Looking at all three of them: Zamir Beishenaliev, Temir Kazybay, and Esen Sagynov, one could easily commit the mistake of regarding them as foreigners even to each other. In fact, physically they all look poles apart but they share a lot more things in common than one might think. For one, they all come from the same land, Kyrgyzstan. That alone says a lot about them. Like the average Kyrgyzstani, each of them speaks at least three languages: Kyrgyz, Russian and English. Most importantly, they share a similar culture which came into existence as an upshot of the Turkic nomadic way of life, Mongolian invasion, Russian Empire incorporation, and decades of Stalin''s control. In spite of the Russian influence on their turbulent history, according to them, Kyrgyzstanis remain loyal to their Asian roots. When asked about whether they don’t consider themselves as more Russian than Asian, all three of them passionately disagreed. "No, I do not agree at all. I daresay that the opposite is true. Our culture is definitely Asian. We share the same religion with most of the Asians. Our language has more Asian flavor than Russian. Even our physical appearances are more Asian than Russian," explained Temir and was seconded by Esen and Zamir.

In fact, they observe a lot of similarities between Korea and Kyrgyzstan. "I would say that there are a lot of similarities between Kyrgyzstan and Korea. In terms of culture, there are some small but significant indications that both countries somehow share something in common. For one, you can also find the ornament that you can see on the edge of the old version of the 100 Korean won in Kyrgyzstan culture. The design of the roofs of Korean royal palaces is similar to that of our national hat. It has something to do with our common belief about the energy coming from the sun that serves us our protector," Temir elaborates. He is actually referring to the way Korean palace roofs create solid three dimensional curves and are tilted upward, which is very similar to the kalpak (Kyrgyztan national hat). Temir further describes, "Kyrgyzstanis are also as hospitable to foreigners as Koreans are. We also hold the same high level of respect for our elderly. As in Korea, it is also impolite in our country to pass between two people talking.

I should also mention the myth about the "Mongolian spot" that we: Japanese, Koreans and Kyrgyzstanis, were all born with. Even our languages belong to one group of languages, the Altaic language family. The grammar and even the structure of the sentences are the same. That is why, for me, it is not that hard to learn Hangul since its vowels and consonants are almost the same as ours." To this, Esen adds another likeness: "When handing over something to someone, we must also use two hands, otherwise we would appear discourteous. Like here in Korea, in Kyrgyzstan, the son is also culturally assigned to take care of his parents during old age."

In spite of these similarities, their first days in Korea had not been a walk in the park. Unlike the typical first timers to the country, all three of them had first learned the Korean translation of, "돼지고기없어요?" (Is there pork here?), and not the classic "Ahn-nyung ha-she-yo." Although Kyrgyzstanis are known for being meat lovers, which according to an old joke makes them its second largest consumers in the world, they do not eat pork owing to their religion. Unlike Esen and Temir, Zamir is taking his time to appreciate Korean spicy food. Except for those things, everything has been smooth sailing for them so far, especially because they find Koreans very helpful and friendly.

Esen even confesses, " I feel like taking a piece of Korea’s land home with me. I think there is no place in this world except here where bus drivers are the friendliest people, imagine, they greet everyone who gets in, and when ten people enter the bus, they will say "Ahn-nyung ha-she-yo." ten times." Jokingly, Temir asserts that, "Homework (chuckles) is one of the things that I will miss about Korea." But he quickly adds that, "The truth is; living in Korea is almost like living in my country. The weather is the same, the language resembles that of our own, and people are just as kind and hospitable. So I do not think I will miss much of Korea except maybe for the atmosphere." If there is one thing that the three of them truly share, that would be their pride about Kyrgyzstan. Each is enthusiastic in promoting their country. ’’One should visit my country because of its wild amazing nature. It has beautiful landscape with mountains, lakes and hundreds of hectares of walnut trees. No other country in Central Asia is endowed with such a kind of nature; big lake (called Issyk-kul) that never freezes during the winter and mountainous terrains. And because of our rich water resources, the entire Central Asia is dependent on us. The best time to visit is during summer when everything is green and it is not that cold. Kyrgyzstan to Asia is Colorado to the US. But a lot better," Temir proudly states. In one sentence he describes, "Kyrgyzstan is a country of pure water and amazing nature." Esen further claims that, "Their being hospitable hosts to house guests makes Kyrgyzstanis unique in the entire Central Asian region." Among the best tourist destinations in the country are Issyk-kul Lake, the Ancient Tower of Burana, Lake Sary-Chelek, located high up in the mountains, the A LAARC HA National Park and the 4500-meters-above-sea-levelroad that connects the country''s two big cities, Osh and Bishkek.

Noteworthy is the fact that Zamir, Temir and Esen are the very first Kyrgyzstanis to attend the KDI School. When asked about their reasons for applying to the school, each of them gave answers that can only be regarded as very patriotic. Zamir, a KOICA scholar taking the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program and working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, elaborates, "I came here to gain knowledge that I can apply to develop good relations between Korea and Kyrgyzstan." Esen, who owns a software company and is specializing in Business Administration (MBA), emphasizes that, "A Korean once told me that Kyrgyzstan looks like Korea some 30 years ago and this made me realize that if that is the case, along with the fact that we share a lot of similarities, then it is worth knowing the development strategies of Korea that will help my country achieve what Korea had overtime." For Temir, who works as a legal expert at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, studying at KDI School in the MPP Program is like a childhood dream come true, but his greatest motivation still boils down to his great desire to help his country develop its full potential.

Every one of them is eagerly looking forward to a worthwhile learning experience at the KDI School. Temir is especially grateful for the opportunity that he has been given. He says, "More than the knowledge itself, KDI School provides each one of us the chance to meet people from different countries, which will definitely help us in gaining global perspectives and establish meaningful networks." Esen eloquently avows that, ’’The knowledge you gain is not enough if you do not have the right network to use it with, and KDI School is the best place to look for such a network."

Source Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://www.state.gOv/r/pa/ei/bgn/5755.htm.

By Wendy N. Montealto (2009 MPP, Philippines)