Destined for the carnival in Panfilov Park.
The Bishkek McDonald’s.
Street art on Oganbaeva Ulica.
Fender bender on Chui.
Take a chance on me. Oak Park.
At the edge of Ala-Too Square.
Author: Laura Kelly
Walking Toktogul to Osh Bazaar
Mosaic and sleeping man on Toktogul & Molodaya Gvardia
School at Toktogul & Umetalyiev
Wash on the line at Toktogul & Bubusara Beishenalieva
AUCA Graduation Day
This walking on
and on, this
going and coming—
this morning
shines such lovely
light on all of us.
We’re home.
~Robert Creeley
Near my boarding gate at Schoenefeld Airport in Berlin, I was dumbstruck by this advertising campaign for Die Welt newspaper. It feels so wrong in so many ways.
East Side Gallery | Berlin
May 3: World Press Freedom Day
photo illustration by Sergei Viatchanin
Last day of class
The final day of spring semester 2014 and the final class at AUCA for Batyr Shabdanov, who will graduate later this month. The photo was taken late in the afternoon at the close of our media ethics class.
The walk to work
February. March. April.
The fountains in Ala-Too Square were turned on today. The rains abated, the dandelions seemed to sprout overnight in the parks, and spring in its greenly gloriousness parked its juicy hopeful blue skies and yes in the middle of this city. Lilac bushes have opened their purple faces and jazzed the air. You can smell the luscious relief that winter has passed and once again life blooms and spills and oozes and ripens all around us. All around us.
Snack of the Day
A box of dates from Iran called Date Energy has this on its side panel:
More than 20 amino acids that are not found in most foods, is in dates.
Dates Wonderful and magical fruit
Useful for all age groups
Energy and happiness guarantees your health
Empty Benches: Issyk-Kul in April
From Last Night’s Menu
Fish on Royally
Harmony
Sappy Veal with Bamboo Shoot
Male Whim
The titles of the five poems that hang on the wall of my Bishkek apartment form a poem of their own.
+ + +
The real work: the journey.
Risk the moment. Expect nothing.
~ by Alice Walker, Margaret Atwood, Wendell Berry, Anais Nin and Mary Oliver
Two years ago in early April thousands took to the streets in the city center of Bishkek infuriated over corruption in government, soaring utility bills and unresponsive leadership. Groups seized the Ministry of the Interior building, the state broadcasting building. The government responded by deploying hundreds of troops who shot dead dozens of protesters. Many more were injured.
Hundreds gathered this year for the anniversary. There was no violence. There were speeches. There were flowers laid at the foot of a statue to commemorate the dead and wreaths hung from the iron fence around the White House. And above all of it was the Kyrgyz flag, snapping insistently in gusts of early April wind.
untidy exuberances 