Yurt

Reading People of New York

I absolutely enjoy reading outside, while waiting for a train, on a plane or subway.
Just recently, I finished reading a beloved masterpiece, "Taking the Lead" Lessons from a Life in Motion, by Derek Hough. Such a great book to read. Feeling so motivated!

While reading in public places I see a lot of peole doing the same, so I've decided to photograph random reading people, particularly in New York area (but I want to expand this and photograph in other states/cities/countries where I travel and make one big photoproject).

About a month ago, I saw a work of an amazing photographer, Steve McCurry, called "Reading" (take a look at his work, absolutely wonderful photographs). This is what I want to do with my photoproject.

Obviously, my protographs are not as good as Steve McCurry's but hey, I'm still learning...

Bard College Library, New York

Train Station, New York

Central Park, New York

The Metropolitan Museum, New York

Near Brookyn Bridge

Grand Central Station, New York

Subway, New York

Well, sometimes I fall asleep too! My Palestinian friend, Aya

Bard College Library, New York

"Sleeping people of New York" photoproject (Part I)

First part of "Sleeping people of New York" - one of my four photoprojects in New York city (not complited)
Just random sleeping New Yorkers I saw on the streets, subway, train, beach.

Sleeping: Metro North from Poughkeepsie to New York

Sleeping: Grand Central Station

Sleeping: Poughkeepsie - Grand Central Station 

Sleeping: airplane from Moscow to New York

Sleeping: Brighton Beach

Sleeping: Staten Island Ferry Boat

Sleeping: near Broklyn Bridge

Sleeping: Poughkeepsie train station

Sleeping: New York Subway, train from Brooklyn to Wall Street

First post from Bard College...

First post from Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.
Today is exactly one month since I'm here, at Bard College.

Thank you AUCA for this wonderful opportunity to study at Bard College!

In August 2014 I moved to Annandale-On-Hudson, New York as a PIE (Program in International Education) exchange student for Fall 2014 semester.

This is how it started!! May 2nd early morning

I will continue studying journalism, with a concentration in photo and video production at Bard College.  

It was a great honor for me to be chosen as a PIE student. Since 2011, AUCA and Bard College launched a partnership that allows students from both universities to spend a one term studying abroad.  

11 hours of flight from Almaty to New York

Studying process:

Tough registration process 

Hand-made schedule of classes

Sitting in the library and revising my paper.

All of my books for this semster.

Lost in books

Representing The American Univerisity of Central Asia during study abroad session at Bard College!

Campus Tous:

My first day!

White House

Beautiful Blithewood Garden

Blithewood Garden

New PIE friends from Palestine

The moment of enjoying this beautidul view 

The door to Harry Potter's world

"Toasters" - My home for this semester! 

P.S. I’ll be filming a special video that would be dedicated to everything I’ve experienced here and by the end of the term I’ll post the video for you all to see it. 

AUCA-Bard College 2014

In memory of Alexandros Petersen from AUCA community

WE lost Alexandros Petersen! 1984 - 2014

On January 17 our professor of International and Comparative Politics, Alexandros Petersen died in a terrorist attack in Kabul, Afghanistan!

Add caption

Taken on April 9th, 2013 at AUCA after our interview

The tragedy happened on Friday night in one of the most protected restaurants in Kabul. Suicide bomber detonated his explosives at the gate of the restaurant in the evening allowing two other killers get inside, where they opened the gunfire attack on all the visitors, including Alexandros Petersen.

The restaurant was a very popular place among foreigners, diplomats and aid workers in the Afghan center.

At first after hearing this news, I couldn’t believe that it was true, a professor I saw a few months earlier is dead now, but on Sunday night I got a message from Alex’s friend confirming that “IT IS TRUE”.

Alexandros Petersen had joined the American University of Central Asia in January 2013, a few months later I asked him to give me an interview for the “New Star” newspaper as he and a few others were the newly coming professors (available here) He kindly agreed and we had a very nice conversation. He shared some of his plans about his future book, Chinaincentralasia. During our talk he always tried to joke telling me some funny stories happened to him in Kyrgyzstan. We laughed so hard!

Taken a year ago at AUCA. Photocredits: The US embassy in Kyrgyzstan

On my last question, on what are his future plans, Alex said, "I will travel around the region doing some researches. I will go back to US for a while and then I will be back"- but he couldn't.

The colleague and a good friend of Alex, Dr. Kate Sampsell-Willmann said,

“There are people in this world who surprise you because they are so gifted, kind, and accomplished are still so very genuine. Alex was one of those. He should have been at Harvard or Oxford, but he was such a mensch, he wanted to be here in Central Asia.  Having known Alex, Professor Petersen, well the comparison that leaps to mind was the catastrophic loss of RFK. The potential good to the world that Alex's presence in it was an unwritten book, but knowing his character and background, this far too young man could have changed paradigms. I told him this on our last meeting, in November 2013.  He scoffed, as a truly humble man would, but I remain resolute in my belief. Alex Petersen would have had a world historical impact. I mean what I say: the human race itself felt a profound loss in this attack. Alex was the best of us, the faculty at AUCA, the international community, and the whole thinking world. I'm devastated.”

Taken by Dr. Kate Sampsell-Willmann in Ala-Archa National Park in Kyrgyzstan

Some of his students also wanted to say about Alex,

Aznaur Dzhukaev, said, 

“Professor Alexandros Petersen was a great person, professor, and a friend. He worked in AUCA and I was one of those lucky people who got a chance to know him personally. We will all miss him. We will never forget all good things that he did for us. RIP. Professor Aleksandros Petersen.”

Azat Baatyrov, said 

“I met Alex Petersen last year, for 6 months he had been teaching FYS course. Personally, I had some difficulties in writing as it is one of the challenging courses for first year students in AUCA. Being honest he was very kind and so responsive. Last year I wrote lots of reflection and motivation letters, beyond FYS essays while I was applying to some academic programs. Those times, he helped me a lot, by teaching and checking my final version of papers. Generally saying, he taught me a lot apart from essays, as I was visiting his office regularly and we could talk about different things. I am very sorry about his death and wish his family patience.”

Taken by Dr. Kate Sampsell-Willmann in Ala-Archa National Park in Kyrgyzstan

21 young and great lives have been cut tragically by Taliban terrorists!

All of us at AUCA send the sincere condolences to Alex’s family in the US and his friends!

He will be remembered by his friends, students and colleagues of AUCA as the most intelligent, kind, a person with a great sense of humor and the best dressed man!

Rest in Peace Alexandros!

"Tuberculosis in Kyrgyzstan" photoproject

During a week I’ve been conducting with people with an open form of Tuberculosis [TB] in Kyrgyzstan to make the final photoproject for my Photography class at AUCA. Honestly, I was afraid to make this photo project in the beginning. I was afraid of patients’ reaction that I’m shooting them because almost all of them were prisoners, drug addicts, alcoholics. But, I was very surprised of how patient and kind they all were to me and to my camera.

Most of them have no relatives, no friends, no identification documents.

I would like to show you how people with TB infection live in Kyrgyzstan.

"Tuberculosis in Kyrgyzstan"

Nurse is holding sodium of chloride 

                                 Being TB infected is…everyday injections:

                               A random Kyrgyz guy on his regular procedure of taking injections

                                          Being TB infected is taking lots of pills

A  hand of a patient. Patients with an open form of Tuberculosis are taking 4 pills two times per day.

                                            Being TB infected is losing weight:

                                     Just a random patient is taking an X-ray; he became a TB infected in prison, 7 years ago.

                                          

                                Being TB infected is becoming a skeleton:

                                                    A doctor is looking at X-ray photo.

This is Gulmira, 35, homeless. She left with no relatives, no friends. TB/HIV [ВИЧ] infected. The only her visitors are nurses.

                                  Being TB infected is having only a hope:

 Victor, 42, two month at the hospital, one more left. 

A man who didn’t want to introduce himself and I didn’t ask. He is getting worse every day.

Woman Victoria, 43, homeless, TB /HIV infected. An alcoholic.

Being TB infected is not being able to move:

Aidar, 39, has an-open form of TB. He barely can move. He has been infected for two years ago. Drugs are not helping anymore.

Being TB infected is having many limitations in your life:

 Oleg, 27. Drug addicted, has an-open form of TB. He was thinking of his future life. And, he has a huge hope to get better soon.

1      Tursunaly, 55, got TB infected after prison, drug addicted. He has relatives but they do not visit him often.

Being TB infected is being attached in a hospital:

1 Yuriy, 31, homeless, drug addicted since 2010. He has no relatives, no friends, and no documents. His home is a hospital.

Being TB infected is coughing constantly:

 

Vitaliy, 45, homeless, an alcoholic. Infected since 2008. He cannot move after the car crush. No family, no documents. He has no a piece of bone of his head after the car crush.

Being TB infected is living between life and death:

   A patient, 35, TB/HIV infected. He had a high temperature for almost 4 days. Drugs are not helping. Nurse is checking him on the sign of life.

Also, this photoproject is available on Prezi.com: http://prezi.com/fwqkwiqvioob/zhypar-chotonova/

P.S. I will have a photo exibition at AUCA (main hall, "Bravo" cafeteria) in March - on the World Day of Tuberculosis.

All rights reserved 

Zhypar Chotonova ©