Photos from Around Town

I could comment on these images. But for the most part I’d like to believe they can speak for themselves. However if context is needed please do direct all questions to the comment box so I can address them later. 

I'd like to buy a product you say doesn't exist...

I'd like to buy a product you say doesn't exist... This feeling is rather familiar for any tech geek who's recently been to Fry's or a market in Bishkek. The salesperson will try to simultaneously try to sell you something else while informing you - no no this product doesn't exist. If you keep insisting they will reluctantly agree - yes in fact it does, but I don't have it. If you keep talking, somehow it magically comes to be and you end up buying exactly what you wanted. It works everytime. At Fry's it usually means it is one aisle over. In Bishkek one display case to the side. Occasionally they will in fact not have the product you want, but one stall over the competing vendor will.

Once you've found the product which 30 seconds ago did not exist, you will be offered a price. Resist the urge to convert the price into dollars and quickly accept! Whatever the price is - waiting for a few seconds, shaking your head for a moment and then paying will lead to saving roughly 10%. And even then you're not getting the local price. This was made evident when one of the girls in the office mentioned buying a USB cable for 100 com (a little over $2) and then the next day having the vendor say the true cost was only 50 com. Today when we went to buy identical cables we knew to start with 50 com, and of course only paid 40 com. (For those of you trying to convert to western prices $1 = roughly 46 com)

Sadly the act of bartering the price down doesn't work as well at Fry's as it does in Bishkek - but the service and the denial of the existence of the product you want to buy is a common trait it seems. And like geeks everywhere, I thankfully know this and am persistent enough to walk away with the cables I need.

A Visit to the Market

Today I got a chance to see where the Kyrgyz do some of their shopping as we went to the market place. A few things I was surprised to see...  The US Army gear... our tax dollars hard at work, being resold by Kyrgyz merchants. Hearing Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Jay-Z in various stalls. Our pop music is everywhere! And the number of Kyrgyz men who upon seeing me with my camera would say the only English they knew, "I LOVE YOU!" Oh dear. They should be prepared to be heartbroken if all it takes is a tourist to attract their attention! 

In my touristy-ness I also broke gender norms by purchasing a hat that is traditionally worn by me, for myself. It was much cooler than what I think of the women's scarves and headpieces so yeah- doing what I do and buying what I liked = gender bending out here. Also bought a canvas backpack for about $7 which I can use when I'm not carrying my computer as my other backpack is electronics central. Together the hat, a postcard and a backpack cost about $9. Very cheap. 

One lady upon seeing me with my camera became very animated and I thought she was angry at me for taking a photo of her stall - and I prepared myself for the worst (being asked to delete the photo) but as Aigul translated, it turns out she was excited that I was taking an interest and she wanted to know where I was from and what I was doing in Bishkek. Then she asked that I take a proper photo of her, which I did. And I quite like it I must say - but I'm not going to post it now as the internet is on the company MacBook and the photos are on my Acer which currently has a dead battery and needs to be charged. But look forward to future posts with photos from the bustling market place.