#52: Graduate School?

As this is the fourth year since I graduated AUCA, I am feeling that I need to go back to school to learn more to be able to do more. However, the more I am thinkg about it, the more I am faced with one challenge: What do I want to study in a grad school? I have a BA in Political Science/International Relations and four years of experience in media issues/PR in international organizations in Bishkek.

Do I want to continue the same path (IR/Pol.Sci) or study something new? The reasoning behind studying "something new" is that I want to come back to Kyrgyzstan and Kyrgyzstan needs people with specific technical skills (management, finance, investment, marketing, etc.) to be able to development.

Another option was to go to China for a language course for a year, but at the same time to get a chance to look into "inner me" and find what I really want to do. However, this question has to do with what I want to do in the future, 10 or 15 years from now.

#51: Another Wall?

The U.S. government wants to build a wall in Baghdad separating Shia and Sunni neighborhoods. In a world that has survived the Berlin Wall, a symbol of artificial division, countries and world leaders should oppose such barriers. The Israeli government is errecting a "security barrier" around the West Bank perpetuating the occupation of certain territories. The wall in Baghdad will just deepen and exhibit the Shia-Sunni division and reinforce the image of Americans as occupiers, which will delay resolution of the conflict in Iraq.

#50: Kyrgyz Politics

I don't want the Kyrgyz President, Kurmanbek Bakiev, to be removed until 2010, but I also don't want him to persecute his political opponents - he made a lot of promises after the March events that he has not fulfilled.

After what it seemed to the authorities as a victory on April 19, Kyrgyz State Committee for National Security (former KGB) is now arresting and interrogating opposition leaders who don't have the state immunity, that is those not in the parliament. Just like ex-president Akaev, Bakiev decided to do an unthoughtful thing - confiscate opposition newspapers.

Bakiev, work! Don't arrest!

This picture belongs to morrire and shows today's Bishkek clear off all the opposition yurts and tents.

P.S. The only good thing that will come out of all these events is that both the government lead by Kurmanbek Bakiev and the opposition led by Feliks Kulov will discredit themselves in the eyes of the population, necessitating emergence of younger and newer faces in the government.

#49: Does Kyrgyzstan Pose Threat to U.S. Security?

Watch the movie till the end...

#48: Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine

Azattyk Radio (RFE/RL Kyrgyz Service) features two headline stories on its website. Differences in Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine are striking, at least in the number of demonstrators - maximum 15 000 people in Bishkek and 700 000 people in Kiev.

#47: Jokes about Kyrgyz People

Today the Kyrgyz opposition started a big demonstration against President Bakiev. You can read about them various sources, just click on the links in my blogroll. However, this week I received one joke from 10 different people. It describes well Kyrgyz people's current state of being:

Авиалайнер падает в океан. Выжили только трое - француз, русский и кыргыз, и попадают они на "необитаемый остров", где живет более 20 лет Робинзон Крузо. Он всех вытащил из воды и когда те пришли в себя говорит. "Короче, ребята, у меня нет никаких желаний кормить, ухаживать и прочее, я вам даю все инструменты, необходимые для строительства дома и т.д." и выделил им всем одинаковые земельные участки. проходит определенное время, и Крузо становится интересно, как они там поживают, чем дышат и решил навестить их. Идет значит и видит француза, тот построил красивый особняк, виноградную плантацию развел, разные копченности сделал, вино и т.д. дальше идет, видит, избушка, картофельное поле, разные соления и русский там че то мутит. дальше пошел, к кыргызу. идет значит, на его участке абсолютно ничего нет, никаких построений и на берегу, какая то толпа недовольная, кричат, орут, скандируют и т.д... Тот такой не понял, подходит и видит, по центру стоит КЫРГЫЗ а вокруг него попуасы, и наш орет - КРУЗО КЕТСИН! КРУЗО КЕТСИН......

However, my #1 joke of all times about Kyrgyz is this:

В магазине продают 3 мозга - японский, французский и кыргызский. Приходит клиент и спрашивает у продавца почему японский мозг самый дешевый - всего 500 баксов, а французский - 1000 баксов, а кыргызский - самый дорогой и стоит 2000 баксов. Продавец отвечает: "Ну, ведь, масловый, никогда не использованный".

#46: Raduga Bungalow

Here is a promo ad for the Raduga Bungalow. I am really looking forward to summer.

#45: Code of Conduct for Blogger?

The Guardian came out with an article, about how two bloggers - "Tim O'Reilly, inventor of the phrase Web 2.0 to describe the next generation of interactive communications, and Jimmy Wales, founder of the communal encyclopaedia Wikipedia" - tried to introduce a code of conduct in the blogosphere.

I am against this mainly because blogs were created as a revolt against mainstream media (which is already trying to make it into the blogosphere). Blogs is an alternative forum, where participants can be sure they will not be persecuted for what they write, therefore anonymity, against which the new code is speaking, is a very important feature of blogs.