BarCamp Central Asia. Report from the scene

The BarCamp theme on Habré doesn’t rise often, so let me publish here a small note about the BarCamp Central Asia last this weekend in Bishkek. A rather exotic place for an event, and a distant one, so few people from Central and Western Europe got there. I think it will be interesting to read. The article was written by a friend for the blog MIW .







“Local time is 16.05, temperature overboard is +39” - sounds from the speakers. Our plane lands at the airport of Bishkek. Get out of the plane - and dizzy. From the temperature. I have never met such heat in my memory. 4 hours ago in Moscow it was raining, and it was +17.

')

We quickly got used to the heat, we are going to Bishkek. Take a taxi. We are told - 500 soms. We translate into dollars and stand in shock. For that kind of money we can drive 2 bus stops. Therefore, we find out that the local transfer fee for the Airport – Bishkek transfer is 400 soms, and the driver has no choice but to agree to 4 hundred.







Entering the city. It's scary to go. As the driver said, they drive here not by the rules, but by directions. Break through!



Most foreign participants live in the hotel Semetey.







Hotel of the local Ministry of Defense. I would say that $ 50 for a double room is a good place, but for 3 days the room was never removed, and, what is most disgusting, on the balcony someone from the previous guests went to the toilet. Nobody was going to clean it up.



We go further. Bar number 1. Opening Party. Thanks to the sponsor of the Live Beer party for providing 200 liters. It was tasty, but not enough.







Grandfather Lenin met the guests at the entrance to the open-air bar. Kyrgyzstan still cannot part with the Soviet past.







At this party, almost all participants of the upcoming event gathered - free beer. Informal communication, dating, contests from the general sponsor of Opera Software - the evening was definitely a success.







The opening ceremony itself was held in the same informal style. The organizers Bektur and Kristina said a few words, thanked the sponsors, and ... further events are beyond description.







Ended the party dancing to the performance of a local group.







BarCamp itself was held at the American University of Central Asia, for which a special thanks to him.







Here the official opening of the event has already passed, where not only the organizers but also sponsors spoke.







Then everything that BarCamp assumes. The schedule is compiled by the participants on the go.







Then the presentations begin. Unexpectedly, few presentations were made by participants this time. One of the audience was empty. In some audiences, the full house did not stop - either the foreign guests would light it up, then the local people would surprise everyone with their presentation.







Actually, the first day consisted exclusively of presentations. We unscrupulously missed the start of the second day, since there was absolutely nothing to do at the Asian Incubator of Innovations. We arrived closer to dinner, visited BridgeCamp. For those who do not know, Bridgecamp is a format in which a question is written on a blackboard with a schedule, and a lecturer writes his name in the same cell if he knows the answer to this question.



After BridgeCamp there was a closing ceremony. Each of the participants was given 3 minutes, but only 8 people spoke. At the end of the ceremony - a general photo.







I see no point in continuing, as further events turned into a huge lump of international friendship, who drank more than one hundred liters of beer. Farewell with tears in his eyes, and the key phrase - see you at the next BarCamp!