Finally a Chance to go Swimminmg

Day 21: I woke up happy to have clean cloths after successfully managing the washing machine twice! I’m working until lunch at the apartment again since the office is so cold. Temperatures will be in the 60s and 70s the rest of this week, so I’m hoping tomorrow will be more comfortable.

I prepared some materials for this Fulbright Specialist project before I left Kansas City, but I’m finding I need to revise a lot now that I know the culture and research knowledge here. I ran into Jon (K-State Fulbright Scholar) and the faculty member completing his Ph.D. at University of Kentucky. Though they were finished, they were gracious to keep me company while I ate. As I’m nearing the end of my project, it is strange that I’m just getting to know people and I’m already saying goodbye.

Jon and I talked about the different Fulbright programs. For his research, it is important to be in Central Asia and he is considering trying to extend his stay. If he can’t, I encouraged him to apply for the Fulbright Specialist roster so he might come back for a short-term project in the future. He has great connections, so it would be easy for him to match to a project. He is leaving for Karakol, so I won’t see him again before I leave. He was a huge help as I adjusted, so I hope we can connect back in Kansas.

In the afternoon, I presented my third topic for the faculty workshop – grant seeking and writing. I feel challenged to make the information relevant for diverse faculty (international relations, linguistics, pedagogy, psychology, engineering, medicine, etc.). We have a lot of resources for research and writing, so I am also careful to provide information about free and easy to access information. I’m grateful to the faculty who ask questions and provide feedback. I didn’t get back to the apartment until about 6:30 and spent the rest of the evening preparing for Thursday’s student talks and the faculty workshop.

Day 22: Finally, the weather is warming! The next few days will be in the 70’s. Now that I’ve been here over three weeks, I have worn nearly everything I packed. I have one shirt I haven’t worn because it was not warm enough for the cold, and it was very wrinkled. I packed a hair straightener, though I’m not sure why since I don’t use one at home. Fortunately, it made an excellent makeshift iron! Though I’m pretty sure no one cares if my shirt is ironed, I felt better knowing it was.

Since I’m leaving soon, my next few days are busy. This morning I talked to second-, third- and a few fourth-year psychology students about scholarly writing. I wish I had taught them earlier! Because autism is familiar to them, my examples were easy for them to grasp.

Also, psychology students are swimmers! I had two students share information about competitive swimming pools near the university. After a quick lunch break, I taught scholarly writing to English pedagogy students in the afternoon.

The faculty did not know I was at Ala-Too until the faculty workshops, so I was glad we were able to schedule. The faculty appreciated not only what I shared about scholarly writing, but also that I was a native English speaker. Though their students are learning to teach English, faculty are not native English speakers. They have EXCELLENT English skills, so I’m impressed that they still want this for their students.

After class, one of the students asked the best question I’ve heard so far. She asked, “If you were a student in this class and could ask the speaker (me) any question, what would it be?” I didn’t have to think long. I had just talked about using peer-reviewed journal articles instead of just books to guide their writing. I told her I would ask how to get those articles ... which is another talk I’ve been giving.

After class, the teachers invited me to tea. It was such a kind gesture and tea breaks are one of the things I’ve come to love about the culture here. Unfortunately, it was a quick break as I needed to meet a faculty member to review a proposal.

The workshop this afternoon was about Teaching and Motivating Students to Conduct Research. This one was tough as I believe teachers have different strategies and skills for motivating students. I made this talk interactive by sharing what the evidence suggests and asking what teachers do. It was a good forum for learning from each other. They are a diverse and busy faculty, so I don’t think they have much time to share ideas.

After the workshop, I checked in with Dinara to be sure I was ready for the seminar the next day. I also asked for help contacting the pool. The one the two the students shared only offered three-month and one-year passes, so they were not options for me. However, Dinara found me a place where I could get a one-day visitor’s pass.

Mutarbek drove me to the flat to change quickly and then he drove me to the pool. When I got there, communication was a challenge. Though Dinara had called ahead, there were several options to use the gym, pool, or both. The person helping me kept pointing to a price of 3500 som (over $50) and I knew that was way too much to swim once.

Google translate was NO help. I don’t think it is very accurate from English to Kyrgyz. Fortunately, someone saw me struggling and helped. She studied in the United States and was fluent in English. Even after she helped me pay ($5.75), I was nearly turned away again. At this pool you must have a swim cap (I did) and “slippers” for walking on the deck.

I offered to buy some, but they only had children’s sizes they refused to sell to me. I was finally offered some plastic baggies to put over my shoes so I could enter the pool area. Once in the pool area, I still had to navigate signs I couldn’t read. I waited until someone came out of the locker room so I would know which was men’s and women’s. Then I had to figure out the signs at the end of the lanes.

I finally just jumped in the one with the least swimmers. After more than a month it was GREAT to be in the pool. This was a very difficult pool for swim training. The buoys on the lane lines were small, so the water was very rough. There were no T’s painted on the wall (only on the bottom) so it was hard to know where to turn. The walls were high, so competitive butterfly and breaststroke turns were impossible. But the backstroke flags were most challenging. They should be placed 5 meters from the wall so the swimmer knows when to turn. These were placed just a couple of feet from the wall, so I hit the wall several times. I also had to navigate kids and slower swimmers, but it was worth it.

When I got out of the pool and tried to walk to the locker room with plastic baggies on my feet, I about wiped out! The deck felt soapy and it was like skating instead of walking. I wish I could have taken a picture, because I’m sure I looked ridiculous. I will appreciate my swim routine when I get home!

My Novelty as an American Visitor is Starting to Fade

Day 19: I’m back to work getting ready for the faculty workshops. I’m excited to be promoting research with faculty instead of students this week. I feel a little unsettled that I have seen none of the notifications about the workshop I’ll provide.

Faculty here tend to use WhatsApp (like texting) rather than official university email, even to share information with their students. I have been introduced as professor and an expert in public health, so I am guessing I’m prepared to introduce myself.

I’m noticing some changes now that I’ve been here awhile. The first week, I always had company for lunch. Today I found myself searching for company in the lunchroom. I asked to join two Americans (I think one is now a Kyrgyz citizen). They had been talking sports, but the conversation shifted to culture and politics. It was interesting to hear the male perspective of women’s roles in Kyrgyzstan I have observed.

We also talked about how the novelty of an American visitor decreases over time. That is likely why I need to make more effort to connect with people. The upside of my novelty decreasing, is I’m finding more quiet time to work. I need this time to adequately prepare for the workshop. The first workshop went well, with lots of questions afterward. I’m also getting more requests to review proposals, so it feels good to be contributing to Ala-Too’s research.

Day 20: My office is still FREEZING (colder than outside!), so I’ve been working at my warm apartment until lunch. Today my work is again focused on the workshop. For the first time, I had just a quick lunch alone.

 I was grateful for an invitation for Turkish coffee in the afternoon. I’ve never had it and found the thick, rich coffee a nice energizer. I’m always impressed by the detail invested in a coffee (or tea) break. The cups and saucers were beautiful and the homemade baked goods delicious.

 It was nice to have friendly conversation, and I learned more about the Turkish schools in Kyrgyz Republic and the challenges Turkish educators face. In the afternoon, I reviewed a problem statement for an application for an engineering program in Japan. The application requires faculty and professional collaboration, so the professional joined us. I’m finding there is great interest in studying outside Kyrgyz Republic to gain knowledge and skills that can be brought back to the country.

This application illustrated the problem of flooding as a natural disaster and the need for better water control. The work I review has good organization and strong arguments, but lacks citation and needs editing for grammar and English usage. I also notice I’m reviewing applications/proposals just days before they are due. I think this is partly because people are just meeting me, but also because time management is not emphasized here.

Day 21: I woke up happy to have clean cloths after successfully managing the washing machine twice! I’m working until lunch at the apartment again since the office is so cold. Temperatures will be in the 60s and 70s the rest of this week, so I’m hoping tomorrow will be more comfortable. I prepared some materials for this Fulbright Specialist project before I left Kansas City, but I’m finding I need to revise a lot now that I know the culture and research knowledge here.

Tales of Tall Towers, Yurts and Eagles!

The view from on top of the tower

Day 17: It is still cold, so my hiking trip was postponed. With the weekend free, I decided to take a guided trip to Issyk Kyl Lake, the world’s second-largest alpine lake. Because it never freezes, it is considered a “warm lake.” Nearly everyone I’ve met has suggested I visit the lake and surrounding area.

I was very fortunate my guide to Ala Archa, Alex, was able to arrange a trip on short notice. He couldn’t take me, so he sent his friend Bakyt, who is from Kyrgyzstan. Because it is a long (three- to- four-hour) trip, they arranged a few stops to break up the drive.
First, we visited Burana Tower, a minaret with religious and military significance from the Ninth to 11th centuries. Around the tower is an open-air museum with grave markers, petroglyphs, and stone tools from the area and time when the tower was prominent.


The integrity of the stones and tower were impressive given the age. Views from the top of the tower are beautiful, but the stairs are very steep and narrow. On the way back to the car, I stopped to listen to a mountain stream. One of my favorite things about this area is how many streams there are running through the mountains and city.

Next, we stopped for lunch at an area with a few roadside restaurants. After walking through several to talk to the cooks, Bakyt chose a table outside because they had the food he wanted me to try ready.

There were several stoves in front of the restaurants and Bakyt explained they were all making tea. We had a special bread made only in the area of Kyrgyzstan near Konchorek Canyon. We dipped the warm, buttery bread in a fresh cream mixture as we ate. I’m growing accustomed to eating from a shared plate, but Bakyt made a special request for an extra plate for me this meal. Around me, everyone else ate from shared plates or from a napkin. All the tables had baskets of boiled eggs in the middle. I had one with my bread and tea, making the perfect lunch before hiking.

While we ate, a large group came looking for tables. One of the men had a bottle of vodka and box of juice. Bakyt said they were headed to a party, and I gathered this was their “pre-party.” The tables were full, so the men sat on the floor at one table and the women at another tall table. They were boisterous, fun and I heard “American” several times. Bakyt helped us share a few words.

After lunch, we headed to Konchorek Canyon/Boom Gorge. The area was very different from Ala-Archa National Park, arid with dry brush on the trails. We walked along a mostly dry river bed much of the way. There were a few places we needed to climb to stay on the path, so I was grateful to have an experienced guide.

Bakyt is the only person I’ve hiked with that likes to keep a fast pace, which I prefer. Bakyt said it is typically a three-hour hike, but we finished in two. Though we walked briskly, there was plenty of time to take pictures of the beautiful red rock formations along the way. We were lucky the weather had warmed up and we had a beautiful, sunny day for hiking. We saw no other hikers, so it was very relaxing. It felt good to be moving briskly after sitting at a computer most of the week.

The drive to Issyk Kul Lake felt short after our hike. Little did I know we had a long way ahead to reach our accommodations for the night. We had a beautiful drive along the lake for about an hour. The pastures were full of cows, horses, sheep, and even one camel. The drive was slow in places as Bakyt navigated pot holes and animals in the road.

Eventually, we turned off the main road to meet the owner of the home where we would stay. It was growing dark and the home is in a remote area of the mountains that is difficult to find if you are not from the area. We left Bakyt’s car at a farm near the main road and rode the rest of the way with the Aitbek, the home owner. We had another half hour on a country dirt road driving 2-3 mph to avoid ruts and rocks.

The “guest house” where I stayed was the family home. Aitbek and his family moved out of their room for Bakyt, and I shared the living room with Anja, who was on volunteer work exchange from Poland. The family has a Yurt Camp on their property, but it is closed for the winter. The Yurt Camp has shower and bathroom (with Western toilet!), but it is also closed since the pipes can’t withstand the cold. I was told we would “use nature” instead.

The home itself has no indoor plumbing and is heated with a coal stove in the main room. The other rooms do not have heat, but have thick walls. Just outside the front door is a sink with mirror and grooming supplies. The water is heated on the stove and poured into a reservoir for hand washing and grooming.

When we arrived, the women were making beshbarmek, the traditional noodle dish with horsemeat I’ve had a few times. I was hungry and happy to help prepare the dish. Dinner was a traditional meal of horse meat, beshbarmak, salads, and breads. It was served in the family room where it was warm with seating on chairs and the floor surrounding a coffee table. It was a true family meal with grandma, both parents and two children inviting me, Bakyt and Anja to eat with them. The men were working to put the animals away, so they joined us after the meal had begun. Most of the conversation was in Kyrgyz, with Bakyt translating to English only when the family wanted to share information with me. It was a long meal (an hour and a half), and I was getting tired, especially since I could not engage in conversation. Afterward, I offered to help clean, but the hosts declined.

I sat with Grandma watching the Kyrgyz version of American Idol. Bakyt found it funny that she knew every modern pop star when he quizzed her. Around 10, I headed for bed in the VERY cold room I was sharing with Anja. I put on every piece of clothing I had with me and even with 2 pairs of socks needed to wrap a scarf around my feet. The bedding was more comfortable than in my apartment, and I shed some layers as I warmed up. Because there was no indoor bathroom, I was careful to have only a little tea with dinner.

 Even so, by 4:30 a.m. I had to make a trip outside. It was pitch black in the house, and I couldn’t find my phone to light the way, but I was able to make it out without waking anyone. When I opened the door to the clearest night I have ever seen, it felt like a gift rather than a burden to use the restroom outside. The stars were so bright and felt so close it was like I could touch them. It didn’t even feel that could when surrounded by such beauty. I wish I’d had my phone to attempt a picture, but I’m sure it wouldn’t capture what I was seeing.

Day 18: The next morning, I woke with the animals. I could hear the cows and another loud persistent sound that I guessed to be eagles. It was very cold, so I kept on the clothes I slept in and added some layers.

Breakfast was eggs, horse
meat, breads, jams, and some of the fruits and nuts from the night before. It was nice that we all ate together again. After breakfast, the Aitbek changed to traditional dress to show us how he trains his eagles for hunting. I was disappointed I missed the show they put on for tourists the night before, but this was much better! He and his son, Saladin, went out to prepare the animals for training.

Aitbek is a fourth generation eagle hunter, and Saladin is the fifth generation of his family learning the tradition. With Saladin on horseback and his father carrying the eagle, we walked away from the farm so the eagle would not be tempted to attack the domestic animals. The eagle’s eyes were covered to save his energy for hunting. I was surprised at how loud and insistent the eagle’s vocalizations were. The hunter explained that for the first five years eagles call for their mothers, even if they are in the wild. He also explained that eagles are either incubated, hatched and trained from birth, or captured in the wild and trained for hunting. A good eagle, with a brave heart will hunt for 10-15 years before being released. They can live many more years, the hunter said up to age 50.

Most hunting eagles are female as they are bigger and more aggressive hunters than male eagles. As the bird trained, it was apparent he had a strong bond with the hunter. Training included being placed on a rock and coming when called, attacking a fox pelt drug behind a horse, and hunting a live rabbit.

Training only takes place when the eagle needs to eat, and if the eagle eats a whole rabbit it will not eat again for three days. The eagle is trained to guard the prey until the hunter gives a command to release it or eat. While I didn’t love watching a rabbit killed, I appreciate it is a natural food chain and the training allows the family to keep an important tradition alive for future generations.

I observed a strong connection and between the eagle and hunter, as well as respect for all the animals. After training, I got to hold the eagle and found it to be quite heavy (10-13 pounds). We took turns holding the eagle and taking pictures. All this took place with a stunning backdrop of snowy mountains and Issyk Kul Lake in the distance.

After eagle training, I sat with grandma as we waited to return to town. Because of my background in therapy, people often ask me health questions. I noticed the night before Grandma was short of breath and had a deep cough. She has symptoms of COPD or emphysema and seems very uncomfortable at times. Through Bakyt and Anja we talked about some treatments available in the United States. There is very little access to health care in the remote villages, so it makes me sad that grandma is uncomfortable and her health is unlikely to improve.

Aitbek drove us to pick up Bakyt’s car. Anja, Saladin and his falcon rode with us. Aitbek and Saladin said eagle and falcon hunting help keep things interesting during the long winter. Saladin’s falcon had been captured just 10 days before and was already calm for the drive and quite well trained for hunting.

Our next stop was to visit a yurt builder. His work area was all outdoors and he showed me the equipment and process for creating the yurt’s wood frame. He steams the wood in a long metal container so it is pliable, then bends it into shape. He then shaves the bark to clean it and paints it red. Traditionally they used the red earth to color the wood, but now the wood is painted.

He also showed me how cow hide connects the wood to create the accordion framework for the yurt’s perimeter. He builds the frame, but relies on another craftsman for the handmade felt. He had a couple of examples of wool felt for me to feel. Inside, his wife demonstrated how to weave the bands that bind and decorate the yurt. She used a traditional loom to create a decorative interior band. She was also very patient to teach me the art.

It took us about 20 minutes to weave 3 inches of the band. Though I know she is much quicker alone, she must spend as much time weaving as her husband does creating the frame. There were 2 stacks of yurt bands/trim each about 3-4 feet high for one yurt, and she wasn’t done! I also got to help strap together the frame of a yurt replica they use to educate guests. Though I was a bit disappointed I didn’t get to see a full-size yurt, I was impressed with the time and skill invested in creating one. After the demonstration, Bakyt needed directions to the lake, and the yurt builder drew the best route on the dirt road. No internet or cell connection for Google Maps here!

We had a brief stop to the lake to take some pictures. The water felt like it was in the low 60’s and was very calm. I would love to swim in it! The air temperature was still chilly (40s-50s), so I would need some warm clothes and a hot drink when I got out. Maybe next time!

 Issyk Kul apples are known to be the best Kyrgyzstan, so Bakyt stopped to buy some for his family. I took a few pictures of the typical homes, barns and animals while he was making his purchase. The area is very pretty. We resumed our trip home and I took a few pictures of the pastures filled with cows, horses, sheep, and even a camel.

   Again, we ran into many animals in the road making our return through the country slow. When we reached the highway, it still felt slow as Bakyt carefully obeyed the speed limit. There were a lot of police along the way flagging down motorists and issuing tickets. Bakyt made a comment that he wouldn’t mind if the money went to the government, but he didn’t appreciate the luxury cars and large homes of the police. He is not the first to imply corruption in the government.

About halfway, we stopped for lunch at a modern roadside cafeteria. Bakyt pointed out a separate room for drivers who get free meals when they stop with tour groups. I noticed this is one of the few places with a ramp for accessibility, but it is very steep and would still be a challenge for people with mobility challenges. Of course, I took a picture for my OT colleagues.

 After lunch we still had a long drive, so I dozed a bit. I woke up when we checked the tires. Fortunately, no problems on the way back to Bishkek. I’m glad I woke up because our drive took us along the Kazakhstan border. I was able to see two check points for border crossing, and barbed wire along the river that divides the two countries. As we neared Bishkek, the first thing I could see were the large smokestacks of an energy plant. This is the first time I noticed the pollution as the view of the mountains was hazy from the smoke.

I was happy to return to my apartment for internet and a nice warm shower. I was especially proud to conquer the washing machine. After a fun weekend, I am ready to get back to work.