Chinese Meng Jia tells how minibuses help to improve memory

Meng Jia came to Kyrgyzstan three years ago. Friends call her Aisuluu. After graduating from the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, the girl entered the Bishkek Humanities University for the preparatory course of the International Language Department, where she learned Russian.

Aisuluu is an active girl, she has many interests and hobbies such as sports and photography. Jogging helps her organize her day. Now the young Chinese actively learns Kyrgyz language and plans to stay and work in our country.

— What surprises you in Bishkek?

— It’s a small multicultural city. I am surprised not only by the capital, but also by Kyrgyzstan as a whole, especially by landscapes and prices for food. It is not expensive and every dish is very tasty. The Kyrgyz are very hospitable people, even a stranger is invited to drink tea together.

— Does Bishkek remind you about your hometown?

— When I see Chinese goods, I remember my country.

— What do you miss and lack in Bishkek?

— I rent an apartment here. The landlady is very friendly and reminds me of my mother, whom I miss. The city, however, lacks technology and banking development.

— Do you already have a favorite place in the city?

— I like Ala-Too square, and I like to use public transport, especially minibuses. There are a lot of them, and I have to remember the route of each of them. It improves memory.

— What do you like in the national cuisine, and what are you afraid to even try?

— The cuisine here is diverse. I like plov, manty, samsy and shaurma. These are my favorite dishes. In Kyrgyzstan, I’m not afraid of anything, especially since there are no roasted cockroaches and other insects, like in China (laughs). I think everything here is tasty and of high quality.

— Do you like the local people? Local guys?

— The Kyrgyz people are very hospitable, cultured and tidy. As for the guys I would say this: they have a lot of respect for women, they stand up for the seniors in the minibuses. It is not so in China.

— What has disappointed and fascinated you in local people?

— The local girls fascinated me — the way they dress, put on make-up, what shoes they wear. They are very beautiful. And I was disappointed that the people have no choice, opinion. A girl can, at the behest of her parents, be forced to marry an unknown guy whom she has never even seen in her life. Therefore, I believe that girls sometimes do not have free choice. And people should live as they want: to travel and enjoy life.

— What would you like to change in Bishkek?

— It is necessary, first of all, to repair roads, improve education, because its level is very low, and to improve the teaching methods.