Among the most enjoyable aspect of maintaining the Karakul
Sheep Registry is that we have been privileged to communicate with people from
all over the world. These are
people who have seen the Karakul Sheep website and written to obtain more
information about our breed and in many cases socialize with us. We’ve heard from people from Argentina, Brazil, New Zealand
and many other places too hard to remember.
Recently we received an e-mail from a young woman from Kyrgyzstan.
Quite frankly, we had never heard of Kyrgyzstan, but by her name figured
that it was near Russia. Amazingly,
she is fluent in English, and Dee and she have exchanged several e-mails and
pictures. She makes us ashamed that we are unable to communicate in
other languages as easily as she can. Her
life, naturally, is very different from ours, but in many ways she is very much
like those of us who love our Karakul sheep and other animals.
We thought you might like to share some of what she has written and the
pictures she sent of her country and her farm.
Here are excerpts from her e-mails:
“I am pleased that you were really interested in us.
Your site is very interesting, especially the history of Karakul.
During the Soviet Union (USSR) time, Karakul hats, suits were very
popular and Karakul wools were imported from Turkestan (our neighboring
country).
Let us talk a little bit about myself. As you know, my name is Aksana (I am happy that you liked my name). I love breeding cattle; I was born among animals (sheep and cows).
I am studying at the AUCA, my major is Anthropology and my
minor is International Relations. I
live in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, but my parents and my relatives live on the
south part of KG, a small village farm, close to mountains.
My grandma is a very traditional nomad person, she always moves from
mountain to mountain. She is more interested in horse breeding, because they give
quite nice production. Production
of the horse and sheep are considered as our traditional food and part of our
culture. We have lands, 100 sheep (Tyan-Shan
sheep), yurta (special house for nomad people).
All my relatives are working together at the Sheep Association."
"Mrs. Deanna, is it possible for us to cooperate with
American farmers who would like to negotiate with our Kyrgyz Sheep Cooperation
of my village? Do you know any
farmers who would like to work with Kyrgyzstan’s Sheep Cooperation?
‘Ismailbek-Ata-Sheep Cooperation’ has many projects concerning sheep,
especially promoting different types of vanishing throughbred sheep and
improving their condition. Do you know any farmers who are really interested in
Kyrgyzstan? Kyrgyz Farmers of the
cooperation love sheep and they are doing their best to work with sheep in the
future. I really want to work with
American farmers, because the method of breeding cattle is quite different than
ours. We would like to exchange
methods and work together in order to promote the pure breed of sheep.
Could you write me some suggestions, advice or ideas?
I think we would find the appropriate consensus between American Farmers
and Kyrgyz Farmers. Thank you very
much for concerning this case.”
Pictures
If you’d like to learn more about Kyrgyzstan, go to the
website Aksana provided us: www.kyrgyzstan.com/coinfo.html.
If you’d like to communicate with Aksana, her e-mail address is:
aksjanym@mail.auk.kg
