winter has Arrived

  

This was Vanessa and Josiah Sunday morning.

Well as I mentioned spring was here last Tuesday but on Thursday Winter returned

Sunday afternoon, reading writing and waiting for the snow to melt.

Spring and winter in one week

Well last week started out like early spring, then quickly transition to spring by Wednesday and on Thursday it snowed. It was not that cold though. On Friday it snowed again though not much and has been cold and slippery. Fell on the way to drop Josiah off at school. Then Josiah fell in the same spot after instructing me in the proper way to walk on ice. Well no injuries apart from pride.

Yesterday, after picking up Josiah we had to go to the store to pick up a present for one of Josiah’s classmates then off to meet someone at a guest house who is going to the UK for three weeks and will post them for us. It would have been easier to drop them off at school, but I have been running late lately and missed them. On the way there outside the Chinese market I left Josiah’s backpack on the mashrutka(mini bus). Not really certain what was in it but nothing critical.

Life on the Mashrutka Continues…….

Wrong way but a good trip

I was going to meet Tyer, at his home for my language lesson. I had been told to take bus 4 which I did but I took the trolly bus thus ended up at a slightly wrong place, a mile or so in the wrong place. I ended up going back and taking the write way. Either way accross the street was this park with the statues. I am not sure what the peace one was for but the lower is for a memorial to the people at Chernobyl, I think many went to fight the fires from across Central Asia.

Memorial for Chernobyl deaths.

A cold day and the next was very Cold

Sorry I have been having major computer issues of late and couldn’t connect but most of that is behind us, I hope. The weather has been a bit changeable of late. As you can see it snowed, last week. Then it was really cold -10f/-23c for only one day, the following day it was warmer and then it got really warm but as it got warmer the ice got very slippery and many slipped. Thankfully I did not see any injured.

This is outside a jewellery store that they have a person outside inviting people to come in. I probably would if they had had warm drinks. Here though you have to be careful with what they might offer.

Who are these?

So I am not certain who the two are are but the main one is Lenin. Now it seems as though the west is concerned recently because Russia seems like its reviving Stalin as a Hero. Now there is obviously some concern because of His human rights record, but I take slightly different view, If he were to comment he might not be happy because they are not including all his achievements, just the ones that look good for today. Lenin in Bishkek is as far as I know the last remaining Statue in a Former Soviet Republic though I might be wrong.

           

Another Police Vehicle Decorated for The New Year сновым годом

Soviet Markers

Near the Movie Theatre Russia(Россиа)

Some of the Soviet Architecture Designs were and are great. I am still glad that they are still hear, I think many countries have worked on removing them.

Life on the Mashrutca, Trolly bus and the China Aid Bus

So We set off in the early afternoon on new years day to enjoy the environment and go to the foot hills surrounding Bishkek. It was a great idea, if only we had started out on the right bus, after that non seemed to be heading in the right direction or should I say kept on heading in the right direction. We would take one and it would head in down the road we needed to go and then turn off, and as our ability to read the signs on the side of the mashrutca to know where its headed is limited its a challenge. to say the least. We started off on a the 38 heading down the main road going through Bishkek Chui, than switched to a trolly bus or electric than it was to a machrutca just before Osh Bazar, after a bit of a walk in the direction of the mountains, which we could see about 10 miles away. I can’t remember which one we took but we started going up the road and then it turned a corner and then looped around and crossed the road and then went back and ended up on an even better road than before closer to the hills, but not close enough. So we caught another going in the right direction accept that one turned at a roundabout going down the road to where my language helpers village is, as the bus I have to take on Monday was going in the same direction. So We got off and caught Another that we thought would go in the right direction accept it ended up in Bishkek and we got outside a park that was on the outskirts of modern Bishkek. It was great and they had a funair that Josiah asked if he could go on something. This looked safe and fun and he really enjoyed it, even though he complained at first that it would be to fast or to boring or….. It turned out he Loved it and wanted to go again.

Pre – New Years Celebrations

New Years has been quite interesting. There are a lot of decorations like what you would see around the world for this Holiday Season, but here they celebrate the new year with emphasis. The central Square has many many different decorations but the White House has the so far the most beautiful tree I have seen, though the main square is not far off. I am not certain its good to be saying that something decorated by mankind is beautiful, but lit up at night it is spectacular. The tree’s are not the only thing decorated though the Cars and parks and many things. Even the police cars are decorated.

The BANK

I particularly Like this building its got some great architecture and is on the main street through Bishkek, Chui. It still a Bank, of some sort, but evidently they have retained the original signage, that being the central bank building of the Soviet Union. Its some great monumental Art and I for one and glad to see its retained. While there many things that were wrong in that time not everything. If for no other reason its a part of History and should be kept and not erased.