The Happy Birthday Issue!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Hello from GMT +6:00! The early risers back in AZ should be waking up right about now while I'm preparing for some dinner, most likely left overs from my Appa's birthday celebration last night, pluff (a turkish sort of rice pilaf) and sheep meat.  Last night's festivities which reached pretty late into the evening had us cleaning until the early morning hours. Sunday's activities always consist of cleaning up around the house and because of our guests my host sisters and brother were put on triple duty with chores and cooking which started well before I woke. I took my weekly shower after a nice sunday morning run to a neighboring village and started in on my laundry which hadn't been done for about 2 weeks. Gross! All morning my host sisters had been preparing for the ensuing feast, chopping potatoes, skinning carrots, making salads and preparing for a huge soup stew dish that was to be one of the main courses. While my host brother took care of the 2 dozen or so sheep we have as well as the rest of the small barn yard. It was quite reminescent of my own childhood, turns out forced child labor isn't just an American past time!

I'll do my best to convey a traditional Kyrgyz dinner but there are a lot of elusive datails that I'm sure I have yet to even pick up on. Guests started to arrive at 5 or 6 in the evening and the first tea course was served shortly after. The dinner was served with the best dishes, tea cups and silverware right on the floor with special rugs to sit on while the food completly covered the tablecloth, and I mean COMPLETLY covered the tablecloth. There were meat and cheese spreads, breads, salads and copious amounts of tea for the first course. Between the large dishes small balls of fried bread called borsok filled in the holes. During this whole time only the adults sat, that is my host father and our guests. My host mother, effectively the guest of honor, was frantically running around preparing the 5 gallons of stew for the main course, pouring tea and refilling plates. This is usually where a 'Kailin' would come in, that is the youngest married son's wife. It is a Kailin's duty to prepare and serve pretty much everything. Especially during the dinner,  I'm not perfectly clear on the exact roles but this is how it has been explained and what I've been able to see from when one is around. Because our family doesn't have a Kailin, my host mother and sisters take up all of the slack here, one of my sisters or mother would always be sitting down, refilling tea, grabbing up dirty plates, even spooning more food onto plates! A person would hand them an empty cup and it was filled, all without a word exchanged!  I've even been told NOT to say thank you, else you might come across as rude. Coming from one of the most progressive countries in the world, this has been... interesting.  After the tea and salads everyone got up to to stretch out for a while between courses. I went outside to force my help upon the family just in time to watch as 5 gallons of boiling deliciousness was dropped and completely poured onto the ground! Wow, those were some angry women!

The rest of the meal went without incident and was even entertained by some silly american thinking he could sing a Kyrgyz song! After dinner and a series of toasts, as is custom, the night was filled with Kyrgyz music, the dancing started counting the hours quickly by. Soon after the families went home and left us with massive amounts of left overs and cleaning for us to do. This has been the first truely traditional Kyrgyz meal I have been able to attend, however several other volunteers have been to weddings, and even a party dedicated to a baby's first step.

On a related note, another birthday this past week belonged to one of our own. Preston Clark turned 29 last week, a card was made and signed by almost all of the K-19s. Our LCF, Ymyt brought cake and coke in for a small party during class. We learned some Kyrgyz toasts and had a little celebration before we went out to the local, yes the local pizza place, where we had a couple beers and some nearly American pizza with some trainees from other groups. The last of the birthdays go to my sister Sarah and my Dad which happened earlier this month. Happy Birthday guys! Wish I could be there!