Adam and Raina - Central Asia Updates

A Central Asian Galentine's Party

By on March 19, 2026 Track: Community Development Region: Asia - Central

You may remember the “Story of the Knitted Grinch”. That fateful day in December 2023 was a huge reminder to me to not be shy about getting to know my neighbors. I’ve definitely carried that lesson with me, especially during our time in Central Asia.  Getting to know my neighbors here hasn’t been easy. The language barrier is very challenging, because most of my neighbors speak “street” instead of “literary,” meaning they use more slang, words borrowed from other languages, and lots of shortcuts you won’t find in a grammar book. In spite of this, slowly slowly I’ve gotten to know my… Read more >>

One Headless Goat

By on May 8, 2025 Track: Community Development Region: Asia - Central

Buzkashi (Booz-kaw-she) is the national sport of our country. There are several versions of the game, but generally, it involves a team of riders on horseback or an individual rider (an every-man-for-himself version) trying to get a headless goat carcass into a goal on one end of a large field. The game mostly consists of a mob of riders trying to pick up the goat from the ground while staying mounted on their horses without falling off or getting trampled. Once one rider grabs the goat, he must try to keep the other riders from ripping it from his grasp, while breaking away from the mob to… Read more >>