Given that my plane tickets for the end of my time in Kyrgyzstan are now purchased and the reality that I’m leaving in four months has set in, I think that it’s time to reflect back on the things here, both physical and cultural, that I’m going to miss most about living here in beautiful (and presently ice cold) Kyrgyzstan. Continue reading “10 Things I Will Miss Most About Kyrgyzstan”
When I first visited Central Asia in 2013, one of the first things I noticed was the emphasis placed in Tajikistan on defining what it means to be a citizen of Tajikistan and a practitioner of Tajik culture. In Kyrgyzstan, I’ve come upon a similar phenomenon, and upon further reading, have also seen aspects of it in other countries in the region. It’s been so interesting for me to explore because it has unexpectedly cast a new lens on how I see my own identity as an American. Continue reading “Development Of A Kyrgyzstani Identity”
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”
Hey readers!
This is a really exciting day for me, because not only is this the 100th post on my blog, but by coincidence, it’s also the day that I’ve achieved several readership milestones. Today, Monday Bazaar welcomed its 3,000th visitor and its 8,000th page view. In the past week alone, I’ve broken my one-day page view record, my one-week page view record two weeks in a row, my one month page view record, and my readership so far in the first half of 2016 is already greater than my readership for the entirety of 2015. Continue reading “Big Blogging Milestones: My 100th Post”
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”
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”
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”
Why did I join the Peace Corps? It’s a question that gets asked of me all the time, and one to which there are as many answers as there have been volunteers. Some people wanted to serve. Some wanted an adventure. Some didn’t know what else to do. But what about me? Continue reading “Why I Joined The Peace Corps”
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”
