Looking back on my language training in Kyrgyzstan
School of Informations, College of Media Arts, Science and Technology
Kitagawa Yuki (1st year)
Do you know the country of Kyrgyzstan? Until I participated in the training, I had heard of Kyrgyzstan but did not know where it was. In fact, when I asked my friends around me, most of them thought of it as a small European country. However, Kyrgyzstan is one of the countries of the former Soviet Union, located in Central Asia. It is a country with rich nature and also has a very interesting culture and history. I hope that those who read this report will be able to convey a little of what I felt.
1. Motivation for participating in the training
The reason I decided to participate in the training was because it was introduced in a Russian class, which I was taking as a second foreign language. I knew that taking Russian would make it hard for others to understand me, but once I took it, I found it surprisingly interesting, and this was an opportunity to learn Russian further in a country where Russian is actually spoken, so I applied straight away. I was a little reluctant to fill more than half of my summer vacation schedule as soon as I entered the school, but I would like to praise myself for taking the plunge and applying.
2. Growth points before and after the training
Of course, the area in which I have improved the most since the training is my Russian language ability. At the time of my participation in the training, I could only speak Russian as a greeting because I did not know a single verb. However, in this training, not only was I able to spend five hours a day studying Russian, but I was also able to acquire real Russian through living with my host family. I also feel less resistance to living abroad. As someone who has little experience abroad, I was quite worried about living in a homestay for one month. However, when I actually got there, I found I was able to live a very comfortable life. After school, I would go for walks around town and go shopping with the friends I made during the training and my host family, and I was able to gradually adapt to life abroad, having a great time. I plan to study abroad for a year in the future, so I think this was a great first step.
3. Food in Kyrgyzstan
The defining feature of Kyrgyz food is meat. Although there were dishes that did not contain meat, everyone said that meat was the most important ingredient. Kyrgyzstan is a predominantly Muslim country, so pork is not eaten. Cows, sheep, and chickens are often served. All the meats had a slight gamey smell, which was a bit too much for me as I don’t really like lamb to begin with. The round one in the upper right corner is a fried bread called borsok, which is my favorite Kyrgyz dish.
The round one in the upper right corner is a fried bread called borsok, which is my favorite Kyrgyz dish. When it comes to fried bread, Japanese people may think of something sweet, but borsok is not seasoned with any flavor. It is eaten with jam or smetana, which is like sour cream. The taste of freshly fried ones is especially special and delicious. The dish in the upper middle is the palov. It is a fried rice with plenty of meat. Many restaurants offer a choice of meat, so if you specify beef, you will not miss out. You can really taste the sweetness of the meat and vegetables, it’s very delicious. The dish in the lower middle is Cool Duck. It’s like meat and potatoes. Kyrgyz potatoes are very tasty and rich in flavour. However, the meat was often lamb, which was a food I didn’t really like.
Other dishes include manti and raguman, the former similar to dumplings and the latter similar to udon noodles. These two are thought to be relatively suitable for Japanese tastes. In addition, the sausage called carbassa is also delicious. Also, let’s not forget the shashlik. When you ask Kyrgyz person what their favorite Kyrgyz dish is, nine times out of ten they will answer “shashlik.” Although it was skewered meat, the natural flavor of the meat came out as is, and I could directly taste the animal smell, which I didn’t like. The variety of flavors of potato chips is also interesting, unlike in Japan. It has no salty taste, and cheese, smetana, shashlik, and crab were standard.
Kyrgyzstan is a predominantly Muslim country, but it is also famous for its alcoholic beverages. There are many different types, including vodka, cognac, and beer. In particular, beer has 12%, which is more than double the strength of Japan, so you need to be careful. he specialty is Kyrgyz cognac, and cognac originally refers only to grape brandy made in a certain region of France, but the Kyrgyz people said that they could not be offended because they were not taken seriously by France.
Also, a lactic acid bacteria drink called Shoro is famous in Kyrgyzstan. It has a very sour taste, so it might not be to everyone’s taste, but it is a drink that originated in Kyrgyzstan and is loved by the Kyrgyz people, so I would definitely recommend you try it at least once.
4. Culture of Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan is a country of the former Soviet Union and is the only country that still has a statue of Lenin. Although it is a country of the former Soviet Union, it is currently moving towards democratization. When I visited, it coincided with Independence Day, so there was a lively festival going on. The public safety situation is very good and there are many people who love Japan, so you will be treated warmly. In addition, because it is located on the Silk Road, it is influenced by various cultures.
If you’ve read this far and are interested, please visit Kyrgyzstan !
