The Bishkek Diaries

In the final episode of The Bishkek Diaries, we explore themes of transition in a liminal co-living community where friends come and go.

We think of life as a spiral, as opposed to a straight line. 

An adventure with a saucepan in a taxi opens a conversation about trust: trusting that all the puzzle pieces are there for you to find.

I lose my friend’s beloved cat and find myself in a series of meandering situations and conversations on the streets of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, circling around the theme of trust.

Pitching a tent in a “Spiritual Zone” reveals something deeper about borders and the politics of place.

We attend a contested soccer match between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in Bishkek, with their border conflict looming in the background.

Mansoora, from Afghanistan, grapples with the impossibility of emigrating to the USA with her beloved cat.

I attempt to make a casual weekend trip to Almaty, Kazakhstan, with my South African passport.

A dystopian novel by Chingiz Aitmatov is curiously signed years into the future by his son. A mysterious giant egg becomes a metaphor for future, surprise, and fairy tales. Meanwhile, "Sarry-Chelek" evokes unknown adventures that unfold precisely because "the pass is closed."

Kyrgyz voices explore the topic of Russian colonization and how it manifests through perceptions of the Kyrgyz and Russian language in the capital.

I explore the experiences of Afghan students who have not been able to return home since the Taliban recaptured Afghanistan in 2021. Will Bishkek feel like home?

Join me on a journey from Cape Town, South Africa, to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, as we explore the surprising and symbolic meaning of seatbelts from the backseat of a Yandex taxi in Bishkek.