Oscar Herrero is a Spaniard who came to Kyrgyzstan two years ago. As he himself told, he did not plan to live in the country, but he met his love here, in a small mountainous Central Asian republic.
Oscar was an avid traveler, and Kyrgyzstan was the 83rd country he visited.
«I left a couple of times, and in July I came back from Afghanistan to spend some more time with the girl who is my actual wife now. I’d say that she is the main reason why I am here. Now I’m teaching and we have our own business, where we serve some Spanish snacks and refreshing sangria,» Oskar told.
— Is it easy to surprise you? What surprises you in Kyrgyzstan?
— I get surprised really easily. I don’t like to search for information about the country I’m traveling to at all.
As for Bishkek, I think it’s a city that is vibing and has a special soul, special identity that other big cities, even in Central Asia, doesn’t have.
Oscar Herrero
— What in Kyrgyzstan reminds you of your homeland?
— Almost nothing. These are completely different countries, different cultures, different peoples. This is neither good nor bad, it is a statement of fact.
— What do you miss in Bishkek and in Kyrgyzstan in general?
— My family and friends, of course. But the main thing is food, these kinds of products that you can’t find outside my homeland.
But I’d say that Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan have a lot of things to offer that you will be busy and will not think about the things you miss and enjoy the things you have.
Oscar Herrero
— What is your favorite place in Bishkek?
— I liked the area around the Philharmonic Hall, at least in the tourist way. I’m living in Bishkek now and I am looking for more comfort than for a beautiful place, and Bishkek has a lot to offer.
— What national dishes do you like?
— My favorite dishes are plov, shashlyk and chechil.
Plov is a bit similar to our Spanish paella.
Oscar Herrero
Even if I’m not a big fan of meat, shashlyk is really tasty.
Yes, I live in Bishkek without being a big fan of meat, it’s a bit strange.
— What are you afraid even to taste?
— It is an eye of the goat.
— What has fascinated you in close acquaintance with the local population?
— The hospitality in Central Asia is amazing, everyone wants to help and show their life and country. Many people opened the doors of their houses to me and I met wonderful human beings here.
— I didn’t like the reactions people had to my wife and me. I had some problems with taxi drivers telling things they shouldn’t. One of them almost hit me with the car when the ride finished. We had an interview with a local media and the hate and insults my wife received for dating with a foreigner was really bad. I know they are not the majority of the people in this country, but sometimes they are really loud.
