Archive sections: ‘For the Record’
The Kyrgyz economy is basically a cash based economy. There is a banking system … as you might expect in a country that is sometimes called “The Switzerland of Central Asia” and although it is still fairly basic and nearly all transactions in the country are cash based, it is developing rapidly, and this situation [...]
In some Western countries there is a day in Spring which is designated as “Mother’s Day” … in the US it is celebrated on the second Sunday in May, as suggested by Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia in 1908 … and this is, perhaps, one reason why International Women’s Day is not marked in the same [...]
Manti are a typical local dish. (There is, apparently, some dispute as to the origin of Manti – Turkish, Tartar, or … somewhere else in Central Asia.) They are small, steamed, dumplings with a filling of diced meat, onion and perhaps potato and/or pumpkin. Although manti are traditionally steamed - some recipes suggest boiling them, as with ravioli, but [...]
The Kyrgyz Association of Tour Operators (KATO) is the largest organization representing Tour Operators in Kyrgyzstan. It was formally established in 1997, having operated on an informal basis since 1993. (The Celestial Mountains Tour Company was on of the “initiators” when the Association officially registered its charter.)
The International Business Council was established as a non-profit organization in December 2000. It grew out of an initiative of the German Embassy in Kyrgyzstan – and began as an “informal club” where businessmen, investors in the Kyrgyz economy, could meet and discuss issues of common interest.
Bishkek cannot claim to be one of the major cities of the world, like London, Paris or New York. It is, however, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan and does have a number of important and interesting buildings, monuments, parks, museums, galleries, theatres and other places worth seeing or visiting.
Sometimes, when I write a postcard, it strikes me that some of things I refer to might be surprising, or cause confusion, or warrant further explanation.
