Kyrgyz-Cha and Toilets

Toilets and Kyrgyz-Cha

‘Kyrgyz-Cha’ – A term used by locals when making fun of the way some things in Kyrgyzstan work.

For example,

‘Kyrgyz –Cha Contract’ – A contract between two people written on either a greasy napkin or piece of toilet paper in which nobody can actually read what was written, thus making the contract usless.

‘Kyrgyz-Cha Work’ – This would be when you hire somebody to do a job, that person may or may not come the next day. If they come it will probably bу two to three hours late, and if it is a man he will probably be a little drunk.

‘Kyrgyz-Cha Salary’ – When you pay someone in bottles of vodka or packs of cigarettes instead of money for the work they do.

‘Kyrgz-Cha Driving’ – When you already have 9 big people into a car made for 4, pick up another person and actually successfully fit them into the car.

‘Kyrgyz-Cha Taxis’ – When the taxi driver picks you up he tells you it will cost 50 som, however when you arrive at the destination it will be 100 som either because the price of gas changed during the 30 minutes you were in the car or because you stopped on the side of the road to pee. Since I stopped to pee I actually received two separate rides from him.

Now many, many things are not ‘Kyrygz-Cha’ but maybe more things are and it drives me crazy, probably more than anything else in this country. However luckily I have built up immunity and a ‘Kyrgyz-Cha’ special sense and I am better able to detect when I will next be confronted with the ‘Kyrgyz-Cha.’

As you all know, or I am assuming you know because you have read my blog during the past three months we have been constructing four indoor toilets at the local kindergarten and we have finally finished. I have experienced every type of Kyrgyz-Cha there is but we have finally finished. We have constructed the first public indoor toilets in our village and perhaps even the whole rayon, which has a population of 60,000 people.

I would like to thank Be Evolution Yoga Studios, Disney Inc., Youth Services America, and the village of Taldy-Suu. Due to your contributions we have been able to provide indoor toilets for over 100 people, implement a standardized system of garbage collection, and provide seminars on ‘healthy habits.’

Partial View of Toilets, Side View of Toilets

Hye-Ran and Young-Nan giving seminars on Oral Hygiene

Kyeong-Suk and Ju-Hyeon giving seminars on a Balanced Diet

Woo-Kyeong and Hye-Yeong giving seminars on Trash Disposal

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