Food Facts about Kyrgyzstan

Today I learned some interesting facts about food and drink customs in Kyrgyzstan. Check it out...

FOOD & DRINK FACTS

• Kyrgyz food is the product of a long history of pastoral nomadism and is overwhelmingly meat-based. And if we are saying overwhelmingly, it means really overwhelmingly.

• Besh barmak (“five fingers”) is the national soupy dish of Kyrgyzstan (Kazakhs would probably disagree). For preparation, a sheep or horse is slaughtered and boiled in a large pot. The resulting broth is served as a first course. The meat is then divided up between those at the table. Each person in attendance receives the piece of meat appropriate to their social status. The head and eyes are reserved for guests of honor.

•  VODKA. Introduced by the Russians, vodka has brought much joy and sorrow to the Kyrgyz over the years..."First, find someone to drink with. Only alcoholics drink alone. Second, choose your vodka, the more you spend... the less painful your hangover. Third, choose your zakuska, something salty, dried, or fatty. This is so that the vodka is either absorbed by the food or repelled by the fat. Fourth, open your bottle... but be careful, once you open it you must drink it all (a good vodka bottle doesn't have a cap that can be replaced), now pour your shots. Fifth, you will toast! You must toast! Toast your friends, toast their futures, toast their sheep, toast their cars. Sixth, drink! Drink it all! Now chase it with a zakuska and repeat until you can't see the bottle or it is empty." 

• Summer sees yurts lining the main street selling kymys, fermented mares milk. Ladled out of barrels brought down from the mountains, this traditional drink is one of more difficult to get used to. It has a very strong and pungent foretaste and a smoky finish. Kymys starts off as fresh horses milk (known as samal), the samal is then mixed with a starter made from last year's kymys and heated in a pot. The mixture is brought to just before boiling and then poured into a horse's stomach to ferment for a period. 

 
I don't eat meat, so am a little concerned. I think I'll be carrying on a suitcase of Trader Joe's crackers and cookies.

As far as the straight vodka...maybe I can find some cranberry juice to use as a mixer?

To read more about my trip to Kyrgyzstan in August, visit my page here.

Interview with Peace Corps Volunteer David Malana

1.)   What made you want to join the Peace Corps?

Like a lot of volunteers, I really wanted to travel and do something outside of my own personal self-interest. My life in America was very much influenced by the ideas of individual success, and I wanted to get away from that. And, to be honest, I am not in any position for any of that "real job" business yet so this works out well because I work hard and have purpose, but I also am on this amazing adventure in a faraway land.

2.)   How are the teens/kids of Talas and Kyrgyzstan different than teens in the US?
The teens in Talas, my oblast (state) of Kyrgyzstan are similar to teens in America in ways that I did not expect. Not to be too general, but many of them are into technology, fashion, music, dance, and sports. Certainly there are differences though. There are not as many creative outlets here as there are in America, and children are expected to work their families' farms during times of preparation and harvest, which often means missing school. I would say that kids here are outside a lot more... only a small handful of them know how to use the internet. Life is more natural here, and instead of there being too much fun stuff to do like in America, there is instead too much work to do.

3.)   Are there many art classes and clubs in Kyrgyzstan for kids to join?
As far as I know there are no art classes in my area aside from the ones that I hold (which are few and far between because I am a stinky artist). Whenever we hold camps or have arts and crafts, the children are usually very engaged. Things like drawing, bracelet making, and wallet making are staples for us here. We also had a "my Talas" mural at a camp that depicted Talas 100 years ago and 50 years from now and it was really cool. It seems like there is a very artistic inclination in this culture, but often no avenue to explore it seriously.

  

4.)   Tell us how you formed the dance group America Aral.
Ahhh, AmericAral. Well, Peace Corps told us that we would have all kinds of downtime and that we should figure out what to do with it. I figured, what better way to use that time than to learn the Michael Jackson dances. Of course, for me, Thriller was the one. I started learning, and one day I went to school in the summer to practice and stop tearing up my Kyrgyz "Shurdok" or rug in my room. A couple of students came and wanted to learn, so I had to speed it up and learn more because they picked it up faster than I could teach. From there, more students came and a dance club informally started. Then, my director happened across this contest in Talas city where we would be competing with city groups for 50,000 som (a little over a thousand dollars). It was crazy! I am a basketball guy, so all of this performance stuff was entirely new.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXHnEOoLfpQ

We got second to last aside from these little girls with stupid stuffed bears (i am not bitter), but we gained respect from dancers in the city and it was amazing and I wore some red tights that, as one local told me, "ruined my reputation in Talas,". which I really like because it allows me to address a whole host of other issues with people. From there we have performed at different venues like the Bride Kidnapping Awareness Festivals held in villages across Talas, and a couple of Peace Corps events, culminating at the Peace Corps 50th anniversary celebration at the Philharmonia in Bishkek.
It's still crazy to me that I just to get my MJ on in my room by myself and we ended up performing for hundreds of people in the biggest theater in Kyrgyzstan.


5.) How do you think a mural will help the community?
David: Appearance is a very important part of life here in Kyrgzystan. Someone will live in a home with no electricity or running water but come to school super flavorful in a dull shine charcoal suit and tie. Every year, the school is repainted different colors. It is over 80 years old but they take good care of it and I think that a Mural would further that sense of pride and beauty in Aral. People here take great pride in the beauty of our village, and something to depict that in a fresh and artistic way would have people that much more proud. I imagine that if we get this done, people will be talking about this American artist that came and did this amazing mural, and that children got to take part in it... they will be grown and want to show people this thing, what parts they helped with, and the countless pictures of it and Jamie(which there will inevitably be).


6.) Is facepainting common in kz? Have u ever seen anyone with their face or body painted there?
 David: I have only seen facepainting maybe once or twice in Bishkek (the main metropolis in Kyrgzystan)
and it was just cheekpainting little faces and stuff. Jamie's style of facepainting, or Full face magical amazing transformation, as I like to call it, would be a smash. Body painting would be crazy! People would flip on that, though I don't know how revealing it could be in this society. One thing about this place though is that it is right on the edge of something new. After the revolution last year, a democracy is here and trying to grow. The internet has a presence that is only getting bigger, and technology has found ways to embed itself into the natural life of villages. Dance is getting bigger and bigger here, too. I honestly feel like cultural movements have the platform to start here, and who knows... someone could see Jamie's stuff and it could be the spark that lights a hot fiya for artistic freedom and exploration in Kyrgyzstan.

Need Sponsors for My Plane Ticket to Kyrgyzstan

I've finally completed my official Sponsor page for "Painting Kyrgyzstan," my trip that's scheduled for August 8th-18th.

Just a reminder that on this trip I'll be collaborating on a mural with the teens who live in the village of Talas AND doing facepainting!! I'm working hard to fundraise $1600 to pay for the plane ticket to Kyrgyzstan, where I'll meet up with my friend David Malana from the Peace Corps and his group of village kids.

There are gifts for sponsors!! Remember that when you donate $50 or more, you'll receive an original 4x6 piece of art made by me.  Check out my art here- www.jamiegraden.com. And if you decide to donate $100 or more you'll receive the artwork AND a $25 coupon towards my facepainting service (www.paintonyourface.com) if you live in the Los Angeles area.


If you cannot donate, please spread the word and post freely!

xoxo
Jamie





CLICK on the link below to get more info and go to the donation page...

Painting Kyrgyzstan

Greetings friends, family, and everyone in between! Thanks for taking time to check out my new blog, which will be dedicated to a prospective trip to a faraway land this coming August.

Four years ago, when I began Paint On Your Face, my goal has been to "paint the world, one face at a time." I've facepainted at kids' parties, community festivals, trade shows, and concerts.  Some of the highlights include organizing a team of facepainters for the NBA Allstar Jam, facepainting celebrities like Luis Miguel and the kids of Julia Roberts, Denise Richards and Kate Hudson. I've also been sent to Comic- Con and the Catalina Island Flying Fish Festival, just to facepaint!  Over the years I've helped almost one hundred non-profit organizations using facepainting to bring joy to kids with special needs.  So far most of Los Angeles has been facepainted by me... and the next chapter will hopefully begin in the beautiful and rural country of Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyzstan

So..."Why Kyrgyzstan?"  

Why can't it be New York, London, or Paris?  Somewhere artists usually go. My answer to that, in a nutshell is: because Kyrgyzstan needs more art.

Kyrgyzstan is the second poorest country in the former Soviet Union, and the second poorest country in Central Asia. It's unlike America in that access to art activites, face painting, performing arts programs, and art clubs are not widely available for kids to enjoy like here in America.

The country itself is "landlocked" between mountain ranges, and is located in Central Asia bordering Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.  Kyrgyzstan is farthest away from the ocean than any other country in the world.

What exactly will I be doing in Kyrgyzstan?

I've been asked by American Peace Corps volunteer David Malana to facepaint help coordinate a mural for the new teen center in his town of Aral, Kyrgyzstan, which is a small rural community with some very talented and artistic kids.

A flag design being drawn by young people in KZ

Facepainting

Those who know me know that I LOVE facepainting, so will be bringing my paints along on the almost 24 hr long trip to the KZ.. I'll be representing Paint On Your Face, and will be organizing facepainting activities for the young community in Kyrgyzstan.

The Mural

A new fitness/teen/dance center within the school of Aral needs decor. Specifically-they need a mural.  The prospective mural is very special because it  will be a collaborative effort between the students and I.  It will allow me to connect with the kids and the culture, so we can share art inspiration with eachother, not to mention give the center a sense of joy and color to inspire everyone who enters it. The collaborative mural will also give young members a sense of pride and ownership, knowing that they contributed to it with their own hands.

What will your donation go towards? Your donation will go towards my plane ticket, which is $1600.  If by chance I receive more than $1600 in donations the remaining amount will go towards paint materials- acrylic paint, sealant, brushes, and towels.

What will you get? Regular updates, custom art gifts, and coupons towards Paint On Your Face facepainting.

Donations of $50 or more-

will receive a 4x6 piece of art created and signed by me in September after I return from Kyrgyzstan.

Donations of $75 or more-

will receive the artwork AND a $25 coupon for my facepainting services to use or give to another friend or family member.

ALL donors will be kept in the loop with photos, video footage, and receive personal shout-outs on my Facebook page! I'll hopefully be collecting artwork made by Kyrg kids and teens to send out to those who donate as well.

Paint On Your Face! Jamie's facepainting

The adventure across the world to KZ is not only about my personal effort to help young people get exposed to art, it's about YOU...because you have supported my art in some way or another, and you have inspired me.

~Jamie