Be Nice To People

Life is a curious thing. When I heard about the shooting in Chattanooga I was so confused and sad. So many people worry about my safety while I’m here, but I have been saying from the beginning that there is no place that is immune to tragedy and senseless violence. For the most part, I have been so proud of the way Chattanooga has responded to this unbelievably tragic event. From what I have seen via social media and traditional media sources, people have come together in love and support, which is amazing. It makes me so proud to consider Chattanooga home. However, I have seen some things that are pure hate, and that is disappointing. As someone who is not muslim, but still living in an Islamic country it angers me to see posts from people condemning an entire religion and everyone who is a part of it. Let me just say, my experience with Ramadan in Kyrgyzstan has been nothing but positive. 

We moved to our permanent sites right as Ramadan had begun, and my apa and ata fasted the entire time. Orozo (the word for fasting) is challenging. My host parents would fast al day long, not even taking a drink of water, all while working regular hours and tending to the five children living in our house. At just before 9 o’clock every night they would get to break fast until about 3 am. Here’s the deal, Ramadan is an incredibly powerful holiday. The reasoning behind it is so awesome. It is a time to experience what those who cannot afford food and water go through every day. It is to serve as a reminder that we are incredibly blessed by Allah (God) with food and water. Not everyone is, and we should not forget that. I did not take part in fasting for a few reasons: 1. It was incredibly hot and not drinking water is dangerous 2. I did not feel convicted to do so and 3. It was never asked or expected of me. In fact my apa even made food for me, a 24 year old, because she knew that I did not know where all of our cooking utensils were kept. I have never been forced to do anything. My apa and ata are fairly devout and while there are some Islamic customs they do not adhere to, they mostly follow the Quran pretty closely. They do not drink, and my ata is such compassionate and good man. He does not yell or raise his hand at anyone in the family. I have seen people posting so many negative things about Islam in light of recent events that hit close, too close, to home, and I just have to interject that most of what I have seen being posted about Islam is false.

 My family has warmth and love for each other and me that I cherish. When Ramadan ended and my family celebrated Eid they were so considerate of the fact that I might find it all overwhelming. The tradition, in Kyrgyzstan, is to go to all the neighbors houses and eat plov. My family insisted that our house be the first one, and then told me I didn’t have to attend Eid at every house. They were worried I would get tired, and that people would insist I eat more than I wanted (because that is hospitality). 

What I am trying to say is, please think about what you post, or re-post. Think about is this post coming from a place of love? Or a place of hate and ignorance? Are you posting facts about this religion? Or just some random meme that you have no clue if the information is factual? 

Also for anyone I am connected to on social media, if you are posting hurtful, false things about the dominant religion in the country where I live, please be more considerate. Remember we are all just people, and that whatever god you believe in, we come from the same one.

Just Call Me Coach

This past week was a good one. We had a summer sports camp in Talas City. It ran from Monday to Friday, and every day was a different sport. Every single Talas volunteer came in to help at some point. It was so good to see everyone. Since I live in the city, I helped out every day. Admittedly, I was more use on certain days, because my soccer and volleyball skills are basically non-existent. We had a great group of kids the whole week. I loved getting to interact with them, and learn about them. We really focused on the sports aspect and not so much the English, not that any of the kids seemed to mind.

   
                                                        Volleyball was a HUGE hit!

Doing some serious coaching

We opted for underhand serves so more kids would make it over the net

Aside from actually doing something volunteer-ish, my favorite thing about last week was hanging out with all the volunteers after camp was over. Each day started at 9 and ended somewhere between 2 and 3. After all the campers left, we would pick up all our gear and go back to the apartment the village volunteers were renting, drop off our stuff and either go to the bazaar to get the needed ingredients for dinner that night, or just hang out. It was so much fun, and the food was awesome! We had chili, burritos, and fajita chicken salad. All with Kyrgyz twists depending on what ingredients we couldn't find. (Yes, you can find reasonably hot peppers here)

One afternoon we went to the river and just lounged around. It is so nice! I think the river will be my favorite spot. This week is definitely already feeling lonely compared to last week, but this weekend is Talas Welcome Weekend, so I'll get to see everybody again! I know without a doubt I could not have been placed with a better group of volunteers.

****SIDE NOTE****
Here is something cool, there is a program here called FLEX that is super competitive, and it takes really motivated students with a high level of English and sends them to the US for about a year. I have met several FLEX alum, and they are amazing. BUT! Here is the really cool part, this year there is a FLEX student from Talas City going to Tennessee!! How awesome is that?! I am going to meet with him sometime this week, and from what I've heard he might be going to Chattanooga! Crazy, right? I know. Small world.

Other side note:

I have a local address now, but I am going to wait to give it out until I know that it works. But as soon as I get something from one of the few people that have it, I will post it here. I also might include a list of items that I wouldn't mind getting if you are feeling generous, but letters are also VERY appreciated!

That's all for now.

Love y'all!

Isn't It Ironic?

It’s the little triumphs that I’m trying to focus on at the moment. The small things that make me feel like i’m going to be able to live here, and do okay. The past couple of days have had a lot of those triumphs. It started with having such a great and heartwarming conversation with my sister Aizada. She is almost 17, and really wants to improve her English, which is already really good. I have been giving Daston and Aiyapere some phrases and words to practice, but Aizada and I just chat. She told me about how she wants to go to The University of Central Asia and study business administration. She wants to study abroad in the US, and work in America for a few years. Then, she wants to open up a business in Talas, like a bowling alley or something like that. It was so cool to hear about her dreams and ambitions. She is a smart and driven young women and I can’t wait to see what the next two years have in store for her. 

Yesterday, I had a few really awesome moments. I have been making it a habit to stop into a different magazine (little convenience store) every day on my walk to ARZ (the reproductive health NGO I am working with) just to meet the people, and let them get to know my face. I always buy something small like juice or gum. The magazine I stopped in yesterday had the sweetest lady working behind the counter. She wanted to know everything about me. We talked for about 10 minutes, and I understood about 90 percent of what was being said, and she seemed to understand me just fine. When I got to work my counterpart, also named Aizada, but will always be referred to as Aizada Eje, told me that she wanted to take me to a puppet show at a pre-school. It was not a puppet show. It was an interactive, live show with the giant mascot characters, and it was so great. The kids were laughing and dancing. I loved every second of it. Especially because kids are just kids. They couldn’t have cared less that some 6 foot blonde lady was there. They just wanted to see Mickey, and dance their little butts off. Later I found out that Aizada Eje’s family were the performers. They travel from oblast to oblast doing these shows for children. 

Finally, after a pretty good session with my Kyrgyz tutor, I got to go home. I was about 40 yards from my back gate when this old man stopped me. All I was thinking was, “no, no, no. I just want to go home.” It also needs to be said that I have a really difficult time understanding when older men speak. They tend to not enunciate as much as women. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I could not only understand the words he was saying, but I understood WHAT he was saying. Listening comprehension has been a huge struggle for me. But, holy crap I knew what this man was saying! I was so ecstatic! He told me that he was my neighbor, and I was like family now. It is such a comfort the have an older man want to look out for me. It is a patriarchal society that places a lot of honor and respect in age. so having this older man know my face and name is an asset. 

Irony is a funny thing. So, as I was typing this Aizada Eje, my counterpart, came over to ask me about a math question. It was about number not adding up, and if you want to know the details of the question I’ll let you spend to money to call me. When she explained what she didn’t understand, I immediately saw what the issue was, but I had no way to explain. As good as Aizada Eje’s English is, there are some things that we just can’t communicate clearly on. Irony, man. What a jerk.