Friday, April 28, 2006
The Proletariat & the Nature
There is a rally planned to take place tomorrow here in Bishkek. It's been speculated that it will bring in anywhere from 10 to 20 thousand people from all over the country, all of them either angry with the lack of change since last year's revolution or, at least, willing to be influenced, paid, or transported about by those who are. The event's organizers initially stated that the protests would continue on in the central square until some change has been made, which is a disturbing bit of rhetoric in my opinion. Thankfully, that was later changed to three days. Maybe four. Essentially, the ralliers are looking to exert themselves onto the government in such a way as to force President Bakiyev to come out to speak with them, negotiate something, and, preferably, get that something into writing. Their demands are many, but they include lessening of state control on mass media, constitutional amendments to lessen the power of the executive, and some sort of pledge to at least begin moving corruption and criminality from a spot among the normal activities of elected officials to something of an anomaly. We'll let you know next week how all of that goes.
In the meantime, we're loading up on reading material and movies in the off chance this thing boils over and we're forced to hole away behind our apartment door for a few days. It's doubtful that situation's a real possibility, but people are angry, it's been hot, and 20,000 hot, angry people standing in one place for a few days listening to other hot, angry people speaking to them may stumble upon some new ideas. Thankfully, bootleg DVDs are both cheap and hold a near-ubiquitous place in the Bishkek marketplace. (I do, however, know what booth in Tsum I'm staying away from while shopping for new movies.) And we've both got some writing and reading to get done, so we should be fine. Besides, there are less hateful things than being locked in your apartment for a few days. Like, for instance, being locked in someone else's apartment for a few days.
Tonight we'll be heading over to Janika and Elham's apartment for a big ol' dinner party being thrown in celebration of Janika's cousin Katerina being here for a visit over her spring break. Yeah, you read that right: her cousin traveled from Frankfurt to Bishkek for spring break. She's putting you people to shame!
Tomorrow a group of us will (hopefully) rent a marschutka for the day and head out of the city to Ala-Archa, the beautiful park in the mountains south of town. There will be picnicking, hiking, and, I'm sure, enjoyment of "the nature," a phrase I still giggle at every time it's uttered in my vicinity.
The weekend, we can only hope, will be wonderful. And entirely free of anything a journalist might be moved to report as "looting and rioting."
Filed under: Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, Protest, Nature.
In the meantime, we're loading up on reading material and movies in the off chance this thing boils over and we're forced to hole away behind our apartment door for a few days. It's doubtful that situation's a real possibility, but people are angry, it's been hot, and 20,000 hot, angry people standing in one place for a few days listening to other hot, angry people speaking to them may stumble upon some new ideas. Thankfully, bootleg DVDs are both cheap and hold a near-ubiquitous place in the Bishkek marketplace. (I do, however, know what booth in Tsum I'm staying away from while shopping for new movies.) And we've both got some writing and reading to get done, so we should be fine. Besides, there are less hateful things than being locked in your apartment for a few days. Like, for instance, being locked in someone else's apartment for a few days.
Tonight we'll be heading over to Janika and Elham's apartment for a big ol' dinner party being thrown in celebration of Janika's cousin Katerina being here for a visit over her spring break. Yeah, you read that right: her cousin traveled from Frankfurt to Bishkek for spring break. She's putting you people to shame!
Tomorrow a group of us will (hopefully) rent a marschutka for the day and head out of the city to Ala-Archa, the beautiful park in the mountains south of town. There will be picnicking, hiking, and, I'm sure, enjoyment of "the nature," a phrase I still giggle at every time it's uttered in my vicinity.
The weekend, we can only hope, will be wonderful. And entirely free of anything a journalist might be moved to report as "looting and rioting."
Filed under: Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, Protest, Nature.
