Archive sections: ‘Life In Kyrgyzstan’
Michael J. Fox encountered a number of dilemmas as Marty McFly in the 1985 Stephen Spielberg film, “Back to the Future”. One of those dilemmas gave the film it’s title – having been thrust 50 years into the past, how was Fox/McFly to return home? The film was a great success: it was the highest [...]
The Chopo Choor is one of the oldest of Kyrgyz traditional instruments. Originally a children’s toy, (hence it is not difficult to play), it has developed into an instrument with a fine timbre and in the hands of a master can produce haunting melodies. Originally it was found mainly in the rural areas in the south of [...]
Among the numerous national instruments the most widespread and popular is the komuz, which has rich repertoire. It is a stringed instrument, made from a single piece of wood (apricot or juniper are the favoured timbers), and plucked like a guitar. While playing it, the three strings are clasped by the left hand to the [...]
Beshbarmak is, perhaps, the most typical of all Kyrgyz dishes. The dish is meant to be eaten with the hands, not with a knife and fork! – “Besh” means five, and “barmak”, finger. Beshbarmak is served when guests arrive and at almost any festive gathering. This meal consists of noodles, which are mixed with boiled [...]
There is an English saying that “Rules are made to be broken, but traditions are to be kept”. This could easily be a Kyrgyz motto – especially when it comes to traditions associated with age. Toi : There are several occasions when it is traditional to hold a party to mark some milestone in the [...]
On Saturday, I was invited to a birthday party … not just any old birthday party, a Tushoo Kyrgkuu, a party to celebrate a child’s first birthday. Amongst the Kyrgyz this is a an important rite of passage for a child growing up, and I felt very honoured and privileged to have been invited to [...]
The unusual combination of letters in “Kyrgyzstan” often draws jokes and remarks featuring “Alphabet Soup” and a potential high score in Scrabble, (a basic 30 without any bonus for using a double or triple letter, or word, squares - needing a well placed opening, the only K, the Z and both the Y tiles – not to mention the additional bonus [...]
Everyone kept telling me to “Come on in, the water is lovely and warm!” I wasn’t convinced, especially after I had walked over to the water’s edge and dipped my toes into the lapping waves … The name of the lake, Issyk Kul, might mean Warm Lake in Kyrgyz, but that doesn’t really relate to [...]
At the end of last week there were reports of an Unidentified Flying Object, (UFO), sighted over central Bishkek. This raised quite a bit of interest … but in fact it is not the first such incident in recent years. Strange lights in the sky, flying torpedoes on Lake Issyk Kul … and, perhaps the [...]
To people of my generation the word “spam” has several different meanings. It was, (and still is), for example, the brand name for a tinned, cooked, luncheon meat, first launched as long ago as 1937. The name SPAM, (it should be in capital letters), could be derived from “spiced ham” or “spiced pork and ham“, [...]
