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[timbits]

I've got an offer recently to teach English in the capital city of Kyrgyzstan. Roughly $500 a month and a free flat, medical insurance etc.

Can anyone offer personal experience about this country? Has anyone taught in the Russian Republic countries (CIS) I think they call them. I've only heard a few things. Am weighing this option vs. teaching in China. I'm Canadian. Soon to have my 'celta' and lots of music-teaching experience. Used to very cold winters so that ain't a deterrent for me although I might be biting my tongue come February.

[Roger]

Kyrgystan and that region = Central Asia. I know Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, two of Kyrgstan's neighbours, plus China, also a neighbour. What I can say is little, but let me share it with you anyway.

As a country, expect it to be a little dysfunctional. This is partly because of the bad state in which the Soviets left the country when they pulled out of it, and partly because it is dirt poor and tragically remote, probably the farthest in the world from any sea.
As a Central Asian country, it shares Muslim traaditions with Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan, which are all in the region too. Linguistically, it has a lot in common with these countries - and a large mix of many ethnic groups. In Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for instance, close to 100 distinct nationalities coexist side by side, although not always peacefully. It certainly is not very different in Bishkek. Locals can be very hospitable, but at the same time, a little rigid with their ideas of behaviour. For instance, vodka is readily available, but you could offend a Muslim fatally by offering him a glass!

I think, 500 US$ is great for such a location, though difficult to spend unless you travel. That, however, is a wee bit dangerous due to poverty and banditism, not to mention political instability. CHina is a powerful neighbour that is pulling the strings of its neighbours who are host to thousands upon thousands of Uygur refugees from Xinjiang.

Anyway, this promises to be the school of your life - if you accept!

[Steiner]

A year or two ago a group of rock climbers were kidnapped while climbing in Central Asia. I think it was Kyrgyzstan, but I'm not going to do any research right now to make sure. It might have been Tajikistan. Anyway, they escaped by pushing a couple of their captors over the edge of another cliff and running away. Which just goes to show how careful you should be when rock climbing, in case they want you to teach that too.

I taught in Karaganda Kazakhstan back in 1998 (Karaganda is Russian for "place without trees in the middle of absolutely nowhere"), but everything has changed a lot since then. The Central Asian republics are almost twice as old now. When I was there, lots of those with Russian heritage were emigrating to Russia, and in the years since the Kazak language and culture keeps having more and more influence on the culture, while the Russian influence slowly diminishes. One of the things I was most impressed with was how EVERYONE wanted to leave the country for greener pastures. But Karaganda is a lot different from Bishkek. All this said, I loved teaching there; I'd go back if I had a good opportunity. The people were really great and I liked my students. Central Asians are hospitable to a fault. Whenever we'd go to a student's home, we'd practically have to fight our way out again.

I've had two friends and one acquaintance who taught in Kyrgyzstan and they liked it and the Kyrgyz people. Don't know much more than that. The acquaintance didn't teach English, though; she taught pig butchery. In a Muslim country, that struck me as rather odd.