Day 24: My first Saturday in Bishkek, I couldn’t manage transportation and was stuck at my apartment on a beautiful day. My last Saturday more than made up for it, starting at 8 a.m. and ending after 1 a.m. am. On Teachers Day, I first met Ala-too faculty and my first invitation was to hike with Nizira’s (faculty member) sister. It was such a kind offer, and I was excited as I had just learned I would not have work obligations on the weekend.
Nurmira wasn’t available until my second weekend, and I anxiously awaited our trip. Unfortunately, weather was cold and snowy, so we decided to postpone. I’m so glad we did! The hike was worth the wait.
First, Nurmira was a quick friend, and I enjoyed her company. She is an independent, modern woman with ambitions to travel and own a place in city center with a garden. Though in her early/mid 30s, she has chosen not to marry or have children yet, which she pointed out is unusual for Kyrgyz women. She credits her parents for letting her make her own choices in her life.
We talked the entire 40-minute drive to the mountains where we would hike. Also, unusual in Kyrgyz culture, she is a very physically active woman (hiking, skiing, gym, etc.). As she shared her activities, I was hoping I could keep up during our hike!
Numira was also very kind to point out sites along the way. There was a mountain resort with cabins and yurts, and a Soviet era Russian bath. The building was not very pretty, so I would never have recognized what it was.
We arrived at Sokuluk (Belogorka) Gorge at the same time as a small tour group. Though they started ahead of us, we quickly caught some of them. It was good they were there, because the place was new to both me and Nurmira. She knew we needed to cross a bridge, but didn’t know where it was. After walking about 20 minutes we ran into some women searching for their group. They were on the other side of the river already in a large open pasture.
We backtracked to find a “bridge” hanging precariously over rough water. It didn’t look entirely safe, so I admit I watched a few people cross as I considered my options. When a dog hopped across like it was no big deal, I decided it was probably ok. The bridge was pretty secure, but there were open spots where part of it had eroded, and some branches and wood covered places where the bridge tilted. I was glad it was a short crossing.
This hike followed the water through open pastures and a few wooded areas. It was soothing to hear the mountain stream rushing as we walked. The tour group was spread out, so there were people with us through most of the first part of the hike. After a couple of hours, we emerged to a large pasture circled by a quiet stream. It was the perfect of example of calming nature, and we stopped to rest and take pictures for a while.
The tour group was slow, so we decided to continue forward on our own. We crossed the water again and the path became more narrow and wooded. We wanted to find the waterfall and thought following the water would lead us there. The path became more wooded as we walked along some rocks. We had snow in places and the water was rough. We ran into some Germans who told us we were past the waterfall and it was dried up. One was across the river and the other two recognized it was a dangerous place to cross.
Nurmira and I walked along the river about an hour before deciding we should rest and have something to eat. She kindly shared her tea with raspberry jam and boiled eggs. Her lunch was much healthier than the prepackaged sandwich I brought. As we walked back, we ran into someone we recognized from the tour. He told us he had visited the waterfall and we were about 1.5 kilometers past it. When we returned to the pasture, the tour group was still there resting and eating. Nurmira told me they get dropped off for the day, so they wouldn’t head back to the city until close to 8 p.m. We had to cross the river again, and I’m embarrassed to admit I slipped on the easiest crossing and my ankle got wet. Fortunately, my boots were waterproof, so I was still comfortable. After asking a few more people, we headed up the mountain to look for the waterfall. We thought we might not find it again, but finally heard running water.
When we found the river, we still had to find the source and cross the water AGAIN. This crossing was a bit more challenging as the water moved quickly and there was some ice. Nurmira let me use one of her trekking poles, and it helped tremendously. Being able to plant the pole for balance gave me the confidence to finish the hike.
Since the tour group had already visited, we had time and space to appreciate the waterfall and ice formations. Nurmira calls it the ‘Mystic” waterfall because we weren’t sure it actually existed. After visiting the waterfall, we still had over two hours of hiking to get back to the car. I was glad it was easy, because we were able to talk as we walked, so the return went quickly. We estimated we hiked at least 13 kilometers with our venturing past the waterfall and backtracking. We walked past the bridge on the return too! We are not the most direct with our route. When we crossed the bridge the first time, there were several people crossing at the same time. This time we were the only people crossing, so it was a little easier.
The climb up from the river was NOT easy! We couldn’t find the path we took down, so we had to scale the mountain to get back up. When we finally got back to the car, we were dirty, tired and hungry. Nurmira suggested we stop at Supera on the way back. The complex has a few big yurts for parties, and several small ones for dining. I was excited to finally spend time in a yurt! It was decorated with traditional wool wall hangings and had a stove in the middle (though we didn’t need heat). We had a light dinner of borsaak, soup and tea. Perfect to get us home for evening activities.
Taalaigul invited me to Faiza, which is well-liked by locals for its traditional Kyrgyz foods. She ordered enough food for a family and only wanted soup for herself! The place had great Laghman, manty and salad. We also ordered kebabs and bread, but I was too full to even try them. We talked non-stop, so it was a long dinner.
Afterward, we took a walk and she showed me some of the sites. I recognized the Philharmonia from the ballet, and was glad to learn what some of the other beautiful buildings were. Taalaigul suggested coffee at a shop in the building where she works on Saturdays. She went to a training in the States, and when she returned she started a non-profit “think tank” to encourage evidence-based decisions in politics. The coffee shop was in a very modern area, and I loved the panda they made on my cappuccino.
Day 25: I was hoping to sleep in after the late night, but was wide awake by 7a.m. At least this allowed me to prepare my observations and recommendations for the next day. A little before noon, I got help with a taxi and headed to a café, to meet an American I met at Ala-too International University.
Ned was a visiting scholar from Kentucky to a different Kyrgyz university 14 years ago. He returned to the States for a short time, but has now been in Bishkek for 12 years. He has an interesting perspective on the city and the university after living there so long. He would have been a great resource to recommend cafes & bars if I had met him earlier. I was surprised at how modern his neighborhood was and how well the staff spoke English. Such a contrast from the soviet style apartments and tiny market in my neighborhood.
It was nice to connect with Ned for a couple of hours. It was raining when we finished, so Ned helped me get a taxi to a nearby mall. This was the only cab driver who tried to rip me off. Though we negotiated the price before driving, he didn’t want to give me my change. He also dropped me off a couple of intersections from the mall. I got my $, but was happy to get out of the taxi rather than fight with him about it.
The mall was crowded with teenagers since it was raining. I was looking for a few last-minute souvenirs to take home, but didn’t find much. I did find a huge play place for kids. It’s the one where Eliza’s nephew played all day before falling asleep on me driving to Eliza’s house.
I crossed the street to a different mall and was a bit surprised when I entered. It looks modern outside, but inside it resembles some of the older markets we’ve visited. The stores are open on the top, almost like giant cubicles. I was able to find some stores with traditional Kyrgyz clothing and other items, but wasn’t sure what I wanted.
Eliza was meeting me, so I waited for her opinion. She helped me choose some scarves, hats and a purse…shopping complete! Even in the malls, prices can be negotiated, so I’m sure Eliza could have gotten me a better deal if I’d been patient, but I was just happy to be done. We were waiting to meet Damira at a café, so we continued shopping. Eliza found some nice jewelry. After a couple of hours, we were wondering if our coffee/dinner was cancelled.
When we finally got in touch with her, we found out she had gone to Bublik where she thought we were meeting, but her phone was dead. She picked us up, and we all went together. I was again surprised by the modern coffee shop with American style Halloween decorations on the front. I also found it funny that I ended my day at the same place Ned suggested we start, Bublik.
It was late when I got back to the flat, so I was glad I did most of my work in the morning. I did a little more planning for my last day of work, and a little packing. Time is moving quickly these last few days.
We continued talking and soon it was after midnight. Taalaigul is bright and driven, so I could have talked to her all night. As it was, I didn’t get back to the apartment until after 1 a.m.
Day 26: Seems a little surreal this is my last full day in Kyrgyzstan. When I arrived, the days dragged at times as I learned how to adjust to Kyrgyzstan and Ala-Too University, especially when I didn’t have transportation. Now there are not enough hours to wrap things up and say good-bye.
Although I was up late again, I awoke early. This gave me a little time to organize and pack before I left for my last day at Ala-Too. Nurdin and Dinara were waiting in the international office when I arrived. Because this was described to me as a round table discussion, I prepared notes to guide my thoughts. Often there is miscommunication about expectations of my role, and this was no exception. Nurdin asked for my PowerPoint slides to load on the computer and I had to explain how I had prepared. Though he assured me it was “no problem.” I frantically transferred my notes to slides just in case. As I was preparing, Mariam arrived from the embassy. It was nice to see her supportive face. We were escorted to the round table where the rector, vice rector of science, and several deans were waiting. The vice rector of academic affairs joined a bit later. The vice rectors and some dean’s understand no or limited English, so Nurdin translated. I hope they will considering having some of their interpretation students at events like this in the future.
The rector introduced me and the event, and then handed the discussion over to me. I started by pointing out the many strengths I observed at Ala-Too, including the hardworking, talented faculty. I also asked them to share any strengths they wanted to add. Participants only shared their perspective when invited, so I was careful to encourage them throughout the discussion.
I pointed out some of the challenges I observed related to research, including heavy teaching loads, government requirements for 50-page theses, and the need for additional resources. With several decision-makers in the room, some faculty used this opportunity to voice their needs. I also encouraged solutions, like having different “tracks” so faculty could use their strengths related to teaching, research and/or service.
The faculty were quite receptive to this idea. The leadership explained some of the government requirements for teachers, which seemed in conflict with what I proposed. Some faculty, however, pointed out they were a private institution and could have more flexibility with government requirements. I think leadership will be challenged to consider new approaches.
Mariam had to leave, so we paused for the rector to present her a certificate. I was surprised to also be presented a certificate and a beautiful coat to thank me for my work. James had sent gifts for me to share too, but after two weeks, the package still hadn’t arrived.
After the round table, I said good-bye to several faculty and staff, Including Dinara, who wrote the Fulbright Specialist proposal and coordinated my visit. Nurdin and Kyzzhibek had work to do, so Taalaigul took me to lunch in the faculty cafeteria. It was mid-term exam week, so the cafeteria was the busiest I had seen it.
Ned and Yulia joined us, and I was glad to have a chance to say good-bye to two faculty who showed me much kindness. Taalaigul and I had a lengthy lunch conversation and a big hug good-bye. She has a current Fulbright Scholar proposal submitted and is working on other proposals. She would be an asset at KUMC, so I hope she will consider opportunities with us.
Dinara had asked me for my notes from the round-table, so after lunch I cleaned them up to share. I noticed several faculty took notes individually, but no one took minutes for the group. I took detailed notes, so hopefully they can use them as minutes. I needed to send a student talk, sign medicine student certificates, and to close the WIFI account Nurdin had helped me open. I was frustrated when Nurdin told me I would need to go to the store where we opened the account to close it.
It took a few hours to wrap things up. Nurdin and I were invited to enjoy Turkish coffee again, which was a nice way to officially conclude my time on campus. Nurdin And Kyzzhibek helped me gather my things and get a taxi. Kyzzhibek had to run an errand for the office, so was happy to have her company for part of the ride. It was the first time I had been alone with her since our lunch and walk on campus my first week. I had taken pictures of Kyzzhibek that were used for the blog and hadn’t asked her permission. I shared that I was embarrassed about it and she assured me it was ok and sounded pleased some of her friends had seen it. She was gracious, and I was relieved to have closure. She gave me a warm hug, then I continued my ride to the apartment to pack.
I was meeting Eliza & Dimara for dinner, so I asked Eliza if she could help me with my WIFI situation. I didn’t have much time to pack before she arrived with her mother and son. I was glad to be able to say good-bye to them in person, as her mother was the first person to welcome me to her home! She also wanted to check out the apartment as they might rent it this summer for visitors. Too bad it was a mess! “American Boy”, Aiden, wanted to get down to explore, so I had fun distracting him with fist bumps as I talked to Eliza and her mom. I hope to stay in touch with her mom to support her dream of starting a psychology practice with Ala-Too students. It may take a while since Eliza’s dad still needs help after his stroke, but her mom has the energy of 10 people, so I think she will do it.
When they left, Eliza called about my WIFI. I’m so glad she did! The account will automatically expire in 2 months, so we didn’t need to go to the store. Eliza works in recruiting/HR, so she knows how to ask the right questions and be persistent to get an answer. We forgot to get her mom’s phone, so getting a taxi to the restaurant was a challenge AGAIN. We both said next time we visit Kyrgyzstan we would bring an old phone and use one of the free SIM cards they hand out at the airport. Not having a local number is a big barrier. Eliza called her mom to get us a cab, so thank goodness for family.
We circled around a bit to find the restaurant. Again, Eliza’s persistence and knowledge of the language was helpful. The taxi driver dropped us at the wrong Korean restaurant and it looked a little sketchy. She communicated with the driver who took us a little further to the right place. Dimara was running late, so we had an hour to talk about our families and career paths.
I was curious how she ended up in HR. She is American, so it is easy to forget she grew up under communism. She shared that she was in medical school when Kyrgyzstan gained independence, and the education system changed while she was studying. Admittance was based more on money than qualifications, and this was especially true for medical and law programs.
She decided to study language (English), with intent to become a teacher. She said studying English opened a lot of doors for her. I knew Eliza worked to help support her family while in school, but didn’t know she had changed her own career/education path as well. Her ability to speak English helped her get a job on an air force base. I was appalled to hear she earned only $50 per month when I’m sure American’s earned much more.
Her connections at the Air Force base led to civilian contract work in Afghanistan, where she lived inexpensively and sent most of her paycheck home to her family. She was there two years before moving to the United States. She started work translating documents and transitioned to HR. As she described her path, I could see how her warm personality and drive would be powerful in networking and creating opportunities. She hadn’t thought about it that way, but admitted she is good with people. She recently moved from Houston to Austin and was just thinking of returning to work after having Aiden when her father had his stroke. She has good connections, so I’m sure she’ll find a good job when she returns. Though I’m sorry her father’s stroke is what caused her to return to Kyrgyzstan, I’m glad she has been able to spend time with her mom and family while Aiden is young. I imagine it will be hard to leave her mom to return home.
Dimara arrived with her kids about an hour late, which is not unusual in Kyrgyzstan. Eliza and I had already ordered, so the food came soon after they arrived. Her kids are so cute and well behaved. They are also adventurous eaters, enjoying some of the spicy foods we ordered along with their sushi.
We shared family pictures, and the kids love pictures and videos of my dogs. I had already shared pictures of Grace, our golden retriever who passed away. When I saw Damira’s son in a Spiderman shirt, I thought to show them a picture of Ruedi, our St. Bernard puppy, in his Spiderman Halloween costume. They had just watched Beethoven and liked the video of Ruedi running around playing with his toys.
I’ve only met one person with an indoor pet (cat), as most stay outside and find their own food. Damira said no dog or cat in their apartment, but they’ve had fish and a hamster for the kids. At the end of dinner, Damira showed me the homemade raspberry jam she wanted me to bring home. It was packed in glass, so she got a funnel from the server to transfer it to an empty plastic bottle…clever! The jam is so good and I can’t wait to share it with people.
Eliza and I needed help getting a taxi again. Even native speakers with local numbers are challenged sometimes. Damira had to call twice for us and we still weren’t sure it was coming, so Eliza also called her mom. As we were calling, Damira’s daughter saw a taxi waiting … the first one we had called. We said our good-byes, and the kids were so cute saying good-bye in English. My time in Kyrgyzstan was more meaningful with Eliza & Damira welcoming me to their families. Hugging Eliza good-bye was bittersweet, though I’m sure I will see her again in the U.S.
When I got to the apartment, I still had about an hour of organizing and packing to do. I’m definitely leaving with more than when I arrived. I needed to pack carefully because Turkish Airlines & United have different rules. When I finally went to sleep, I had less than 5 hours before I would leave the apartment.
Day 27: Nurdin told me a taxi would pick me up at 4:30am, so I was up by 3:45 to get ready. I was showered and dressed, but still had wet hair when someone knocked on my door at 4:10. The apartment owners were there to tell me the taxi was waiting. I tried to communicate the pick-up time was 4:30 and I wasn’t ready, but they don’t understand English. I went back inside to dry my hair and then wrote down the time to show them.
When I opened the door, there were three young men waiting with the apartment owner. They are Ala-too students who translated for us. When the apartment owners understood, I very quickly finished packing and the young men carried my heavy bags downstairs. I thanked them and asked them why they were awake at 4 a.m., to which they quickly replied, “midterm exams.” The students take up to nine exams in one week, so no wonder I had heard footsteps above me at all hours the last few days.
They asked me what department I worked with, and were surprised I was on a project for all students and faculty. They were so helpful and polite. I wish I’d met them earlier. On the long drive to the airport, Nurdin called the driver twice to see if I was close. Nurdin asked to talk to me, which I found funny since I had no idea where the airport was or how long it would take. It was kind of him to get up early to say good-bye and be sure I safely departed. At the airport, the taxi driver couldn’t make change, so there was a bit of a wait. I was grateful Taailaigul had advised I arrive early and explained the check in process.
There is security to enter the airport, check in, passport control and more security. The signs and lines are confusing, and very few people speak English, so her advice was helpful. Unfortunately, Turkish Airlines would not check my bag all the way to Kansas City, so I knew my long travel would be complicated by checking and rechecking bags in Frankfurt and Washington D.C. I allowed plenty of time, so I had an hour to get coffee and spend the rest of my money before departing. I’m glad my last few days were busy, because it still hasn’t sunk in that I may not see people I’ve grown close too for a very long time.
Travel from Bishkek to Turkey went smoothly. When I arrived in Turkey, I was a little confused as it looked completely different from when I arrived. The airport was sparse and looked like it belonged in a developing country when I arrived, and now it was modern with lots of places for shopping and eating. Often arrivals and departures look different, so I didn’t think much of it. I was more concerned that I had no Turkish currency and couldn’t get food.
It wasn’t until later that I realized I had travelled through the BRAND NEW airport. It had only opened the day before. I wish I had been aware enough to take a picture. I was early to my departure gate and had time to relax before it got crowded. As the crowd grew, one man was very agitated with airline staff. A young (20ish) staff member and the man started yelling at one another. They were in each other faces and had to be forcefully separated. The man was slamming his passport on the desk and threw it and his tickets at the staff several times. Another passenger stepped between him and airline staff to de-escalate, but he kept returning.
Eventually he calmed down, but did not leave the area. I boarded early and was happy to have an empty middle seat beside me. However, the last person to board was the angry man and his family, and he sat right next to me. He was travelling with older relatives, so I’m guessing he was aggravated that he was not allowed into the pre-boarding area to help him. Fortunately, he was much calmer for the flight and there were no issues.
In Germany, I had exit the airport, collect my bag at baggage claim and check in again. There was passport control and security when I exited AND when I re-entered. Though the German’s are efficient and everything is in German (which I understand!) & English, the process still took over an hour. I’m dragging around 2 big bags, so that made it even harder. I had a long layover, so there was still time to have a pretzel and beer before my long flight to Washington D.C. I haven’t had beer in a LONG time, so it was a huge treat.
The flight to Washington D.C. was easy, and quiet so I slept a few hours. Good that I got a little rest, because the process when I arrived was grueling. I had to do the typical passport and customs, but because my flight to KC wasn’t until the next day, I also had to pick up my large suitcase again. There were two places for baggage claim, so I needed staff to direct me to where I could find mine. Communicating in English is such a luxury! I will never again take for granted how easy I have it as a native English speaker. I had to pick up my bag in connecting flights even though I was departing the airport. I rechecked my bag through to KC so I wouldn’t have to drag it around. I’m glad I did because I had to walk/train back to arrival baggage area to get a shuttle to the hotel. It took about 45 minutes to get from the connection gates to arrivals, then even longer to find hotel shuttle pick-up. No complaints though. I’m thrilled to be back in the states, and the comforts of the hotel (warm enclosed shower, western toilet, soft bedding) reaffirmed that. Though I’ll only have a few hours of sleep, I know the rest will make my final flight home easier.
