Where is the Kyrgyz Republic? How do you say it? What am I going to be doing?
Well, I've accepted a position as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Volunteer with the Peace Corps in the Kyrgyz Republic/Kyrgyzstan.
Here's how you say it:
I'll leave for pre-departure training on April 22nd, 2015 and then fly to the Kyrgyz Republic for a three month in-country training. If I'm still committed, I will become an official Peace Corps Volunteer in July. I will live in country for two years and return to the States in July of 2017. So for now, let the excitement and planning ensue.
But to answer those questions, here are some common facts about where I will be living and working:
The Kyrgyz Republic, formerly known as Kyrgyzstan (the names are used interchangeably) is a small country the size of Nebraska in Central Asia. The Kyrgyz Republic has influences from the Middle East, China, and Russia. It's bordered by China in the East, Kazakhstan in the North, Uzbekistan in the West, and Tajikistan in the South. The map below can help you with your bearings. The teal country is Kyrgyzstan.
From its former name, Kyrgyzstan, you can tell it was previously part of the Soviet Union. The country became independent in 1991. People in the country speak Kyrgyz which is similar to Turkish but uses the Cyrillic alphabet. The people are predominately muslim and very accommodating. I'm not even in country but have heard stories from volunteers and have read about the Kyrgyz custom of 'guesting.' Guesting is when people open up their homes to others and feed them course after course. Guesting can last anywhere from two hours to ten hours depending on the occasion. Not only do you eat, but you drink and chat and just enjoy each other's company. This is such a large part of their culture, they devote an entire room in the house to just this activity. A guesting room seems to look similar to our living room set up, but is only in use when company is around. I better get used to saying 'No, thank you. I'm full' or some other excuse.
Bishkek (the star near the lake and by the Kazakhstan border in the map above) is the capital in the North where I'll have my three month training before I'm sworn in. That big body of water you see is Lake Isyk-Kul and is the second largest high altitude lake in the world.
Now to give you some background about me, I applied to join the Peace Corps to not only have the opportunity to live and work abroad, but to share my skills with others and get government preference for jobs back home. Really, this experience is all encompassing in what I want to do with my life at the moment.
I applied to the Peace Crops right as they were transitioning to a new application system where you get to chose your country. Between my medical application and my resume, I was given about six countries to choose from. I then worked with my placement officer who nominated me and narrowed it down to two countries. After some googling on my own and reading the country profiles, I picked Kyrgyzstan. I don't like humidity, I like seasons, and I NEED mountains. Kyrgyzstan is about 95% mountainous. So, we had a winner!
My application then went into the Kyrgyzstan country pot and I waited for the Peace Corps group in country to go through the volunteers who had submitted their preference for Kyrgyzstan and pick their next group. I got an email in November stating I had been accepted!
This entire process took about a year from my first application submission, to an interview, to the nomination, to the waiting to hear if I would be chosen. The waiting was the hardest and longest part. Once accepted I had to update my resume, get cleared for medical and dental, and begin to take some on-line safety and training courses.
Presently I'm two months away. I feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. I'm excited to learn a new language and culture and share with others my experience and American culture. I'm nervous about what exactly this work will bring, but I know between the ups and downs it will be a time in my life I'll never forget.
For now, and throughout my adventures, I'm going to stay open, be adaptable, and take things as they come. I have no expectations, except for some great hiking, and will make the most of whatever comes my way.
