Butler native travels to Central Asia
Jefferson Ford traveled across 12 time zones this summer.
“It sounds cliche, but you can learn something from anyone as long as you are willing to listen,” said Ford of Butler.
The Georgetown University junior and Butler High School 2017 graduate who studies global business and Chinese language, traveled to Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, and also known as Kirghizia, a country in Central Asia, in May with the university on its third annual trip to the country.
Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west and southwest, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east.Although the trip was not his first time abroad, it was Ford's first time in Asia.While there, he traveled to different towns and taught English, public speaking and debate and hosted a Model United Nations conference in the capital city Bishkek for the students at the private school and across the country.One of Ford's passions is international affairs, he said, adding that region of the world is not one many people travel to and is not one taught in history books.In Bishkek, teaching English was easier than at the various villages because the students were more familiar with western media and foreigners, he said.At the village schools, teachers and students had not met people from the United States, he said.
When he toured the city, he saw buildings that were homages to history with their '70s Soviet-style architecture and block, concrete construction.He also traveled two to four hours to different towns on a Soviet van packed with 30 other people. When they reached the roadside station, he would have to barter in Russian for taxis. He also hitchhiked through the mountainous countryside with nothing but his bookbag.At Ala Archa National Park, he saw the snow capped mountain peaks.In the countryside, people lived in yurts, a portable, round tent covered with skins or felt and used as a dwelling by several distinct nomadic groups in the steppes of Central Asia, and his group saw nomads traveling by horseback with herds of 200 goats up mountains.Although he skipped trying borscht, he did try the national dish of Kyrgyzstan called Besh Barmak, boiled meat with noodles.“It's a brutal country to be a vegetarian in,” he said, laughing.The people were friendly, he said noting how families welcomed the university group into their homes.
Ford was also in the country to see Victory Day, a holiday that commemorates the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945.At the conference, Ford and his group ran two committees of about 75 youths, he said.As students learned, they looked to Ford for approval and validation. When they smiled after giving their speeches, Ford knew his was a job well done.For most, English was their third language, he said.Ford felt culture shock when he could not speak Kyrgyz or Russian, he said. His friend, who is a native Russian, helped him translate.Cultural exchange occurred despite the language barrier, he said.The best way to learn a language is immersion, he said.The travel did not end in Kyrgyzstan. For the month of June, Ford traveled to Hong Kong through the university's business school for his marketing and intercommunications class.While in Hong Kong, Ford was able to explore.He spent a week in Thailand and took classes and studied business at the Special Administrative Regions of China.
While there, he toured a Chinese power grid and took a dumpling-making class, which was part of the cultural exposure.Around Hong Kong, he saw the older architecture and Buddhist temples.On Lamma Island, he trekked three miles through jungle areas to a Chinese fishing village. At the island's Buddhist temple, he witnessed a traditional incense-burning ceremony.At one of the restaurants, he and his group were the only people and got to choose the fish they wanted to eat from a tank.Breakfast ranged from eel to bacon and eggs, and he lived on dumplings for two weeks. He also tried ox tongue and squid jerky.One highlight was the Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests, he said, adding every newspaper and television channel showed the protests, and the metros and federal districts were shut down.In a city of about seven million people, more than two million people protested, he said.He returned at the end of June, jet lagged after crossing 12 time zones.In the future, Ford is looking forward to offering to consult in China with the United States to develop markets in Asia as a career.The trips made a cultural impact, he said.One takeaway is perspective, Ford said, adding when people have an open dialogue, there is greater insight into their cultures.“It's important to listen,” he said.
