#149: Bookshelf

Thanks to a very good friend, I got hold of Lee Kwan Yew's The Singapore Story. Although I am not even half way through the book, Lee Kwan Yew's economic and political policies in making Singapore South-East Asia's financial center is very similar to Nursultan Nazarbaev's policies of making Kazakhstan a first-world country by 2030. Policy similarities, especially the rhetoric of putting economic developing and stability as priority and arguing for the Asiatic way in democracy building, are striking.

Also, while looking through The Economist's list of books of the year 2007, I came across Swedish economist Anders Aslund's new book titled How Capitalism Was Built: The Transformation of Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia. He was the adviser to Kyrgyzstan's first President Askar Akaev, who fled the country following the March 2005 events. It would be very interesting to read what he has to say about Central Asia. In an article to MSNBC in October 2006, he said: "One can say that half a billion to $1 billion was probably what the [Akaevs] family amassed."

#107: Lee Kwan Yew

Does anyone have any of the memoirs of Lee Kwan Yew that I can borrow? Or, does anyone know where I can download them? Or, does anyone know someone in Bishkek who has them?

I found Russians version of one of his books (From Third World to First: The Singapore Story), but I want to read them in English.

#94: Headache

Headache. I've been having this recurring headache, an unusual headache with increasing pain in the back of my head. I took half of the day off yesterday and went home to get some sleep. The source of the headache might be stress and as I tried to explain BP yesterday the feeling of uncertainty of the path we have chosen, sort of feeling being lost in time and space (routine?)

Finished Murakami's Kafka On The Shore. The hero of the book, a 15-year-old boy with identity problems of a typical adolescent, runs away from home, which becomes the rite of passage into adulthood. Simultaneously, a "not-so-bright" 50-something obliviously follows Kafka on his mission to "make the things as they should be." They never meet, though they fulfill their missions.

"Time weighs down on you like an old, ambiguous dream. You keep on moving, trying to slip through it. But even if you go to the ends of the earth, you won't be able to escape it. Still, you have to go there - to the edge of the world. There's something you can't do unless you get there"

Update on weddings: here is a picture of K carrying M at the wedding in Osh.

M&E's actual wedding is this Saturday. Should have pictures from there.

#71: Nelson Mandela

Yesterday South Africa's ex-president Nelson Mandela turned 89. About a year ago I read his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, which I recommend everyone to read. An excellent book depicting the difficulties faced by the anti-apartheid movement, which was led by Nelson Mandela and his colleagues. Having spend 27 years in prison and leading the charge against an oppressive and racist regime, he continues to inspire many people and drive change in many areas. He is a person of immense internal strength and integrity.
Photo courtesy of The Guardian.