One welcome sign of winter

As the warmth of autumn ebbs in the Kyrgyz mountains, there is no doubt that we will soon be caught in winter's grip.

I received another reminder that winter is almost here, when I went shopping today in the Naryn produce bazaar. I found my first pineapple of the season--traveled here all the way from Costa Rica. It is a nice counterbalance to the unrelenting Kyrgyz ice and snow to realize that the ripening of tropical fruit in nearby warmer venues coincides with the approach of winter here. Also found my first fresh mandarin oranges in many months. How strange it is that winter marks the advent of tropical fruit salads in this mountain land. Looking forward to the time in a couple months, when avocados start arriving in Bishkek and winter guacamole season begins as well.

One other purchase made today: what will probably be the last bunch of fresh leaf lettuce I will be able to buy in Naryn for about the equivalent of one human gestation period. June will be next time this delicate luxury, taken for granted by every shopper in America, will land in my dinner bowl. Rugged salads of raw red cabbage and cauliflower will now be what I must consume.

If nothing else, while living in the Kyrgyz mountains, one becomes keenly aware of the seasons and of what one can and cannot have. The complacency that comes from being able fulfill one's desires without limit does not exist in this place where I reside. As I transition from leaf lettuce to pineapples, the understanding that limits are usually part of the natural flow of existence is a lesson that each day must be contemplated and appreciated here in order to lead a contented life.

Eating a Hematogen Bar

As I was sitting in my office today, I noticed one of my co-workers eating what appeared to be a dark chocolate bar. Being the chocophile that I am, I inquired to what she was eating.

"I am eating a Hematogen Bar," she proudly exclaimed.

Former English teacher that I am, the prefix "hema-" raised a red flag for me, as that particular prefix usually refers to blood.

"What's in a Hematogen Bar?" I asked.

Well, of course, there was tons of sugar and caramel and vanilla, but the fourth ingredient on the list was processed cow's blood. Evidently Hematogen Bars are the candy bars of choice for people who need a little more iron in their diet.

I had my co-worker go through the label and discovered that it really had no chocolate in it at all, so a bit of disappointment there. 3 grams of protein was nice, but the 76 grams of carbs seemed to be a bit much to me for a little bit of cow's blood.

"If a Hematogen Bar is filled with cow's blood, why is there a picture of a rooster on the wrapper?" I wondered.

It turns out that if you read the label it says: Russian Hematogen (for children). So, my co-worker told me that children in Russia and Kyrgyzstan love pictures of cute little roosters, so the picture serves an enticement for little kids to eat their Hematogen Bar as a source of iron.

345 calories per bar, with sugar and caramel as the dominant ingredients, surely there must be a better way to deal with anemia it seemed to me. But how often does one get to eat a candy bar laced with cow's blood? So, off I went to the campus store to get my very own Hematogen Bar. Besides at only 30 cents, I couldn't imagine a better deal: confectionary treat and medicinal treatment all rolled into one.

After my evening meal, I sat down in my apartment to unwrap my precious bundle. When you eat something that your mind associates with the blood of a cow, you possess a slight sense of wariness. I should not have worried, because had I not known what I was eating and had purchased a Hematogen Bar because I had been fooled by that darling little rooster, I wouldn't have even imagined it had cow's blood in it. Rather I would have thought I had purchased the snack of choice of sugar addicts around the world. Personally, I would recommend Hematogen bars to those with dangerously low blood sugar who might require immediate treatment as they are on the way to the hospital. I must say I was mildly disappointed, as I would have preferred something that possessed the faint trace of the same sanguinary pleasure one receives when eating a steak, medium rare.

After taking my small bite of the Hematogen Bar, I had to dispose of the rest as my blood sugar would have taken three days to reach an equilibrium again if I had consumed the entire thing. And I realized that my colleague had eaten two of these bars while I was conversing with her. No wonder she stays up quite late at night from what I've heard. And I've learned to beware of the image of the cute little rooster if it adorns a package label--it is a trap to ensnare small children to eat a trace of something good for them disguised in a day's worth of sugar.

The Cultural Quiz of the Day

We had three guests come to campus today. I am going to give you a series of clues and you are going to have to guess what country they were from.

*The three were administrators of a vocational center who had come to Kyrgyzstan to learn about education programs, particularly for those who are developing skills and trades.
*They were extremely kind and appreciative that I, and everyone on campus, was taking the time to meet with them and show them our university.
*All three of them spoke nearly flawless English.
*They dressed in standard Western clothing--more stylish and nicer than what I was wearing today.
*They asked a series of questions about our student body and curricular programs as they were interested in providing information to students from their home country on our institution and on how to apply.
*They gave me a beautiful leather wallet handmade by their vocational students as a gift of appreciation.

So, which country were these educators from? I would be surprised if anyone would guess the right answer at this point in the quiz.

Let me give you one piece of information that might help. When they told me how much they loved visiting Kyrgyzstan, I asked them what they liked the best. And they said, "it is so peaceful here, no rockets or missiles in the air."

I bet you have a different guess now. Try again.

If you guessed Syria, then you have passed the Cultural Quiz of the Day. Here is what I've gathered from the quiz and my experience today:

*When we judge nations or peoples strictly what we hear on the news, we form skewed opinions.
*People in every country want to make their homes better places.
*People carry on and are brave and don't give up, no matter the adversity. We don't understand what adversity truly is in many of our personal contexts.
*Stereotypes are not helpful.
*Never say one word in judgment about the people of another country until you've eaten lunch with them (at the very minimum, and probably 50 lunches would be better).
*Most of us, myself included, know very little about the world and even less about the places we have never been.
*A reminder to me and all of us: consider each person, not as a part of a particular group, but as a distinct and unique individual, as you encounter them in the world.

Hope you enjoyed playing.

What I did last Sunday: Cheering our students on

Last Sunday was the Kuz Demi Half Marathon and road race. Our students, staff, and faculty from six countries ran 5K and 10K races. Everyone did an outstanding job. Proud of this tremendous group and their stellar effort. Hope they keep running so that they'll be ready for the Spring race.

UCA Faculty, Students, and Staff at the Kuz Demi race.

Subbotnik, Shashlyk, and....Cricket?

Today was our annual fall subbotnik. A subbotnik is a Saturday work project. The subbotnik was instituted by Lenin in the early days of the Soviet Union and serves in Kyrgyzstan as an example of community involvement still utilized today. For our subbotnik, students, faculty, and staff picked up tons of litter and garbage from a local park. We also picked up garbage at the panorama point up in the hills overlooking the Naryn Valley.

After our subbotnik, we had a delicious picnic of shashlyk: chicken and beef on skewers. It's become a fall tradition at the Naryn campus.

The new element of our day was a cricket match organized by our Pakistani math instructor. What was cool is that students from all countries, male and female alike, participated.

Our lives take us along unexpected pathways. When did I ever imagine that I would be working with students to clean a park in Kyrgyzstan with a Pakistani version of baseball as our entertainment when our meal was done? No, I never imagined it, but I am so glad to be doing it. Unexpected journeys give life as golden a hue as the aspens in a cleaned-up Kyrgyz park.

Top Ten Things Donald Trump will Never Say (or Tweet)

10. "I've always wanted to go on one of those Silent Buddhist Retreats."

9. "Those camping trips I took my kids on were definitely the highlight of my life."

8. "Heavenly Father, please forgive me for my sins."

7. "I married my wife because of her intellect and inner beauty."

6. "Martin Luther King Day has to be my favorite holiday."

5. "Changing diapers really made me a better father."

4. "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."

3. "Kindness and love conquers all."

2. "It's not about me, but the principles I stand for."

1. "I'm sorry."

What October 5th looks like in Kyrgyzstan

It looks like snow. It was sticking on the ground at our Naryn campus when I left for Bishkek today. Let's hope that this day will not be the last day I will see the green of the campus lawn until April.

On Dolon Pass (elevation 3050 meters) October 5th really looked like snow. And it will, most likely, until the 5th of May, that I am reasonably assured of.

As I traveled, October 5th looked like a traffic jam along the road to Bishkek as we wound toward Kochkor. This traffic jam consisted of endless herds of livestock heading for lower pasture land. It wouldn't surprise me if we had to evade 5000 sheep in the middle of the road, not to mention assorted cows, goats, horses and donkeys along the way.

If you were in some other land today, I bet October 5th where you are didn't look at all like this.

Campus Snow

Near Dolon Pass

Kyrgyz Traffic Jam