Author: Mark Jahnke

Mark Jahnke is a figure skater-turned-marathoner-turned-traveler currently making his way from Central Asia to London via Argentina and Uruguay. Follow him on Instagram at @mondaybazaar.

A Traveling TOT in Chong Alay

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Back in December, at my HIV/AIDS Stigma Reduction Training, a crowd descended upon me as we finished the training.  These women were the heads of the regional Health Promotion Units (HPUs) around Osh Oblast.  Each was hoping to meet me to find out if I could come give additional trainings at their respective clinics for them and their staff.

After four months trying to get it off the ground, I’m happy to say that the project is moving fast, and we’ve already done two full-scale day-long trainings, with more to come as we move on.  Today I’ll walk us through the project from its genesis, focusing on the most recent training, and how we’re modifying it moving forward. Continue reading “A Traveling TOT in Chong Alay” →

Language Lessons: Taste

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Every language and culture has its own way of describing tastes and flavors, some simpler or more complex than others, and some structured quite differently than others.  In Kyrgyz, rather than describing food in terms based on the parts of the tongue that taste the different flavors, or with individual words for specific attributes, taste is broadly described in three main groups. Continue reading “Language Lessons: Taste” →

Kyrgyzstan’s Health Promotion System

Published on by Mark Jahnke

I have talked a little about a few projects I’m doing so far, but a lot of my stories have lacked some context.  Today I want to explain to you how Kyrgyzstan’s health system works, what Health Promotion is, and how my work and my fellow volunteers’ work fits into this structure. Continue reading “Kyrgyzstan’s Health Promotion System” →

Language Lessons: Reading And Cursive

Published on by Mark Jahnke

So, based on reader feedback, I got a bit ahead of myself by jumping deep into grammar before actually, you know, explaining how to read.  So today, I’m going to walk you through standard Cyrillic, and the modified versions used to write the different languages seen here in Kyrgyzstan! Continue reading “Language Lessons: Reading And Cursive” →

Kyrgyzstani Movie Night: Seide

Published on by Mark Jahnke

I’m really excited to share with you a short Kyrgyz film that is taking the short film circuit by storm this year.  It’s called Seide, and it was written, directed, and produced by the incomparable Elnura Osmonalieva, a FLEX alumnus and current NYU MFA student who has a true gift for stunning visual storytelling.  Let’s take a look. Continue reading “Kyrgyzstani Movie Night: Seide” →

June 2016 Photo Roundup

Published on by Mark Jahnke

It’s the end of the month, and as a part of a new blogging and photography goal I’ve set for myself with BloggingAbroad, I’ve been taking photos based on prompts (and just from life in general), and I wanted to share a few with you!  Take a look, read about it, and click to enlarge if you want to see more closely. Continue reading “June 2016 Photo Roundup” →

Mile 14: Trainings And Travel

Published on by Mark Jahnke

June has been a busy month work-wise, even though I feel sometimes like I’m not doing a whole lot at the same time.  This is sort of a hallmark of the Peace Corps – so many of us are so driven, that even though blogging, teaching, and helping your organization is work, there is not enough work to fill the day to the levels we are accustomed in the US.  But despite that feeling, quite a lot happened! Continue reading “Mile 14: Trainings And Travel” →

The Return of Ramadan

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Ramadan is slowly becoming my favorite time of year.  This year is the third year that I’ve had the wonderful chance to spend Ramadan in Central Asia – I spent one in Tajikistan, and this is now my second in Kyrgyzstan.  And even though Ramadan here is very different from Ramadan in, say, Jordan, or Oman, it has its own wonderful unique charms that make me smile with every moment. Continue reading “The Return of Ramadan” →

Adzhan: The Call To Prayer

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Something I’ve come to love over many years living near mosques is the “adzhan,” or call to prayer.  It’s an omnipresent sound and inimitable piece of the landscape in many countries with large Muslim populations, and serves to help Muslims pray at the proper times of day.  Let’s dive in a bit to learn more about this beautiful tradition. Continue reading “Adzhan: The Call To Prayer” →