sanat Eserleri Kanunun hükümleri geçerli olacaktır. Hicran Ciğdem Yorgancıoğlu ‘nun Kyrgyzstan Devr-i Alem Hicri Alem Hicran Çiğdem Seyahatna... read more
June 23rd 2011
I took a taxi to international bus terminal. Not surprised at its chaos. It looked no difference between public and private buses. I checked my note on which I wrote Russian name of my destination: Bishkek, but I didn’t find the bus. Some kind people directed me to some parked buses without signs. A lady pointed a bus and said “this one. We’re waiting.” I waited with her. At times other drivers came to ask me “Bishkek?” The lady said surely “it’s this one.” by limited English words. I got it: those buses were not going to the urban region, I need to change car at suburb town. 30min later, came the driver, we set out. The driver pulled up the bus at the gate of custom. We got off and lined up into the building ... read more
April 27th 2011
"Life here is difficult," said the young, good-looking driver. "Not many jobs here. Many go to other places." "Well, the situation is similar in the Philippines. People also go to other countries for better opportunities," I replied, as we cruised down the picturesque tree-lined road from the airport to my couchsurfing host's house. Made it at last to Kyrgyzstan. If there is one word that can describe the country, it is GREEN. Trees, steppes, rolling hills, and pasturelands are in all directions -- laced by very tall snow-capped mountain ranges at par with the Himalayas. The verdant landscape is just occasionally broken by white to beige houses. All worries brought by not planning disappeared as soon as I stepped into the country. "Are you Russian or Kyrgyz?" "Do I look Russian? They look so yellow to ... read more
December 30th 2010
I actually wrote this blog and had almost uploaded all the pictures right before we left Manas on Dec 30. It was in the process of uploading pics when I had to shut down the computer. When I got to Afghanistan, it took me a while to figure out the internet options here, and I didn't really have a way to get pictures onto my work computer in order to upload them. I've found a solution and am now publishing my previously undiscovered blog! Ugh. I spoke too soon yesterday. We got on the plane, ready to go, and they had us get off last minute because they needed it for a mission. There was a rumor going around that there weren't any flights for 96 hours, but fortunately that was a dirty piece of gossip. ... read more
December 29th 2010
So we meet again. I didn't really expect to deploy so soon again, but as things turned out, here I am. I have to try not to sound too salty because I know plenty of people who have deployed way more, and for longer times. The first one was fun, but I can see how this would get really old really fast. Not sure how people with families can cope! Enough lamenting, and on with the story telling! Our date of deployment was fudged a little at the end. First they give us a window of about 4 days that we might deploy so we can somewhat plan. Then they pick a day (ours happened to be one day BEFORE our window started) -- this usually doesn't happen until a week or two before we leave. ... read more
September 27th 2010
When I finally peeled my head off the pillow in Bishkek, did a little laundry, unpacked (actually... unpacked is pretty inaccurate, the same effect would be achieved by placing a small explosive in the centre of my backpack) and had some food, I was ready to go out and explore Kyrgyzstan's capital, as well as meet my new truck group. Bishkek as a city, was nice enough in a concrete, soviet sort of way; it was busy and lived in, with monuments and museums, lots of pretty parks and places to sit outside, big broken outside arcades, and a lot of 'freedom' statues. Unfortunately, the only map I had was in my Lonely Planet, and due to A. Them getting the compass direction completely wrong and B. Putting street names in English despite everything actually being ... read more
July 2nd 2010
Overnight stop in Urumqi on the way to Bishkek, arriving in Urumqi airport from Beijing we were hoping to just find the right terminal and chill for couple of hours, but when we checked at the Southern China Air we were given vouchers for a hotel! We told them we would be happy to stick around, but no! they insist we go in the hotel, we don't see and passengers loitering and we took it that it is not allowed. The shuttle bus took ages and when we finally got to the hotel it was 3am, we had nice cup of jasmine tea we bought from the crazy Silk market in Beijing and went to sleep for couple hours. We got a morning call at 5:50am. quick shower and off we go to meet the shuttle, ... read more
March 25th 2010
Hello All, So work life is soon to be over, and I will go back to being a travel bum. I can't wait, how does everyone find the motivation to get up just to sit behind a desk all day. Here there has just been the 3rd celebrated new year. If you recall there is Western, Russian Orthodox and now Noorus (Turkic), celebrated at the equinox. And one thing I have been really excited to see here is the traditional game of Kok Boru. So for all those who either, 1) Interested in the origins of Polo 2) Like cultural sport 3) Hate goats then read on. Kok Boru begins with the teams riding out and touching their goal, and blessing themselves by running both their hands down their face simulataneously (also done after eating), which ... read more
March 21st 2010
Day 32, July 27, 2009, Monday, Duishombu A nice surprise this morning, Ernes, one of Emil's cousin's from Kysyl-kia, arrived with his father Dushen from the south. I met Ernes and his younger brother Nursultan last summer. Ernes has the best command of English of any of the relatives. His little brother also has really good skills in English. He is here to look into universities for the Fall. He would like to go to Manas University, he says. He and I talked about this and that, then he and his father and Gulnara talked about two Universities in Bishkek, with a call to Emil in the US to ask his opinion about where Ernes should be attending, Manas or Ala-Too University. I will try to stay out of it. I failed to ask what he ... read more
March 21st 2010
Day 33, July 28, 2009, Tuesday, Sheishembi Well, actually this entry is being written on the following day. There were some things that happened on Tuesday. And there are a couple of follow-ups for Monday. Monday: Ernes returned from a visit to Manas University where he went through a series of interviews and announced that he had been accepted and had enrolled there to begin in September with a plan to study business management. He also said that on Tuesday we would need to go to Ataturk-Ala-Too University to get some money back from them. I did not ask about it since I thought he knew the policies, but I did think it odd that any University would refund an application fee or an enrollment fee. Ernes and Timka spent Monday listening to rap music, Ernes ... read more
