Archive: March, 2009
The International Business Council (IBC) was established in December 2000, by a number of companies, (of which the Celestial Mountains Tour Company was one), with the aim of working in partnership with the government of the Kyrgyz Republic and other local and foreign organizations to: promote the common interests of business investors; provide members with [...]
The decision of the Swedish scientists towards the end of 2007 to state that Kyrgyzstan would be an ideal starting point for “Santa” on his annual trip to deliver presents to the world’s children came as a surprise to everyone in Kyrgyzstan. It certainly generated a lot of interest in the country from around the [...]
If you were looking for an iconic symbol for Britain then you might well settle upon a steaming cup of tea. Afternoon Tea is an old British tradition for which we are well known throughout the world. In his adventure, the comic hero Asterix the Gaul travels to the island across the Channel to help [...]
Askar was a really lovely man. He was a fairly short, stocky man with a quiet temperament and a friendly character. A family man, he raised five children – one of them was Tony’s Kyrgyz wife, Damira. That’s how I came to meet him. He loved his children and they loved in return. He also [...]
Over the years that I have been in Kyrgyzstan, people have asked me a lot of questions. Some of them have been easy to answer, but others have been more difficult. When I first came to Bishkek I was asked a lot of questions about why I had come here, my life back in the [...]
At first I wasn’t sure whether to include this entry on the website. It makes Bishkek seem like a dangerous place … but, basically, it isn’t. It’s probably no more dangerous here than in other big city in the world. I know there are statistics about crime and you sometimes read about one city or [...]
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 [...]
A friend of mine, a lawyer with whom I used to work, left Kyrgyzstan and took his family to live in Moscow. Thanks to email we have an easy way to keep in touch. He has a great sense of humour and often sends me amusing photos and links to amusing stories on the internet. [...]
I’m used to being “a bit of an oddity” here in Kyrgyzstan … one of a small number of foreigners to make their home in this little known country in the heart of the Eurasian landmass. I get asked question all the time … and I’m often asked to give interviews about my experiences and [...]
