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Published: February 9th 2008
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I’ve been very busy the last few weeks. I wasn’t able to update my travel blog for a long time because we had to bring the computer in to get some programs installed and didn’t get it back for a week. In the meantime, I’ve been going to the internet cafes and using the University computers. The regular internet is soooooooo slow here. It took 40 minutes for the computer to attach 3 word documents to an email. So I only used the internet cafes for things I absolutely had to do.
The biggest event that has happened since my last blog has been Rahat’s brother’s birthday. Birthdays here are very different than in the states. To celebrate the occasion, Rahat’s family slaughtered a sheep. We had a feast of boiled meat and noodles. It was the second time that I have eaten a large amount of meat in Kyrgyzstan. Usually, the Kyrgyz only put small bits of meat into their dishes. A leg of lamb would last a Kyrgyz family a whole week. It is only on special occasions that you eat meat.
The meat was so tasty. I was especially happy that they put pure meat on my plate-they knew from hosting peace corps volunteers that Americans usually aren’t fond of sheep stumaches, hearts, intestines, and the like. The rest of them ate the organs with relish though. After we were done eating, Rahat’s parents said a few words about Danchik in Kyrgyz, but I wasn’t able to understand anything. My Kyrgyz still isn’t good enough to do more than pick up a few words here and there.
We brought a cake for Rahat’s brother, Danchik. However, they didn’t put the cake out for the birthday party. Instead, we ate it the next morning for breakfast. I tell you, Kyrgyz eating habits are a little kids dream-where else would your mom give you cake for breakfast?
I’ve been learning a lot about Kyrgyz culture. I found out that the Kyrgyz are organized into different tribes. Rahat belongs to the tribe called the Big Dipper, which is famous for producing diplomats and artists. During the Soviet era, the importance of one’s tribe greatly diminished, to the point where some Kyrgyz don’t even know which tribe they belong to. One’s tribal membership follows the fathers line, and the Kyrgyz are supposed to know the names of their ancestors 7 generations ago. However, those living in big cities have often forgotten their ancestors and their tribe. Now, where one is from means more than one’s tribe. The Kyrgyz’s traditions vary greatly depending on the region they are from. Rahat told me a story about the party his parents threw when they moved to a different region. As with every big party, Rahat’s parents slaughtered a sheep and delivered the meat according to the ages of those present. The oldest adults are supposed to get the best meat, and the youngest adult gets the worst meat. In the region that Rahat’s family was from, the sheep’s head is considered to be the worst meat, so they gave it to the youngest adult. They gave the oldest the best cut of meat. When the old man received the meat, he was offended and asked why they gave the youngest person the head. In that man’s tradition, you give the head to the most respected person present. So, the youngest and the oldest traded their meat and everyone was happy.
I’ve also learned that the Kyrgyz are very good at not wasting anything. If you went to dinner with a Kyrgyz family, though, you might have a really different impression. They will insist on putting tons of food on your plate, more than you can eat. To be polite, you should accept the food they give you, but you shouldn’t eat when you’re full. It is perfectly fine to leave a full plate of food on the table. They will just save your leftovers for breakfast the next day. They also save the bones to use in soup or feed the dog. Even spoiled food they don’t waste-they give whatever they don’t want to eat to the animals. They also save any containers they get from things they buy at the store, so that they can reuse them. During the summer, they can tons of fruit and vegetables. During the winter, they have enough canned fruit and vegetables that they don’t have to buy any. During the Soviet era, it was nearly impossible to get fresh fruit and vegetables in the winter, so the Kyrgyz are adept at canning. It’s a really good skill to have. The Kyrgyz always have lots of food stored up in case of emergency.
I also found out that Kyrgyz names have meanings. For instance, Rahat means “joyful”, Azamat means “good job”, and Aizada means “beauty of the moon”. I think it’s pretty cool that the names have meanings instead of just sounds.
I also found out that the Kyrgyz say that the Native Americans are their decedents. There are a lot of cultural similarities, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it is true. From what I’ve read about the Navajo, the Kyrgyz seem to share a somewhat similar culture. The Kyrgyz art patterns are also strikingly similar to Native American patterns.
Things have been going well for me the past few weeks. I’ve been learning how to cook a lot of new dishes. There are a lot less ingredients to choose from here, so I’m learning to be creative. Today I was able to make bread pretty similar to foccacio bread, deviled eggs, and beef strauganov. Last week, I also had an assignment for my Russian class to read about bishbarmak, one of the Kyrgyz’s favorite dishes. The day after I read it, I came home from class, opened the door to the apartment, and found Rahat’s mom there busy preparing to make bishbarmak. She taught me how to do it, and I have already made it twice since then. It is sooo tasty and simple to make. First, you boil a leg of lamb with salt for an hour and half. While it is boiling, you make noodles by hand. Making noodles by hand is much easier than I expected-all you use is flour, water, and salt. When the lamb is done cooking, you take out the meet and cook the noodles in the broth. Once they are done, you put the noodles, lamb, and onions together, and there you have beshbarmak. I hope I’ll learn to make some more Kyrgyz dishes before I leave. The Kyrgyz know how to make some tasty food very quickly.
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Karen White
non-member comment
Hi Genna
Hi Genna, Debbie sent me your blog. It is nice to hear from you. I never saw you to congratulate you on your engagement. I hope you and Rahat will be very happy. When do you plan on returning to the states? Will Rahat be returning with you? I am curious, how does the green card work? Does he have to wait for a period of time to get a job? Jobs here are really tough right now. Michigan is suffering. I feel so bad for all of the people out of work. Kate is sitting next to me and says hi Genna!!! I just returned home from work and am very tired. I am going to log off right now. I will keep tabs on your blog. Love, Karen