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!

KUR-guh-stan

Saturday, March 02, 2011

Its hard to think I was still in the US a week ago. The past 7 days have been eventful to say the least, the past week has seen a few different countries several different languages many new friends and even a new family.  Countless hours in airports and planes, several freak outs and security checkpoints later, all 43 K-19 (the 19th PC group to visit Kyrgyzstan) members walked into the Manas International Airport/Transit Center to gather luggage and meet the KG staff (who would also introduce us to the wonderful world of acronyms) who was meeting us at the airport.

Upon reaching the parking lot we were met by a motley group of K-18s and staff members dressed up as penguins, rabbits, and other characters who might have stepped out of a Lewis Carroll novel.  It was a welcome greeting after hours of mundane/sleepless travel.  By the time we checked into the Issi-kul Hotel in Bishkek it was 4:45 am local time, which really made no difference as 22 hours of no sleep will wont to do.  The first night was the probably the best sleep I have had since I left Philly.  The next 3 days were filled with orientation, cultural, Kyrgyz (KER-gez) language, and technical training that were to prepare us for our 3 month training- that is training for training. After meeting all 42 other trainees, attachments were formed and camaraderie was quickly established which oddly gave many of us a sense of separation anxiety upon leaving for our host families.  Wednesday morning we gathered into our language groups and went into Bishkek for a quick internet visit and to buy flowers for our host mothers. It was reminiscent of a kindergarten field trip; stay together, use the buddy system, don't talk to strangers, line up alphabetically, hold hands when crossing the street, etc. This was in fact the first time we had seen anything of the country besides the hotel, which could have served as a Soviet barracks for all its concrete and simplicity- nevertheless we were excited to finally leave the compound. We were ordered to pack and prepare to depart for Kant City about 45 mins east of the city where my language group will be training and where we officially become PSTs. During the ceremony we watched a video of the 17s' and 18s' projects and families, listened to several welcome talks. After which we were ushered on stage of the large auditorium met our host families and were promptly whisked away to parts of Kant unknown.

I arrived at my new home to a nicely furnished room and promptly unpacked-- and passed out. Still somewhat aloof of the local time I was awakened for dinner where we struggled through simple -and I mean simple- conversation. After I learned the age, name and where everyone was from. Silence engulfed us, heavy awkward, palpable silence.....    No, it wasn't really that bad, I have learned to come to dinner with a notebook (deptere) pen (rootchka) and dictionary (sozduk), however. The food has been very good, we were warned that men loose 10 lbs and women gain 10 lbs during the 3 months of PST, and I definitely will not be losing any weight for all the bread and homemade jams (YUM! Like whoa!!) The Kyrgyz are a hospitality based culture, that is they feed you too much expecting you to leave food on your plate and tea in your cup. Coming from 18 years of 'clean your plate' I'm finding this very difficult to grapple with without overeating a tremendous amount. 

The next morning I was woken by my host mother (my appa) ate breakfast and was walked to school, that's right WAS WALKED TO SCHOOL by my appa - about 10 minutes away. My class consists of 5 other volunteers, Emma, Tyler, Keely, Caitlin and Preston, with whom I roomed in Philly and Bishkek (and who is from Pinetop AZ what!). I was late :(  ... by a half an hour! I don't have a phone, alarm clock or watch, so I've been depending on my host mother to wake me and tell me what time it is- which has been working out reasonably well ever since. To this point (day 3) we have been doing nothing but language, then we walk to one of our host families (mine was today!!!) for lunch and back to school for another 3 hours of language- intense like hippies! Today (Saturday) we were able to use the internet in town but have been severely limited to our host site, and school.

The first impressions I have gotten from this trip is that the logistics of the trip so far are that of a very well oiled machine. Everything regarding integration has been in baby steps, so much so that many of us feel like we are little more than children- and in many cases we are. For example, the process of cultural integration, the first in Philly, although indeed a culture of its own, no doubt American, then orientation in Bishkek, we were to remain on premises with our fellow trainees and interaction was limited to the native Kyrgyz staff, then Wednesday, we are allowed into the community in a group with a leader for a few hours, that is - L... I.... MITED! Now we are at our host sites living within the community but still limited to school and home. Like I said baby steps- the culture shock was non-existent. 

Whatever Thailand was, this is well... the opposite. Granted travel is travel where ever you go, the way we have been going about things so far is very different. When I could get WiFi in the jungle, I can't get it in cities here. And where there was leisurely snorkeling on beaches, I find myself running in business attire to make engagements on time. I'm booked 24-7, today they even set aside a time for personal business, which is Monday from 3 to 5. Not kidding. Week one is a poor sample for the rest of training so I'm going to hold off on "an average day of a PST" for a bit as things have yet to settle down. And as far as political unrest is concerned, I know a few of you have asked, no news is good news, and there is no anticipation of non-peaceful demonstrations. Jokshey Calungus!