Here in Kyrgyzstan, which is really a legacy of Soviet times, is the tendency to take words that start with H, and switch the H to a G. So that Hamburger becomes Gamburger. I think it's rather funny. For the most part it's every word/ name that starts with an H. However, while hamburger becomes gamburger, hot dog does not become got dog, it stays hot dog. WHY? Every time I go to a gamburger stand- gamburgers make a lovely cheap lunch or snack- I ponder this question. Why gamburger, but not got dog? It just seems so silly that if people are going to go to all the trouble to say Gong Kong, Garry Potter, gamburger, they would just go all the way and also say got dog.
This is just one of the many things that I find interesting about the Kyrgyz language. Kyrgyz is a Turkic language, apparently a native Kyrgyz speaker can understand someone speaking Turkish, but I don't have any evidence to back this up. Vocabulary-wise, Kyrgyz is somewhat limited- but that certainly makes it easier to learn. The same word in Kyrgyz is used for all parts of the leg including the foot (boot), summer is said the same as slow (jai), head the same as start (bahsh), and before the same as nose (morun).
Kyrgyz also only has four tenses: the present, which is the same as the future, the continuous present, and the past tense. This makes it really difficult, for me at least, to say something that I would normally say in English in Kyrgyz. They also don't use the verb to be or to have, they have them, but they are not used very often.To say I am going to the bazaar. You would say: Men bazaarga baram. This roughly translates as: I to bazaar go. I really just think of how a cave man would speak in English and think of it that way in Kyrgyz. It's probably insensitive of me. A fellow volunteer pointed out that Kyrgyz was originally a language that was meant to be shouted from horseback- so long complicated sentences and vocabulary were out of the question. It makes sense to me.
Despite the limitations of Kyrgyz- it is an awesome language. I like that there is so much vocabulary overlap- it says something about the culture. If you think about it, it makes sense that there is the same word for summer as for slow- because in the summer you can be slow and lazy, it's a season of slow days.
Basic Kyrgyz vocabulary/phrases:
Salamat Sizba- Hello; very formal, literally means- are you alive?
Salamat Cheluk- response to the above
Kandysiz? How are you?
Jockshi- good
Jaman- bad
Jaman Emes- not bad
Rakhmat- thank you
Oba- yes
Jok- no
Bir- 1
Eki- 2
Ooch- 3
Tort- 4
Besh- 5
Alte- 6
Jeti- 7
Segiz- 8
Toghuz- 9
Ohn- 10
Ohn bir- 11
Ohn eki- 12
Winter Camp!
Winter camp was this last week. It was awesome. I still cannot believe how well it went. I spent most of the week in shock watching the kids participate and have fun, even when doing the lamest activities. At one point Nate and I were talking, and we were both amazed at how well things were going, and how most of the activities we were doing would never work with older students.
Camp started last Sunday. Joni and I had told the counselors, who were local 11th form and university students, to arrive at 1:30 because the campers were arriving at 2 pm. When Joni and I got to the meeting point, at 1:25, all of the campers were already there! Everyone was excited. We quickly checked them in and shuttled them to the sanatorium where camp was held. That first afternoon we played capture the flag- it was a huge hit. They loved it! It was a great way to start off camp.
The next four days we focused on life skills and HIV/AIDS, part of the requirements for the grant money. We had sessions on:
Life Goals
Self-Esteem
Team-Building
HIV/AIDS information
Communication
How to Give a Presentation
Community Service/ Volunteerism
Healthy Relationships
Stereotyping/ Diversity
Problem Solving
All of the sessions went splendidly and the Peace Corps volunteers and locals who helped all did a great job facilitating. I still cannot believe how smooth everything went. AMAZING.
In the afternoons we had pick your own activity. Campers could pick between sports, arts and crafts, dance, movie, English club and debate. All of them had excellent turnout. Arts and crafts was especially popular, even among the boys. Kyrgyz kids don't really get an opportunity to make stuff like that- so they loved it. Also well attended was English club and debate! It's winter break and these kids actually wanted to learn! Again, camp went so well.
In the evening, we had camp-wide activities. Assassins was popular, although I think that is because of the theatrical way the volunteers died. On Wednesday night we had a scavenger hunt. The kids had to find things like how to say hello in ten languages, all of the volunteers' birthdays, and complete a rather hilarious obstacle course. Thursday night, the last night of camp, we had a talent show. All of the teams performed. There was a lot of dancing and singing. Although the most well received act of the evening was from the volunteers. We sang a song about Kyrgyzstan to the tune of "Bonjour" from Beauty and the Beast.
All in all camp was great. I had so much fun. I'm exhausted, but it was worth it. And it looked and sounded like all the campers had fun. Joni and I are already gearing up for summer camp!
Team T-rex presenting their flag.
One of the team-building activities.
