My impression of the place (from the videos and pictures I was sent) was that it was a well-kept, nice bench in a nice park. However, I think from this story, it goes to show that sometimes our favorite places aren’t really our favorites because of the place itself but because of the memories created there. All sorts of public places are claimed by the people who use them, but part of the joy of them is that they belong to everyone. The narrator of this story called the bench “his”, but that bench has probably been sat on by hundreds of people. The bench served him well, but it will not miss him when he’s gone, and it will continue to be a bench for hundreds more people.
Benches are also an interesting piece of furniture because they are often, in parks like this, turned outward so you can watch all of the people passing by. In that way, they are both a part of the environment but also removed from the hustle and bustle of the walkway. Benches are a place to rest, to catch your breath, and, evidently from this story, to hang out. A bench in a park is a perfect place to go when there is nowhere else to go because as mentioned before it belongs to everyone.
Kiri: Places are temporary and ever-changing, which can be seen when Alex tried to go visit the coffee house “4A” only to learn that it had been closed for 11 years. In its place, there was another coffee shop. This coffee shop may get replaced with another in a few years, and the cycle continues. The narrator of this story comes into coffee house “4A” every day for a year waiting to see if his ex-girlfriend will show up, and as readers, we think that she does, but it turns out that it was just his imagination of a conversation they could have if she did show up. Coffee houses are a space where anyone could walk through the door at any moment just wanting to get a cup of coffee.
Alex: Despite the original coffee house having closed a decade prior, I could still imagine the scene. The store is located on the corner of Arbat street. It’s tucked away in a manner that it is easily dominated by the stores around it. Only if you are looking for it will you find it. Sitting in the store and looking outward feels like watching the world through a security camera: you feel invisible. By removing themselves from the experience, it’s easy to imagine how the author may have spent their time there making up stories for the passersby.
Some places in the city seem to never stop moving. One of these places is the intersection of Abay and Dostyk avenues, two central avenues in Almaty. As described in the book, a man, Aset, can often be seen directing traffic here, providing order to the mess of traffic. At 2 pm on a Saturday, I did not see Aset. However, having taken the time to sit and watch the traffic, I could see how he would stand out. The traffic, though relatively light when I saw it, still ceased to stop. Cars, buses, and pedestrians would move into and out of the intersection at a regular rate. They were there, and then they were gone. This was not a place for rest, so they had no reason to stay. The only constant, therefore, would have been Aset. Directing traffic and returning to the intersection, Aset operates as a calming force despite his loud and forceful performance.
The text hails Aset for his devotion to his work. His job, which he performs voluntarily, is purely for the benefit of those in the city. He is described as fair and effective, traits I believe the author wants the reader to emulate. If all readers of this guide emulate Aset, Almaty will be a better city.
