ГAP БϴMБϴГ

Wrestling is supposedly the Mongolian national sport. I beg to differ. Mongolia has a hardcore love affair with volleyball. All ages and abilities play all the time and they play for keeps. This isn't your summer rec league, and this sure as hell isn't a "loser buys the pitchers" league. They play hard, and they take it seriously. I love it. For the last two weeks my teachers and I have been cancelling classes and staying after school to practice for yesterday's aimag-wide tournament. We didn't do so well, us girls going 2&4 and the guys going 4&2, but we sure had fun! The next tournament is in January. I can't wait!


Shine Hogjil Men's Team


Goin' up for a big hit!


He killed it!


Shine Hogjil Women's Team


I don't remember what was so funny, but I love this picture!

Mongolian Diet

I am the incredible shrinking woman!



I don't know how much I've lost, all I know is I no longer have to undo the fly on any of my pants to remove them. I've also had to poke a new hole in the belt I bought about a month ago. Apparently eating well and exercising works. Who knew!? ;) My diet on a typical day consists of:

Breakfast: Coffee (instant, with 1 tbs of sugar and a splash of soy milk), kash (Mongolian baby food: it's like that rice cereal stuff for babies in the States, only way better) and a container of yogurt.

Lunch: Two pieces of bread with butter/garlic & herb salt and an apple or orange.

Dinner: Pasta with packaged red sauce or stir-fry veggies with rice or a fried egg with rice or mashed potatoes with fermented green onions or bean/lentil/veggie soup. I've made a few other things, but these five seem to be the staples cuz I can make 'em quickly.

I'm only eating meat when we go out for our "All Volunteer Dinner" on Friday nights. Handling/preparing meat still freaks me out (poor Bambuul gets smushed up sausages [with rice and carrots] cuz I can't stand to cook her "real" meat).

Notice an absence of junk food/munchies? Yeah, that's because it (culturally) doesn't exist here. And what is here (Pringles, Snickers) is pretty expensive. Please send me junk food! Ha!

As far as exercise, well, I walk EVERYWHERE. It's about 15 minutes one-way to my school, plus walking to my site-mates' apartments, running errands, classes/clubs at the library/other schools, etc. I also play volleyball with my teachers 2-3 times a week (every day right now as we're preparing for a big competition) and I coach the teen girl's team.

I remember dreading the food situation when I learned I was coming here. Luckily I'm in the city where I can get fresh (organic) produce year-round, and even tofu on occasion. It's not an authentic Mongolian diet, that's for sure, but I'll live. ;)

Community integration

I'd say I'm integrating quite well...



My friend Zoloo and I, just hangin' out with a dinosaur one fine evening. This IS Mongolia after all, land of a bazillion dinosaur fossils...I named it Sinclair. You know why.

ГϴЛϴГ (Puppy)

Meet my new puppy! She's 100% perfect Mongolian mutt. A very kind-hearted ex-pat found her the other day, and after plumping her up a bit, asked if any of us PCVs could take her. Initially I said no because I wanted a cat and, well, who's gonna watch her when I have to go into UB for trainings, or when I go visit my PCV friends out West? But the ex-pat agreed to be my dog sitter, so I agreed to permanently take her in. Prepare yourself for some ridiculous cuteness below. ♥




Let's play!


She loves the Kong.


She wasn't sure what to do with the knotted-up little girl tights at first...


...then she won tug-o-war!


So much playing makes for one tired little girl!

Big thanks to my PCV sitemates J&K for giving me the crate. Their dog Jagga ran away and they graciously gave me all their doggy "leftovers."

Evening update:


Good thing I remembered to take all the clothes off the bottom shelf!


This is where she's currently sleeping: Under my bed, nestled between the sleeping bag and my suitcase. I'll have to thank her for cleaning out all the dust bunnies in the morning. ;)

SNOW!

Well, it finally happened here in Choibalsan. It had already happened in Central and Western Mongolia, but the East was granted a stay...Until today, September 28th, 2011.


My "backyard"


The school and playground I walk past on the way to work.


It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!


Walking up to my school.


The same view outside my "office" window, taken two days later.

Witnessing History

Mongolia is changing, a fact that's evident in everything, everyday. It's an exciting time to be here, watching a country transition from the Second World to the First World. Check out the feature article in October 2011's National Geographic magazine. I've personally observed and experienced what Belt and Leong documented.

Article: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/ulaanbaatar/belt-text

Video: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/ulaanbaatar/migration-video

Photos: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/ulaanbaatar/leong-photography

You Are Awesome

You are. Your support though the first stages of this process has been amazing. And when a surprising number of people asked if they could send care packages, I was really feelin' the love. I didn't know what items to request on the spot, so over the last week or so I've been making mental notes of things I could use, and of all the things I've been coveting in other PCVs care packages. You'll notice to the right that I've made two lists, one for luxury items and one for useful items. Betcha can't guess which is which. Ha! If you send food items, they must be non-perishable (it can take up to a month for packages to arrive) and put into Zip-Lock bags (in case a liquid item breaks open). As far as the books go, these should come from garage sales or the bargain bins at used book stores. Don't buy them new! I'd love any old magazines or newspapers you'd just be tossing anyway. Why books/magazines and office supplies? Because schools here don't provide students or teachers with ANY materials. And I'm not just talking small things like pens. Teachers provide their own paper for the printer/copier. And students buy their own text/workbooks (which is why a class of 30 may only have 4 books). So please send very unsexy but highly desirable office supplies. It's also a good idea to include (or email) a list of the items you're sending so I can tell if customs snagged anything along the way. Please don't send electronics or cash, it'll never make it to me. And nothing would make me happier than to find a couple pictures of you in those boxes. My walls are very bare. :( USPS has flat rate boxes that you can cram up to 20 lbs of American Awesomeness into. That's the best shipping option.

I'll post some of my (mis?) adventures in teaching soon. Much love to you all.