painted trolleys

Let’s knock a few points from the Ticket List: Salvador Dali-themed trolleybus, captured with my Smena 35. (The colors are gorgeous! I think I love this little camera) And the Gustav Klimt-themed trolleybus, captured with my Nikon FG (with black and white film, oops). Here’s a better photo of it taken by my friend Miles …

Kyrgyzstan in film

It was another one of those things where in my head, the process was simple and I could get through it with no problems and no misunderstandings despite my continuously depleted Russian vocabulary. In reality, eh, not so much. But in the end, I finally got six rolls of film developed. A few rolls are …

Soviet camera obsession

No more cameras. I told Farrell and my friends; don’t let me buy any more cameras (for a little while at least, unless I find a really good deal, or a Sputnik). Last week, I visited a new-to-me antique shop where I had heard there might be a Sputnik for sale. There wasn’t one, but …

Darwin’s 100th day

Considering how global Darwin’s short life has been so far, I’ve been drawn to borrowing customs and traditions from other cultures to celebrate various milestones in his life. I dutifully tracked when Darwin would turn 100 days old so that we could commemorate the day. It’s a Korean tradition, called baek-il, so I invited some …

my “ticket list”

I’m a fan of making lists. Whether or not I actually succeed at doing everything that’s on that list, I still find it a useful process for sorting through my thoughts, hopes and dreams for what I’d like to accomplish before I leave Kyrgyzstan. When will I leave Kyrgyzstan for good? Oh geez. Who knows. …

Nouruz ’13

Another year in Bishkek, another Nouruz spent wandering around Ala-Too Square. A woman explains the process of making sumalak. I mean, I like to celebrate a Zoroastrian holiday by performing karaoke in a public square. There are at least a dozen portable entertainment centers set up, by which I mean an old, blocky, static-y TV …

Cat Show in Bishkek

I first heard about a cat show hosted in Bishkek over a year ago (maybe even two), but news about the event had only ever reached me after it had already happened. Until now. I went to a cat show in Bishkek, and it may have been the best day ever. I had a few …