On Earthquakes and Meetings(demonstrations) 5 days late

Well the rumor on the street is that there was an earthquake in Bishkek...4 points on the Riechter scale. Unfortunately I didn't feel it...I was either running around madly trying to get to class on time (creating my on earthquake) or on a marshrutka on my way to class (and who can feel anything on a marshrtka) Everyone tells me a different time for when it actually hit, so I don't know exactly why I didn't feel it:-) Oh well!

And yes the anticipated meetings did end up happening, just in Kyrgyz time, 5 days after the scheduled event. But fotunately they were peaceful and there were probably only about 40 people injured in the crowds and roit police kept everything in order. Once again I didn't actually see anything, cause I live far away from the center, and so I thought it was just quiet. But then my friends started talking about how there were thousands of people etc....so I turned the television on to see an almost riot happening right outside of the university where I study Kyrgyz. That was a little shocking! But by the next day it was all cleaned up and I had class, but it was still weird to come out of class and see the riot police exercising outside the building! The good thing is that the president worked with the opposition leader and they came to what seems to be a good compromise, and everyone is happy? So hopefully the out come of this meeting will be good and there won't be a need for meetings anymore!

So for all the unpeacefulness and unsettledness of Bishkek at the moment, I haven't felt any of it or seen any of it!! I think I'm glad I moved to the outskirts of town:-)