Postcard from Bishkek

For Thirteen days in 1918, nothing happened in Russia – nothing a all … nobody was born, nobody died, nobody got married or divorced … Well, that’s exactly true … but for all intents and purposes the first thirteen days of February just didn’t exist.  A Decree of the Council of People’s Commissars issued on […]

Last year was supposed to be my year – the Year of the Snake. I was born in 1953 and in the Chinese Calendar, that was the Year of snake … and according to the Chinese Zodiac, every year has an animal associated with it – there are twelve of them in a cycle, (Rat, […]

Today is one of those funny little holidays that originated in the United States – although the idea seems to be catching on and I see from a Russian site that it is now considered to be an International day – Hug Day, (National Hugging Day or International Hugging Day). It’s a totally artificial, secular […]

According to lots of sources, today, (January 16th), is International Beatles Day – and has been ever since it was declared as such by UNESCO back in 2001 … funnily enough, however, the UNESCO site has no mention of it. I came across this particular oddity quite by chance … a Russian site announced the […]

I passed a milestone last year … I was 60 - sixty years old, that is. I didn’t, however, make too much of a fuss about it … I made more of an effort at 30 - the so-called, dangerous age, 40 - the onset of middle-age after which, (at, least, according to the advertisers), you need “fortifying” […]

Tomorrow is Christmas Day here in Kyrgyzstan … Orthodox Christmas, that is. Back home, in the West, Christmas is more or less over. I say “more or less” because, technically, traditionally, the Christmas season ends today – The Twelfth Day of Christmas … Epiphany – the “manifestation” of Jesus as the Son of God and […]

This year is still very young … but there are definite signs that there is change in the air … possibly “revolutionary” changes – albeit without the political and social upheaval usually associated with that word … but definitely serious and radical changes … and they are emanating from an unlikely source … The Ministry […]

Last year we saw calls from leaders of the Muslim community for the faithful to refrain from participating in the celebrations as they bear no relation to Islam … nor to traditional Kyrgyz culture.  As it happens, the call was more or less ignored and the festivities progressed as usual. As the New Year Celebrations […]

A few years ago I was in a meeting where one speaker stood up to make a point and once having been granted the floor would not release to podium until, basically, the microphone was turned off.  Actually, I felt that the point he was making was a perfectly valid one … that the document […]

Back in 2007, the Kyrgyz Post Office issued a stamp showing a man looking awfully looking like Santa Claus: a jolly looking, “portly”, round faced old man with red cheeks, sporting a long white beard, and a flowing red coat … apart, perhaps, from the fact that he was wearing a white Kalpak – the […]