Mongol Photo Shoot

Glamor Shots ain't got nuthin' on this!

All dressed up in a traditional costume. That's a морин хуур (morin khuur, horse fiddle) behind me.

Koty, myself and Zoloo. In the background: a morin khuur, a fox pelt, and a stuffed buzzard. Yep.

More Around Town

Took Bambuul for a short walk this afternoon and shot a few more of the "sights" of Choibalsan.

A horse in my courtyard.

A horse behind my complex.

Dornod Wrestling Palace.

"Eastern Palace"

The monastery.

Entrance to the monastery.

Gers in the city.

Puppy Love

6 months ago today my heart was stolen by a brunette.

September 30, 2011 - March 30, 2012

Being Sick Abroad...

...is no fun indeed! It all started last Wednesday with an annoying dry cough. Before I could blink, I was in full "feel-like-death" sickness mode. I never got really sick back home, maybe the occasional head cold, but no body aches or fever. But here there are bugs unknown to my foreign body, and so they are in turn foreign, wreaking havoc on this poor PCV's immune system. There's been a battle raging inside me for over week now, although I think the tide has finally turned in my body's favor. I'm still not 100%, but I got through grading the Aimag English Olympics yesterday (Thursday, March 29) and will join my sitemates (and our soumer!) for pizza and much needed social interaction tonight.

My downfall was going to my TOEFL class and Speaking Club last Friday. I was completely incapacitated when I got home. Saturday and Sunday I reverted to a child, wishing my mother would appear to bring me soup & Jell-O (and some better drugs!). I writhed in bed, fighting the chills while sweating profusely and blowing my nose raw. I then made the dreadful mistake of going to dinner on Sunday night when Ambassador Addleton was in town. While I had met and talked with him before, I didn't want to miss him being here. Definitely set myself back with that 4-hour excursion. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I quarantined myself, only leaving the apartment to let Bambuul out (which is itself a cruel twist: it's been lovely spring weather here, weather suitable for long walks and energy burning). I've watched a ridiculous amount of movies and TV. And I've been playing with my new camera, shooting the only subject available to me. Oh get ready for it. More Bambuul pictures:

Furminator + PediPaws = Best Groomed Dog in Mongolia!

Thanks for the new chews, Grammy!

Nom! Nom! Nom!

This is her shame face because she ate the whole chew in 10 minutes.

She was so good while I was sick, napping by my side.

Longingly looking out the window, but Mom's too sick to go for a walk.

I haz an ich.

Hangin' out in Mama's lap while Mama reads a book.

Oh hi Monkey!

The Aimag Olympics were pretty much a bust for my school. Our 9th grader took 18th, our 11th grader 11th, and the two participating teachers took 12th and 22nd. The Ministry banned 10th graders from taking the 11th grade test with only about a week's notice. My school's replacement was a weak contender to begin with, in addition to minimal prep time. My 10th grader Altanshand (the 11th grade city test winner) and I have been preparing all year. It was devastating to say the least. But as a true Wild and Twins fan I'm oft to say, "There's always next year..."

ICWC Pictures

Thanks to my wonderful parents, I got the best care package ever today. Included among the many amazing food items was my new camera! Yeay photo-taking capabilities! And the dress I'm wearing was in the box too.

Munkzaya (in white) is my 7th grader. She took 2nd place among 7th graders. Altanshand (in black) is my 10th grader. She took first place among 10th graders and her essay was one of 5 "Judges' Choice" essays. She's also the one who won the 11th Grade City English Olympics.

This is Nyamsuren. She is an 11th grade student at School #5. She always comes to Speaking Club and Film Club so we've gotten to know each other a bit. Her essay took first among 11th graders, and was also a "Judges' Choice."

Let's Speak English

Today I was the sole judge for the 5th grade "Let's Speak English" competition. Five teams (one from each class: 5a, 5б, 5в, 5д and 5г) of six to eight students participated in six rounds of various English "challenges."

The kids started the competition with the first three verses of B.I.N.G.O.

Round one: Each team got a topic, wrote a "paragraph" then one person read the paragraph aloud.

I'm sure I was doing something very judgy while the students were writing.

Reading what their teams wrote.

Round two: One member of each team drew a short text then read it aloud.

Each text was only 3-5 sentences.

Round three: Four members from each team got 1 minute to write as many words as related to a randomly drawn topic (ex: food: apple, meat, milk, onion).

Round four: One member from each team chose a picture and talked about it.

Three of the five teams blindly chose the same image.

I learned a lot about this family!

Round five: Charades, kind of. One kid from each team drew a noun then gave clues or acted it out for their team to guess.

They only got 30 seconds, hence my watch-watching.

Working out a clue...

Round six: AHA! Two kids from each team were asked a question (what color is grass?) and the students had to answer within 30 seconds. Each student was allowed two wrong answers then they were out.

The last two boys standing.

First place winners: 5д.

Second place winners: 5a.

Third place winners: 5в.

All the winning participants.

Songs

Since I am currently camera-gui I haven't been posting much. And of course, there have been a hundred things I wish I had been able to take a picture of (like the drunk guy passed out half in a puddle but still clutching his empty bottle or the adorable roly-poly puppies I followed to work or the hilarity that is a kid avoiding a giant lake of melted snow) which only goes to show that I need to take more pictures once I do get my new camera. So anyway, here's a little something to tide you over: my 5th graders singing B.I.N.G.O. and my APDC ladies singing You Are My Sunshine.