Masters of hospitality, Kyrgyz people are gracious and amiable hosts. They would never say no to a guest, and we were guests in their country. I had a steady stream of U.S. government visitors and American business people call on me to exchange views and describe their proposed programs or projects. As they were telling me that they had received Kyrgyz government permission to do X, Y, or Z, I would ask them one key question: Did the Kyrgyz official say “Yes, I hear you,” or “Yes, I agree that your project/program can go forward?” In virtually all cases, the answer was simply that the Kyrgyz official had nodded and said, “Yes.” In Kyrgyzstan, “Yes” can mean “Yes,” or it can mean, “You are my guest and I would never insult you by saying no directly.”
Eileen Malloy – US Ambassador to Kyrgystan
Website: https://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/insights/view-ends-earth-american-ambassador-kyrgyzstan