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Update 3: Issyk-Kul, Ala kachuu, and the Epic of Manas

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  Issyk-Kul, Ala kachuu, and the Epic of Manas At last a more photo heavy update! Bishkek as a city has its merits, but at times I have struggled to find its more photogenic parts.  This update picks up after our midterm week, thus the longer break between posts. On Wednesday, we packed up and headed off on a strenuous, albeit rewarding, trip to Issyk Kul. With some 118 rivers inlets, Issyk Kul is the second largest mountainous lake in the world. Without a single outlet, the lake is also saline. Issyk Kul has been a vital area for humanity for thousands of years. Long before the nomadic Kyrgyz people settled in the region, Issyk Kul was home to vast ancient cities. While the cities have since disappeared (most under the lake after a large earthquake), Scythian burial mounds still dot the landscape.  During the heyday of the Great Silk Road, Issyk Kul was a vital meeting point for human civilization. Perhaps it was too important a meeting point, as in 2022 scientists were ...
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Update Two: Soviet Ghosts

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Update Two: Soviet Ghosts "Don Giovani" and the Theater: As promised, my next post picks up at the opera. While I would love to say that I discovered a new artistic passion, it is more accurate to say that I found my potential for appreciating art extends only so far. Perhaps opera is just not my cup of tea. Either way, I was in for a spectacle and enriching experience, albeit without pure enjoyment.  At intermission, my Russian professor asked how I was enjoying the performance. In the moment I was faced with lying or trying to articulate my distaste for "Don Giovani" in cultured terms that she could respect. In hindsight, I would describe my aversion towards the opera as the same hesitation I have to listen to Earl Scruggs for three hours. Earl Scruggs is a master of his craft. He should be considered one of the most technically gifted musicians in American history. But, would like to sit down and listen to him play for 3 hours at breakneck speed? No. Opera, to me...
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Update One: The Long Slog and Amazing AUCA

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Update One: The Long Slog and AMAZING AUCA And we are off an adventure again! This time in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan! For those who don't know, this spring, I will be studying Russian in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan at the American University of Central Asia through Colorado College's Russian language program. Unlike my time in Turkey at Ankara's Ritz-Carlton five-star experience sponsored by your Department of State (see Sam in Turkiye 2022 ), this time we will be living closer to reality. This time around, I am lucky enough to be with a wonderful host family (more on them to come later!).  The journey started just about as poorly as I could have possibly dreamed of. Within 30 minutes of being at our gate in Denver, on my way to Chicago, our flight was cancelled. Initially, delaying us 15 minutes after encountering a group of pigeons on the plane's decent, they said maintenance needed to ensure the safety of the plane. We waited dutifully. After 15 minutes the resigned voice of the a...
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