A Puzzling Bus Stop

February 17, 2011

 

In honor of Black History Month, my English Club reenacted the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955.  I thought it was fool-proof American history, but even this history lesson had a way of making itself Kazakh.

 

The stage was set.  There was a bus complete with a driver and segregated passengers.  My 7^th grade police officers were standing ready in the wings.  As the narrator read the story, he paused to let the actors catch up.  "Rosa Parks was tired after work. She got on the bus and took a seat."  Pause.

 

I looked at our Rosa.  Her arm was flailing and she was pointing along with some of the other soon-to-be-passengers.  I didn't understand what the confusion was about.  Then they boarded the bus as if nothing was wrong.  I was puzzled, but they seemed to have it together, so I went with it.

 

It wasn't until the next "bus stop" when the white passengers got on that I realized what was happening.  Again, the soon-to-be-passengers flailed their arms and started pointing.  Then it struck me: They are hailing a bus Kazakh-style.  Put out your arm and point your finger.  Otherwise the bus won't stop.

 

I smiled to myself.  In all my directorial genius, it never even occurred to me that they don't have formal bus stops in Kulan.  My little actors were doing such a thorough job they even made sure the bus knew where to pull over for new passengers.  So yes, Kazakhstan has revealed a little known fact: Rosa Parks hitchhiked her way to that legendary bus ride.