Day 30, One Month in Kyrgyzstan

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Day 30, July 25, 2009, Saturday, Ishembi

The land of inshallah has really caught up with me. I am starting to lose my ambition to accomplish any meaningful tasks. I managed to sleep most of the day away again yesterday. My nose is in a mild cascade and I definitely have a sinus problem. I will try to find a couple of solutions at an Apoteka, pharmacy, today. I ran out of the Fluctinase spray, and have just taken the last of the Tylenol sinus caps I brought with me in case the dust and pollution proved too much. So far, I have had good luck finding local replacements for my medications, only the Singulair proved difficult, and I substituted Theophan and it does seem to be keeping my chest clear. Last night Marat shared my room and he his not a quiet sleeper. When he rolls over on his back he begins to snore almost immediately. And the noise seems to trigger a rollover response. He also was dreaming and making motions like was putting on a parachute or a jacket. I thought maybe he had gotten a little cold since he had no covers. But he threw off a sheet I put over him rather quickly. I managed to get a little sleep in snatches and woke up about 5:30 to wake him and get him moving for the day.

Marat becomes a full time soldier for the next two years in the Army of the Kyrgyz Republic. He will be commissioned today as a Lieutenant and will be in charge of a company of about 200 soldiers. This at 20 years of age and limited experience and training in leadership skills. I suppose that that is also true of other young people in the officer corps here and that a kind of on the job training program has been developed. The military is very much on the Russian model, but for the most part is concerned with border disputes with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, along with some threats by Islamist terror groups along the borders. Marat is being sent to Batken, near both borders, to take up his new position. Batken is also where his father, Colonel Erkin Nurmatov, is stationed. One can only speculate what influence that has on the decisions affecting Marat's military career.

Timka and I are scheduled to join Marat and his friend Bekah for lunch at Kababestan Restaurant for a celebratory event and a farewell as Marat heads back South. I actually found myself missing Osh and the courtyard at his home yesterday. There is more human contact with everyday people there than there is here in Bishkek for me. One of the issues for me here is that we are living behind lovely pink but very high walls, because this family is fairly well-off. But that wealth isolates them in certain levels of privilege that distance us from ordinary circumstances and people.

I am scheduled for a trip to Naryn which is on the Eastern edge of the country next to far Western China either beginning on Sunday or Monday. I will need to check with Faruh and Sapar to find out what the schedule will actually be. All I know, is that I have to be back in Bishkek on July 31st since Emil will arrive then and life will change with his arrival.

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