Savoring Bishkek

Wild poppies by the side of the road

Not having to work or study in May means that I have had time to get the house in order before our guests - Bud and Ashley! - get here tomorrow. It also means I can spend the whole day walking around Bishkek, savoring the view and the companionship. For example, last Wednesday, I walked with my friend Alesia, taking the obligatory narcissistic portraits in choice spots and capturing images of the small streets that I love, away from the main noisy roads.

Peeking out from a birch tree

Alesia

The little streets of Bishkek

 

After drinking coffee and whipping up a batch of chocolate chip cookies, we continued our walk, this time jumping on a marshrutka so she could show me the Russian Orthodox (pravaslavni) church. I would hate to leave Bishkek without seeing the inside.

Covering one's hair is required before entering.

I like the blue dollops.

This donkey was tied out back, perhaps for Easter. Or maybe he always lives there.

The inside of the church, full of icons, paintings, and color

 

The side room

Another small building requested that women not only cover their hair but remove their lipstick and wear a skirt in order to enter. That made me think of Saudi!

Outside the church, a small store sells candles (to burn for loved ones) and icons of all sizes.

 

 After that, it was time to pick up the kids from school, so we made our way to Ak Bala. We took the boys downtown to enjoy the weather and take a look at the tanks set up along the street for Victory Day.

Camaraderie in the avtobus.

The Vechni Ogon - Eternal Flame monument, shaped like a yurt.

 

The weather was so nice that we sat in the soft, fresh-smelling grass while the kids ran around the monument. Then we walked along the street to see the tanks, crossed the street, and admired the absolutely beautiful irises planted in front of the luxurious Hyat hotel.

 The next day was Victory Day itself, May 9, so the kids didn't have school. We met up with fellow moms and kids at the cafe Teremok: Baktigul with her three children, Alesia with her two, and me with my Misha and Sebby - that's seven children! Luckily the cafe had a playground, and we enjoyed pizza and shashlik while the kids ran back and forth. We even descended upon my apartment for a while afterward to eat cake. It was a bit scary to have so many kids in the house, but Misha quite enjoyed it!

Pizza party

A crazy rocking teeter totter - Misha, Sebby, Timur, Pasha, Yan. They all go to first grade together as well as Ushu classes (except Sebby).

 While we were there, we saw a family celebrating a child's first birthday. The Kyrgyz tradition involves tying the feet of the birthday child, then having a race with all the other children. The first child to reach the birthday baby cuts the ropes binding the feet, symbolically readying the child for his first steps. I had often heard about this tradition, but never seen it, so I ran over to observe.

Kids in the trunk. Did we drive like this? Well, this is Kyrgyzstan ...