Creativity in Pecs

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The different people you meet across the world can have an impact on your life. With each story and each new face, you are left with a small piece of them. A piece they thought was important enough to share with you. A memory you keep and can reflect on for a lifetime. As I was able to return to Kaunas briefly this trip, I remembered the last meeting I had there and how I was encouraged by two Kazakh people who fell in love in Lithuania. On this trip we had a meeting that fell farther down the line of life after love and children. We got to meet Acel Ezhe, who, after her daughter turned thirty, decided to try her hand at life in Europe. Acel is originally from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, but she moved to Lithuania three years ago. Her choice of Lithuania could be simplified to a job, and she had many avenues to choose from. Acel has five different diplomas that could have been used to find a job, but being a seamstress just happened to work out for her. She told us that she does like it in Lithuania, and especially Kaunas. Though the country lacks the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, it still boasts beautiful nature throughout. She has traveled to many places in Lithuania and seen much of the nature this way. She has been able to travel with the Kyrgyz diaspora as they seek to share their culture with the people of Lithuania. We talked with her about some of the important aspects of life abroad, and she focused on their diaspora community. She explained to us how they are a close-knit community, with each person having a different role. They function as a whole, and if one needs something, the others are sure to help. This is not always the case with diasporas that live abroad, and Acel stressed that she is grateful for them. She told us a story about how they all gathered to celebrate her birthday and that some even made the trip from Vilnius to celebrate. Even as we met with Acel, we were welcomed to be a part of this. The meeting we had was filled with hospitality, food, and warmth as she shared with us. Asel Ezhe told us she is thankful to Lithuania for having the opportunity to unite different nationalities every year. She believes the “Culture Sodras” is an excellent idea for this purpose.  I have been impacted as I see and hear about how a group of similar people in a new environment can come together and be stronger as a whole. This takes the willingness and kindness of each individual, and it will not be forgotten.

Though I had traveled to Poland before even getting to meet Kyrgyz people there, this wasn’t where I met Bemas. In 2026, the World Nomad Games were hosted in Kyrgyzstan, and Travel Eurostan made it a point to be there to experience the Central Asian culture on full display. The amazing thing was that countries from all around the world sent Kyrgyz representatives to the Nomad Games. They showcased those who attended the culture of their host country, and much like we do, there is a Kyrgyz person in their home country. This is how I found out that Bemas was in Kyrgyzstan and is currently living in Poland. Gratefully, after a busy Nomad Games, we were able to meet up in Bishkek before she headed back to Warsaw. Bemas moved to Poland around 8 years ago and has since made it her home. Poland is one of the many places where many Kyrgyz people live, and this has been a benefit to her to have friends from home. She mentioned that a couple just recently opened a Navat in Warsaw, which is a popular restaurant in Kyrgyzstan! I may have to go back to Warsaw just for the taste of beshbarmak in Europe. She now works at JLL, an English company in Warsaw, where she is the Senior Analyst in Lease Administration. Bemas even offered to let us come again to Warsaw and see her building; I might have to take her up on that. She likes it there and told me that in the future she wants to improve her Polish language so that she can be an even more integrated part of the community there.  When she is not working, the majority of her time is spent investing in the Danaker Diaspora of women from Kyrgyzstan in Poland. It is an NGO with the primary goal of supporting migrant women and hosting events to educate the diaspora on cross-cultural living. As Bemas described it, they are passionate about helping Kyrgyz diaspora women all over Europe. It is important that the diaspora groups become registered and have the ability and funds to truly help and support those living outside their home countries. Just this year, they had a forum that brought in important leaders from Kyrgyzstan and Europe to discuss different projects and goals. I look forward to hearing what Danaker will do in the future and hopefully get the chance to continue to meet with and interact with its members.

Tokyo Station is known for its beautiful red-brick design and serves as a central transportation hub for tourists and locals. Almost all metro trains connect at this stop, so people are always walking around, and there are plenty of places to shop or eat. We had the honor of meeting with Robiya and her daughter at Tokyo Station. We visited Aalto Cafe and got coffee and pie, then walked around the indoor shopping area that had everything from clothing, jewelry, and makeup to home furniture.  Robiya is from Andijan, Uzbekistan, and has been living in Tokyo for the past two years. She studied in Uzbekistan and earned her bachelor's degree in teaching English. Her family that she is very close with helped introduce her to her husband, who is also from Uzbekistan. He has been living in Tokyo for the past ten years working in the hotel industry but returned to Uzbekistan for them to get married. After getting married, they moved back to Tokyo and started growing their family. They have a two-year-old daughter and are currently expecting a baby boy. Robiya told us that she has enjoyed living in Japan and exploring the culture and food that is very different from where she was raised. She is currently learning Japanese because the biggest challenge to living in Japan is not knowing the language. Something she is thankful for is that in her apartment building she has other Uzbek families to connect with that also have children for playdates. We also talked about what the future might hold, and Robiya said she would love to continue her education and get her master's degree. We had such a great time getting to know Robiya and her daughter while exploring some of Tokyo Station.

Before we left Hungary, we were able to meet with Akkanat and Aizhan at a local coffee shop and sit outside enjoying the nice weather before it got too hot. We learned that the girls met back home in Kyrgyzstan and were able to reconnect in Budapest. Both are working on their master's in business and marketing after receiving their bachelor's in Kyrgyzstan. We talked about the differences they have experienced in schooling and how they operate differently, so it was an adjustment to study in Hungary, but they both really appreciate the European approach to education. The girls are currently able to work remotely for startups based in Kyrgyzstan and the United Kingdom and found their jobs around the same time. Working remotely has helped them be able to travel more and explore Europe. Gracie and the girls crochet as a hobby and were able to talk about the joys and frustrations that come with counting stitches and projects they are working on. The girls do a lot together and have grown their friendship here in Hungary but do not currently live together but are on the same street. We talked about living on your own compared to with parents; it is fun but also comes with much more responsibility. Some of the challenges are learning a new language and culture, then building a new community and dating. It was interesting to see how they also were a part of the Central Asian running club and knew most of the people we interviewed. We had a great time getting to know the girls and how they are adjusting to Hungarian life. Akkanat and Aizhan's friendship was evident, and we loved getting to laugh so much and bond with them over life and culture.

After exploring Budapest, we ended up at Mon Sheri, a popular coffee shop among students in the city, where we met our new friend. Kulsun is from Kyrgyzstan and is working at the coffee shop and helped serve us, so we asked her if she was willing to tell us her story and she agreed to meet up with us. We met up a few days later at Cafe Frei, which is a unique coffee shop with different styles of coffee from all around the world. She is studying at Corvinus University and is on the Hungarian scholarship that is awarded to only 200 applicants. She had just taken her Hungarian exam because one of the scholarship requirements is to get to A1 proficiency in the Hungarian language. Hungarian is one of the hardest languages to learn, so we discussed how learning languages can be extremely difficult. Luckily, Kulsun can use English and Russian, which she is fluent in because those are the most common languages used in Budapest outside of Hungarian. Kulsun told us about how she was determined to study abroad even though she did not have many options but really wanted to go to Europe, and then the door opened to Hungary. She has loved Budapest and the new opportunities it has afforded. During our conversation, we got to talk about the differences in culture between Central Asia and Europe and how the adjustment has been. Kulsun has adjusted extremely well and built meaningful connections with people from many different backgrounds, including fellow Central Asians, Hungarians, and other international students. She shared her experiences of studying abroad, adapting to life in Budapest, and maintaining aspects of her cultural identity while living abroad. We also talked about her life in Kyrgyzstan and how she looks forward to spending time with her family and friends back home during the summer. We had an amazing time getting to know our new friend and hope to see her again.

Occasionally, we get the chance to meet someone like us that loves and supports Central Asian culture without a true heritage in it. While we were in Tokyo, we met Odiljon, who is Japanese but now speaks Uzbek and continues to learn about Uzbek culture. Odiljon first came across Uzbeks in the city Nagoya. He was working there and was having a hard time making friends when he stopped into Tabassum an Uzbek restaurant. Once he showed interest in the food and culture, and in becoming friends with the Uzbeks working there, they offered him a job. He told us the cook only knew Uzbek, so he had to learn the language if he wanted to communicate with him. This was the beginning of Odiljon and the Uzbek community in Japan. But it continues and has even flourished enough for him to have traveled to Tashkent, Andijan, and Namangan. These days he lives in and works in Tokyo at a Japanese company, but he frequents the best Uzbek restaurant in the area, Samarkand Terrace. This is where we got to sit down and talk to him. When we walked in, he greeted everyone by name and with the Uzbek greeting. It was a joy to be with someone who knew the community so well in Japan and was able to introduce us as well. He shared his story over a delicious plate of plov, with interjections from the cook who was close by. Everyone in the restaurant was kind to tell us a bit about their stories as well. We are grateful to him for these introductions.  Odiljon told us that he sometimes volunteers at the Uzbek embassy for those that need help with translation. This is just one of the ways he continues to help the community there. We asked him what he thought the Japanese should know about the Uzbeks. He told us that he thinks if they could just make a connection with who they are and where they come from then they would enjoy them. He wants the Japanese to see the potential in the Uzbek nation and get to know more about them. The lack of knowledge among the Japanese is holding them back from welcoming the Uzbeks even more into their country. Odiljon is trying his best to tell the Japanese about the Uzbeks and show off their culture. In the future, he hopes to hold an event that would welcome Japanese communities to learn more about the Uzbeks and Turkmen in their country.

Ainash may be from Kazakhstan, but you wouldn’t know it if you passed her on the street in Tokyo. She moved from Astana to the beautiful island of Japan over 15 years ago. We were amazed at her ability to speak Japanese so well. Though her time in a Japanese company during her early years after graduating from university helped her to learn the difficult language. When we met her at White Coffee just outside the massive Shibuya Station, she told us that she now works in logistics at Amazon. She explained that her different work experiences in Japan have allowed her to see the culture and the different aspects of the work environment there. The work-life balance in Tokyo at Amazon provides Ainash the time she needs to pursue her favorite hobby, running. Like everyone else in the world who picked up a new hobby during quarantine, Ainash started running during COVID in 2020. She still runs quite often, and this year she even won the lottery to participate in the 2026 Berlin Marathon. She shared with us how she loves to travel and explore while participating in marathons. She has traveled all over Japan to many cities, running the race in the morning, which leaves the afternoons to sightsee. Ainash has excelled in running at the ultra-marathon level, as she once ran 100 kilometers. That is true dedication to a hobby. Running has also given her a community here in Tokyo as the whole world is getting into running. Ainash still gets a glimpse of Kazakhstan every year when her mom comes to visit her. It is during this sweet time that she enjoys traditional dishes and practices her Kazakh. Though she misses the people and the culture of Central Asia sometimes, her favorite parts of Japan are how efficient the country really is. They have mastered the art of the best way to do everything.  It was a humid afternoon in Tokyo, but it was spent well talking about Japan vs Kazakhstan and whether Ainash should start competing in hyrox competitions. I relish the opportunity to get to meet Central Asians all over the world and look forward to the day I can visit Astana and understand even more about where many Kazakhs that I meet come from.

We met up with Tomiris at the cutest coffee shop called Apricot. She has been in Hungary for the past few years on the Hungarian scholarship that is awarded each year to 250 students. Tomiris has already received and earned her bachelor's degree in media and communications from a local Hungarian university. Now, she is working on her master's in filmmaking and loving it. It was evident that Tomiris was passionate about what she was studying, and she told us that she decided to pursue her master's because she wanted to stay in Hungary. Secondly, as a little girl, she wanted to be an actress, but because of her religious beliefs, she knew there would be conflicts and challenges. So, she started looking into other avenues to express her creativity and then discovered how much she loves the producing side of filmmaking. It was extremely interesting to hear about her filmmaking lectures and that she collaborates with other students, such as those in the theater department, on projects. Tomiris is using her undergraduate degree to work remotely for a Kazakh brand running their social media accounts and communications. Tomiris speaks Kazakh, Russian, Hungarian, some Turkish, and now, because she has a Kyrgyz roommate, she is learning Kyrgyz. We were able to talk about how the national Central Asian languages are easier to learn after understanding some Turkish, since they are all based on Turkish; there are also some connections with Hungarian that have helped her learn it. While we were talking, it was extremely neat to see how the Central Asian community is strong in Budapest and that Tomiris knew many of the other people we interviewed in Budapest and other Eastern European countries. Some of the challenges have been how expensive everything in Europe is compared to Kazakhstan, then just adjusting to the culture in Europe, which can be very different from Central Asian culture. We loved getting to hear Tomiri’s story and her time in Hungary. She has been able to build community with other Central Asians, but because of her studies now she has more Hungarian national friends. We listened and learned about her faith background and how she has been able to keep her Islamic beliefs while living in Hungary. Tomiris loves to travel and learn, so we were able to talk for a few hours about a lot of topics. Hopefully she can find more avenues to stay in Europe after graduation, but whatever the future holds for Tomiris, it will be bright.