A Summer in Bishkek
Yay…. summer is finally here in Kyrgyzstan… :/. So not a slay. It’s daily here 90-95 degrees or up, sometimes 100, and no AC. Being able to go to Bishkek has been a dream, and the city is indeed fun. I’ve been three times, and a blend of so much, truly, and bigger than I originally thought. I spotted a Hogwarts Cafe (haven’t gone in yet), and we found a Sierra Cafe, a coffee shop with deep Peace Corps roots, so I’ve been told. Peace Corps volunteers have been going to the cafe for decades, and a member of its corporate board is a former Kyrgyz PCV who has stayed in Bishkek for a long time (I think he was in K-15 or something- the K-# refers to what number cohort you are of the PC time in Kyrgyzstan, I am K-29, ie the 29th cohort or 29th year of PC in Kyrgyzstan, last years’ is K-28).
They often say in Peace Corps that you’re part of something big, and that when you leave, you may create something or continue something you never get to see. What is a legacy? As Hamilton says before he dies, “It's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see, I wrote some notes at the beginning of a song someone will sing for me.” Hopefully, when I leave, I have planted seeds, and I hope someday they sprout when I’m long past gone. I hope to return to Sierra Cafe, just being there I already feel at home. It has an international staff, a large menu with chai, coffee, and lemonade drinks, and lots of AC and fans.
I’ve fallen into routines, and I think my Kyrgyz continues to be a work in progress. I had my mock LPI exam, which I don’t actually remember what it stands for. But my examiner, Rich Rakhat, said I did a good job, so I shall relish that. We don’t play volleyball with the kids as much, as it is very hot.
Because it is the height of the summer, the electricity, water, and internet go out more frequently or are shut off more. Here in my village, not as much, but I have heard from others that they sometimes go days without water. People have been getting heat exhaustion, and due to frequent traveling, we are exhausted by the time afternoon classes roll around and fall asleep on the floor during breaks.
I like rewatching old tv shows recently, but I haven’t been reading as much as I should. Another volunteer got bit by a dog, and I think I have a new epidemiological panic, so I started reading a book about ebola… go figure. One volunteer gave me lasting panic about rabies due to its overwhelming fatality… like go read about it… if I had nightmares, it would be about rabies. I am currently reading Rabid, a book that is both about rabies but also about the history of humanity’s relationship with dogs. Allow me to segway, but I find the dual experience of reading both a book about Ebola, a recent and somewhat still mysterious virus (the book was released in 2014 at the height of the epidemic at the time, and fun fact I was in Nigeria when the outbreak broke out, so I have an interesting perspective on that time period and already knew a decent amount about the virus but I digress) and a book about rabies, a disease we’ve known about for millennia and has been around so long it is speculated to explain mythology around vampires and werewolves and even is rooted in the word “rabid” obviously. Anyway, that’s a tangent, but useful to think about as I am here, though none of the dogs have been rabid, so I personally don’t think I will get rabies, but that doesn’t stop paranoia.
During our second hub site day, we had a host family training, which was a good time to discuss problems, challenges, and successes, amongst other things with host families and the staff acting as excellent translators. Afterward, my host mom and I went to the town bazaar, and she was getting a lot of food, which I didn’t realize was for the big dinner until later in the night. Going from talking to a family of two (sometimes three when my taike visits) to now 6 to sometimes eight in the house all looking at me can be hard. I mostly listen, and often my talking stops the conversation completely or makes it very slow. Thankfully, I’m at the point where I don’t google translate very often, usually single words I can’t remember or complex points (like illness, feeling bad). I also have an awkward phase now where I understand the vast majority of what people are saying to me but missing the question or overall point. The new visitors also speak at varying levels, and one of my cousins, unfortunately, speaks way too fast and/or slurs his words to the point that I doubt and question if I can even understand Kyrgyz. I can follow along when people talk to me sometimes enough (not always) and respond, sort of, but I am very bad and incapable of following their conversations amongst each other. Don’t even get the vaguest idea what they’re talking about, so sometimes I make up stories in my head. The Krussian has mostly paused at the PC staff’s request, and my host mom says “kyrgyzcha” all the time “in Kyrgyz (speak)”. Less Russian movies because of that, and more work is being done on the house. A mysterious second guest house by the toilet/farm area has been under construction.
We’re prepping this week for culture day, a big event with the whole cohort where we showcase a dance, and sing, amongst other things. My group has been learning to play the komuz, a small guitar-like instrument, and sing a Kyrgyz song. The unfortunate part is that with constant travel, long lessons, and culture day practice, I’ve been coming home late and generally having less time with my host family despite there being even more people around.
The heat has been bad, but I suppose I can’t overly complain, I’m in large company, as I read the news, and record-breaking heat above 100 degrees is everywhere right now, from back home all over the US and Canada to all over Europe to China. It’s bad in Kyrgyzstan because it is so landlocked, and I absolutely yearn for a swimming pool or lake. Everyone’s family here is traveling to Issyk Kul.
Even though my life is chaotic, it seems as if everyone I know is having a chaotic or interesting time too. My mom has been in Aberdeen for work, you Mihica have been in Vietnam which I’m salty about because I haven’t returned in twenty years, and another friend is in Germany, and I think one of my future in-laws is currently in Austria or Liechtenstein or something. Anyway, part of me misses getting swept up in new places in the same way my mom and my friends are, particularly Aberdeen where the weather is so much nicer. If a PC volunteer needs to be medically evacuated, they evacuate you to Bangkok, and my mom is heading there in October, and I’ve been making jokes about breaking something to be able to go see her.
The extensive construction and movement in the house is to prepare for a toi, which means usually a wedding, large celebration, or party. I’ve noticed even more beer in the house lately, and more furniture outside. The toi is supposed to be happening around the time of my birthday, so we’ll see how that goes :). My baike is having his second wedding (his first was in Russia with his wife, but his second one with the wider family is coming up).
The second time I was able to get to Bishkek, we mostly shopped. I think there’s a part of me that’s so desperate to sightsee rather than realizing this is a city I’ll probably come and visit a lot, as it’s a meeting point and a major transition between oblasts. As such, I’m in less of a rush.
Why is the outside somehow cooler than the inside? What is this madness? Rich Rakhat and Jacob are the only ones who have lots of AC, so when I’m at their houses, I often lay on the ground a few feet away from the ventilator.
The chaos is not only in the traveling; it’s rippled into our lessons. Sometimes we have joint lessons, where we have larger classes with our whole cluster (there are eight of us in the village but two separate classes of four people), sometimes we have technical sessions, and even more frequently I’ve woken up and not known where or what I’m doing or going. I don’t always mind it; even as a hardass about time and punctuality, I’ve worked on trying to be more fluid about stuff happening and more spontaneous, which I learned mostly from college.
What’s the saying? Something something, days can feel like lifetimes, while a lifetime can pass in a few days? I dunno, but I feel like the latter. With all the constant moving around and traveling, I hold onto small routines, as I like change but also like to keep my own small things. I still buy tea and chips from the shop next door. I regularly eat candies and try a few times a week to buy some for my host family (currently trying to observe potentially other stuff I could buy them).
Being able to sport new clothes after six weeks has been a godsend, even if it’s only two new shirts and a pair of pants, my wardrobe feels revolutionized.
Culture Day has come and gone. A week of daily practice, class from 9-12:30, lunch until 1:30- class until 5, and then practice until 8 or so. Finally coming to fruition. My group unfortunately lost one of our own to food poisoning the night before, so our dance teacher, Bargul eje, came in. It was funny particularly because in the dance the men wore vests and had fake komuzes, while we girlies wore dresses, and bargul eje, being the queen she is, donned a vest and kalpak (a Kyrgyz hat worn by men) and fit in with all the boys. Ten minutes later she donned fake braids with another eje to dance a Kyrgyz dance with another one of our teachers. Breaking gender stereotypes one by one.
The third time I went to Bishkek, which was today, we mostly sightsee-d, which I missed after lots of shopping the last two weeks. Santi really wanted to see the Central Mosque, as did I, so I brought a scarf and a jacket to cover up in (it was sweltering in it, not going to lie, and the guys didn’t have to cover up, but I got to be on the second floor of the mosque and they didn’t, so as Santi said, you win some and lose some… in terms of the mosque at least… in regards to other gendered norms, I digress).
Ala-Too Square, famous for it being the setting of Kyrgyz revolutions, where the Kyrgyz flag flys high with its own Buckingham Palace-style guards guarding it at attention in 100 degrees (in a glass box with AC so I guess it’s cool), and the center statue of Manas, the real (or legendary) hero/founder of Kyrgyzstan. Responsible Rakhat has been raving about the KFC, and because she and Rich Rakhat alternate weekends going to Bishkek to see family, she visits her daughter and eats KFC with her. KFC is the only major American fast food chain in the country, which we all find hilariously funny, as I don’t think I know anyone who considers it their favorite fast food place. We tried it in Goom, one of the major malls, and it was okay. 2.5/5 stars. Ala-Too Square has the national museum which chronicled the country’s centuries-long history. In the span of like five blocks is the square, the White House (equivalent in Kyrgyzstan, presidential building), and a cool amusement park. We rode the Ferris wheel and channeled our inner children with bumper cars.
I’m about halfway through PST, maybe a tiny bit more, and I feel happy where I am for the most part. Connections with the broader community remain difficult, and keeping connections back home and with other PST volunteers is also sometimes elusive. My language abilities feel stagnant if shaky and okay and manageable at best. Of course, I still miss my Tex-Mex and crave cold drinks. I’ve grown to drink a lot of chai every single day (often 4-5 cups a day, sometimes 6-8) (and my main cold drink of choice is peach tea, as I despise coke so). Our house has more than enough candy to last us the next week or so. I’ve gotten called an American spy twice already. I’ve suffered only minor health problems in comparison to many others who have violently vomited and gotten food poisoning, leg injuries, dog bites, etc. Of course, there are things I miss, things that I have gotten used to, and things I haven’t. Herds of cattle and sheep blocking cars on major roads is one I haven’t yet. Despite time moving slowly here, I still feel connected to the wider world mostly because of my voracious BBC and AP news reading, and guess what it still is all depressing. Being far from the troubles and tribulations back home is an interesting feeling, and part of me and my nature can’t necessarily escape being invested and caring about what’s going on around the world, even if it is more disheartening than uplifting. Collectivist culture is something difficult to adapt to, and it’s not always perfect.
I turn 21 next week, and part of my youth remains a weight on my shoulder particularly here. Maybe it’s a lot of things, being a young woman here, where people listen or notice you even less, or sometimes they hear me speak Kyrgyz and their eyes shine because someone foreign is speaking their language to them (most of the time they speak Russian or broken English to me, as they assume rightly so that most foreigners speak Russian). Perhaps I still am an open-minded outsider, and maybe that’s inevitable without there having been enough time to truly integrate. Yet, I’m learning. I’ve learned that learning is not a singular or simple or finite process when it comes to integration and adapting, you fail and make mistakes, you stagnate and feel hopeless and think you’ll never learn.
My hope for myself and other trainees is to continue learning, to feel confident and empowered by what we’ve done in the last six weeks, and to reflect on my own and our failings and disappointments, and my own and our successes and accomplishments. Maybe our dreams when we first had them have changed in the last six weeks, maybe life here looks different to how we first imagined it. It will continue to change, like a stained glass window that slowly comes into view, slowly becomes clear, new pieces adding nuance to a whole. And my hope is that in the end we are satisfied and done the most we could have, that we learn and introspect, that we think of ourselves in this larger world and see this beautiful place as a home, even if we get there in vastly different ways.
À Bientôt,
Grace
More Music
I’ve been re-listening to Taylor Swift’s albums when the power goes out.
Wonderland- Taylor Swift
By the End of the Night- Ellie Goulding
Wildest Dreams- Taylor Swift. Wildest Dreams remains probably my favorite Taylor Swift song. Out here in the mountains, it carries an ethereal and aesthetic atmosphere I totally vibe with.
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