valerie

January 7, 2023 - snacks, tea and coffee at today’s teacher training course session

January 6, 2023 - decently nice day at Ala-Too Square downtown ๐Ÿ™‚

January 5, 2023 - inside the Kyrgyz State Historical Museum, which wouldn’t be a complete Kyrgyz museum without a giant yurt inside

January 4, 2023 - fresh snow!

January 3, 2023 - finally tried Papa John’s in Bishkek! It was fine, not amazing, not bad but a little expensive. The price I saw online was different than what I got in the store. Oh well. No regrets. I would eat it again if offered, which I think is a good sign with food!

January 2, 2023 - interestingly progressive sign in Kyrgyz on public transport…Google Translate gives this translation: “Hanging, flirting, beating - this is violence; Together we will stop the perpetrator”

January 1, 2023 - sign wishing the residents in my building a happy new year

December 31, 2022 - I know this looks unappetizing, but don’t be like me and judge it based on looks! This is ั‡ัƒั€ั‡ั…ะตะปะฐ, which according to Wikipedia is a Georgian dessert with nuts and a kind of fruit syrup. It’s made on a string, hence the odd shape

December 30, 2022 - how nice of someone to add some holiday cheer to our building stairwell. just in time for the police officer who came to everyone’s door today

December 29, 2022 - got a haircut for the first time in a year and a half!!!

December 28, 2022 - some holiday decorations on public transport

December 27, 2022 - partly frozen Ala-Archa River flowing into Bishkek with mountains in the background

December 26, 2022 - the first Thai restaurant I’ve visited in Bishkek

December 25, 2022 - seen in a supermarket, strange but didn’t think much of it. Come to find out every winter Coca-Cola drives 18 wheeler-looking trucks around Bishkek and you can HAVE A MEAL in the truck and see the city as it drives. saw THAT truck out today, but no pics of it

December 24, 2022 - festive-looking snowman in front of a fancy-looking restaurant

December 23, 2022 - hello from the dentist’s office. just a normal check-up. everything’s fine!

December 22, 2022 - work holiday party at a karaoke place

December 21, 2022 - ‘Online Chess’ lessons advertisement at a bus stop.
“Fast. Easy. Interesting. Learn to play in a month. Dive into the world of chess. You only need a smartphone(?) or laptop.”

December 20, 2022 - Christmas tree in front of a municipal building near my school

December 19, 2022 - foggy (and probably polluted, too) day in Togolok Moldo Park

December 18, 2022 - purple matcha drink in a cafe. spoke with a new friend who is attending the same teaching course as me and who used to work at the school I currently work at

December 17, 2022 - so my friend told me there is a stray cat that hangs around her school (she’s a teacher). What she DIDN’T tell me is that sometimes people let the cat into the school!! Apparently the cat sometimes lies in the recycle bin in the teachers’ office ๐Ÿคฃ

December 16, 2022 - coffee shop downtown

December 15, 2022 - slight traffic accident ๐Ÿ˜ฌ

December 14, 2022 - handwritten Russian is still a mystery to me. Was surprised to get a few words, but then again I know the context. It’s a doctor’s note that I have to get translated into English (everything’s fine). Also, a new spelling of my surname is interesting to see..