tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41952520213662626822012-02-13T09:38:03.456+06:00This blog catalogs experiences in Kyrgyzstan while I study the Kyrgyz language and the bazaar.Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.comBlogger931100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-66082251711688861972010-04-08T02:06:00.023+06:002010-04-24T03:00:53.527+06:00

ADDED:4/23 very good look at the US-fuel deals in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100510/rostonthanks brett!4/14 RFE/RL has some good articles today:Medvedev warns of civil war possibility in KGhttp://www.rferl.org/content/Russian_President_Warns_Of_Kyrgyz_Civil_War_Urges_START_Ratification/2011832.htmlUS and Russia offer to assist interim gov:http://www.rferl.org/

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-16226437349696675432009-02-06T11:27:00.002+06:002009-02-06T11:39:02.389+06:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/world/europe/05kyrgyz.html?_r=1&hpKyrgyzstan Says Its Closing the BaseAt its heart, its a Russian geo-political power grab. I believe that Kyrgyzstan originally gave the US the base for next to nothing, they were not so keen on Russia which was weak and not generous during Yeltsin years. But there was no real payoff for the Kyrgyz and Russia got some muscle 

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-14735035756047688272008-12-08T11:14:00.000+06:002008-12-08T11:15:13.160+06:00

My landlord is a bad landlord. He is not mean but he is, in my estimation, irresponsible. So I don't like him, because he is my landlord.   He is 20 years old. Obviously, he didn't purchase the flat himself but the parental powers that be decided that he should run it himself. After he reduced the price from $US 300/mo to 250/mo on the condition that I pay for 3 months at once, I paid in cash.

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-3052831147318709892008-12-08T11:08:00.000+06:002008-12-08T11:14:38.967+06:00

For the last month or so, I have been focusing on a few things and neglecting the writing and research as a result. The projects are necessary but not much to talk about. First, I've been studying Kyrgyz pretty extensively. That is going pretty well except that I don't get to reinforce it on a daily basis as much as I should because my work has been in English. I've been working on a little promo

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-73421768771491009832008-11-24T22:07:00.003+06:002008-11-24T22:24:49.432+06:00

Things are well on the whole in Kyrgyzstan. I've been a truant writer because I have been running around trying to get a visa together, as well as attempting to put a promotional movie together for the Alpine Fund. In addition, I have been getting a couple of English classes going. So the last three weeks have been all about getting the kinks out of stuff. In a lot of ways this made life a bit

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-20175793717571584482008-11-07T16:59:00.002+06:002008-11-07T22:01:25.214+06:00

Obama's election was the first time I felt really happy, deeply soulfully happy, about a political contest. No doubt the burden of reality will push elation aside quickly. But a great moment is a great moment and I've been happily savoring this one. The view of the election from Kyrgyzstan is interesting. Most people don't know very much about Obama's biography but are happy that he one. He noted

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-56951738281080712162008-11-01T16:31:00.002+06:002008-11-01T16:33:31.782+06:00

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/10/31/mike-ditka-hits-the-campaign-trail-with-palin/Only one hope left for Obama: a Superbowl Shuffle of the masses at each rally.

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-86768211486886809672008-10-22T12:07:00.003+06:002008-10-22T12:49:51.694+06:00

The Pictures are not working. Here are a few.The invitations were sent last week, but everyone had known the date and location for at least a month already anyway. I ended up included in the select group of about 20 close friends and family that would accompany the bride and groom all day. For us, the day started at 9am at the apartment of the couple. There were about 6 guys at the apartment

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-77042885603411910192008-10-16T19:49:00.002+06:002008-10-16T20:41:43.305+06:00

The view of the Caravanserai and the mountain opposite it. Tash Rabat after a snowfall.More pictures here.There are some 4-5 posts in a row I just put up. I brought the laptop this time as I was in a town. The mountains between Kyrgyzstan and China where Tash-Rabat sits are tall. The start from a high elevation and get taller and bigger. It was clear that this place is a shade apart from the

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-83043735417053020122008-10-16T19:27:00.004+06:002008-10-16T19:37:41.580+06:00

There are no Ponies at this Animal BazaarThe town of At-Bashy (meaning horse head or horse person), like so many towns in Kyrgyzstan, is situated at the base of a broad mountain valley. It lies on the road north from Kashgar to Naryn and on to Bishkek. As a result, it receives a great deal of Chinese truck traffic hauling goods to bazaars and warehouses in Bishkek. The traffic seems to have a

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-19497790117251534352008-10-16T19:22:00.000+06:002008-10-16T19:24:13.169+06:00

Recently, Kyrgyzstan hosted the meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) heads of state. The CIS is composed of all of the former Soviet Republics, except for Georgia, which withdrew after the election of Sakashvili (sp?). I happened to be looking for my visa support company near the center of Bishkek the day of the arrival of the various heads of state. In the center of Bishkek is

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-89730713267392771802008-10-16T18:59:00.002+06:002008-10-16T19:22:41.870+06:00

The storm approaches.My last full day at Song Kul was Eid, the last day of Ramadan. Eid is celebrated in Kyrgyzstan by going from house to house as a guest among your neighbors, friends and family. At each house you are served a meal of a single dish with tea ad bread. Everyone takes a turn at hosting. It’s all so simple now and it was all so confusing at the time. I did not quite get the whole

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-65370644982930244062008-10-08T15:38:00.001+06:002008-10-08T15:39:53.518+06:00

As is often case in well-organized well-intended efforts at liberation, the Soviet campaign to free women from the bonds of tradition resulted in the freedom as well as the responsibility to earn a wage while maintaining the home. Feminism is a dirty word in Russia as well as in many of the Russified areas of Central Asia.In more rural areas, gender practices have maintained stability. Men go out

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-8879877449632933192008-10-07T15:10:00.002+06:002008-10-07T15:13:38.724+06:00

A couple of people emailed me to make sure that I was no where near the earthquake.I am fine, the quake was about as far away as it could be while still occur.The NYTs describes Kyrgyzstan: "Kyrgyzstan is a destitute, landlocked mountainous nation of around five million people."Nice.

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-52179366908775366202008-10-05T14:40:00.003+06:002008-10-05T14:45:05.756+06:00

Day 1, Lamb 1.Hospitality in Central Asia is served in legendary proportions. There are a number of wonderful cultural rituals and cues that I was honored to participate in during my time in Song Kul. Probably the most obvious difference, and one which is well known to those who study or frequent the region, is attention to seating arrangement. Traditionally, a meal or tea is taken around a

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-6751175568912954362008-10-05T14:26:00.003+06:002008-10-05T14:46:19.423+06:00

Boz-Uii on Song Kul at SunsetKyrgyzstan’s climate is similar to that of the Northern Mid-West. The summers are long and warm, sometimes hot but rarely unbearable. Spring and fall are dramatic seasons of change and pass fairly quickly. Winter is long and cold. Conditions occasionally attain severity of Arctic proportions. Winter usually arrives in October and settles in during November. I had

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-26676756346024757882008-10-03T16:20:00.001+06:002008-10-03T16:27:17.653+06:00

Koch Kor is a town of a several thousand people located between Bishkek and Narin. Like most cities in this incredibly mountainous country, Koch Kor is nestled in a large valley situated between towering mountain ranges the higher peaks of which reach around 15,000ft. In these mountain valleys the soil is excellent and agriculture and livestock production prospers. Koch Kor is not a major trade

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-2749473639204350652008-09-21T12:42:00.002+06:002008-09-21T12:45:42.705+06:00

There I am, happy as a clam with some tipsy security folk. The dashing young lass on the left and her family came to the bazaar with me. I have done a lot of work on the bazaaristan blog, so check that out. Also A LOT of photos on http://wandersponders.blogspot.com/ with captions too.Things have been great so far and there has been lots to do. I am taking off for the less central areas of the

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-84911762164726914072008-09-17T10:45:00.002+06:002008-09-17T10:56:56.111+06:00

I set up the research oriented blog: bazaaristan.blogspot.com. For now, I think I am going to put those entrees here as well... Until it gets to be a little more robust I don't think it makes sense to seperate the two.I met with the director of CBT and will be staying in the Naryn region from Monday the 22nd of September until the 31st of October. I will have a short time back in Bishkek from the

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-75037614088542812652008-09-15T19:39:00.002+06:002008-09-15T19:52:06.213+06:00

So I had hoped to post an actual entry today, but instead I'll have to make it quick. My computer is broken and so until I get that figured out I am more likely to have little time for online entries... the small amount of editing I do is not so fun to do at internet cafes. I learned something interesting though from the computer breakdown: HP pavillions are illegal to sell in the post-Soviet

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-71787779353860958682008-09-05T19:43:00.002+06:002008-09-05T20:04:28.617+06:00

Minneapolis, MNThis is a post to get myself back in the habit. I finished my first year of graduate studies at the University of Washington in Central Asian International Studies under the aegis of the post-Soviet regional studies school. My area of interest is the bazaar and how that place reflects changes in the political economy an transmits these shifts through cultural icons (like the mosque

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-18554068100332073152007-09-06T06:16:00.000+06:002008-12-10T03:37:02.343+06:00

So I have been very truant. Very very truant.Once I got back, things really started moving on two fronts. First, preparing for the trip to Alaska. Second, making money working construction. Neither seemed to be packed with thought provoking moments worthy of sharing. To sum it up, there are many many little logistical steps that go into arranging a long time far far away from many many little

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-75994318705805621582007-04-11T05:01:00.000+06:002007-04-11T05:27:01.866+06:00

I returned from Bishkek a week ago today. It's been good, great even. The feeling of not being one's self is starting to fade away as I spend evenings with friends and family. I am commited morally and financially to UW next semester for Central Asian Studies. I never realized how much stuff I have until I collected it all in one room for sorting. Gross.So I think right now is very much about

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-53403828481765356562007-03-30T12:21:00.000+06:002007-03-30T13:00:42.378+06:00

Ridiculously, I often hear about big changes in Kyrgyz politics from the AP or the New York Times. I suppose that people are basically just fed up with all the backroom scheming. I'll try to illustrate why.The current super-president is Bakaev, from Osh. Most of the government is run by his buddies. People from the North don't like this. So the North and South tussle about who gets to control the

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-55934916260523782702007-03-21T15:30:00.000+06:002007-03-21T16:08:46.598+06:00

I had to admire my host sisters. The dance club was 4/5 empty. They had imbibed not a drop of alcohol but they set out to dance and dance they did. I wish I could have admired them from afar. Three people, the base-intensive stylings of Mr. Timberlake, and a big old dance floor. If only the fog machine had been more proactive in creating a hazily anonymous ambiance.One of my students had

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-87706886895423065542007-03-18T15:53:00.000+06:002007-03-18T16:32:38.351+06:00

With the spring weather and the prospect of returning home on the horizon, I have been trying to get out of Bishkek.This weekend, the weather looked good and we decided to go climbing. there were six of us. A French couple biking from France to Nepal, Christine (French Alpine Fund volunteer and host to the couple), a British English teacher, Colin (American boyfriend to Christine and Alpine Fund

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-26510993611007609812007-03-16T17:10:00.001+06:002007-03-16T17:15:12.060+06:00

Spring weather feels like it is here to stay now in Kyrgyzstan. Day by day the weather has been warming. Today was t-shirt weather. The change in people’s moods is my favorite part. Everyone get very explicably happy.I received good news on Wednesday. The Ellison School for Russian, Eastern European, and Central Asia Studies (REECAS) at the Jackson School of International Studies (JSIS) at the

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-29491466310195511512007-03-11T18:28:00.000+06:002007-03-11T19:42:56.393+06:00

Karakol means darkhand in Kyrgyz. Lonely Planet postulates that this is because the soil is fertile there and dark there. It is in the northeast corner of Kyrgyzstan.A had a few quintessential solo traveling moments. The first was on the marshrootka out to Karakol. I read most of the way. There is not much else to do on 6 hour rides on bumpy roads. About 2/3 of the way there conversation must

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-24008349922166987182007-03-06T17:14:00.000+06:002007-03-06T17:52:45.927+06:00

Recent reports from Turkmenistan indicate that the new President may be a BIG improvement on the old regime. It is so early that it is untested and it could all just be to generate hype. There are now internet cafes open to the public. The cost at $4/hour is prohibitively high for a country where most people officially make $100/month. I say officially because I noticed that in Kyrgyzstan lying

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-5698033934142225282007-03-05T17:44:00.000+06:002007-03-05T18:02:42.267+06:00

"The Must Do List"The list outlines some of the stuff that gets to me, all in convenient list form. I think America's patriotism-identity is founded on an assumption that we are basically good. History of course shows that that assumption is not always safe (just look into Guatemala or Cuba for starters if you have doubts). But the current tactics by our government are pretty much evil. Remember

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-82327220507979563672007-03-04T10:38:00.000+06:002008-12-10T03:37:02.623+06:00

The Boys and I on Defenders of the Nation Day (Man's Day) I apologize for not writing much about Kyrgyzstan or Central Asia. Being in one place for a few months it sort of blurs together. Corruption sucks, but I will probably end up assisting to it if it means I can get one of my students into tech school and thus set for employment and hope outside of hauling boxes at the bazaar. Teaching

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-33533775052003713232007-02-24T11:29:00.000+06:002007-02-24T11:30:19.165+06:00

Gasp.Gasp at the interval of not writing.Gasp for the opportunity to air it out.Gasp surprised.Gasp with pleasure.Gasp yea, verily.You know when you are really busy for a while. And all the sudden your not and you sort of have to rub your eyes and look around to take in the sudden change in reality mentality. This is like that.As long as I am out of breath, stupefied and astonished, might as well

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-600465517736669232007-02-09T15:48:00.000+06:002007-02-04T19:40:42.528+06:00

Life has a feeling of steady busy-ness and an unspectacular contentment about it for the time being. It is strange to realize that I will be out of Kyrgyzstan in only six short weeks. Right now, things feel very unremarkable. But there may be a couple reasons for that. I am already eagerly wading into planning my mountaineer trip for the summer (destination, unknown but remote; duration, between

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-59699894344779097762007-02-04T19:39:00.000+06:002007-02-04T19:40:44.144+06:00

I picked up “the universe in a single atom” by the Dalai Lama this weekend. Thanks to the Dad and Jane for mailing me books out here! I always get a lot from reading the Lama; his thoughts are nuanced but holistic and profound as well as humble. The book is an attempt to discuss the implications of science for spirituality, critiquing at times, but most often calling for acceptation, adaptation

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-11428456545759771082007-02-02T18:19:00.000+06:002007-02-02T18:53:21.161+06:00

One nice thing about students is that they are generally self-selecting as long as the class is not mandatory and the expectations high enough. As a result I've managed to shed about a quarter of the class at Osh Bazaar. While the benefits for the socially marginalized out state diaspora children may be negligible, the effect on my job satisfaction is good. I may have even managed to scare off a

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-53566184521212116772007-01-27T17:31:00.000+06:002007-01-27T18:41:38.187+06:00

Foreign Policyhttp://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3660This is an article, I found to be really revealing about the relationship between psychology and international policy. It argues that we prefer to interpret evidense that confirms our assumptions, that we expect our plans to work without problems (inflated expectations) and that we abhor certain loss, even if continuing

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-71660737149894019972007-01-22T18:49:00.000+06:002007-01-22T19:55:09.111+06:00

The Alpine Fund will be launched a 'my space' account this week. I am not necessarily pro-my space and the hyper-democratization of information in general but reality bytes these days, eh?Hopefully we'll be able to use it to keep in touch with virtual people. Also, Ulan can learn about fiddlin' with his virtual self by checking out the AF myspace and then maybe making his own. Networking,

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-31699420799110444032007-01-15T20:52:00.000+06:002007-01-15T21:33:27.062+06:00

Last weekend we mounted another noble effort to teach kids how to ski. I already wrote all about it for the Alpine Fund blog. It should be posted by 8a CST, Tuesday.Other than that, I will just lamely say that I am staying plenty busy with studying and teaching. We are taking a local English student up on her offer to teach class. We are going to put most of the current students together in one

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-42521135142880384262007-01-11T14:13:00.000+06:002007-01-11T14:15:10.380+06:00

Today we tried to buy a car. We made headway, the car is now 400 meters from where I write and we are agreed as to price and payment. Documentation is now the hang up. What a hang up. Documentation would not be a hang up except that we wanted it to be legal. I am actually the one that probably made it so. The other parties were oscillating. I thought that we should have every thing be legal on

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-16503564188813943142007-01-06T14:59:00.000+06:002007-01-06T15:00:06.015+06:00

Kyrgyz TelevisionSince moving into my new one-man apartment, I have had so much too much time to learn about television in Kyrgyzstan. Despite the fact that Kyrgyz is lauded by linguists as being the purest of the Turkic tongues, Kyrgyzstan has been less zealous about language purity than other Central Asian nations. On the upside, this means that Kyrgyzstan has maintained some degree of Russian

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-19900552431418823652007-01-01T15:14:00.000+06:002007-01-01T16:23:15.226+06:00

New Years in Bishkek is a pretty big deal. There are costumes, Old Man Winter and a full supporting cast and fireworks. Lots and lots of fireworks. Television showed many a Russian spectacle. Kyrgyz TV rang in the New Year in proper public access fashion. Funding for Kyrgyzstan's television channel must be pretty grim.For the New Year, I moved into a new place. Living by myself has given me more

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-61542964028279883512006-12-28T17:02:00.000+06:002006-12-28T17:08:45.993+06:00

These are pictures from the Petrovka weekend around mid-December.I added the Alpine Fund Blog to the links on the right of the page. I write trip reports there frequently. Mine are the long, windy ones. There are a lot more pictures on that sight.

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-42250357210097845482006-12-28T14:58:00.000+06:002006-12-28T16:16:08.989+06:00

America has lots of money, which we happily give out to smart people with good ideas so that they can make more money for us. The Soviet Union has many secrets and technologies unbeknownst to the West.Sustainability is sure to be a topic of increasing importance. Despite its high profile of late, it is probably only underestimated in terms of the esteem it ought to bear upon the future of

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-31198145765253145532006-12-25T12:58:00.000+06:002006-12-25T13:28:23.234+06:00

The Latest from the NYTsEthiopia has justified involvement in Somalia's civil war along lines that are remarkably similar to the US justification of the war in Iraq. Neoconservative foreign policy promotes the notion that nations are justified in going to war pre-emptively to stave off threats to their own national security. To the casual observer this may not appear to be an extreme position,

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-24270595613726319892006-12-24T17:11:00.000+06:002006-12-24T18:41:15.997+06:00

A great much has happened in the wide world of Central Asian politics. As everybody should know, Turkmenabashi died. Soon we will know the truth, was he evil on the outside with a creamy crazy interior or if his silly hijanks belied a far more sinister state system. I suspect that the answer will be yes. The latest NYT piece is here: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-36265031742719783752006-12-14T19:51:00.000+06:002006-12-14T20:05:50.590+06:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/14/world/africa/14somalia.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=sloginI think the US's problems in Somalia of late nicely illustrate the cycle of botched confrontation that the US has had since the Afghan war. Each conflict tends to bring radicals from disparate regions together where they form "Al-Qaeda" connections and radicalize a new region... where we confront, attract

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-40248228837340607002006-12-14T18:47:00.000+06:002006-12-14T19:18:36.960+06:00

This weekend I will be taking kids from an orphanage I have yet to work with to the dacha. All other volunteers are unavailable or tied up with a pilot project on ski instruction. An expat volunteer (Toby) got a little frustrated with the reality that we tend to just supervise chaos on the slopes, lending a hand or a piece of advice here or there rather than really instructing the kids on how to

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-58827378115332718052006-12-09T16:21:00.000+06:002006-12-09T16:25:26.768+06:00

I met a guy who taught himself English "in his room." Then he worked at the US embassy for a spell. now he goes to the American University. He speaks really well. He called me today and we went for a walk. Apparently, he has relationship troubles. I think this juxtaposes the US University experience pretty remarkably. He had been dating the girl for a month and received no kiss. Last night she

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-26515364445743737842006-12-06T19:49:00.000+06:002006-12-06T20:56:53.977+06:00

Pictures are not working. I will abuse an internet cafe this weekend.I've been struggling with how to approach absolutist worldviews as liberal or relativist in the classical sense. When I say liberal, I do not mean Ted Kennedy. I mean Thomas Paine.Ulan says things that are a little hard to swallow sometimes. Like that Saudi Arabia is his favorite country. When I object he uses relativist jargon

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-43187260824855532772006-12-05T19:10:00.000+06:002006-12-05T19:24:12.452+06:00

Things have taken off at a sprint here for me in Bishkek. Anna and Sean took off via Almaty and I have been puttin' in work to make things flow. The current bigger project is auditing the alpine fund's last month of events. No one asked me to do it, but I think it will reveal some interesting stuff. That said, much of it is a bit arbitrary as I had to estimate the value of what we do based on the

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-30311017502982120042006-11-28T14:27:00.000+06:002006-11-28T14:35:16.649+06:00

One reason this is so delayed is because my flashcard broke. I will be more consistent starting... NOW.Anna and Sean, the two other staple volunteers at the Alpine Fund, hosted thanksgiving at their Kruschev apartment. All of the Alpine Fund office folk and English students were there. All together, there were nine of us.I asked my mother for some good recipes and was blessed to receive a

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-26098114643346528382006-11-20T17:58:00.000+06:002006-11-20T18:21:07.646+06:00

I received mail today. So that was pretty great. Things are going well. Our previously truant students have not missed class in a week and a half. Though he feels guilty that he has not been to mosque as much as he would like, he was reconsiled with himself by the fact that he got to play football. My host sister started teaching a class for computer skills. I saw Geisha and had my perfunctory

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-53460181945436763952006-11-16T17:47:00.000+06:002006-11-16T18:10:07.799+06:00

My writing skills have withered to a sickly stick of their former mediocre adequacy. I spent about ten minutes trying to think of synonyms for "explain" today. I caved and ran to dictionary.com like a whiny little babe. I am glad that I wrote my grad school apps during better days.Despite my whining and the addition of a "Mаниак" (serial killer) to the otherwise humdrum hubbub of Bishkek, I feel

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-17294206527532189632006-11-14T17:20:00.000+06:002006-11-14T17:23:07.470+06:00

This is my blog entry for the Alpine Fund Site. Pictures are in order and forthcoming.I arrived at the Voenna Antonivna children’s home at 9am sharp. No one was outside save a groundskeeper. Our Knowledgeable Director had warned me that getting the kids together can be a chaotic affair. I was unready for this unsteady calm. Quickly after hearing the van enter the grounds however, children began

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-10756044757421416502006-11-10T16:00:00.000+06:002006-11-10T16:12:56.702+06:00

This week has been a roughshod wild ride of linguistic frustration. I am now able to ask about your health and your day in Kyrgyz, however, sometimes. Things in Kyrgyzstan cooled down after they heated up. The President, Akayev, signed the constitution the regional elites wanted. The system will become more parliamentary. I will write more when I learn more. Both sides claimed victory. President

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-82759636420391578562006-11-07T15:55:00.000+06:002006-11-07T16:45:45.419+06:00

Things are moving and shaking in Central Asia as always. Bishkek has hosted an opposition protest for the last week. My host mother has used this for her own ends and has succeeded in worrying about my well-being constantly. The fact that no one knows there is a protest here is a sign that nothing spooky is afoot. When I wanted to go out for the first time on Saturday night she claimed people

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-24676171075474528372006-11-02T16:52:00.000+06:002006-11-02T17:18:29.020+06:00

I apologize for the cyrilic in the titles. Access to crazy keyboards, it turns out is my week spot.My Visa card came early this time! The Fed Ex man was staring confounded at our office door when I sauntered up to him. Smoothly, I yelled "Fed Ex!?!!" With a Russian-English-Russian accent. My financial independence is once again restored by the wonderful odious system of accumulating debt. All

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-21550620688477074912006-10-30T13:05:00.000+06:002006-10-30T13:06:47.888+06:00

Last Friday was the first day of actual getting down to it at the Alpine Fund. Basically, many areas for improvement were revealed by the expected arrival of a volunteer for which the Alpine Fund seemed quite unprepared. This was similar to my arrival. But I will be here for six months. This volunteer will be here for two or three weeks and apparently he thought we would be able to occupy most of

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-7323510350078231832006-10-27T10:59:00.001+06:002006-10-27T10:59:55.646+06:00

October 26th – 25 kulatovWaking following first light, the mountains to the south of the city were large and snow covered. There was a thunderstorm on the 25th. My main achievement for the day was setting up Russian and Kyrgyz classes starting next week. For $360 dollars I will get a month of 6 hr/day instruction five days a week. That is 120 hours of class. I will do 3 hours of Russian and 3 of

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-60768447381839424662006-10-26T11:57:00.000+06:002006-10-26T12:04:56.686+06:00

I put this post in chronological order. The stuff from Sofia is first. WeSorry about the lack of photos. I will get those up... eventually.Silly Stories of Bulgaria-The Guru-An elderly man staying several nights at the hostel in Sofia landed the unfortunate bed directly next to the door to the main living room. 1.5 inches of pine separated his resting head and the voices of our hostel’s night

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-57104771389170787852006-10-19T14:04:00.000+06:002006-10-19T14:08:54.318+06:00

I have been emailing back and forth with a tourism agent who connects tourists with homestays. I want to spend my first month in a homestay. This is much longer than normal. On relatively short notice the agent was struggling to place me with a family as the families normally like to have guests just for a day for a two and work off of a set price list for meals and what not. So she asked her

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-47965366125623014112006-10-19T13:21:00.000+06:002006-10-19T16:16:58.250+06:00

October 16th - Sofia, BulgariaIllicit Political Economy in Bulgaria Brendan Former Afghanistan Expat Goody-do-right Scott, Anja German Student of Bulgarian Social-Realist Literature and I Babbling Idiot went out Friday night. We searched Sofia high and low for the hippin’est and most hoppin’est of venues. Alas, our first selection was piano bar/lounge complete with obligatory pictures of the

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-85700136693488470322006-10-18T16:46:00.000+06:002006-10-18T16:52:32.174+06:00

I have a lengthy post on my computer that i have been unable to post.here is what's on tap:Sofia is a land of gurus.My Long-Held Suspicions that New Jersey Is the Black Hole that Sucks the Life Out of All Things Pure and Good Have Been Confirmed.My fever broke on hour 20 of the Sofia-Prague express.The Koran is not a "page-turner."

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-78205488760305573782006-10-13T00:41:00.001+06:002006-10-14T21:30:30.797+06:00

October 12 – Sofia, Bulgaria. The day I left Ohrid for Bulgaria (the 9th of October) I ate breakfast with some Peace Corps volunteers working in Albania. I cannot say I am too jealous of their country assignment. While the people are very friendly, the language has not appreciable connections to any other language. The population of the entire country is about 3 million, another 4 million

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-24916293410420704372006-10-09T17:03:00.000+06:002006-10-09T17:04:33.520+06:00

“These were not regular demonstrators,” said Abdul Kadir Jibril, one of the Islamist Court officials charged with security in Kismayo. “They have a political agenda to undermine our administration.”The Islamist government may end up providing what the country needs most, stability. This comment is still pretty funny.NYT/reuters article here.

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-48319450066919094162006-10-09T15:19:00.000+06:002006-10-09T15:21:32.169+06:00

What follows is a doosy, (Webster’s dictionary defines Doosy: a days worth of writing). I wouldn’t expect anyone to have time to read it. I put headers in bold. At the end are some more philosophical tangents recent experience obliged me to explore when I couldn’t sleep at night. Putting all of this on the internet often seems a bit self-important. I don’t really know what to take out though as

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-73491139123612665812006-10-07T16:24:00.000+06:002006-10-07T16:25:34.593+06:00

October 4, 2006 - Kotor, Montenegro. (My fourth and final night here!) I stayed on here because I found it to be a nice place to be. The town is a labyrinth of beautiful little gems and surprises. But it is all so crammed that it is quite impossible for me to do it any justice in a photo. It’s is reclusive but rewards respectful curiosity. I hope to have a personality like Kotor when I am old

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-26256759709728654812006-10-04T00:05:00.000+06:002006-10-04T00:24:52.601+06:00

Beograd (Belgrade) has been bombarded by both McDonald's and NATO in recent years. These buildings were across the street from one another. So much for the McDonald's theory of Peace and Development. (A political science threorist whose name escapes me noted that no countries with a McDonald's had ever been at war) .The American Embassy is about 2 blocks down this street (among many other NATO

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-17844505585035055062006-10-02T21:04:00.000+06:002006-10-02T21:06:38.682+06:00

Kotor's walled city is nestled snuggly in an imposing fjord. Above the town, walls wind to an even more-defensible fortress. Montenegro was the only Kingdom in this region to remain unconquerred by the Ottoman Turks.I have posted pictures on many of the previous entries. More are coming.October 2, 2006 - Kotor, Montenegro Montenegro voted to become independent from Serbia only a couple of

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-70018462494754816452006-10-02T21:03:00.000+06:002006-10-02T21:04:40.410+06:00

This is a picture looking down the Latin Bridge, away from the city center. The Arch Duke Ferdinan was killed by a Bosnian-Serb Nationalist, setting in motion the militarization of allied nations that escalated quickly into WWI.September 30 – Dubrovnik, Croatia The last day in Sarajevo passed slowly. My activities included ticket purchasing and a little bit of wandering photography. I have

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-2096701010366014752006-09-27T23:14:00.000+06:002006-09-27T23:22:18.865+06:00

September 27 Downtown SarajevoOvernight bus rides suck. I'll spare you the gripe session. The view makes it worthwhile.Sarajevo is a small city of around 600,000 souls. People of my age know the city only as the stage for the tragic siege of during the war that lasted from 1992-1995. The ravages of this war scarred the facsades of buildings all over town. Huge chunks of concrete were ripped

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-65314840998937064662006-09-25T21:55:00.000+06:002006-09-25T22:46:34.607+06:00

Serbian take pride in their nation's folk traditions. The next generation seems ready to take up the tradition.To follow up on Budapest's woes:The unrest was greatly exaggerated in Western media, as was the issue with the president's comments. His remark was taken out of context. When addressing his party we was reminding them that all of the parties lied last term and to get reelected and that

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-5497809282671088722006-09-21T18:54:00.000+06:002006-09-21T19:43:17.916+06:00

Unity Hostel, Central Pest of Budapest, September 21st - The train ride from Prague to Budapest passed with a whiff of surreality. You know when you feel awake all night long but somehow manage to "wake up" intermittently and with due irritation. Yeah, one of those. In this case the unwelcome interruptions came when the train stopped ("Oh God! Are we here already?!? But I'm not wearing pants!")

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-37396254428022553722006-09-21T17:48:00.000+06:002006-09-21T18:49:22.143+06:00

Cafe with Turkish Coffee Between Castle and Bridge, September 19 - The Castle Was Neat. Of course its not the places I go, but the funny little things I do, people I meet and musings I mull over in between that I end up writing about. I don't think I could write a decent paragraph about Prague castle. I'll just say this, it's pristine and well worth seeing. Being a tourist for me is all about

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-78035425242883519882006-09-20T21:53:00.000+06:002006-09-20T21:56:25.570+06:00

This is just a quick heads up. I got into Hungary this morning, after the demonstrations. I'll be careful as a clam. If you have no idea what I am talking about, click here. I really need to get pictures up... and I will.

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-42206250937144627092006-09-19T16:23:00.000+06:002006-09-19T16:55:36.749+06:00

I forgot to put my predeparture post online, it's two posts down from this one. Czech it out. Sorry.Newtown Prague - Newtown Prague was founded in 1326 about 100 meters from Old Town Prague. Old Town Prague was founded a hundred years or so earlier. There is just so much history in Europe, you know? yes.I am going to get trapped tourist style in Prague Castle today. There the Second

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-32265741926856621142006-09-16T14:33:00.000+06:002006-09-16T15:22:54.978+06:00

Old Town Prague - I made it to Prague in spite of myself. I've had a few little mix ups since I left for the Czech Republic the best of which was booking my ticket from Minneapolis to JFK instead of Newark (I mean, come on, it's all New England or New York or whatever up there on the East Coast). My plane landed about an hour and a half or so behind schedule. I had 2 hours to get onto my flight

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-72287426276759028812006-09-14T20:25:00.000+06:002006-09-14T20:43:45.948+06:00

So I forgot to post this before I left... sorry. I'm about to leave for the points East. I'll fly into Prague by this time tomorrow morning. From there I intend to wander East and South, through Hungary, Slovakia Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and back to the Czech Republic. That is the outline. I have no plans set in stone though so it will likely turn out quite

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-48015069283246471722006-09-06T09:19:00.000+06:002006-09-06T09:23:55.209+06:00

When I think about voting, I am sad and a little mad. So here goes. Our current political system stifles the incentives for innovative and asymmetrical problem solving that are critical for good government. The whole world communicates and collaborates as never before. Individuals inspire, create and innovate as a part of their daily routine on the web. Yet our politics are more polarized than

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-8772042280079670422006-09-05T01:38:00.000+06:002006-09-05T01:45:00.237+06:00

``... My message to the world is this: just treat us as we treat you." -George W. BushIn all fairness this is remark was made regarding trade. On the other hand we may be more hypocritical in this area than most.

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-55224525957351174202006-09-05T00:28:00.000+06:002006-09-05T01:37:59.750+06:00

Wilderness provides critical perspective for people to see their lives more clearly. Hiking, Climbing, Canoeing or Backpacking relieves us of the expectations, errands and routines of the cities. Expectations become fuller relationships. Errands are replaced with actions that directly affect your physical needs. Routine fades to rhythm. The absence of the people, places and things of home allows

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-71045828349207755522006-09-03T10:28:00.000+06:002006-09-03T11:16:51.131+06:00

The past few days have been full. Working roofing during the day and seeing friends at night. I know that I won't get to see anyone for a long time soon, so it is hard to justify missing any opportunity to spend time with close friends while I still can. It would be untruthful to say that I have been "busy." Evenings at Twins games, cooking pizza and catching up are hardly stressful activities.

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-87632539541823140042006-08-31T10:40:00.000+06:002006-08-31T10:58:20.379+06:00

Census statistics put the average house hold income in the US at 46-odd thousand dollars. Much of the resentment towards the US focuses on our wealth. It is right to question such a concentration of resources. What is the purpose of accruing so much?I do not think that it is inherently wrong to be wealthy (by American or world standards) but it does deserve reflection and examination. Too often

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-42469450278484740672006-08-31T10:38:00.000+06:002006-08-31T10:39:42.837+06:00

Comparisons between Islamism and other rejected ideologies of the past century are in vogue right now, but perhaps not for the right reasons. Only through introspection and reform did the West confront Communism and Fascism without glaring hypocrisy and Islamism originated in the late imperial period of the latter 19th and early 20th century like the two previous powerful anti-hegemonic (a

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-55741463072531966612006-08-28T23:46:00.000+06:002006-08-29T00:07:28.054+06:00

There is a poetic justice in the challenge that rising economies pose to the West. Countries formerly conquered, colonized and/or dominated by Western powers have transformed humiliation into motivation. In some ways this transformation is a direct result of colonization. Colonization, incidentally or maliciously, was at a fundamental level an exercise in extracting wealth and suppressing the

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-49353566822313596182006-08-28T09:56:00.000+06:002006-08-28T11:17:03.158+06:00

She'll have the skills to pay your billsThe big "oh yeah" realization that seems to be going around these days is the decentralization of information. Any one with a laptop can do what I am doing now, upload information for others to soak up. It will be far easier to fill your mind than fill your pocket book in the future. (Unfortunately it will likely continue becoming easier than ever to empty

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-30669447071135745192006-08-27T03:39:00.000+06:002006-08-27T03:45:47.766+06:00

August 6th - Sadly now, the shadow of the end of the trip has grown tall on the group. We do not constantly talk about it but it feels like time to wrap things up. I am very glad the mountains here are spectacular or it would be hard for us to stay in any way grounded in the present. Though its mostly a mental thing, the reality that we can't eat as much as we want now but soon we will be able

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-56483587396000537212006-08-27T03:32:00.000+06:002006-08-27T03:39:35.811+06:00

Brief note, the sunrise pictured is of Fenske Lake (Minnesota), not Montana Froze-to-Death Peak, MT - Woke up and spied a sunrise today. I have seen a good number of sunrises and yet the beauty and magnificence of each moment (as well as the profundity of the event) will never cease to fill me with awe and wonder. We worked hard to get up here and now we can see as far across the plains to the

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Last night mountains goats continued to trip over our tent guide lines. The resulting shudder, stumble and bleat were not sleep-inducing. To those goats who stole my rest I offer this, (read yelling and in a French accent) "Hey goat! Hey! I've got something to say to you! Your father fucked a goat and your mother got fucked by a goat! Think about that tonight."Mountain goats really like salt.

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-79279942847868390332006-08-24T20:19:00.000+06:002006-08-24T22:00:11.268+06:00

At dinner tonight I threw the big question out there: what brings you back? Despite the fact that I had given the guys notice since day 1 that this question would be coming, I had trouble articulating it in a new way. So I made everyone speak first so I could steal their idea and disguise paraphrase for original authorship. Many of the guys said that on trail they felt free to be themselves,

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Okay, I promise that not all of the blog entries are going to be these lackluster attempts at discovering the meaning of life but I want to catch up to the present so I am going to continue with old journal entries.As we came over the Beartooth Pass before the wreck I began to notice that an absurd number of decisions in my life have been based on my ability to access mountains. First off, I

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-896957271413234842006-08-22T10:08:00.000+06:002006-08-22T11:35:46.607+06:00

The most vivid image of a place that I possess is that of the Beartooth highway five years ago. I loved camping. I loved the intimacy of the experience, the silliness above all else. But I fell in love with mountains on July 16th of 2001, the final day of the road trip. Montana highway 212, also known as the Beartooth highway, runs along the Montana-Wyoming border just north of Yellowstone

Anders Conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06400297615351917984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195252021366262682.post-45503100719669707022006-08-20T22:17:00.000+06:002006-08-20T22:32:29.948+06:00

The Northern Grounds Cafe - Ely, MinnesotaDespite the fact that I have managed to fill a 144 page journal with thoughts mundane, reckless and profound, I have no idea what to write here now. A good place to start is always with events: I graduated college last May. Though I didn't have a career plan or any means of making an honest living lined up, I was not concerned because I had a trip to lead

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