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”
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””
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”
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”
On the course of the Boston Marathon, there is only one milepost that is not exactly at a mile interval: the one in central Wellesley, MA that marks 13.1, the halfway point of the marathon.
Our halfway point passed just this week, which is an unbelievable milestone that, just like the marathon, I was doubtful that I would ever be able to achieve. I’ve faced some incredible challenges in this past year, including language barriers, isolation, illness, abuse, and even crime. But I’ve made it this far. And, by sheer luck, I was able to mark the occasion by welcoming another Harvard alumnus to Osh: Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet. Continue reading “Mile 13.1: A Visit From Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet”
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”
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”
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”
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”
World War II means many different things depending on where in the world one finds itself. Where I grew up and in my family, it was a war that both of my grandfathers fought in, one as a pilot over Normandy and the other as a gunner on Okinawa. It was something that shaped the rest of their lives and that forever influenced their world perspective.
In America, we like to say that we “won” World War II. There’s a whole bevy of satirical merchandise for sale that says “USA: Back To Back World War Champs,” obviously joking. But in the former Soviet Union, World War II is thought of quite differently. A year ago, I wrote about Victory Day, the 9 May holiday that marks the end of the War, because it was the 70th anniversary, and I watched the spectacular military parade in Moscow on television. I later learned that it was the largest and most lavish parade held in Russian history, and even included a group of Kyrgyz soldiers (as did the Chinese Victory Day parade held in September).
This year, I wanted to explore a bit deeper into the significance of this holiday of remembrance and its history, and why it is such an important holiday.
