Category: Kyrgyzstan

This collects my posts about my time in Kyrgyzstan

Day Tripping to Chong-Alay

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Today was one of those days that reminds me why I absolutely love where I am and what I’m doing. I’ve mentioned a few times before that I do some work on the side at the Osh American Corner, including talking clubs, movie clubs, an art club, and even a talk about Alaska Native art from my hometown. All of this works towards the second goal of the Peace Corps, which is to share American culture with the people of Kyrgyzstan.

Well, the American Corner program has a really cool even that’s happening right now called American Corner Book Caravan. Basically, the American Corner hires out a marshrutka (making it a literal caravan), and fills it with toys, games, books, and performers (and the occasional wayward Peace Corps Volunteer) and brings them out to regional centers and villages to set up mini-carnivals to share American culture and to share information about the resources available at our library in Osh.

Today, we went to the most distant rayon centre in Osh Oblast: Daroot-Korgon. Continue reading “Day Tripping to Chong-Alay” →

72 Hours In Osh, Kyrgyzstan: A Destination Guide

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Summer is here, which means that each week, more and more adventurous tourists come passing through my beloved home of Osh, Kyrgyzstan.  A lot has changed about Osh even since the Lonely Planet Central Asia and the Bradt Kyrgyzstan guides were updated in 2014, so I wanted to put together a quick destination guide to things to do and see in Osh for the DIY tourist who’s going to be passing through or staying for a few days.  Most tourists only budget a few days or even a few hours for Osh, but let me tell you, there’s plenty of reasons to spend more time than that here!

Lets get started! Continue reading “72 Hours In Osh, Kyrgyzstan: A Destination Guide” →

Language Lessons: Plurals in Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and Turkish

Published on by Mark Jahnke

It’s been a while since I did anything about Kyrgyz grammar, but this week, I wanted to explain something that’s both simple and complicated at the same time: Plurals.  Let’s take a look! Continue reading “Language Lessons: Plurals in Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and Turkish” →

Kyrgyzstani Movie Night: “Kurmanjan Datka: Queen Of The Mountains”

Published on by Mark Jahnke

UPDATE: The film’s producer (Altysh Film) recently uploaded the full film to YouTube with English subtitles!  You can watch it here.

Kyrgyzstan’s cinema is not the most famous in the world. Its films only rarely garner international attention, but those that do are striking and extremely unique. In a new occasional feature, I’ll be blogging about some of Kyrgyzstan’s most famous films, and how you can watch them at home. First up: Kurmanjan Datka: Queen Of The Mountains. Continue reading “Kyrgyzstani Movie Night: “Kurmanjan Datka: Queen Of The Mountains”” →

Jailoo and Yurts: The Summer Lives of Kyrgyz Nomads

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Kyrgyz culture is often framed in contrast to many other cultures because of its nomadic history – the country’s traditional industry revolved around animal husbandry rather than stationary agriculture, and the people moved around as seasons and needs dictated.

Today, almost all Kyrgyz people have settled into a village life, but those who still herd cows, sheep, goats, and horses still maintain an important part of the Kyrgyz cultural tradition: moving seasonally with their flocks to the high altitude “jailoo,” or pastures, where they set up temporary lodging in yurts for the summer months.

What is life in a jailoo like, though, and how do yurts work?  Let’s take a look. Continue reading “Jailoo and Yurts: The Summer Lives of Kyrgyz Nomads” →

May 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 “May 2016 Photo Roundup” →

Hang On To Your Hats: An Exhaustive Guide to Central Asian Headgear

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Beyond things like unique politics and the -stan suffix, Central Asia is known for its headgear, and probably in no place is this more visible and famous than in Kyrgyzstan.  I think it’s safe to say that just about every culture has a traditional headgear of some sort, whether it’s a hairstyle, hat, helmet, scarf, or some combination thereof, but here takes it to a whole new level.

In America, we’ve got the baseball hat (although a slouchy beanie might be taking over in a lot of urban settings).  In France it’s the beret (even if I’ve seen more berets living in Kyrgyzstan than I ever saw living in France).  But in Kyrgyzstan, there’s a whole selection of headgear for men and women that forms an external representation of several aspects of one’s identity.  Here’s an (almost) exhaustive guide to headgear that you’ll probably encounter here in Kyrgyzstan. Continue reading “Hang On To Your Hats: An Exhaustive Guide to Central Asian Headgear” →

The Secret To Kyrgyz Taxi Fares

Published on by Mark Jahnke

I’ve talked way too much on this blog about how much I prefer taking marshrutkas and buses to riding in taxis.  But, sometimes, you can’t get away from the fact that taxis are the only way that you’re going to get from point A to point B.  Confounding all of this is the fact that just about every city in the former USSR has a different approach to taxis.  Here’s a rough guide on navigating the major taxi systems of Kyrgyzstan (plus Almaty and Dushanbe). Continue reading “The Secret To Kyrgyz Taxi Fares” →

Mile 13: Health Lessons And A Sixth Marathon

Published on by Mark Jahnke

When you’re not allowed to finish (or even start) a marathon, what do you do?  Why you pick one the next month and enter it, of course.

The thirteenth month of my service saw my visa get renewed and a lot of planning take place.  Then we had a bunch of holidays, and then a really awesome and productive trip to Issyk-Kul where I taught health lessons in a bunch of schools before running a marathon.  Let’s dive in.

Continue reading “Mile 13: Health Lessons And A Sixth Marathon” →

24 Apps For Life In Kyrgyzstan

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Let’s face it, you probably own a smartphone – more than half of people do. It’s a modern essential that not only has clearer phone calls than the Nokias we grew up with, but also one that I use for all my photography, communication, and navigation. Today, I want to share with you some of the best apps that I’ve found essential to exploring and navigating Kyrgyzstan. Continue reading “24 Apps For Life In Kyrgyzstan” →