Kyrgyztani is an Asian too.

We were in the midst of our "teach-usha-table-tennis" moment when this couple entered the student's lounge. After a few smiles and nods between the unknown couple and the four of us who were playing, they decided to wait and watch us play. From far, any light skinned, small eyes individual would be assumed for a Chinese or Korean. Well more so Chinese because we are in China remember. But wait, this was the International Student's Lounge. Yeah we are special. The local students rarely enter the lounge or you can I say I've never noticed them in the Lounge. Since he was watching us, we asked him if he wanted to join in the game. The girlfriend replied with a "Go ahead, play. I gotta go get some books".

Now wait a minute, Chinese do not break into English that easily. No, I am not stereotyping but unless they have left the country for a long period of time; they hardly speak in English. Even for the most simplest of reasons. The guy went off to play against another of my friend and the girl remained instead of getting her supposed books. I'm friendly so I approached her for a conversation. The lounge was located opposite the Student Dormitory which also provided me with something to start the talk:

Usha: You stay at the Dorms?
Mystery Girl: Only me.
Usha: Oh Ok. What programme do you do here?
Mystery Girl: PhD in Medicine
Usha: Oh..8 years huh. (she nodded in acceptance) So, you are from...(I like to leave questions unfinished :-)
Mystery Girl: Japan
Usha: [Oh Wow! You speak such good English!] Nice..Where is he from? (pointing to the boyfriend).
Mystery Girl: He's from Kyrgyzstan.
Jan: What is that?
Usha: You've never heard of that place, have you?
Jan: No..hehe
Usha: Interesting.. What language does he speak?
Mystery Girl: Russian.
Usha: Oh wow! (I have a thing for Russian, the language. It sounds hoarse, serious even if the content involved is far from dangerous. I bet Hello Kitty in Russian sounds like a death threat.)

I have met the first Kyrgyzstan resident. When you have a mother whose past time is poring over world maps you are bound to have heard of even the most remote-st of places on Earth. I am not saying K-stan is remote but it rarely appears in the news. Thanks to my being a little ignorant, I assumed K-stan to be near Mongolia with the Kazakhstan, and other non-middle east but ending-with-stan states. As it turns out, and the Kyrgyz himself explained, it was bordered with China so technically in Asia. But it does border with other non-middle east but ending-with-stan states like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Thanks to my mom again, I was not entirely wrong. Ha!

Back to Mystery girl's Kyrgyz boyfriend, he was far from the image of a Kyrgyz I had in my head. Mine resembled that of the Xinjiang natives of China. Slightly tanned with middle-eastern features. Even the Kazakstani girl I met back in 2008 resembled a little of my mental image. This guy, I think, is an exception. I couldn't enquire more as they took off after a game and...I forgot to ask for his name. I should have. The chance for me to attempt enunciating a Kyrgyz name was gone.

And I'm bad at remembering faces. :s