My itinerary for the summer included: hiking, camping, horse trek, swimming in an alpine lake located in the mountain ranges of the Tien-Shan, visiting the largest bazaar in Central Asia. The instructions I got for packing included everything from waterproof, insulated snow pants to summer clothes for 110 degree heat. It is hard to know what to expect. But I am excited at the idea of staying with a Kyrgyz host family. I hope to form great relationships with my host family and become more than a tourist or guest. I want to try authentic Kyrgyz and Russian dishes and learn about the interests of local young adults. I want to learn about their beliefs on life and how they want to live their lives. What movements and changes they are passionate about. I also want to try their favorite spots to eat, hang out, and meet new people.
I hope that my experience in a completely new culture will help expand my horizons. As a Korean American, Western and East Asian culture has coexisted in my everyday life for as long as I can remember. As a student of Russian Language and Culture, I have learned a lot about Russian and Slavic culture. While the official language of Kyrgyzstan is Russian and it is a post-soviet country, it is a central Asian country with a nomadic heritage. Thus, I expect it to be quite different from Slavic culture. I hope that my time in Kyrgyzstan will help to expand my cultural fluency and understanding of Central Asian and predominantly Islamic communities through personal experience.