valerie

March 29, 2023 - “grand elite” sliced bread (the label describes it as “wheat toast bread”)

March 28, 2023 - an offhand comment to a friend about microwave popcorn prompted this purchase. Maybe it sounds dumb, but I honestly didn’t know you could buy microwave popcorn here. Blander than American popcorn of course, but still good and spices and such can be added

March 27, 2023 - close-up of support in the elevator. was curious to know if Braille here differs from English, but from what I found numbers are the same. also Braille numbers are preceded by a mirrored L shape (please feel free to chime in if you know about Braille, I’m not an expert by any means)

March 26, 2023 - instruments used for sumolok, a dessert made at Nowruz. One of my students invited me to her house to stir their huge pot of it. I was also told to make a wish while stirring! Then, a couple of days later, I received a HUGE jar of sumolok from her

March 25, 2023 - went to try some Georgian food recently because a friend wanted to eat khinkali. The soup (kharcho) had some spice to it

March 24, 2023 - food court (kind of, типа) outside of Bishkek’s Hippodrome where I went to watch көк бөрү. It appeared to just be individual sellers, so was curious to know if there was any regulation to it or if anyone could set up shop freely

March 23, 2023 - had a chance on Tuesday (which was the Nowruz holiday) to watch көк бөрү (in Kyrgyz), a traditional Central Asian game known by different names in other countries/languages. In short, horse riders must pick up a sheep carcass and throw it into a raised pit to score a point

March 22, 2023 - insect I saw on the wall before class

March 21, 2023 - tiny yet expensive Nutella containers (small hand for comparison)

March 20, 2023 - succulent houseplants in a hair salon with a coffee shop inside

March 19, 2023 - analog - magazine from 2020 at a clinic

March 18, 2023 - closest recent thing I have to a portico, blurry picture in front of a restaurant

March 17, 2023 - empty package of something I ate in the early morning before work - vareniki (although English wikipedia calls them pierogi and I thought these were two different things..)

March 16, 2023 - want to get on the road? Stop by your neighborhood driving school! (and pay your way to a license!)
(ok, to be honest, I don’t know if it happens exactly like that, but my students have told me it’s common to ‘buy’ driving licenses..)

March 15, 2023 - patience as she waits for customers
(drink sellers on the road are a sign of upcoming spring! but also of the scorching summer to come)

March 14, 2023 - the central heating turned off a few days ago, but there’s still pollution on the horizon

March 13, 2023 - a connection I never imagined I would see. Nutella with boorsok, Kyrgyz traditional fried bread pieces. Advertisement referencing the upcoming Nooruz holiday

March 12, 2023 - shiny lights in a food court with a wall mural of a woman wearing an elechek in the background

March 11, 2023 - does this car from a Kinder Surprise egg count as a gimcrack?

March 10, 2023 - ritual walk to where I take Russian lessons

March 9, 2023 - working together at a cafe

March 8, 2023 - going out for a walk

March 7, 2023 - got a whole lot of chocolate for the International Women’s Day holiday (tomorrow) from students and my school

March 6, 2023 - faulty engineering leading to uneven streets and sidewalks?

March 5, 2023 - ornate tile in my friend’s apartment. only in this space