El'nura Sharshenova, originally from the village of Chon-Dala, has been living in the resort town of Alanya on the Mediterranean coast for 7 years.
El'nura was born in 1991.
“I graduated from the school named after Kubanychbek Malikova. I am the middle child of four: I have an older sister, a brother, and a younger sister. My parents live in the same village, while I live with my family in Turkey. I married a Turkish citizen, and we have one child,” she shares.
“My first trip abroad happened in 2015 when I graduated from university. I have dreamed of becoming a translator since childhood. I have always been fascinated by learning languages, and I decided to go to Turkey to broaden my horizons. I have visited many cities, such as Istanbul and Antalya. In 2016, I went to Bahrain on a contract and worked there until December 2018,” El'nura shares.
She still lives in Alanya with her family.
“I have settled here for 7 years now. I have a job and housing. My child is 4 years old, attends kindergarten, and speaks three languages. My husband is an agronomist, and I work at the hotel reception and do SMM online. My parents always visit us in winter,” she says.
“Alanya is a warm city with almost no snow. The people are kind and open, with a strong economy and stable politics. Corruption is not widespread here, and attempts at bribery are pointless,” notes El'nura.
“Many people pay attention to religion, but there are also those who are not interested in it. In tourist areas, there are many people who speak foreign languages. The main language is Turkish. Alanya is a quiet place where no one touches someone else's property. The healthcare system is well-developed, but smoking is part of the culture,” she adds.
El'nura talks about her ambitions: “I want to create an organization for Kyrgyz girls to provide online education, help with employment, and support women on maternity leave. There is a great lack of communication in Kyrgyz,” she shares.
“I have many hobbies; I enjoy learning new things. In my free time, I do eyelash extensions, manicures, and make paper flowers. I also often visit Kyrgyzstan because I miss it very much,” she recounts.
El'nura remembers her husband: “We met in 2015 when I was working in a shopping center. He turned out to be a friend of my colleague. We communicated for about four years before getting married. I liked his kind character and education. He waited for me for four years,” she shares.
“When I came to the village as a bride, local girls said I looked like the 'bride from Jackie Chan's village.' Now they call me 'Jackie Chan's daughter' because we have some resemblance,” concludes El'nura.
