Exchange student, hosts learn together
Contributing writer
How much do you know about Kyrgyzstan? Could you find it on the map? Do you know anything about its terrain, its culture, or its people? No matter how much you know about that faraway land, the chances are most of the students at Centre High School know more. Ever since school started last fall, they have had the opportunity for conversations with Bermet Zhumakadyr kyzy, an exchange student from Kyrgyzstan who has been spending the year with Jerry and Jeanne Rziha and their youngest daughter Julie on a farm near Tampa.
Bermet is sponsored by the Future Leaders Exchange Program under the auspices of the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Young people between the ages of 14 and 17 are eligible to participate. This was the third year she had applied and her last chance to be accepted. Applicants must take a short test designed for screening. Those who pass take a long grueling test on the English language, write an essay, complete an application form, and do an interview.
In some ways Bermet's home land is not so different from the United States. Ever since the fall of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan has been a democracy. However, there are many geographical and cultural differences. Her first impression of Marion County was the lack of mountainous terrain.
"It's really flat here," she said. "You can see the sunsets so clearly."
She arrived all excited about meeting new people and seeing new places, but at first she had great difficulty understanding what people were saying. Fortunately, she has made so much progress in this area that she now is more comfortable talking in English than in her native language.
Cultural differences include greater emphasis on courtesy and punctuality here. Her greatest challenge was being on time. "At my school in Kyrgyzstan no teacher would have thought of counting me tardy if I came in right after the bell rang. Here they expect you to be in your seat before the bell."
Although Bermet is enjoying her stay in the U.S. and making many new friends, she misses her family and friends at home. "The community and people's attitudes are so different," she said.
Bermet has two brothers, while there are eight siblings in the Rziha family, five of whom are quickly adding a new generation. However, she is not daunted by the crowds of people coming and going at her hosts' home. "There were always a lot of relatives in and out of our home, and I was very close to some of my cousins."
She has adjusted to many differences between the school systems of the two countries. Students in Kyrgyzstan attend school five to six hours Monday through Saturday. Americans have a longer school day, but only a five-day week. In her homeland lunches were not served at school. With the shorter day, students ate lunch at home after school. One aspect of an American school she has appreciated is the greater access to computers. In her home country, a school would have only a few computers and no access to the Internet.
After school activities included sports, but also clubs built around other interests. All the activities went on for the entire school year, rather than by seasons. A student had to choose, rather than playing volleyball in the fall, then basketball, then track or tennis as they do in this country. Bermet's sport at home was volleyball.
"Here there is more pressure on us in sports," said Bermet. "In Kyrgyzstan there is more pressure in academics and less in sports."
During her lifetime in Kyrgyzstan, Bermet lived in both a big city and a small town. Thanks to a couple of trips during this school year, she was able to observe both lifestyles in the U.S. as well.
In January Julie and Bermet went to Washington, D.C., with a group of young people. "D.C. was beautiful," she said. "There was a lot to see and not much time." It is probable that American visitors to the capital share that reaction.
During the spring break, a woman who had taught in Kyrgyzstan and encouraged Bermet to apply for the FLEX program invited her to New York City. Bermet remarked, "New York was my favorite. That was partly because of seeing Joyce and meeting her family, but also there was so much to see and do." She was particularly impressed with performances of music and dance.
Bermet and the Rzihas also went to Oklahoma to visit the oldest Rziha sibling, Wayne and his family, but she experienced it as much the same as Kansas.
While the Rziha family and Centre students were getting a crash course in the life and culture of Kyrgyzstan, Bermet was learning a few things from them. She recognizes that she has grown in the areas of courtesy, punctuality, and patience. She has mastered the use of computers. And Jeanne and Julie have taught her how to cook. "Oh, I knew the basics," she explained, "but Mother usually just gave me a chore like cutting up the vegetables. I didn't usually do the whole job."
One of the good things about student exchange programs is the opportunity for people in two countries to be exposed to another culture, another way of life. We can all learn together.
