kyrgyzstan, and yet several things have changed. the most significant and striking is the people: the friends and “family” who have grown up so much, matured. of course, some are pretty much the same on the inside, like AK. others, like Mack, have changed drastically.
prices have increased in inflation; as of may 1, 2012, mashrutkas now are at 10 som and buses at 8 som. a new park is built near ortesai (or osh bazaar). there is a monument at the square for the april 7, 2010 revolution. the constitution building is still a wreck from the rev and is covered with flowing posters.
hope has grown in size, sophistication, technology. there are lockers, more rooms (i.e. russian room, lab room with fish tank/frog tank/hedgehog tank/snake tank/swamp gear, etc.), small computers, wireless internet connection, etc. it’s the 3rd yr of having seniors (my class was the 1st, with 4 graduating).
politically, they say though there’s been a revolution and fairer & freer elections, it’s still primarily the same. but Mother’s Day has been officially added to the Constitution, and the date was set for sun last wk. there are also laws and regulations against bride stealing (a common practice esp in the villages and outskirts of cities throughout kyrgyzstan). roundtable talks of religious freedom are ongoing. perhaps change will come, slowly but surely. rosa otunbayeva (interim pres after rev) was up for good changes esp politically, but the new pres seems iffy. still, they say the interior is essentially the same.
overall, it does feel and seem almost as if we’d never left. of course, however, since time has passed, there are certain nuances and things that have changed (some ppl are gone, some are new; ppl change; things and times change; environments change; general gradual improvement & modernization; etc.) maybe thats part of the feeling one gets when one is home?
