I cannot believe it has been over one year since I came to Mongolia. (Side note: I meant to write this on my one year anniversary . . . but that didn't happen!) So much has happened to me and changed me over the last year. I want to share some of these changes and thoughts with you.
1. Peace Corps
I still love the Peace Corps. It is a fantastic organization that allows willing volunteers to share their talents, time and dedication with others. Being a government organization, there are many rules and a lot of paperwork but it is SO worth it all. At the end of the day, they are there to help assist volunteers to be as productive and creative as possible.
Being in a country that has around 140 volunteers, I have met many people from all different walks of life. I consider them all friends and colleagues. They have taught me a lot about themselves and have taught me about me. I have a few VERY close friends in Peace Corps and I am honored and so very happy to have them in my life.
2. Mongolia
Mongolia has changed me in ways I didn't know possible. One year ago I came here having never eaten a boiled sheep's head. I have now eaten that more times than I can count. Before coming to Mongolia I didn't know much about it. I knew it was cold, the land of Chingis Khan and a wide open country. It is all of those things but I have found so much beauty in the country and in its people.
Mongolia, in places, can look like Nebraska. It is wide open, full of fields and has farmers and fabulous sunsets. It makes me happy when I see the canvas of the eternal blue sky painted with vibrant purples, pinks and oranges. It also has rolling, verdant hills called steppe and looming ancient mountains. Everything here is just gorgeous.
The Mongolian people are so kind, giving and genuine. Their hospitality is amazing. I am so honored to have many Mongolian friends who help teach me about this country, themselves and where they want Mongolia to go in the future.
3. Music
A little over one year ago I spent many hours each day practicing and perfecting the art of playing the pipe organ. I haven't seen or touched an organ during the last year and I miss it SO much! But . . . I have immersed myself in Mongolian music. I studied the morin khuur (horse-headed fiddle) at the School of Dance and Music. It is fascinating learning about that instrument and learning a musical instrument in a foreign language was challenging and rewarding. Recently, I have studied the art of throat singing (or hoomii in Mongolian). Thank goodness I am not a professional singer . . . I am pretty sure my vocal chords have bled since I began practicing.
The music on my iPod has also changed immensely. I still have an unhealthy amount of organ and choral music on it but it has been enhanced by a lot of Indie music. This is due, in large part, to the gathering of volunteers to swap media. I have learned of many new artists like: Of Monsters and Men, Ingrid Michaelson, William Fitzsimmons and Sufjan Stevens. Each artist has had one song resonate with me at a particular time to help me deal with an emotion. I am eager to explore these artists more.
4. Me!
Perhaps I have learned more about myself than I have anything else over the last year! I am a much more patient person now. Waiting outside in the -30 F weather for a bus taught me that good things come to those who wait. While teaching English, I was frustrated with the slow progress that seemed to be happening but I waited and suddenly the progress was so evident and I was so proud of each student with whom I worked.
I have been reminded that love is stronger than hate. Being a part of the LGBT community in this country and working at the LGBT Centre has showed me that being surrounded by love allows you to overcome hardship and come together to work for equality. I am so honored and proud of everyone at the centre and those who are working so hard for human rights and equality.
I have come to the realization that there is something inside all of us that connects us as human beings and brings us together. It is underneath our shame, sorrow and pain.
And so I have another year in Mongolia. I am ecstatic about being given the opportunity to work here again with great people and fabulous friends. Of course, I miss my family and friends back home but it is their love and support that allows me to continue my work here.
To you all in America, keep being cool by planting your gardens, finding joy in life, pursuing your passions and loving one another unconditionally. I will see you all in under one year!
With love and respect,
-C
P.S. I PROMISE I will blog next week about "ghetto gardening" Peace Corps style.
1.5.12
Just goin' to the Gobi
Yes.......you read that title correctly. I went to the Gobi (just went to the Gobi isn't as much fun for a title).
My friend and counter-part Oogii and I went to the Gobi desert two days. As my life goes....the batteries in my camera died and NO store in Sainshand had ANY batteries! A similar experience happend between my youngest sister and my father during her senior year. He kept taking picture after picture documenting her life.....but he forgot to put film in the camera. Oops! So.......I have only a few pictures of the trip and only one picture of being in the Gobi.
Come with me as I spin my tale of train rides, greeting the sunrise, energy centers, beer and camels!
April 19
After teaching a few classes at Gazarchin, Oogii and I made our way to the train station. She and I each had two bags. I had a normal sized back pack and a messenger bag and she had nearly the same. Look....be proud people. I am the QUEEN of overpacking and I totally didn't do it for this trip!
Our train left promptly at 4:30pm and we were on our way to Sainshand city in Dornogovi province. It would be a 10 hour ride so I brought a lot of entertainment like my kindle and my iPod. At the next stop, a two women joined us in our cubicle of English and awkwardness. They were great! They brought a lot of alcohol (because their husbands don't like them to drink at home) and some fabulous huushuur. They were both curious about me and were surprised when I spoke in Mongolian (however limited it may be!) One woman commented on how thin I am and how I am not really that masculine. (You think?!) She said her son was just like me. Thin and not masculine.......I should get his number.
We drank a bottle of cherry wine that tasted like Robitussin and I proceeded to take two Tylenol PM and passed out for the remainder of our train ride. Fortunately......I woke up at 1:30am which gave me time to fix my hair (I looked like I could have auditioned for the Broadway version of Lion King!). We left the train and were picked up by our driver.
He took us to a store where I tried to buy batteries but they were non-existent. Instead we bought sausage, bread and a bunch of beer. Then at 3:00am.....four of us drove out in to the Gobi desert to start our trek! But first.......we had to stop in the middle of the desert and consume our beers. So there I am drunk at 3:30am.......riding around in a car........still effed up from my Tylenol PM..........there are no roads and I desperately wanted a pair of silk eye shades.
April 20
We waited for the magical time of sunrise to come. Finally at 5am the sun was almost up. We drove to the top of a hill near Hamar monastery to greet the day. Mongolians greet the sunrise with palms facing the sun to feel its energy. You can also take a box of milk and squirt it at the sun. That works too. Mongolians place a high value on dairy and use it a lot in their rituals. They also throw it on stone piles called ovoos.
After the sun came up and I felt a little less drunk we went to the Energy Center. This is a really large area filled with stupas and other symbols of Buddhism. It was really quite neat. The next stop on our Gobi jaunt was to the 108 meditation caves. These caves were used by Buddhist monks for 60 days. During those 60 days they were locked in the caves alone and were given food for only 30 days. They spent their time meditating and following the teachings of their predecessors. It was really fascinating to imagine someone doing that for 60 days. I would go insane!
After eating a filling meal of tsuivan we proceeded to my favorite stop. A camel herding family! Gaah! It was an older woman who lived in a ger with her daughter (around my age) and her two grandsons (maybe 3 and 4). They had no electricity except for a large battery that would run a power strip. They based their entire livelihood around this animal. It was fantastic!
We politely asked if we could ride a camel and they obliged. Our driver asked me if I could ride a horse and I very confidently said YES! I am from Nebraska......and I have ridden a horse a few times in my life. The last time was in Bolivia in 2001.....and I fell off the horse twice.......but I still rode the damn thing! The camel bends down before me and I am instructed to get on. After mounting my 'steed' I tried to make him stand up. This is where he turned into a drag queen and judged me. He wouldn't move! I kicked him with my boots and gave him the command. He just looked back at me and we had a dialogue between us that went like this:
My friend and counter-part Oogii and I went to the Gobi desert two days. As my life goes....the batteries in my camera died and NO store in Sainshand had ANY batteries! A similar experience happend between my youngest sister and my father during her senior year. He kept taking picture after picture documenting her life.....but he forgot to put film in the camera. Oops! So.......I have only a few pictures of the trip and only one picture of being in the Gobi.
Come with me as I spin my tale of train rides, greeting the sunrise, energy centers, beer and camels!
April 19
After teaching a few classes at Gazarchin, Oogii and I made our way to the train station. She and I each had two bags. I had a normal sized back pack and a messenger bag and she had nearly the same. Look....be proud people. I am the QUEEN of overpacking and I totally didn't do it for this trip!
Our train left promptly at 4:30pm and we were on our way to Sainshand city in Dornogovi province. It would be a 10 hour ride so I brought a lot of entertainment like my kindle and my iPod. At the next stop, a two women joined us in our cubicle of English and awkwardness. They were great! They brought a lot of alcohol (because their husbands don't like them to drink at home) and some fabulous huushuur. They were both curious about me and were surprised when I spoke in Mongolian (however limited it may be!) One woman commented on how thin I am and how I am not really that masculine. (You think?!) She said her son was just like me. Thin and not masculine.......I should get his number.
We drank a bottle of cherry wine that tasted like Robitussin and I proceeded to take two Tylenol PM and passed out for the remainder of our train ride. Fortunately......I woke up at 1:30am which gave me time to fix my hair (I looked like I could have auditioned for the Broadway version of Lion King!). We left the train and were picked up by our driver.
He took us to a store where I tried to buy batteries but they were non-existent. Instead we bought sausage, bread and a bunch of beer. Then at 3:00am.....four of us drove out in to the Gobi desert to start our trek! But first.......we had to stop in the middle of the desert and consume our beers. So there I am drunk at 3:30am.......riding around in a car........still effed up from my Tylenol PM..........there are no roads and I desperately wanted a pair of silk eye shades.
April 20
We waited for the magical time of sunrise to come. Finally at 5am the sun was almost up. We drove to the top of a hill near Hamar monastery to greet the day. Mongolians greet the sunrise with palms facing the sun to feel its energy. You can also take a box of milk and squirt it at the sun. That works too. Mongolians place a high value on dairy and use it a lot in their rituals. They also throw it on stone piles called ovoos.
After the sun came up and I felt a little less drunk we went to the Energy Center. This is a really large area filled with stupas and other symbols of Buddhism. It was really quite neat. The next stop on our Gobi jaunt was to the 108 meditation caves. These caves were used by Buddhist monks for 60 days. During those 60 days they were locked in the caves alone and were given food for only 30 days. They spent their time meditating and following the teachings of their predecessors. It was really fascinating to imagine someone doing that for 60 days. I would go insane!
After eating a filling meal of tsuivan we proceeded to my favorite stop. A camel herding family! Gaah! It was an older woman who lived in a ger with her daughter (around my age) and her two grandsons (maybe 3 and 4). They had no electricity except for a large battery that would run a power strip. They based their entire livelihood around this animal. It was fantastic!
We politely asked if we could ride a camel and they obliged. Our driver asked me if I could ride a horse and I very confidently said YES! I am from Nebraska......and I have ridden a horse a few times in my life. The last time was in Bolivia in 2001.....and I fell off the horse twice.......but I still rode the damn thing! The camel bends down before me and I am instructed to get on. After mounting my 'steed' I tried to make him stand up. This is where he turned into a drag queen and judged me. He wouldn't move! I kicked him with my boots and gave him the command. He just looked back at me and we had a dialogue between us that went like this:
Chris: Camel....please get up and don't make me look stupid.
Camel: Girrrrrrl.....suck it. I am tired.
Chris: Please?! I will show you a kitten video on cuteoverload.com when you are done!
Camel: No!
Chris: I like your outfit. You look fierce.
Finally after our internal conversation the camel stood up.....but would not move in any direction. It was at this point I was regretting the fact that I said I could ride a horse. Here I am sitting on this damn camel and he won't move.....at all...... I wanted to delete the words from the driver's ear canal. After a while I just had to own it. It is kind of like when you clog a toilet at someone else's house. You just gotta bow your head and ask for the plunger. In this case I gave the driver the rope and he led me around............like I was riding a horse at the Y of the Rockies in Estes Park.
After my embarrassing ride on the camel we moved on to the final stop which is called the Black Mountain. It is an imposing mountain with a steep climb up many stairs to reach the top.......where only men can go. I somehow made it all the way to the top. It was breath taking! If only I had my camera.......DAMN!
On our drive back in to Sainshand we saw a bunch of camels just hanging around. My batteries mustered enough life to take one picture. So my picture in the Gobi is of us chasing camels around in a car (It felt like chasing an Amish man driving a horse and buggy........)
After that Oogii and I crashed in to bed and didn't wake up for 18 hours. The next evening, April 21 we went back to UB on the train and made it in on Sunday morning, April 22 after an uneventful trip back.
So there you have it.....my quick trip to the Gobi.
Here are like three pictures of my trip. Thanks cheap batteries!
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| Oogii being cute as always! |
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| Me being.....well.....weird. |
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| The hallway of our train. Much better than Amtrak! |
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| Our morning in the Gobi. Sun is almost up! |
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| Feel the energy of the gorgeous sunrise! |
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| Oogii honoring the women's ovoo by splashing it with milk. |
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| Just chasin' them camels!
Za. There is my blog for now. I am running out of ideas.......WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW! Leave me comments or send a smoke signal or something..........Then I will blog about it!
Be well,
-C
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2.4.12
Have yourself a Merry Little White Month
Амар байна уу? is the phrase I heard 1,459 times during the Mongolian holiday of Tsagaan Sar (White Month). This is the BIGGEST holiday of the year and people begin preparing for it weeks if not a month or more in advance. It can be seen as a combination of Christmas and Thanksgiving with a twist.
Tsagaan Sar is the Tibetan Lunar New Year. It marks the end of the long Mongolian winter and means that warm temperatures are on their way. This is a very ritualistic holiday and many customs and traditions are imbued into the fabric of the holiday.
This year Tsagaan Sar occurred from February 22-26 (officially). There is a sort of Tsagaan Sar check list which might look a little like this:
Since this is such a major holiday the Peace Corps gave us at least 2, if not 3, trainings for this holiday. We were taught the proper greeting which is "Amar bain uu?" and taught the proper arm greeting. This arm greeting involves both people extending out their perpendicular to their body with palms up. If the person is older than you, you put your arms beneath theirs to support them. If they are younger than you, they go beneath you. If the person is about the same age, one arm goes on top, and the other goes beneath. You also smell each person on each cheek. When doing this greeting you start with the oldest person in the room and then go down in age. Ready......set.......Tsagaan Sar!
битүүн
This is the night before Tsagaan Sar begins. All of the family gathers together and they eat white foods like Aaruul, milk tea and buuz. The sheep sacrum is prepared and placed on the table. The ENTIRE rear end of the sheep is placed in the center of the table in all of its fatty glory. The goal of bitvvn is to not leave hungry.
Here is how I spent my bitvvn: I got together with two other volunteers in UB. We wanted to go eat Mr. Chicken to get the bucket of chicken and the gossip magazine. Due to the holiday this fine establishment was closed. So we ate some food at a nearby pub and then went back to a volunteer's home. Happy Bitvvn! Also during Tsagaan Sar many stores are closed so you might go hungry.
Tsagaan Sar: Day One
It is traditional that all the people of the town should gather on a high mountain with an Ovoo (traditional holy site). From there they greet the first sun rise of the new year with shouting and offerings of milk. I think this occurred some time around 8am on February 22. I promptly slept through this but ambition did set in so I got out of bed at 10 and ate an entire package of Reeses.
In the countryside the first day of Tsagaan Sar is spent visiting your immediately family....mothers, fathers etc. In UB it is all about getting an invitation to see someone......you can't just go to their home without an invitation. After much begging, hint dropping and crying I scored an invitation for the first day. It was with a teacher from my school. I went there at 4:00 wearing my maternity deel and my stomach was prepared for the onslaught of vodka, buuz and milk tea.
Thank goodness it was a younger teacher and this was a relaxed atmosphere. We barely greeted each other and mainly just sat back and chatted for about 30 minutes. Then she gave me my gift of phone units which was my cue to scram.
Tsagaan Sar: Day Two
This was February 23. Kitty and I had no invitations so I re-cleaned my home in preparation of my students coming the next day. I was determined to have my home so clean that Chinggis Khan himself would be happy with me and not invade my home. This time I washed everything in my home including all my pans, my oven, my fridge and myself. Finally after a long day of cleaning I went to bed with dreams of buuz dancing through my head.
Tsagaan Sar: Day Three
This is the day when it is fair game to visit anyone. So I invited some students over. Their invitation was for 1:00. Before they could come over I had to go to my school to have a Tsagaan Sar gathering there. The maternity deel was put back on and I went to school at 10:00am. This is where things went really bad for this Tsagaan Sar newbie. I greeted everyone the WRONG way! Instead of "supporting" my elders I made them support me (ie. I put my arms on top of theirs). I also didn't smell their cheeks. I kissed them like I was in Europe.......even the men who were a little uncomfortable. It is also customary to pass around snuff bottles. My director's wife handed me a snuff bottle and I thought it was a gift so instead of smelling it and giving it back I promptly put it in my pocket. During this visit I also knocked over a shot glass of vodka and gagged on some gristle in my meat. Eventually my director's wife asked me for the snuff bottle back so I awkwardly pulled it out of my pocket. I tried my best to save my dignity and the holiday so I bolted to prepare for my students to come over.
I set out my trays of cookies and pumpkin bread and made milk tea. I hid Kitty in the bathroom and prepared to be a good host. Finally the magic hour came and so did my students. We greeted one another and sat down to our cookies, bread and milk tea. Half of the students liked the pumpkin bread and the others took one bite and stopped. After chatting in my limited Mongolian I got out the gifts of Post-It Notes and distributed them. My students looked at me awkwardly, said thank you and went on their way. After cleaning up I proceeded to get back in bed wearing my maternity deel (so damn comfortable and roomy!) and listened to Jingle Cats sing O Come All Ye Faithful. It was magical.
Tsagaan Sar: Day Four
I decided to find a traditional Tsagaan Sar by going to the countryside. I visited my friend, another volunteer, in Bayanchandmani. It is a small town North of UB by about 60-or-so kilometers. Coincidentally, my counterpart Oogii was born there so she was visiting her family. So I piled in to a meeker and went to the countryside. I went to my friend's ger and witnessed a 12-year-old kid drive a car. Alone. Just him. Then I Tsagaan Sar visited his haashaa family and scored a sweet bowl, a towel and some phone units. It was awesome!
At 4:00 that afternoon I was invited to visit my counterpart and her family. So my friend came with me. He was well versed in Tsagaan Sar since he lived in the countryside. I managed to not break quite as many rules this time. Oogii gave me a gorgeous hvrem which is a Mongolian jacket that I can wear over my maternity deel. It is fabulous! I ate many buuz, bansh and drank some sort of fruit moonshine.
Finally, I went home the next day and my Tsagaan Sar was over. I curled up in bed and practiced my cat massage skills on Kitty while watching more cats singing Christmas songs like this gem: What Child is This
Tsagaan Sar is the Tibetan Lunar New Year. It marks the end of the long Mongolian winter and means that warm temperatures are on their way. This is a very ritualistic holiday and many customs and traditions are imbued into the fabric of the holiday.
This year Tsagaan Sar occurred from February 22-26 (officially). There is a sort of Tsagaan Sar check list which might look a little like this:
- clean the shit out of your home. Leave nothing uncleaned
- Look, I love cleaning but when you do such a deep cleaning you realize how effing dirty you are and it is depressing. I just dragged my cat across the floor and called it good.
- Make a million buuz (meat dumplings)
- Umm......I don't know how to make these. So I made 3 dozen cookies and some pumpkin bread.
- Have a lot of "white food" (dairy products) in your home to serve
- I did make milk tea and sucked on some aaruul (the dried milk curd)
- Have gifts to give to visitors
- These gifts can range anywhere from skin bleaching cream, phone units, bowls, children etc. I am too poor and not very creative. So I gave all my guests post it pads (Thanks 3M You are the BEST!)
- Prepare your best deel to be worn for the holiday
- I only have one deel that was given to me by my host family. It is massive......so big in fact that I could carry a baby to full term and no one would know. Maybe I can market this to Gap Maternity.
Since this is such a major holiday the Peace Corps gave us at least 2, if not 3, trainings for this holiday. We were taught the proper greeting which is "Amar bain uu?" and taught the proper arm greeting. This arm greeting involves both people extending out their perpendicular to their body with palms up. If the person is older than you, you put your arms beneath theirs to support them. If they are younger than you, they go beneath you. If the person is about the same age, one arm goes on top, and the other goes beneath. You also smell each person on each cheek. When doing this greeting you start with the oldest person in the room and then go down in age. Ready......set.......Tsagaan Sar!
битүүн
This is the night before Tsagaan Sar begins. All of the family gathers together and they eat white foods like Aaruul, milk tea and buuz. The sheep sacrum is prepared and placed on the table. The ENTIRE rear end of the sheep is placed in the center of the table in all of its fatty glory. The goal of bitvvn is to not leave hungry.
Here is how I spent my bitvvn: I got together with two other volunteers in UB. We wanted to go eat Mr. Chicken to get the bucket of chicken and the gossip magazine. Due to the holiday this fine establishment was closed. So we ate some food at a nearby pub and then went back to a volunteer's home. Happy Bitvvn! Also during Tsagaan Sar many stores are closed so you might go hungry.
Tsagaan Sar: Day One
It is traditional that all the people of the town should gather on a high mountain with an Ovoo (traditional holy site). From there they greet the first sun rise of the new year with shouting and offerings of milk. I think this occurred some time around 8am on February 22. I promptly slept through this but ambition did set in so I got out of bed at 10 and ate an entire package of Reeses.
In the countryside the first day of Tsagaan Sar is spent visiting your immediately family....mothers, fathers etc. In UB it is all about getting an invitation to see someone......you can't just go to their home without an invitation. After much begging, hint dropping and crying I scored an invitation for the first day. It was with a teacher from my school. I went there at 4:00 wearing my maternity deel and my stomach was prepared for the onslaught of vodka, buuz and milk tea.
Thank goodness it was a younger teacher and this was a relaxed atmosphere. We barely greeted each other and mainly just sat back and chatted for about 30 minutes. Then she gave me my gift of phone units which was my cue to scram.
Tsagaan Sar: Day Two
This was February 23. Kitty and I had no invitations so I re-cleaned my home in preparation of my students coming the next day. I was determined to have my home so clean that Chinggis Khan himself would be happy with me and not invade my home. This time I washed everything in my home including all my pans, my oven, my fridge and myself. Finally after a long day of cleaning I went to bed with dreams of buuz dancing through my head.
Tsagaan Sar: Day Three
This is the day when it is fair game to visit anyone. So I invited some students over. Their invitation was for 1:00. Before they could come over I had to go to my school to have a Tsagaan Sar gathering there. The maternity deel was put back on and I went to school at 10:00am. This is where things went really bad for this Tsagaan Sar newbie. I greeted everyone the WRONG way! Instead of "supporting" my elders I made them support me (ie. I put my arms on top of theirs). I also didn't smell their cheeks. I kissed them like I was in Europe.......even the men who were a little uncomfortable. It is also customary to pass around snuff bottles. My director's wife handed me a snuff bottle and I thought it was a gift so instead of smelling it and giving it back I promptly put it in my pocket. During this visit I also knocked over a shot glass of vodka and gagged on some gristle in my meat. Eventually my director's wife asked me for the snuff bottle back so I awkwardly pulled it out of my pocket. I tried my best to save my dignity and the holiday so I bolted to prepare for my students to come over.
I set out my trays of cookies and pumpkin bread and made milk tea. I hid Kitty in the bathroom and prepared to be a good host. Finally the magic hour came and so did my students. We greeted one another and sat down to our cookies, bread and milk tea. Half of the students liked the pumpkin bread and the others took one bite and stopped. After chatting in my limited Mongolian I got out the gifts of Post-It Notes and distributed them. My students looked at me awkwardly, said thank you and went on their way. After cleaning up I proceeded to get back in bed wearing my maternity deel (so damn comfortable and roomy!) and listened to Jingle Cats sing O Come All Ye Faithful. It was magical.
Tsagaan Sar: Day Four
I decided to find a traditional Tsagaan Sar by going to the countryside. I visited my friend, another volunteer, in Bayanchandmani. It is a small town North of UB by about 60-or-so kilometers. Coincidentally, my counterpart Oogii was born there so she was visiting her family. So I piled in to a meeker and went to the countryside. I went to my friend's ger and witnessed a 12-year-old kid drive a car. Alone. Just him. Then I Tsagaan Sar visited his haashaa family and scored a sweet bowl, a towel and some phone units. It was awesome!
At 4:00 that afternoon I was invited to visit my counterpart and her family. So my friend came with me. He was well versed in Tsagaan Sar since he lived in the countryside. I managed to not break quite as many rules this time. Oogii gave me a gorgeous hvrem which is a Mongolian jacket that I can wear over my maternity deel. It is fabulous! I ate many buuz, bansh and drank some sort of fruit moonshine.
Finally, I went home the next day and my Tsagaan Sar was over. I curled up in bed and practiced my cat massage skills on Kitty while watching more cats singing Christmas songs like this gem: What Child is This
PICTURES!
My counterpart Oogii, on the right holding her son. Sitting next to her is her mother and father.
Oogii in her gorgeous deel after giving my new, gorgeous hvrem. I love it!
Compare it to my maternity deel:
Just to add to the holiday cheer here is me wearing my gorgeous snowflake tights, holiday sweater and Toms. Tis the season to be flamboyant!
Okay......so thanks for reading this blog. Go celebrate your own Tsagaan Sar and then watch this video: Cat Massage
-C
22.1.12
Glitter.......80's swaying and snowflake tights! Peace Corps!
So.......I am a bad blogger. Uuchlaarai! Sorry! There is no excuse for a two month gap.......but I was......busy?!.......or too cold to blog. Both are valid reasons in my head.
Since November, life has been really busy! I want to talk to you about the glorious holiday of Шинэ жил (Shin Jil) or New Year. This is the Mongolian version of Christmas. It occurs on December 31 or January 1 ......I am still not sure exactly which one. Anyway........it is very similar to an American Christmas. All around UB plastic trees were bedecked with lights, ornaments and a lot of tinsel and glitter. It was an awesome sight to behold! There are also many Mongolian Santa Clauses looming around every corner. Like America, some look "normal" and some look like pedophiles. Hit or miss!
Every organization and university has its own Shin Jil party. Some universities have two.....one for the students and one for the teachers. The one for the Gazarchin Students occurred on December 15. Our student council planned the entire event. It was held at a night club behind Sukhbaatar Square. There was an entry tax of 16,000 tugriks but I somehow managed to avoid that. I knew that people really dressed up for Shin Jil but I had NO idea how serious it was until I got there.
All the men wore well-pressed and very shiny suits. They were all very slim fitting and looked quite nice! The women......went to town! It was like prom times 100. They wore very formal gowns and their hair was curled and held with at least 3 bottles of hairspray per person! Let's also take a moment and talk about the glitter. They effing love it and cannot get enough of it! I saw more glitter at this one event than I have ever seen at any gay bar or drag show.....EVER! It was everywhere.......in their hair.......on their bodies and it seemed like it was falling from the sky. I was in heaven!
The party started with some Mongolian waltzing....which, for the life of me, I cannot do! There was a large champagne toast and then some dancing. Mongolian club dancing is interesting. In this case, all the students and teachers got into two big circles and took turns going in to the middle to show off their moves. My kind of dancing is what I call the 80's sway. You only move from the hips up and just kind of sway back and forth. This allows you to hold on to, and drink, a beverage of your choice. This also allows me to not burn any precious calories and I can still enjoy my soda. Eventually a few students caught on and asked me if that is how all Americans dance. I didn't want to seem like a loser so I said "yes." Then they started 80's swaying. Watch out Mongolia......the 80's sway is comin' back!
After the dancing, it was time for the awards! Our school's director got up on stage, along with our training manager, and passed out awards to senior students who excelled the most. I was called on stage to join the two of them and congratulate the scholars. I kindly shook all of their hands and said congratulations in Mongolian....or at least I hope that is what I said. The next thing I know, a microphone is put in my face and I am told to speak....in Mongolian. Shit! Didn't they remember what a shit show that was last time?!
So I said that I was very happy to be a teacher at Gazarchin and all the students made me happy. I wished them a happy New Year and best of luck on their final exams. They kindly clapped and I scissor-kicked my way off stage......just to show that I knew one dance move.
After the awards, the night was capped off with more circle dancing (read: 80's swaying) and champagne was consumed. This put me in the holiday mood. I was ready for any Mongolian Santa and prepared to give an amazing speech in Mongolian at any time!
Since November, life has been really busy! I want to talk to you about the glorious holiday of Шинэ жил (Shin Jil) or New Year. This is the Mongolian version of Christmas. It occurs on December 31 or January 1 ......I am still not sure exactly which one. Anyway........it is very similar to an American Christmas. All around UB plastic trees were bedecked with lights, ornaments and a lot of tinsel and glitter. It was an awesome sight to behold! There are also many Mongolian Santa Clauses looming around every corner. Like America, some look "normal" and some look like pedophiles. Hit or miss!
Every organization and university has its own Shin Jil party. Some universities have two.....one for the students and one for the teachers. The one for the Gazarchin Students occurred on December 15. Our student council planned the entire event. It was held at a night club behind Sukhbaatar Square. There was an entry tax of 16,000 tugriks but I somehow managed to avoid that. I knew that people really dressed up for Shin Jil but I had NO idea how serious it was until I got there.
All the men wore well-pressed and very shiny suits. They were all very slim fitting and looked quite nice! The women......went to town! It was like prom times 100. They wore very formal gowns and their hair was curled and held with at least 3 bottles of hairspray per person! Let's also take a moment and talk about the glitter. They effing love it and cannot get enough of it! I saw more glitter at this one event than I have ever seen at any gay bar or drag show.....EVER! It was everywhere.......in their hair.......on their bodies and it seemed like it was falling from the sky. I was in heaven!
The party started with some Mongolian waltzing....which, for the life of me, I cannot do! There was a large champagne toast and then some dancing. Mongolian club dancing is interesting. In this case, all the students and teachers got into two big circles and took turns going in to the middle to show off their moves. My kind of dancing is what I call the 80's sway. You only move from the hips up and just kind of sway back and forth. This allows you to hold on to, and drink, a beverage of your choice. This also allows me to not burn any precious calories and I can still enjoy my soda. Eventually a few students caught on and asked me if that is how all Americans dance. I didn't want to seem like a loser so I said "yes." Then they started 80's swaying. Watch out Mongolia......the 80's sway is comin' back!
After the dancing, it was time for the awards! Our school's director got up on stage, along with our training manager, and passed out awards to senior students who excelled the most. I was called on stage to join the two of them and congratulate the scholars. I kindly shook all of their hands and said congratulations in Mongolian....or at least I hope that is what I said. The next thing I know, a microphone is put in my face and I am told to speak....in Mongolian. Shit! Didn't they remember what a shit show that was last time?!
So I said that I was very happy to be a teacher at Gazarchin and all the students made me happy. I wished them a happy New Year and best of luck on their final exams. They kindly clapped and I scissor-kicked my way off stage......just to show that I knew one dance move.
After the awards, the night was capped off with more circle dancing (read: 80's swaying) and champagne was consumed. This put me in the holiday mood. I was ready for any Mongolian Santa and prepared to give an amazing speech in Mongolian at any time!
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| Me and Byamba, a first-year student. Notice her awesome glittter!! |
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| My third year students and me getting ready to 80's sway! |
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| Chinese teacher Saraa, my dear friend Ogii and me. Notice my kick ass boots!
So that was the story of our Student's Shin Jil part. Now for the faculty/staff party or as I like to call it.......the party where I wanted to be young again. This party began at 6:00 on December 27. It was at a really nice bar that had themed billiard rooms......like the London Room, Safari Room, Chinese Room and Japanese Room. I tried to play pool with my director but upon trying to break the rack I launched the cue ball on the floor. So.....I stopped while I was ahead.
I borrowed an awesome suit from my student Bilguun. It was slim fitting and not shiny so I loved it. I was told to sit with my director at the head table. I tried to not be too awkward!
So I noticed all the teachers were there wearing their awesome dresses, suits and hair finely coiffed and glitter galore! Let the party begin! The music that night was provided by our very own students. They brought their guitars, drums and voices to make our evening fun! I had a great time with our teachers but kept flocking over to the students to party with them. They were all given champagne so I didn't feel like a total alcoholic being around them.
The dancing was very similar to the Students' party. I 80's swayed my way through this one too! During one of the songs, one of the mining students showed off his хɵɵмий or throat-singing skills. It is such a cool thing to hear in person! So after he was done singing, I approached him and oddly told him in Mongolian that I wanted to learn throat-singing from him. He agreed! So next semester I will take throat-singing lessons!
As the night progressed, I was fed more champagne and many celebratory shots of vodka. They got a little angry because I didn't drink the vodka . . . only touched it to my lips. This only fueled my desire to be "young" again so I parked myself near the students' table and practiced my Mongolian. They politely obliged and let me speak. Eventually, the teachers took me back and we celebrated Ogii's award for being the best foreign language teacher! I was so proud! The night concluded with many photos being taken, and a lot more dancing (80's swaying!). It was a great time and I had a fabulous time celebrating with my colleagues and students. Shin jiliin bayariin mend hurgey! Happy New Year!
 Buureg, our volunteer Chinese teacher, Batdorj and me. Otgonsuren, Me and Ogii The "head" table as we toast our champagne! Mining students being awesome! Ogii, me and Bilguun, our student. I am a model.....right? Ogii winning her award for best teacher! Me awkwardly glomming on to the students.
So there it is......my story of Shin Jil. Boom! One of my resolutions for this year is to be a better blogger and a few other things.....which I will mention in another blog! Also, I will mention the snowflake tights in the next blog....I promise!
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13.11.11
A Real-Life Game of Frogger
Сайн байна уу?
Just want to let you all know that I am writing this blog on Sunday morning, November 13 and the current temperature is -8 degrees Fahrenheit (-22 for you Celsius folks!) That is COLD! Yesterday was the first day I put on long underwear and put on a double pair of socks. Winter is on its way!
Sorry it has been so long in between posts. Life as a Peace Corps Volunteer continues to be busy! My university has been busy preparing for an accreditation process.....so that involves many late hours and a lot of printing!
Life in UB
The best way to describe life in UB is by comparing to a real-life game of Frogger. In the game Frogger, you are a frog and must cross the road without being killed by passing cars, bikes or whatever. This is SO true in UB. I am having to learn how to walk all over again.
It is no secret that traffic in UB is bad. The main road, Peace Avenue, that runs east-west in the city, is nearly always congested. My home is 7 km from the city's centre. On a good day, a bus ride will take about 30 minutes. If I try to go during rush hour, this 30 minute ride turns in to a 90 minute crawl in traffic that just inches (or centimeters) along. This makes it very hard for me to plan social events because I must wait on the bus. I never know how long the bus ride will take so I put myself on Mongolian time and say I will be there "eventually."
Bus rides are always ...well......fun. You wait outside in the cold for about 15 minutes for your bus to come. Once it finally does, you get shoved on to the bus along with everyone else. You have to fight your way to your favorite section of the bus and hold your ground against everyone else trying to do the exact same thing. My favorite section of the bus is the very back. There is a bench in the back where all the cool kids sit and I like to think that I am one of them. After you hold your ground, a "conductor" comes around and collects your 400 tugriks and gives you a little ticket that shows that you paid. You then hold on for dear life as you get thrown every-which-way. The bus is also a prime place for pick-pockets so you must try to safeguard your valuables which is tricky to do when being thrown around. It always makes for a memorable experience!
Crossing the street is difficult in UB. In America pedestrians have the right-of-way. In Mongolia it is more of an at your own risk sort of thing. Most people just dart across the street when there is the slightest break between the constant flood of cars. When I first lived here, I was hesitant to just run out in traffic and would wait on the street corners for hours trying to cross the street. Not unlike a hooker. Now I just run across the street with the best of them. Sometimes the cars will stop, other times they won't and sometimes they actually speed up. I am always amazed I am still alive at the end of the day.
Walking around UB can be a challenge as well. Many of the sidewalks in UB are in need of repair or are torn up because they are being repaired. Normally it is okay because the sunlight allows me to see where I can and cannot step. Recently, the sun has been going down around 6pm and it is really hard to see. So.....this already clumsy guy stumbles his way through UB. Fortunately, I haven't fallen down the many open man holes!
It is also no secret that UB is the second most polluted city in the world. I am beginning to notice this pollution more and more as the cold sets in. UB has a city centre that is surrounded by numerous ger districts. Each ger in the district burns a lot of wood and coal to stay warm during the winter. Add that burning of wood and coal to the massive car population of UB along with the gigantic coal-burning power plants and it is a recipe for smog. This smog is most noticeable in the morning and at night. In the morning it looks like a heavy fog rolled in. When you step outside, your nose and lungs feel the burn of the smoke-filled air. Your eyes begin to water from the pollution and the UB cough comes back. The Peace Corps provides us with masks that bring some relief.
It seems like everything in UB wants to make you late, run you over, or give you asthma. This might be true but the people make up for it. Even in a large city like UB, a little community develops around you filled with people who want to help you survive in this city. It is that community that has helped me get through these last three months in this city and they will continue to do so for the next two years.
Mongolian Winter
So people's first reaction upon my telling them I was going to Mongolia for two years was "You know it is cold there, right?" Yup.....it is COLD! The summer was great and hot. Around the end of September, the cold started coming. Daytime temperatures would go down to the 50's and it would go to about 20 degrees at night. No problem....I am from Nebraska and can handle this. The cool down happens gradually, and in stages so you can prepare yourself.
I was going to try to wait until Thanksgiving to strap on the long underwear and put on my down coat. I survived until November 12. This was the first day of negative degree weather and I had to be outside in it. So I strapped on my light layer of long underwear and made it double sock day. With all the walking around I did I was actually sweating.....even though it was 0 degrees at the time. Crazy!
Here is a little information on Mongolian winter. Traditionally, winters in Mongolia last for 81 days. It is divided in to nine periods of nine days. Each period has a meaning attached of the various things that will freeze during that time.
1st nine- Mongolia airag made from mare's milk will freeze (Meh...bring it on winter!)
2nd nine- Russian vodka will freeze (this sounds critical....I need my vodka!)
3rd nine- The tails of 3-year-old bulls will freeze (Really?! Crap.....)
4th nine- The horns of 4-year-old buss will freeze (What will freeze on a 25 year old American?)
5th nine- Boiled rice will no longer freeze (Yay?!)
6th nine- Roads begin to blacken (This is progress!)
7th nine- hilltops blacken
8th nine- ground becomes damp
9th nine- warm days set in (Actually it is still quite cold now...but mind over matter!)
So this all looks quite cold. During the coldest part of winter, it will reach -40 Fahrenheit (and -40 Celsius) for a few weeks. I am a little worried. It gets cold in Nebraska but the horns of 4 year old bulls don't freeze. I am not sure when Mongolian winter starts but I believe it ends with Tsaagan Sar ( a massive Mongolian holiday that occurs with the lunar new year). So I am anticipating this first nine to be here any day.
Let's hope I survive!
Kitty and I are ready for winter! Bring it Mongolia!
Just want to let you all know that I am writing this blog on Sunday morning, November 13 and the current temperature is -8 degrees Fahrenheit (-22 for you Celsius folks!) That is COLD! Yesterday was the first day I put on long underwear and put on a double pair of socks. Winter is on its way!
Sorry it has been so long in between posts. Life as a Peace Corps Volunteer continues to be busy! My university has been busy preparing for an accreditation process.....so that involves many late hours and a lot of printing!
Life in UB
The best way to describe life in UB is by comparing to a real-life game of Frogger. In the game Frogger, you are a frog and must cross the road without being killed by passing cars, bikes or whatever. This is SO true in UB. I am having to learn how to walk all over again.
It is no secret that traffic in UB is bad. The main road, Peace Avenue, that runs east-west in the city, is nearly always congested. My home is 7 km from the city's centre. On a good day, a bus ride will take about 30 minutes. If I try to go during rush hour, this 30 minute ride turns in to a 90 minute crawl in traffic that just inches (or centimeters) along. This makes it very hard for me to plan social events because I must wait on the bus. I never know how long the bus ride will take so I put myself on Mongolian time and say I will be there "eventually."
Bus rides are always ...well......fun. You wait outside in the cold for about 15 minutes for your bus to come. Once it finally does, you get shoved on to the bus along with everyone else. You have to fight your way to your favorite section of the bus and hold your ground against everyone else trying to do the exact same thing. My favorite section of the bus is the very back. There is a bench in the back where all the cool kids sit and I like to think that I am one of them. After you hold your ground, a "conductor" comes around and collects your 400 tugriks and gives you a little ticket that shows that you paid. You then hold on for dear life as you get thrown every-which-way. The bus is also a prime place for pick-pockets so you must try to safeguard your valuables which is tricky to do when being thrown around. It always makes for a memorable experience!
Crossing the street is difficult in UB. In America pedestrians have the right-of-way. In Mongolia it is more of an at your own risk sort of thing. Most people just dart across the street when there is the slightest break between the constant flood of cars. When I first lived here, I was hesitant to just run out in traffic and would wait on the street corners for hours trying to cross the street. Not unlike a hooker. Now I just run across the street with the best of them. Sometimes the cars will stop, other times they won't and sometimes they actually speed up. I am always amazed I am still alive at the end of the day.
Walking around UB can be a challenge as well. Many of the sidewalks in UB are in need of repair or are torn up because they are being repaired. Normally it is okay because the sunlight allows me to see where I can and cannot step. Recently, the sun has been going down around 6pm and it is really hard to see. So.....this already clumsy guy stumbles his way through UB. Fortunately, I haven't fallen down the many open man holes!
It is also no secret that UB is the second most polluted city in the world. I am beginning to notice this pollution more and more as the cold sets in. UB has a city centre that is surrounded by numerous ger districts. Each ger in the district burns a lot of wood and coal to stay warm during the winter. Add that burning of wood and coal to the massive car population of UB along with the gigantic coal-burning power plants and it is a recipe for smog. This smog is most noticeable in the morning and at night. In the morning it looks like a heavy fog rolled in. When you step outside, your nose and lungs feel the burn of the smoke-filled air. Your eyes begin to water from the pollution and the UB cough comes back. The Peace Corps provides us with masks that bring some relief.
It seems like everything in UB wants to make you late, run you over, or give you asthma. This might be true but the people make up for it. Even in a large city like UB, a little community develops around you filled with people who want to help you survive in this city. It is that community that has helped me get through these last three months in this city and they will continue to do so for the next two years.
Mongolian Winter
So people's first reaction upon my telling them I was going to Mongolia for two years was "You know it is cold there, right?" Yup.....it is COLD! The summer was great and hot. Around the end of September, the cold started coming. Daytime temperatures would go down to the 50's and it would go to about 20 degrees at night. No problem....I am from Nebraska and can handle this. The cool down happens gradually, and in stages so you can prepare yourself.
I was going to try to wait until Thanksgiving to strap on the long underwear and put on my down coat. I survived until November 12. This was the first day of negative degree weather and I had to be outside in it. So I strapped on my light layer of long underwear and made it double sock day. With all the walking around I did I was actually sweating.....even though it was 0 degrees at the time. Crazy!
Here is a little information on Mongolian winter. Traditionally, winters in Mongolia last for 81 days. It is divided in to nine periods of nine days. Each period has a meaning attached of the various things that will freeze during that time.
1st nine- Mongolia airag made from mare's milk will freeze (Meh...bring it on winter!)
2nd nine- Russian vodka will freeze (this sounds critical....I need my vodka!)
3rd nine- The tails of 3-year-old bulls will freeze (Really?! Crap.....)
4th nine- The horns of 4-year-old buss will freeze (What will freeze on a 25 year old American?)
5th nine- Boiled rice will no longer freeze (Yay?!)
6th nine- Roads begin to blacken (This is progress!)
7th nine- hilltops blacken
8th nine- ground becomes damp
9th nine- warm days set in (Actually it is still quite cold now...but mind over matter!)
So this all looks quite cold. During the coldest part of winter, it will reach -40 Fahrenheit (and -40 Celsius) for a few weeks. I am a little worried. It gets cold in Nebraska but the horns of 4 year old bulls don't freeze. I am not sure when Mongolian winter starts but I believe it ends with Tsaagan Sar ( a massive Mongolian holiday that occurs with the lunar new year). So I am anticipating this first nine to be here any day.
Let's hope I survive!
Kitty and I are ready for winter! Bring it Mongolia!
26.9.11
Love and Acceptance in the Land of the Blue Sky
Hello blog readers!
I want to tell you about a phenomenal outpouring of love and acceptance I witnessed on September 3, 2011 in Ulaanbaatar.
Needless to say, I am a huge proponent of human rights across the world. I truly believe that everyone is created equally and that we all have rights as human beings on this planet. LGBT issues are very close to my heart. Growing up in Nebraska, I had many people telling me that being gay, or different for that matter, was wrong and it didn't make me normal. I could care less about being normal. I remember witnessing the election of November 2000 when Nebraska voted to amend its constitution to prohibit the recognition of same-sex marriages. It broke my heart and I lost hope. I couldn't understand why people could be so angry at someone for wanting to love and be loved regardless of their sexual orientation. I am very fortunate to come from family that shows me endless love, tolerance and gave me the ambition to succeed in life no matter who I am. Their love and support allowed me to join the Peace Corps.
I brought with me, to Mongolia, my passion for human rights. I knew that LGBT rights were still emerging in this country. It was only in 2002 that homosexuality was decriminalized. On September 3, I attended an event hosted by the LGBT Centre in Ulaanbaatar. It was called "Mr. Beauty 2011" and it was a drag queen competition. I went with some friends to this small bar that was off the beaten path. I didn't expect to see many people there. I was SHOCKED when I entered! There must have been around 250-300 people there. The night started with the contestants coming out wearing traditional women's Mongolian clothes. They were absolutely gorgeous! The other portions of the competition were swimsuit wear, formal wear and then came time for the question. Unfortunately, my Mongolian wasn't good enough to understand what was being said. My guess is that each question and answer dealt with LGBT issues in Mongolia.
Seeing 300 people at an LGBT event was fantastic. Watching them be unafraid of who they are for four hours gave me immense hope. People could be who they were regardless if they were gay, lesbian , bisexual, transgender or straight. Seeing their love and happiness rejuvenated my mission for equality. I was speaking with a Mongolian man at the event who said this about homosexuality in Mongolia:
"This is just a normal part of human existence." He summed it up so well and he wants to take that message across Mongolia.
As an American, it would be so easy for me to approach this with a typical go-get-'em attitude but I know it will not work in Mongolia. They will do it their way and on their time. All I can do is offer support and advice as best I can.
Here is a link for the Mongolian LGBT Centre. They are working so hard to promote LGBT rights across this nation. They have come a long way by simply becoming a recognized NGO. This youtube video chronicles their mission and the path they took to become a nationally recognized NGO.
This is a serious post but one that is very close to my heart.
In love and acceptance,
-C
I want to tell you about a phenomenal outpouring of love and acceptance I witnessed on September 3, 2011 in Ulaanbaatar.
Needless to say, I am a huge proponent of human rights across the world. I truly believe that everyone is created equally and that we all have rights as human beings on this planet. LGBT issues are very close to my heart. Growing up in Nebraska, I had many people telling me that being gay, or different for that matter, was wrong and it didn't make me normal. I could care less about being normal. I remember witnessing the election of November 2000 when Nebraska voted to amend its constitution to prohibit the recognition of same-sex marriages. It broke my heart and I lost hope. I couldn't understand why people could be so angry at someone for wanting to love and be loved regardless of their sexual orientation. I am very fortunate to come from family that shows me endless love, tolerance and gave me the ambition to succeed in life no matter who I am. Their love and support allowed me to join the Peace Corps.
I brought with me, to Mongolia, my passion for human rights. I knew that LGBT rights were still emerging in this country. It was only in 2002 that homosexuality was decriminalized. On September 3, I attended an event hosted by the LGBT Centre in Ulaanbaatar. It was called "Mr. Beauty 2011" and it was a drag queen competition. I went with some friends to this small bar that was off the beaten path. I didn't expect to see many people there. I was SHOCKED when I entered! There must have been around 250-300 people there. The night started with the contestants coming out wearing traditional women's Mongolian clothes. They were absolutely gorgeous! The other portions of the competition were swimsuit wear, formal wear and then came time for the question. Unfortunately, my Mongolian wasn't good enough to understand what was being said. My guess is that each question and answer dealt with LGBT issues in Mongolia.
Seeing 300 people at an LGBT event was fantastic. Watching them be unafraid of who they are for four hours gave me immense hope. People could be who they were regardless if they were gay, lesbian , bisexual, transgender or straight. Seeing their love and happiness rejuvenated my mission for equality. I was speaking with a Mongolian man at the event who said this about homosexuality in Mongolia:
"This is just a normal part of human existence." He summed it up so well and he wants to take that message across Mongolia.
As an American, it would be so easy for me to approach this with a typical go-get-'em attitude but I know it will not work in Mongolia. They will do it their way and on their time. All I can do is offer support and advice as best I can.
Here is a link for the Mongolian LGBT Centre. They are working so hard to promote LGBT rights across this nation. They have come a long way by simply becoming a recognized NGO. This youtube video chronicles their mission and the path they took to become a nationally recognized NGO.
This is a serious post but one that is very close to my heart.
In love and acceptance,
-C
7.9.11
Professor Lyons.....I like it!
We need to have a discussion about my first week at school.
Staff Meetings
My first 'day' of work was Monday, August 29. I had to attend a staff meeting that began at 9am. It was three hours long and totally in Mongolian. I maybe understood a few words here and there but mostly I just smiled if I heard my name or something that sounded like it. People probably thought I was crazy.....but that is all right! My school's general director is very nice and very welcoming. He brought me to the front of the meeting and encouraged me to speak about myself in Mongolian. This was where my two months of Mongolian came in handy! I regaled everyone about my life, what I studied, how old I was and told them about my family. My Mongolian was decent and people understood me! SUCCESS!!
After my fabulous introduction I was whisked off to my new office. I share a large room with the other English teachers. They are fantastic! I felt very welcomed, honored and privileged to be teaching with them. They all complimented my Mongolian so I gave them compliments on their clothes and make up. Normal?!
Per usual, I now have my office desk covered in Post-Its. I love them! I use the recycled kind so I feel a little bit better about not being able to recycle them here. 3M, feel free to send some Post Its to Mongolia! I fear that I will soon run out. My co-teachers all think I am crazy and walk by my desk and laugh. So I just give them a Post It!
First Day of Classes
So, Thursday September 1 finally came. I was READY! I put on my Mongolia maternity deel ( I call it that because it is big so I can "grow" in to it!) and walked to my office. We sat around and gossiped for a few minutes and at 9 o'clock we went outside for the opening ceremonies.
It was fantastic! The main building had been covered in balloons, streamers and a large banner welcoming all the students. There were many speeches given. I was told the day before that I would give a speech in English and one of my counterparts would translate for me in to Mongolian. Right before I got up on stage I was told I would be translating it myself!
My speech in English thanked everyone and I said that I was very honored to work at a wonderful institution such as Gazarchin. I thanked the Director for all that he has done and I wished everyone a very happy start to the school year. I used a lot of flowery English and smiled a lot.
Here is how I translated:
Me: Hello everyone. My name is Chris Lyons. I come from America. I am 25 years old and I am an English teacher. Yes....okay.....I want to teach you. This I know. (Here is where I tried to be flashy and show off some "complex" grammar) When you learn English......(here I get lost) school.........study........work......very good......ummmmm.........English.........lesson..........I will teach.
Okay so I got lost. I didn't know how to finish the sentence in Mongolian so I just said some random education related words and smiled.
<At this point the Director takes away my microphone and the audience of several hundred people just gives me funny looks.>
What happened next is beyond my comprehension. I couldn't stop talking. So........I grabbed the microphone out of my Director's hands and said (in broken Mongolian):
MONGOLIA!!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!
This brought on even more awkward looks and silence. Eventually I was cheered off the stage and stood in the corner for the rest of the ceremony.
So it wasn't my best first impression. I was wearing a huge deel and gave a really awkward speech in Mongolian followed by more awkwardness as I finished said speech. Yay!
The next day was my first day of teaching. I have been assigned to teach American Country Studies, English Speaking and Listening Skills and American and British Literature. I am very excited about all of those classes! My first class I taught was Speaking and Listening. I told my students about myself and told them to tell me about them. They all did a great job!
Ever since the first day things have been going much better.
The new addition to my family and the big freeze
Okay so that title is a little dramatic. A few days ago I got a cat. She is three years old and came from a family of ex-pats that moved back to the states. She is very affectionate and just sleeps on my stomach all the time and judges me for eating in bed. Her name is Ааруул (Aaruul) which is the Mongolian dried milk curd that everyone eats and enjoys. I wanted a random Mongolian name......and it worked! She has been great company because things are starting to cool down in Mongolia.
Yesterday was the first day I began to notice the change. I walked outside just wearing a light jacket and, for me, it wasn't enough. I went back inside and put on light gloves and a scarf. I got so many strange looks and comments. People were asking me why I was wearing winter garments when it wasn't winter yet. In my opinion it should not be freezing in September! So I endured the comments and was happy I was warm.
Today when I left for school it was only 29 degrees outside. This necessitated the use of my down winter coat, a scarf and leather gloves. The comments were even worse today! My co-teachers even asked me why I was wearing such things and they asked me if I knew it wasn't winter yet! I responded by saying this is "normal for Americans." They just laughed and tried not to walk beside me as we went to lunch. They were just wearing long-sleeved shirts and seemed perfectly fine.
Staff Meetings
My first 'day' of work was Monday, August 29. I had to attend a staff meeting that began at 9am. It was three hours long and totally in Mongolian. I maybe understood a few words here and there but mostly I just smiled if I heard my name or something that sounded like it. People probably thought I was crazy.....but that is all right! My school's general director is very nice and very welcoming. He brought me to the front of the meeting and encouraged me to speak about myself in Mongolian. This was where my two months of Mongolian came in handy! I regaled everyone about my life, what I studied, how old I was and told them about my family. My Mongolian was decent and people understood me! SUCCESS!!
After my fabulous introduction I was whisked off to my new office. I share a large room with the other English teachers. They are fantastic! I felt very welcomed, honored and privileged to be teaching with them. They all complimented my Mongolian so I gave them compliments on their clothes and make up. Normal?!
Per usual, I now have my office desk covered in Post-Its. I love them! I use the recycled kind so I feel a little bit better about not being able to recycle them here. 3M, feel free to send some Post Its to Mongolia! I fear that I will soon run out. My co-teachers all think I am crazy and walk by my desk and laugh. So I just give them a Post It!
First Day of Classes
So, Thursday September 1 finally came. I was READY! I put on my Mongolia maternity deel ( I call it that because it is big so I can "grow" in to it!) and walked to my office. We sat around and gossiped for a few minutes and at 9 o'clock we went outside for the opening ceremonies.
It was fantastic! The main building had been covered in balloons, streamers and a large banner welcoming all the students. There were many speeches given. I was told the day before that I would give a speech in English and one of my counterparts would translate for me in to Mongolian. Right before I got up on stage I was told I would be translating it myself!
My speech in English thanked everyone and I said that I was very honored to work at a wonderful institution such as Gazarchin. I thanked the Director for all that he has done and I wished everyone a very happy start to the school year. I used a lot of flowery English and smiled a lot.
Here is how I translated:
Me: Hello everyone. My name is Chris Lyons. I come from America. I am 25 years old and I am an English teacher. Yes....okay.....I want to teach you. This I know. (Here is where I tried to be flashy and show off some "complex" grammar) When you learn English......(here I get lost) school.........study........work......very good......ummmmm.........English.........lesson..........I will teach.
Okay so I got lost. I didn't know how to finish the sentence in Mongolian so I just said some random education related words and smiled.
<At this point the Director takes away my microphone and the audience of several hundred people just gives me funny looks.>
What happened next is beyond my comprehension. I couldn't stop talking. So........I grabbed the microphone out of my Director's hands and said (in broken Mongolian):
MONGOLIA!!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!
This brought on even more awkward looks and silence. Eventually I was cheered off the stage and stood in the corner for the rest of the ceremony.
So it wasn't my best first impression. I was wearing a huge deel and gave a really awkward speech in Mongolian followed by more awkwardness as I finished said speech. Yay!
The next day was my first day of teaching. I have been assigned to teach American Country Studies, English Speaking and Listening Skills and American and British Literature. I am very excited about all of those classes! My first class I taught was Speaking and Listening. I told my students about myself and told them to tell me about them. They all did a great job!
Ever since the first day things have been going much better.
The new addition to my family and the big freeze
Okay so that title is a little dramatic. A few days ago I got a cat. She is three years old and came from a family of ex-pats that moved back to the states. She is very affectionate and just sleeps on my stomach all the time and judges me for eating in bed. Her name is Ааруул (Aaruul) which is the Mongolian dried milk curd that everyone eats and enjoys. I wanted a random Mongolian name......and it worked! She has been great company because things are starting to cool down in Mongolia.
Yesterday was the first day I began to notice the change. I walked outside just wearing a light jacket and, for me, it wasn't enough. I went back inside and put on light gloves and a scarf. I got so many strange looks and comments. People were asking me why I was wearing winter garments when it wasn't winter yet. In my opinion it should not be freezing in September! So I endured the comments and was happy I was warm.
Today when I left for school it was only 29 degrees outside. This necessitated the use of my down winter coat, a scarf and leather gloves. The comments were even worse today! My co-teachers even asked me why I was wearing such things and they asked me if I knew it wasn't winter yet! I responded by saying this is "normal for Americans." They just laughed and tried not to walk beside me as we went to lunch. They were just wearing long-sleeved shirts and seemed perfectly fine.
This is me and Aaruul trying to stay warm. Even she is judging me for wearing winter clothes!
In the mean time I will continue to stay warm, eat more food and teach more classes! I hope everyone is warm and well!
-C
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