November
25, 2008
What’s Missing in My City?
We
take so many things for granted in the States. I don't take anything for
granted over here. What I know we don't have is a phone book. How do people
learn the number of the bank or the bakery? I doubt that 411 exists. And I'm
almost positive there is no 911. As far as I know my city has no fire
department. Maybe there's no need because all the houses are made of cement. I
know we don't have regular electricity. Most days it's off for 12 hours; six in
the afternoon (which makes no sense from a business standpoint, only an
economic one as in cost savings for the country) and six at night
(usually midnight to six; I can live with that). Indoor plumbing is
found only in apartments and some commercial buildings. My school building does
not have it. Early on, volunteers learn where the indoor toilets are and which
ones we are free to use. I used to have that same problem in Manhattan once in
a while, especially before Starbucks. Something else you won't find in my city
is a garbage can, but I won't get into that. Let's just say that street side
landfills are all the rage.
Approximately 30,000 people call Talas home, so
I was able to find everything I needed to live comfortably, even if not
everything I was used to. I have a feeling my expectations fell below those of
my younger peers making my satisfaction level easier to achieve. That said,
living wasn’t always convenient. Obviously, I had access to the Internet but
was at the mercy of the electric company. Often my postings were delayed a day
when the power was out.
Also in the book: If I wanted to eat something besides Kyrgyz food, what were my choices? Why do Kyrgyz people use empty lots to dump their trash and who benefits from it?
