MOHГOЛ MAX

I needed some beef to boil with Bambuul's rice (adds flavor) but with Tsagaan Sar rapidly approaching we're experiencing a beef scarcity. Mutton and horse still abound though, and with the reassurances of my sitemates that horse does not have a distinct aroma like mutton, I bought a chunk. Per J&K's insistence that horse is better than beef and having never had horse before, I decided to try a bite.

I bought a T-Bone cut but had the butcher lady cut the bone out. It's pictured with a dollar not only for scale, but because that whole chunk cost just about $1. I cut a 1.5 inch square bite off and pan seared it with some salt and pepper.

Trying the first bite...

Chewing...Thinking...Chewing...Hmm, do I like it?

Holy crap! That was delicious!

I definitely won't be making a regular meal of it, but at least I now know to A) not be afraid to eat horse and B) when I'm feeling like I need some protein/iron, horse is the way to go!

Hunting with Eagles

The Kazakh people are the largest ethnic minority in Mongolia. In fact, the Western-most province of Bayan-Olgii is called "The Kazakhs" because their population is so dense. They are Muslim (to varying degrees of practice) and have a distinct dialect, so much so that PCVs who serve in "The Kazakhs" are given additional language and culture lessons.

Fox Hunting with a Golden Eagle

Putting Up A Ger

Can you build your house in an hour?

The Nomad's Ger

The only difference between this video and the gers I've seen raised is that a linoleum floor is rolled out first, then everything goes up and in. And in winter, a thick layer of felt goes around the ger to help insulate it.

It finally happened...

I was wondering when I would see 50 below. Well, it happened at 6 this morning when I took Bambuul out. Sunday started the 6th Nine; the 5th Nine is the start of warming. Hmmm...



Update: Not much change at 2pm. :(

Fire Cupping

I first learned of fire cupping in 2004 in the way most other Americans did: When Gwyneth Paltrow showed up to some event with weird marks on her back (Cupping on CBS). While it was something I never really thought a lot about, it was always somewhere in the back of my mind as something I knew I wanted to try. When my MBFF (that would be Mongolian Best Friend Forever, hehehe) started getting fire cupping treatments for a sore neck this last week, I asked if she'd hook me up with her practitioner and in in only three days time I had an appointment. And the best part: it only cost 3,000T, or about $2.50. 3,000 year old medicine for 3,000T. Helluva bargain!

Applying the first cups. Typically you'd lay down to get this type of treatment but since my MBFF was taking pictures she had me sit.

She started things by giving me a head and neck massage, hence the crazy hair.

Massaging my lower back before applying more cups. PS-The black is not my underwear but my leggings. We have to wear two pairs of pants all winter it's that dang cold here.

Adding more cups.

Yeah, that's the flame in the lower right.

All the cups in place. They stay on for 10 minutes.

So here's how it works: she dips a cotton ball into alcohol, lights it on fire, swabs it into the cup to heat the cup & air, then applies the cup to specific points. The heat causes suction, sucking your skin up into the cups.

I totally giggled when she removed the cups. The sound was hilarious!

She said the darker spots indicate a trouble area. She also said I had very soft and nice skin. :)

More massaging after the cupping.

I felt like Jello when it was all over!

Wiping off the excess lotion at the end. I was sad it was done so fast. I can't wait to go back in next month!

Foreign Language Teachers' Day

On Wednesday afternoon Khan-Uul school hosted the Foreign Language Teachers' Day party. A few pictures from the shindig:

The party started with a Khan-Uul teacher doing a traditional dance.

Me, Zoloo and Koty.

Me with Shine Khogjil's two Russian teachers and two of the five English teachers.

Me with the Kherlen, Dornod's Foreign Language Methodologist and some of my TOEFL class participants.

MИHИЙ TθPCθH θДθP

Celebrated my 28th birthday in the American style: multiple times and surrounded by some pretty cool people. Birthdays don't seem to be as big a deal here in Mongolia, although any reason to celebrate is welcomed.

Having cake with Deb and my awesome adult learners at the APDC.

Dinner with some of my Shine Khogjil teachers.

Dinner with sitemates. Clockwise from me: Pecaut, Kaede, John, Merrie, Koty, Su and Zoloo.

Karaoke! Pretty sure this was "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!"

Takin' a break.

Ending the night with "Bohemian Rhapsody." We have our reasons...Hehehe.

On the 22nd and 23rd I played in the aimag-wide volleyball tournament. We did pretty well, winning 9 of 13. Not quite good enough results for the championship round, but fun none the less. We only played for 4 hours on the first day as the ping pong tourney went late, so we compensated by playing from 9am to midnight on day two! I got a little bruised and banged up, but nothing that won't be healed in a few days.

Because the vb tourney went so late on Monday I was unable to have my birthday party with my Access students like planned. We've postponed it until the 30th. Let the celebrating continue!

Finally, my birthday party with my Access students! We had cake, talked about our favorite birthdays (I told them about my Golden Birthday), then talked about major birthdays and the traditions that go with them in both cultures. A speaking lesson without them even knowing it! Hehehe. The girls gave me a very sweet card and a faux-pearl cell phone dangle charm, although it was a "C" not a "K." It's the thought that counts... :)