If you're reading this thank Adora...
because she posted this for me! We are about to have elections and there's a fair amount of blocks on news and the sorts. Whatever is going on, I can't update from here. Anyway, I decided to let you guys know a little about various parts of Kyrgyz culture that has been greatly changed by the long Soviet presence in the country. Anyway, I hope its interesting.
Vodka
Before the Russian arrival in Kyrgyzstan the only form of alcoholic beverage was Kumuz, a fermented mares milk drink. Sounds weird, but it's delicious once you get used to it. Once vodka (or arak as it is called locally) was introduced it became a major part of culture. At any party or gathering there are many bottles of vodka (I mean a lot... like 5 bottles for 7 people). Alcoholism has become a big problem in the area. Anyway, this relates to us in that we have come up with some very innovative excuses to leave parties early! It's been pretty silly and sometimes frustrating.
Farming
Back in the day, Kyrgyz people were nomadic herders. When the Soviets came they introduced farming techniques and required the Kyrgyz people to settle and farm. This aspect of Soviet influence is huge in Bakai Ata as most people are farmers, specifically bean and potato farmers. Our family had 16 hectares (aka. A lot) of land most of which is bean farm. The rest is potato farm and some assorted vegetables for home use. Their spring, summer, and fall are consumed by work on their land. Last weekend we helped harvest 5 tons of potatoes and 2 tons of carrots. It was a ton of work but it was really nice to be able to help out the family. Unfortunately, most of the harvest was ruined by an early frost. This has been tough for our (and many other) family. Of what was salvageable, we purchased 80 kilos (175 lbs) of potatoes and carrots for the winter for about $20. Crazy right?
Critical thinking
One of the things we talk about in training is the lack of critical thinking skills taught here in Kyrgyzstan. I didn't really understand how this effective life until recently. For example, when I garden or really do anything I'm always thinking about how to do things better or more efficiently. Some of that is just me being weird, but most Americans are taught to think a few steps ahead. That is definitely not the case here. Farming styles have not changed at all since the Soviets have left. Things just mostly go on the same way. The biggest and most frustrating example came when we were painting our house, to me it made sense to clean everything before we painted the house white, but evidently people always paint first so that's what we did. That said, it isn't necessarily bad that things aren't constantly evolving. It's mostly just different from what I know.
Here's where I put a summary right? Today from what I have understood, people are working really hard to find what makes them Kyrgyz. There's an increased pride in Kyrygz language, Kyrygz food, and Kyrgyz music. The elections are coming up and everyone is talking about what Kyrgyzstan is and what it stands for. All and all, its an interesting time.
