This collects my posts about my time in Kyrgyzstan
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”
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”
Any visitor to Central Asia, Iran, and a bunch of other places has probably noticed that just about every road is flanked on both sides by channels that flow with water or fill with trash. They’re everywhere. And even though they have a name, very few locals know it, let alone dictionaries, and despite their ubiquity, almost no one has researched or written about them. But given that falling into one is one of my funniest stories from when I lived in Tajikistan, it’s about time that I educated myself! Behold, let’s learn about the famous aryk (арык)! Continue reading “What Are Those Concrete Ditches?”
A lot of major metropolitan areas have a sort of associated summer retreat area that isn’t too far away. New York has the Hamptons, Boston has the Cape, DC has the mountains, San Francisco has Napa… and Bishkek has Issyk-Kul. Some of my local friends go out there as often as they can. And on my way to the airport on a recent Friday on my way to Bishkek, I got a call inviting me along. Always accept the invitation, they say. So, within a few hours I was in a car with a bunch of guys headed for a relaxing weekend on the beach along the South Shore, where I’d never been before. Continue reading “Beach Vacationing In Kyrgyzstan”
Bishkek. Capital of the Kyrgyz Republic. Largest city, hub for culture and industry. And the place most people first encounter when they arrive in Kyrgyzstan. In fact, it’s very difficult to visit Kyrgyzstan and NOT end up in Bishkek for at least one night because all the flights leave in the middle of the night. I’ve been in Bishkek a lot lately for training, so I’ve put together this guide to some of my favorite sights, hangouts, and day-trips that you too can do during your time there. Continue reading “72 Hours In Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: A Destination Guide”
A new group of Peace Corps Trainees just arrived in Kyrgyzstan, and since they’re discovering quickly how a traditional house is laid out in Kyrgyzstan, I thought that today I could tell you what makes up the places where we live here here in Kyrgyzstan. Continue reading “A House In Kyrgyzstan”
I’m sure more than a few of you grew up saying grace before meal. Whether religious or not, stopping to be grateful for a meal for a moment is a pretty universal cultural habit that I’ve seen all over the world. In Kyrgyzstan, we do it a little differently. Continue reading “Omeen: A Central Asian Grace”
Symbols are an important part of building a national identity. In particular, the flag of Kyrgyzstan is truly an icon of the country, as is the national emblem and the national anthem. Today, I want to dive more into what these symbols mean and the history of the flags of the Kyrgyz Republic. Continue reading “A Sun, A Tunduk: The Flag Of The Kyrgyz Republic”
In this week’s language lesson, I’ll introduce you to the personal pronouns of Kyrgyz, how to introduce yourself to someone, and how to express “to be” (Kyrgyz does this without a verb!). It may sound like a lot, but it’s actually not too difficult. With a little practice, you can land in Kyrgyzstan being able to get acquainted with your hosts. Continue reading “Language Lessons: Introducing Yourself and “To Be””
One of the biggest pieces of advice I’ve been given as a Peace Corps Volunteer is to accept the invitation. My colleague Colleen wrote a really good post about this, so when two of my site-mates and I got the invite last Friday to go to Arslanbob for the weekend with a local friend of ours and stay with his aunt, we didn’t hesitate to say yes. Continue reading “24 Hours In Arslanbob: A Weekend In The Walnut Forest”
