August 29, 2010
I have to start off by saying I have been dreading writing this blog because I know how long it is going to take me to type it up, a lot has happened in the last two and half weeks! To begin August 15 was a whirlwind of a day; I had to say goodbye to my host family and I learned of my new site information. Saying goodbye to my host family was a lot harder then I thought it was going to be. Everyone’s host family went to the school and helped us load the meaker. That was a task. We all have a lot of crap; I was impressed that it all fit in one small meaker! When we were pulling away some of our family members started to cry that in turn made everyone in the meaker teary eyed. So that was saying goodbye to them.
Then we arrived in a near by town called Zunnmod. This town is where we have been having our big gatherings all summer. That day was filled with various meetings of sort that I honestly couldn’t tell you a thing about because we were all focused on one thing, finding out our sites! FINALLY 4:30 roled around..the hour we had all been waiting for. It was really neat how they had us find out to begin there was a huge map of Mongolia spread across the gym floor and we gathered around it. Then one by one they would call out our new Aimag, town, and job location. Then the person would walk on the map and they would guide you to your new location. For 70ish people this took a while! Thankfully my name was called towards the beginning. For safety reasons I cannot publically display where exactly I am but if you want to know just email me and I’ll spill! (BTW I have a new email baneace@gmail.com) I do have to say I was very happy with my site location. I really didn’t have too many expectations so I really couldn’t be disappointed! :) However, I do have to say I did really want to be living in an apartment…but that wish didn’t come true. For the next two years of my life I will be living in a ger and using an outhouse. I know I know y’all are so jealous!! I really don’t think it will be too terribly bad considering after two years I will be a expert fire maker and squatter.
SO about my job!!!! I am uber excited about it. I am working in the Aimag Children’s Center. This particular center has applied for three years for a PC VOL, I am the first one they have ever had! My job will consist of a lot of various aspects, which I am excited about! I will of course teach English; also I am going to be teaching my co-workers about psychology and social work, doing assorted clubs. Also they have a lot of different contest through out the year, which I get to help with. This November they have a fashion show coming up. I can’t wait! OH and get this I am going to have a DJ job! I will have two shows a week. Who would of guessed me being a DJ. Also during the summers I will also be helping out with a summer camp teaching various things. Needless to say I am going to be busy, busy, busy!
The rest of our time in Zunmod went really quickly. We finished up random meetings and sorts. Oh and had another dance party which was fun. Other then that nothing too exciting happened that I can remember.
Ok, now to more exciting things!! We then went to UB, Ulaanbaatar, the capital. There we stayed at the internationally dorms which was interesting. They really did remind me of UT. I’d say they resembled South and North Carrick Dorms. SO when we got settled we went around UB which people who would be living in our regions. We went to this lovely café for lunch where I had a CHICKEN BURRITO! It was amazing. After lunch we continued touring around UB finding where all the good markets and stores are located. Then we went to the Peace Corps office where I got my new cell phone! I have to say it was really odd this summer not having a cell phone. At times it was nice not being tied to a phone but other times I wished I had one so I didn’t have to walk across town to tell someone something. Anywho, so I now have a cell phone everyone! So if you want to call me please do :) My number is 976-995-29461, 976 is the country code. For those of you who have skype you can call directly to my cell phone! If you don’t have skype it is really easy to get. (If you need help just ask me!)
After picking up my winter suitcase, heater, fire extinguisher, outlet surge, and cell we had to walk back to the international dorms. Y’all this was one of those memories that I hope to forget. To begin sidewalks here are not up to the standard I’d like them to be. SO rolling my suitcase was a fete AND I had other things I had to carry. That walk too like an hour and my arms felt like they were going to fall off. I guess I should have worked on my arm muscles before coming here! Jokes aside we made it to the dorm just fine.
The next day we meet our supervisors. Again they did this in a pretty interesting way. They had everyone in a big room, both our supervisors and us. Individually they called everyone names off. I was really worried I wouldn’t know when the said my job because they of course said it in Mongolian but I heard it! My supervisors name is Bat-Erdene. He is a very nice guy. That day after meeting them we went to lunch with everyone. That lunch might have been one of the most awkward lunch I have ever gone to. I speak very little Mongolian and well Bat-Erdene he speaks NO English! We managed to talk about the little bit I know how to say in Mongolian and it went find.
The next day was basically meetings all day. I went over my workplan with my supervisor, thankfully we had a translator! Then, hahah ok so this day I was sick. I mean my stomach hurt awfully! So as lunch we went again with our supervisors. I just could not eat because I was in so much pain. My supervisor notice I was eating. He was so concerned! He asked me if I had medicine and told me to eat rice. I thought that was very kind of him. (Note funny story to follow this tid bid)
Other random things that happened in UB:
-I went to a French Bakery and a German Bakery in the same day. That day I successfully spoke 4 different languages. (French, German, English, and Mongolian)
-I bought some kick ass slippers for my ger. They are made out of wool!
-I was spit on by a teenage boy. I know I know I was not a happy camper about this. He was a homeless guy and I suppose he just doesn’t like foreigners.
-I found tequila.
-I had pizza and nachos!!
- I was told there is a Catholic Church in UB, but I have no idea where it is. I hope to find it at some point.
Ok so then we had our swearing in ceremony. It was interesting because almost everyone was wearing their own traditional Dhell! Everyone was so colorful! I have to say I think I like mine the best! I had the only purple one! For the ceremony it was sorta weird because it reminded of a graduation. (Which I just had) We individually walked across the stage and received our contract of sorts. We also had to say a saying that is what all government workers have to say. (My brothers had to say something similar when they swore into the Army) Also at the ceremony some people preformed traditional Mongolian songs and dances. Then after the ceremony PC had a reception for everyone with all different kinds of food. It was there that I had to say goodbye to all my newly made friends because my supervisor wanted to leave for site at that point.
I was sad I had to leave so soon but I was thankful that we were traveling in his car. So I didn’t have to worry about public transportation. I have to say though the next couple hours were really confusing. I thought at first it was going to be him and me with all my stuff and my site mates belongings. I was wrong. We took all of our things to the Black market to be placed on a meaker. This I have to say made me really nervous to send my things via another vehicle. After we left our things we were on our way! The trip wasn’t bad at all. It was my supervisor and Jingo with his supervisor along with another lady. They even bought us snacks for the road. (Same as an American roadtrip) I have to say though I was SO tired! I tried really hard not to sleep but I ended up passing out for the entire trip. When we arrived my supervisor asked if I was tired. Lol.
I got to my new home at like 11ish at night. My counterpart had made me dinner, which was uber nice. She has two little girls ages 4 and 1. They both wanted to meet me but feel asleep. Urta, my coworker also told me that all my coworkers had been waiting for my arrival but went home bc it got too late. After chatting for a bit I went into my ger.
My ger is huge! I mean seriously this ger is prolly twice the size of the one I had this summer! I can actually stand up in it! My ger is really pretty and quite cozy. I have a bed, a desk, a kitchen cabinet, a dresser, a dry sink, two tables, an electric stove, a wood stove, and two comfy green chairs! I have been working on getting it to feel like a home. (Look for pictures on Facebook!)
That Saturday my bags arrived in the morning. Thank goodness!! I unpacked which was a great feeling to finally be able to get out of suitcases! Then the rest of the day my counterparts took me around the town to help me buy a bunch of things I needed for my new ger. They even took me out to lunch! Ok this is the part I was referring to earlier. My supervisor told EVERYONE that I had a bad stomach and that I was sick. At first I was shocked that he would tell everyone that but I have learned to be thankfully that he did this. Now everyone thinks that my stomach is bad and I can only eat certain things. I have been using this for my advantage for sure! They think I am a vegetarian. Which isn’t far from the truth. I have decided that I really won’t be eating meat much because it really does hurt my stomach. We will see how this turns out.
So that is what has been going on! More to come later!
B