valerie
July 6, 2022 - lately I have been finding juice extremely satisfying. I bought this Kyrgyz brand/themed juice called той (which means ‘party’ in Kyrgyz). The carton features other Kyrgyz things like kalpak, elechek (hats), and Жети-Өгүз, a scenic location in eastern Kyrgyzstan
July 5, 2022 - another picture from hiking with my student and her family. This is a pistachio tree and there were a lot of them. I was told that apparently when the pistachios are ready, many people will come to pick them and then sell them
July 4, 2022 - another picture from the lake trip I took in mid-June. This was a picture of the road we had driven on to get to the starting point of our hike
July 3, 2022 - second bag of food which I had received from my student. homemade bread and manti with beef (and without fat - apparently my student’s children don’t like fatty meat, and they don’t eat manti made in restaurants because they are usually made with fatty meat)
July 1, 2022 - Fast food fix. This is the second time I’ve eaten KFC here. These are terminals inside the restaurant where you can order, or you can order at the counter. Pick up is at the counter, and you can take it to go or eat inside. There are also some KFCs with drive-thrus
June 30, 2022 - macarons and beverages at a cafe with my friend who is teaching me Kyrgyz! I had a mango flavored macaron (because the cashier suggested it) and a sea buckthorn lemonade. My friend had a pistachio flavored macaron with a latte
June 28, 2022 - Alabai dog my student has. It is HUGE (look at the paws in the picture)! They said she is only about one year old. I wish I could have gotten the whole fence in the picture for greater perspective of her size
June 27, 2022 - one of the three different bags of food I went home with yesterday because my student was very generous 😬 This is boorsok, traditional Kyrgyz fried bread pieces. Usually people have boorsok on the table when having big meals or hosting guests
June 26, 2022 - one of my adult students who lives not too far outside Bishkek invited me to her house for traditional Kyrgyz food and hiking. The hiking was pretty tame, but I am in awe that she lives so close to this view
June 25, 2022 - bulgogi (or pulkogi / пулькоги as it was written in the menu) at a small Korean cafe. this was my first time ever having Korean food in Bishkek. The meat was a little dry, but it wasn’t bad. I want to come back to try their shaved ice dessert
June 24, 2022 - from Saturday’s (June 18th) trip which took us to two lakes. this was the other lake
June 22, 2022 - when bread and smetana (basically Slavic sour cream) is a satisfying snack??
June 20, 2022 - awesome! just as I begin cat-sitting in this region for 3 weeks in an apartment with a gas-powered stove top (source)
