Back to Bishkek.

Had a lovely last day in Bishkek. Caught the fastest bus I have ever been on so was able to fit in a coffee with my ex colleagues before heading to the opticians where I have finally sort of sorted out my glasses. (I have been having lots of headaches with all these changes of glasses so hope things will settle down a bit now)  I then met up with an American teacher I know and we had lunch outside at our old haunt the Sierra, then I sat in the park with an ice cream and then popped in to see my Kyrgyz friend and her granddaughter. Unfortunately I woke the granddaughter arriving so she was very grizzly and I could only talk with my friend whilst sitting out of sight so I did not stay long, but we talked about some of the serious problems us foreign teachers have had here. The conversation made me wonder if part of the problem has been the way we foreign teachers have raised our concerns, it seems that sometimes we have just been seen as negative, and it has not been understood that we are raising issues to raise the quality and provision at the school, rather than to be a nuisance. So maybe we have to find ways that are more culturally suitable to raise issues so that they can be understood and resolved more effectively. As a result of this conversation I missed the 5 o clock bus and only just got the last seat on the 6pm bus which was good as another 10 people piled in who had to stand. A small group of boys who had obviously been to some kind of competition in Bishkek were amongst this group so me and the woman I was sat next to scouched over a bit so one could sit with us.   When another group of people piled in at Kemin, one of the boys had to sit on my lap, my insistence that he "down started" a whole conversation about who I was, turned out the woman next to me her grandchildren are at my school so knew me and then the boys were trying out their English so despite the packed bus it turned out to be quite fun. It was so hot in Bishkek and on the bus I felt very drained so despite it being after dinner I popped into the restaurant to get some water and to my surprise found my boss there so we had a little chat. So one way or another a very social day. He and I have talked again today and I do think that the Foundation is beginning to work out some systems and strategies that sound good.  Whether I am brave enough to carry on this adventure with them I do not know or whether I am good enough or will be free to I do not know, but at least despite some ongoing problems, feel that for every negative there is a positive there too.