Category: Kyrgyzstan

This collects my posts about my time in Kyrgyzstan

My Week At The 2016 World Nomad Games

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Hey friends!  In case you hadn’t already noticed on Instagram, Facebook, or by my talking about it in some of my other recent posts, I had the incredible fortune to compete earlier this month in the 2016 World Nomad Games representing the United States.  It was, to say the least, probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my entire life.  As the announcer in the opening ceremony said, “If Ghengis Khan were alive, he would want to be here.” Continue reading “My Week At The 2016 World Nomad Games” →

Toguz Korgool: A Traditional Kyrgyz Board Game

Published on by Mark Jahnke

You’ve almost certainly never heard of Toguz Korgool, which literally means “nine sheep droppings.”  But, in honor of my upcoming posts from the World Nomad Games, it’s probably a good idea that I explain to you exactly what I was doing there for 9 hours a day: I was playing a board game called Toguz Korgool (also known as Toguz Kumalak in Kazakhstan).  And I guarantee you that in 15 minutes or less, you can be playing too. Continue reading “Toguz Korgool: A Traditional Kyrgyz Board Game” →

Mile 16: August Before The Fall

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Note: I’m back! Sorry for the hiatus, and sorry in advance for the ensuing DELUGE of posts and pretty pictures that are about to come your way!

Summer was supposed to be a quiet time for me.  It had been implied to me that I needed to not leave site this summer, so I cancelled my plans to work at a variety of camps and things, instead planning to bide my time a bit, focus on my blog, and maybe hit a few touristy weekends while work slowed to a crawl for July and August.  Well, by the first week of August, it was clear that wasn’t how things were going to play out, and that actually turned out to be a good thing. Continue reading “Mile 16: August Before The Fall” →

We Won Blog It Home! I’m Going To DC!

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Guys, I have amazing news.  Thanks to the over one thousand people who liked and shared my blog across Facebook and the rest of the internet, I was named one of the 8 Top Bloggers in the Peace Corps for 2016!  Words can’t capture just how happy and grateful I feel right now. Continue reading “We Won Blog It Home! I’m Going To DC!” →

FINAL PUSH! Blog It Home Closes Monday Night And I Still Need Your Help!

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Hey everyone!  In case you’ve not opened Facebook in the past few days and heard the news, I was named a finalist in the 2016 Peace Corps Blog It Home blogging contest!  That means that out of over 300 blogs that were submitted to the contest, I’m in the top 20!  In the entire Peace Corps!

Continue reading “FINAL PUSH! Blog It Home Closes Monday Night And I Still Need Your Help!” →

Guys, I’m A Finalist For Blog It Home And I Need Your Help!

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Some really exciting news this week: In addition to being about to welcome our 10,000th visitor (!), I got the news that Monday Bazaar has been selected as a finalist in the 4th Annual Peace Corps Blog It Home blogging contest!  And I need your help! Continue reading “Guys, I’m A Finalist For Blog It Home And I Need Your Help!” →