I keep having the strangest dreams in which I don't know where I am. Recently I had one where I was asking people what state I was in. (I'll beat you to the punchline: the State of Confusion). Mary Swift told me I was in Ohio and Nancy Brown said I was in Connecticut. I decided I was in Kentucky and wondered why I hadn't done any work in the kitchen (my next project is redecorating - not remodeling - the kitchen).
During my most recent trip to the grocery store I saw a package of cupcake mix that looked decidedly American, not imported from Europe, as so much of the packaged food is here, so I picked it up to look at it. To my surprise the box said it was made by Brand Castle in Beachwood, Ohio, with our old zip code: 44122! So, if anyone in Cleveland knows someone who works at Brand Castle, you can tell them that their products were spotted in Ulan Bataar, of all places.
There was a light sprinkling of rain last night, which helped green up the trees and also allowed me to keep the window open all night. On regular nights the dust blown in is visible the next morning, so the dampening effect of the rain cut the dust and sand considerably. I remember reading something years ago about how sand from the Gobi is deposited in houses around the globe every day, but here I can guarantee that I'm sweeping up the Gobi every morning.
Oh, yes, my news: the hot water is BACK! Thought I'd save the good news for the end. In spite of the dire predictions I was told, the hot water is back and plentiful. I took two showers last night and another this morning. Now I just have to wait until Monday when the accountant should, by all indications, be back at her desk and I can get some money. Things are looking up for our intrepid girl in UB.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Just take me out and shoot me NOW
I found out this morning that the hot water won't be back until the beginning of JULY!! I don't know how I will last until then. If I had the money to go to the spa I could probably make it week to week, but the money situation is far from being solved. Yesterday I had a meeting with the school's director, Bolormaa, and 2 reps from SDC and my questions about the salary were cleared up. After that it should have been a simple procedure to turn in my papers and collect my money. So today Haly and I went to the Accounting Office of the university and discovered that the woman in charge of (me? Foreigners? The money from outside sources?) has taken the rest of the week off. She will be back Monday. I would normally ask about getting an advance on the money due me, but that's a bit sticky in this situation because of Haly. Haly hasn't been paid by the university in two months and she keeps offering to loan me money, but how can I take money from her in her situation? Since Haly acts as my translator any questions I might have asked of the accounting officials go unasked because I don't want to take her money.
I can't tell you how many offices I went into this morning or how many people I saw in the quest for payment, but suffice it to say that the trip took more than two hours and I still have to go back this afternoon.
As for my Windows situation, well, that story's a bit funnier. I told Haly how my Windows got messed up after the electricity went off over the weekend and I was told to meet someone from the school at my room this morning and it would be fixed. I went back to the dorm after Skyping with Peter this morning, took the people into my room and proceeded to show them what happens when I turn the computer on. It turns out that Haly got the idea that my windows (the glass ones in my room) were damaged, not my Microsoft Windows. Sooooo, we went back to the administration building to talk to someone in a different office, probably to wait another few days before that problem is solved.
I can't tell you how many offices I went into this morning or how many people I saw in the quest for payment, but suffice it to say that the trip took more than two hours and I still have to go back this afternoon.
As for my Windows situation, well, that story's a bit funnier. I told Haly how my Windows got messed up after the electricity went off over the weekend and I was told to meet someone from the school at my room this morning and it would be fixed. I went back to the dorm after Skyping with Peter this morning, took the people into my room and proceeded to show them what happens when I turn the computer on. It turns out that Haly got the idea that my windows (the glass ones in my room) were damaged, not my Microsoft Windows. Sooooo, we went back to the administration building to talk to someone in a different office, probably to wait another few days before that problem is solved.
Tea kettle shower details
In case you're interested in the details of my tea kettle showers, here they are. I have found that 3 liters of water is sufficient for a decent hair-washing. I heat up 2 liters in the kettle and then throw in another of cool water to regulate the temperature. One cup of water over the top so that I can lather up and then the rest straight down to rinse. Voila. Then over to my tray-mirror to dry my hair and I'm good-to-go.
Tuesday, 9:22 am.
Yesterday morning, as I was getting ready to leave for school, I got a knock on my door. I called out "hello", but couldn't hear a reply. I opened the door and found 2 women with buckets and mops indicating that we supposed to come in and clean my room. Surprised, but pleased, I let them in and they mopped the floor, cleaned the window sill and bathroom. I've seen the thing they used as a mop before: it is a long pole with a short piece of wood "T-ed" at the end. Then they throw a towel partially over the top of that end with the rest of it on the flloor and scrub away. It's just like washing with a rag without having to get on your knees. I've never seen an American style mop here.
At home I had bought four DK animal sticker books before leaving, thinking they might be interesting to a group of veterinarians. Yesterday I only had a small group in class, so I brought them out. I was surprised at how big a hit they were. I've never seen a group of women in their 30's and 40's get so caught up in putting stickers in books. To keep it semi-educational, I had them read out loud the paragraph about each animal when they put the stickers in place.
At home I had bought four DK animal sticker books before leaving, thinking they might be interesting to a group of veterinarians. Yesterday I only had a small group in class, so I brought them out. I was surprised at how big a hit they were. I've never seen a group of women in their 30's and 40's get so caught up in putting stickers in books. To keep it semi-educational, I had them read out loud the paragraph about each animal when they put the stickers in place.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Monday 5/23, 11 am No hot water, Day 172, I mean Day 6
My electricity went off yesterday while I was checking my email and after it came back on Windows was messed up and I couldn't use the computer. I called a friend from last year (computer expert) and he said that Windows would have to be reinstalled, so I'm confined to using the computer at school until that happens. So, here's a quick summary of my weekend.
1). No hot water. Did I mention that? I may have.
2). My high school friend-hoping to become a freshman at Dickinson State U came by after class on Saturday. As we were talking about our plans for the rest of the weekend I mentioned my planned museum trip and he asked if he could join us. I said he could, and he offered to drive me to Sukhbataar Square where I was scheduled to meet Ragchaa. We got there at 10 on Sunday, met up with Ragchaa, and for some reason that was never explained to me, we walked over to the Natural History Museum instead of the Intellectual Museum. The museum was interesting, full of stuffed animals and dinosaur bones, but I still don't know how we ended up there. One of the most interesting things I saw was the femur and hands from a dinosaur called " terrible hands". The femur was taller than a 6 foot man and the sign said the whole dinosaur would have been three times taller than the skeleton that was in the room, which was about 15 feet tall.
3). The guides/guards in each of the exhibit rooms had tea kettles and cell phones plugged into the electric outlets and made themselves at home there. I can't imagine this happening at any museums I've been to elsewhere.
4). There were a large amount of exhibit signs in English, in addition to the Mongolian, but when they only gave scientific names for the birds and animals I didn't help me very much. Of course I realize that often there may not be a common English name for an animal that doesn't exist outside of Mongolia, but the name helps peg the animal in my brain so that I have an idea of what I'm looking at. One exhibit compared different geological features from different continents: highest point, largest lake, etc. On the sign for North America the lowest point was mentioned as being "Deathly Valley".
1). No hot water. Did I mention that? I may have.
2). My high school friend-hoping to become a freshman at Dickinson State U came by after class on Saturday. As we were talking about our plans for the rest of the weekend I mentioned my planned museum trip and he asked if he could join us. I said he could, and he offered to drive me to Sukhbataar Square where I was scheduled to meet Ragchaa. We got there at 10 on Sunday, met up with Ragchaa, and for some reason that was never explained to me, we walked over to the Natural History Museum instead of the Intellectual Museum. The museum was interesting, full of stuffed animals and dinosaur bones, but I still don't know how we ended up there. One of the most interesting things I saw was the femur and hands from a dinosaur called " terrible hands". The femur was taller than a 6 foot man and the sign said the whole dinosaur would have been three times taller than the skeleton that was in the room, which was about 15 feet tall.
3). The guides/guards in each of the exhibit rooms had tea kettles and cell phones plugged into the electric outlets and made themselves at home there. I can't imagine this happening at any museums I've been to elsewhere.
4). There were a large amount of exhibit signs in English, in addition to the Mongolian, but when they only gave scientific names for the birds and animals I didn't help me very much. Of course I realize that often there may not be a common English name for an animal that doesn't exist outside of Mongolia, but the name helps peg the animal in my brain so that I have an idea of what I'm looking at. One exhibit compared different geological features from different continents: highest point, largest lake, etc. On the sign for North America the lowest point was mentioned as being "Deathly Valley".
Friday, May 20, 2011
Saturday, 5/21, 11:50 am. At school
I'm at school now, getting ready for the 2nd class of the day. Not much to say that's new. My thoughts are completely filled with dreams of hot water, clean hair, clean laundry and money flowing from ATM machines, none of which I'm going to have in the near future. Haly is back with me for the moment, so that is good news. I should have much more to relate after tomorrow's visit to the museum, so come back then. Things are still quite chilly here, not what I expected this near to the end of May, but luckily my dorm room is still comfortable. It's only the school rooms that are cold. Tomorrow will be my first attempt at taking a bus in the city. Should be interesting. I've heard that the buses don't slow down, regardless of the condition of the roads, which generally are not good, so looks like we're in for a bumpy ride. (Thank you, Bette Davis).
Friday, 6:02 pm No good news on the horizon
A later conversation with Bolormaa today elicited the opinion from her that 7 days is probably a bit hopeful and the radiator repair will probably take longer. Sigh! On top of that we were unable to finish up our negotiations to get me paid, so I don't have the money to go to the Gobi Hotel to clean up. Double sigh!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Even the news I got is not good news
Finally got to talk to the school director, Bolormaa. It turns out that the hot water is systematically cut to different parts of the city while they do repair work on the radiators. This will last for a total of 7 days, which means I haven't passed the halfway point yet. I may have to make a return trip to the spa that Christina and I visited on my last night here last year. I never described that trip in this blog because I took the train to Moscow the next morning and was out of communication via the Internet for the next two weeks. So, I will tell you about that last evening now.
Christina called me that evening and suggested we go to the Gobi Hotel spa. She had already been there and said it was wonderful. We got there around 8pm, I believe, and went into the changing room. We had paid for a scrubbing and when they say "scrubbing" they mean it. You lie down on these benches and girls in swim suits take a loofa pad and go to work on you - every square inch of you. After the scrubbing you can soak in either a cold or hot water pool, or take a shower. Then there are these mineral rooms you can enter. There are several different rooms with various crystals mounted in the walls. I know there were amethyst and salt, but I can't remember the others. I'm not sure what these were supposed to do for you and basically I'm not very "woo-woo" anyway, so I didn't stay very long. After visiting the mineral rooms we went to have a massage. There were three different types of massages available, but we both chose a Thai massage. I can't remember what the other two types were, but the Thai massage was magnificent! These tiny girls climb all over you and twist and contort you in ways you didn't know you could bend. They twist and stretch you for an hour and you come out of there feeling like a lump of Silly Putty. I'd be afraid to go to any massage parlor at home and sign up for a Thai massage, but at the Gobi Hotel it's like going to the Red Door or its equivalent and of course, the price was incredible. My memory is shaky on this point after a year, but I'm sure the whole experience was less than $20. So, yes, I'm very tempted to return this weekend and have them scrub some of the city grime off me.
I got back to my apartment around 11:30, tired and limp, but very clean and relaxed!
Christina called me that evening and suggested we go to the Gobi Hotel spa. She had already been there and said it was wonderful. We got there around 8pm, I believe, and went into the changing room. We had paid for a scrubbing and when they say "scrubbing" they mean it. You lie down on these benches and girls in swim suits take a loofa pad and go to work on you - every square inch of you. After the scrubbing you can soak in either a cold or hot water pool, or take a shower. Then there are these mineral rooms you can enter. There are several different rooms with various crystals mounted in the walls. I know there were amethyst and salt, but I can't remember the others. I'm not sure what these were supposed to do for you and basically I'm not very "woo-woo" anyway, so I didn't stay very long. After visiting the mineral rooms we went to have a massage. There were three different types of massages available, but we both chose a Thai massage. I can't remember what the other two types were, but the Thai massage was magnificent! These tiny girls climb all over you and twist and contort you in ways you didn't know you could bend. They twist and stretch you for an hour and you come out of there feeling like a lump of Silly Putty. I'd be afraid to go to any massage parlor at home and sign up for a Thai massage, but at the Gobi Hotel it's like going to the Red Door or its equivalent and of course, the price was incredible. My memory is shaky on this point after a year, but I'm sure the whole experience was less than $20. So, yes, I'm very tempted to return this weekend and have them scrub some of the city grime off me.
I got back to my apartment around 11:30, tired and limp, but very clean and relaxed!
Friday, 5/20, 10:40 am. No news. This does not mean good news
Day 3 of No Hot Water: this blogger is getting restless. She considered calling in "dirty" this morning, but thought better of it and sacrificed 3 bottles of drinking water to the kettle in the name of clean hair and marginally cleaner smelly body bits. It was a race between getting the soap out of her hair and the supply of water at the bottom of the kettle, but luckily the water held out until all traces of shampoo were eliminated.
Now, onto other subjects. On Sunday I am meeting one of last year's teachers and we are going to the Intellectual Museum. I wanted to go last year, but hadn't heard about it until too late in my stay. It sounds very interesting. Apparently it is full of puzzles and the like and there is even a cash prize given if you can completely take apart and reassemble a puzzle within a specified time. I believe these are predominately the wooden 3-d style puzzles that we would usually call Chinese puzzles. Sounds like fun. I'll tell you all about it Sunday night. Haly is out sick today; she went home early with a cold. I miss her. She's really delightful and very funny. Great company.
Now, onto other subjects. On Sunday I am meeting one of last year's teachers and we are going to the Intellectual Museum. I wanted to go last year, but hadn't heard about it until too late in my stay. It sounds very interesting. Apparently it is full of puzzles and the like and there is even a cash prize given if you can completely take apart and reassemble a puzzle within a specified time. I believe these are predominately the wooden 3-d style puzzles that we would usually call Chinese puzzles. Sounds like fun. I'll tell you all about it Sunday night. Haly is out sick today; she went home early with a cold. I miss her. She's really delightful and very funny. Great company.
Thursday, 6:21 pm Things are getting desperate
Day #2 of no hot water: Things are not looking good for our plucky girl in UB. This morning she heated water in her tea kettle and did the best she could at washing her hair and taking a sponge bath. The director of the school said she would try to find out why there is no hot water and when it would return, but left during the 2nd English class of the day and left no clue as to what she may have found out.
On the brighter side, I may be getting some company soon. Anita wrote me about a Swiss woman who is coming to Mongolia for a few weeks and will be in the city on and off during that time. I told her that Marta would be welcome to stay anytime, especially since I have the extra twin bed and would be glad of the company. She arrives sometime in early June and I'm looking forward to meeting her.
On the brighter side, I may be getting some company soon. Anita wrote me about a Swiss woman who is coming to Mongolia for a few weeks and will be in the city on and off during that time. I told her that Marta would be welcome to stay anytime, especially since I have the extra twin bed and would be glad of the company. She arrives sometime in early June and I'm looking forward to meeting her.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Wednesday, 8pm
I had no hot water today, which means I couldn't take a shower or wash my hair - both major calamities to me. I sure hope it's back on tomorrow or I'm going to be very grumpy and unpresentable. Everything is so dusty here. There is little to no grass anywhere and the wind blows constantly, stirring up dust that whips through your hair the moment you step outside. In addition, it is so dry here that lips and hands feel chapped and flaky all the time. The Mongolian women all look so beautiful with their long black hair - I don't know how they stay looking so nice and untouched all the time. It's something I never learned.
Wednesday, 6:06 pm, Fun & Tiring Day Off
I had a great day today. Anita Fahrni, who is responsible for getting me these assignments in Mongolia, had been in Mongolia recently and left a bag of goodies for me at the Swiss Consulate, so I went over there this morning to pick it up and then decided to enjoy myself downtown for the day. Anita's bag is full of treasures: Swiss chocolates, a couple of Swiss baseball hats (no, not from Swiss baseball teams), various snacks, but the most interesting and surprising thing is a pen from the Swiss campus of Webster University - the school my sister graduated from, although not the Swiss campus, the home campus in St. Louis. I'm sure Anita has no idea that I come from St. Louis or that there is any connection between me, my family, my hometown and this school, but there you have it.
After the Swiss Consulate, I walked into the center of town and had lunch at the German bakery and coffee house where Jasmin and I went together so many times. I had a wonderful carrot soup, a lovely roll and a chocolate Berliner (filled doughnut). It was so nice just to sit and relax and read. They keep all kinds of foreign newspapers and the international edition of Newsweek there, so I had a lovely time and kept the lemonade flowing.
After that I walked over to the State Department Store because I decided to buy a small thermos so I could take some tea to school with me every morning. I also stopped by the grocery store on the first floor of the building and picked up a small container of my favorite Mongolian salad. It's made from small strips of beef, strips of dill pickle, shredded carrots and sliced onions (yes, don't faint, onions), mixed with sour cream or mayonnaise or maybe both of them. Anyway, it's really good and I've already eaten the whole container for dinner this evening.
I started walking home because my cash was getting low and my lack of language skills means that I can't tell a taxi driver to take me 4950 togrok's worth of the ride home to Zaisan. I thought I'd walk as far as I could and then find someone when I was sure I could cover the fare. Well, I walked and I walked and I walked and finally decided that I had enough money to get me home, so I put my hand out for a taxi and waited and waited and waited. So, I decided to walk some more and after about a half hour I tried again for a taxi. It took a while, but someone finally stopped and I said "Zaisan", the neighborhood the school is in. He nodded, so I said "university" and either he didn't understand or he didn't want to go there because he shook his head and left. I walked on. After another half hour I was close to the school, but at the bottom of the mountain the school is on, so I tried again. I figured anyone coming this way would be likely to be passing the school, or wouldn't mind taking a weary foreigner a little out of his way for a couple of thousand togrok. Thankfully someone stopped this time and was willing to take me to the campus. Hoorah! It took me 2 1/2 hours to get home from the Department store and this doesn't begin to take into account all the walking I did from the Swiss Consulate to the bakery to the department store before my journey home began. I sure was glad to see my mountain and dorm building at last.
After the Swiss Consulate, I walked into the center of town and had lunch at the German bakery and coffee house where Jasmin and I went together so many times. I had a wonderful carrot soup, a lovely roll and a chocolate Berliner (filled doughnut). It was so nice just to sit and relax and read. They keep all kinds of foreign newspapers and the international edition of Newsweek there, so I had a lovely time and kept the lemonade flowing.
After that I walked over to the State Department Store because I decided to buy a small thermos so I could take some tea to school with me every morning. I also stopped by the grocery store on the first floor of the building and picked up a small container of my favorite Mongolian salad. It's made from small strips of beef, strips of dill pickle, shredded carrots and sliced onions (yes, don't faint, onions), mixed with sour cream or mayonnaise or maybe both of them. Anyway, it's really good and I've already eaten the whole container for dinner this evening.
I started walking home because my cash was getting low and my lack of language skills means that I can't tell a taxi driver to take me 4950 togrok's worth of the ride home to Zaisan. I thought I'd walk as far as I could and then find someone when I was sure I could cover the fare. Well, I walked and I walked and I walked and finally decided that I had enough money to get me home, so I put my hand out for a taxi and waited and waited and waited. So, I decided to walk some more and after about a half hour I tried again for a taxi. It took a while, but someone finally stopped and I said "Zaisan", the neighborhood the school is in. He nodded, so I said "university" and either he didn't understand or he didn't want to go there because he shook his head and left. I walked on. After another half hour I was close to the school, but at the bottom of the mountain the school is on, so I tried again. I figured anyone coming this way would be likely to be passing the school, or wouldn't mind taking a weary foreigner a little out of his way for a couple of thousand togrok. Thankfully someone stopped this time and was willing to take me to the campus. Hoorah! It took me 2 1/2 hours to get home from the Department store and this doesn't begin to take into account all the walking I did from the Swiss Consulate to the bakery to the department store before my journey home began. I sure was glad to see my mountain and dorm building at last.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Tuesday, 8:34 pm
The weather is trying to warm up, bit by bit. It's often warmer in the morning than it is when I finally leave school around 6pm. I've found that classes, although easier to teach now that we're following a book, are a lot less fun. I do take every opportunity to clarify a point of grammar or explain an uncommon phrase, but I feel as though the creativity has been taken from me and I'm just there as a train conductor, making sure all students get to the end of the paragraph at the same time. Oh well, can't have it all, I guess.
My new "friend" stopped by after classes today, although I'm not quite sure why. He accompanied me to the grocery store and then I went home. I asked him if he had any questions about the US, but he said he didn't and he left.
Yesterday the water was off in my room when I got home; later the electricity shut off, too. The whole neighborhood was pitch dark and I was grateful that I was already home and ready for bed when it happened. All I could see from the window were the fires in the gers that are tucked into various corners of the neighborhood: little round lights glowing in the darkness. They looked so cozy out there.
My new "friend" stopped by after classes today, although I'm not quite sure why. He accompanied me to the grocery store and then I went home. I asked him if he had any questions about the US, but he said he didn't and he left.
Yesterday the water was off in my room when I got home; later the electricity shut off, too. The whole neighborhood was pitch dark and I was grateful that I was already home and ready for bed when it happened. All I could see from the window were the fires in the gers that are tucked into various corners of the neighborhood: little round lights glowing in the darkness. They looked so cozy out there.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Monday, 5/16, continued
A couple of days ago I played a game in my beginning class called "I'm Going on a Picnic". No, it's not the usual game where you name something to take on the picnic and the next person adds something and then has to repeat your item, etc., and on to the next person. This game requires the leader to name things they'll bring that starts with their initials, but in this case I used only the "B", since the others don't have last names. The trick is then to see if the other players catch on and offer to bring things that begin with the same letter as their names. Well, my students kept guessing things and I kept saying "no", so eventually I thought I'd try to help them out and after someone asked if he could bring a knife, I said no, but that Khanda could. Khanda looked at me with this expression of disbelief and she and Haly burst out laughing. I looked at Haly for an explanation and here's what had happened. Khanda is a Buryat, one of the ethnic groups present in Mongolia, originally from the area around Lake Baikal. Apparently, Buryats are known as being fierce tribesmen, fond of their long knives (which Haly demonstrated with a flourish, drawing an imaginary blade out from under an equally imaginary robe and brandishing it in the air). Khanda thought I was making a reference to her being a Buryat, which I, of course, knew nothing about, nor did I know anything about the group's reputation. But everyone had a great laugh about it and I learned something. Luckily she didn't take any offense at my comment!
Monday, 5/16, 7:00 pm
Happenings galore today! First of all, my students have decided they want to follow a textbook, so they chose one and voila! my lesson plan troubles are over. All I have to do each day is open the book and indicate which students are to read the conversation and my part is taken care of. Both classes are using the same book, too.
Then, at 5:30 a young Mongolian boy came into the office and started talking to me. Turns out that he will be going to Dickinson State University in Dickinson, ND, this fall and wants to practice his English. His English is actually pretty good and he apparently could understand me well, but that's still quite a step from taking classes at a university, understanding the material and passing the courses. Still, I agreed to talk with him on a regular basis, and luckily he's not shy about talking to me in English, so we'll see how this goes. Like all Mongolians he has only one name, so I'd like to see how the registrar deals with THAT in their computerized records.
The other big happening is that I have internet access in my dorm room, finally! I'm using it right now, yes RIGHT NOW, and I'm thrilled. I won't know what to do with all my free time now that 1) I won't have any lessons to plan; and 2) I can write my blog and emails in the evening and won't have to fit it in in the mornings before classes start.
Then, at 5:30 a young Mongolian boy came into the office and started talking to me. Turns out that he will be going to Dickinson State University in Dickinson, ND, this fall and wants to practice his English. His English is actually pretty good and he apparently could understand me well, but that's still quite a step from taking classes at a university, understanding the material and passing the courses. Still, I agreed to talk with him on a regular basis, and luckily he's not shy about talking to me in English, so we'll see how this goes. Like all Mongolians he has only one name, so I'd like to see how the registrar deals with THAT in their computerized records.
The other big happening is that I have internet access in my dorm room, finally! I'm using it right now, yes RIGHT NOW, and I'm thrilled. I won't know what to do with all my free time now that 1) I won't have any lessons to plan; and 2) I can write my blog and emails in the evening and won't have to fit it in in the mornings before classes start.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Saturday, 8:20 am, Blogger has returned
No posts yesterday because "Blogger" was unavailable, but I find that he (she, it?) is back at the job, so I am, too. Here's what you missed: Thursday after class I went to a new-to-me grocery store that is much nicer than the ones I've frequented so far. I bought digestive biscuits made in Oman, sweetened dill pickles from Poland, strawberry jam from Poland, and applesauce among too many other things. I completely neglected to think about the fact that I'd have to carry all these cans and jars back to my dorm room, so I was beat by the time I made it to the front door of the building. I had stopped to catch my breath after the first flight of stairs when this young, tall Mongolian guy came and took both of my bags from me and carried them to my door. I was so thankful, but of course all I could say was "thank you" a couple of times before he put down the bags and went away.
While I was in the store I heard some English being spoken behind me, so I went over to say hi. There was an older woman with 4 younger girls and the woman was obviously showing them the ropes about shopping in UB. The woman and 2 of the girls are from Canada. She's a teacher at the American School near here. The other girls are from South Carolina and all 4 girls are here on a short term study program.
All the books tell you not to drink the tap water here, although I frequently did at my other apartment, but I would never do that here. The water last year was clear and tasted fine, but the water at the dorm is discolored and leaves a ring of residue around the pot when I cook eggs. The eggs come out as lightly-dyed Easter eggs and there's no way anyone would put that water in a glass and drink it. The one saving grace this place has over last year is that we have a water filter on the ground floor and everyone fills up bottles to lug upstairs to their rooms. I carry an empty bottle with me at all times so that I can fill it on my way to school and fill it again on my way back to my room. It's a hassle, but at least the water is free and I don't have to buy drinking water all the time.
While I was in the store I heard some English being spoken behind me, so I went over to say hi. There was an older woman with 4 younger girls and the woman was obviously showing them the ropes about shopping in UB. The woman and 2 of the girls are from Canada. She's a teacher at the American School near here. The other girls are from South Carolina and all 4 girls are here on a short term study program.
All the books tell you not to drink the tap water here, although I frequently did at my other apartment, but I would never do that here. The water last year was clear and tasted fine, but the water at the dorm is discolored and leaves a ring of residue around the pot when I cook eggs. The eggs come out as lightly-dyed Easter eggs and there's no way anyone would put that water in a glass and drink it. The one saving grace this place has over last year is that we have a water filter on the ground floor and everyone fills up bottles to lug upstairs to their rooms. I carry an empty bottle with me at all times so that I can fill it on my way to school and fill it again on my way back to my room. It's a hassle, but at least the water is free and I don't have to buy drinking water all the time.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Thursday, 11 am
I had a very relaxing day yesterday. That was not how I originally planned to spend the day, but when I woke up I found the ground covered with snow (again!) and just didn't feel like trudging through it to do a couple errands that could wait until the better weather that will surely come this weekend, right? Monday they were selling ice cream at the graduation ceremony and it snows on Wednesday! So I stayed put and relaxed for most of the day (read, took a long nap).
I helped Haly write a letter of recommendation for a friend's job application and am glad that I can help her in even the smallest way because she has been such a big help to me. She attends every one of my classes: the beginning level to translate for anyone who doesn't understand what I'm trying to get across, and the second level because even she has a little trouble with prepositions and the like, and she is eager to improve her English.
I helped Haly write a letter of recommendation for a friend's job application and am glad that I can help her in even the smallest way because she has been such a big help to me. She attends every one of my classes: the beginning level to translate for anyone who doesn't understand what I'm trying to get across, and the second level because even she has a little trouble with prepositions and the like, and she is eager to improve her English.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Graduation ceremony
Yesterday was graduation day for the undergraduates in the school of agriculture's veterinary medicine department. I walked over to the main building and watched for a while. The girls all had on beautiful and elaborate brocade dresses and the boys either had on suits or deels, the national Mongolian costume, with cowboy hats. They were striking. I couldn't get any good pictures, however, as the room was too dark. The families of the graduates all milled around, talking on cell phones while the graduation was going on. Seems to be customary for the grads to get huge bouquets of flowers and even larger stuffed animals. The boys got large ribbon bows with elaborate chains like watch chains pinned to their chests. It was all quite interesting, although I couldn't understand a word, of course. I asked one of the professors what someone can do with a bachelor's degree in veterinary medicine and was told that he/she could be a veterinary inspector.
Yesterdays classes were the best ones so far. Maybe I'll figure out this teaching thing sometime before I leave in July(!).
Yesterdays classes were the best ones so far. Maybe I'll figure out this teaching thing sometime before I leave in July(!).
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Time differences
Keep in mind that although the blog may say Sunday, I'm really writing it on Monday morning, at least 12 hours later. Now why it says I'm writing this at 6:38 pm on Sunday which should mean it's 6:38 am on Monday (it's not, it's 10:05 am right now) I can't begin to answer. Guess I'll start putting a real date stamp on each entry to avoid confusion.
Monday morning routine
I had considered going to the Black Market yesterday, but decided not to and to just take it easy at home. So I stayed in and read a lot, did some laundry and cooked my dinner. It was a relief not to have to go over to the school and teach even though it meant that I didn't have Internet access. This morning was a bright blue, cloudless day, like most of them in Mongolia. It is such a nice contrast to the dreary, smoggy skies of Beijing. I never saw the sun or even any blue patch of sky there.
For those wondering what my usual routine looks like on a teaching day, here it is. I wake up early, take a shower and rinse out yesterday's clothes, dry my hair and fix a small breakfast. I get dressed and look over my notes and plans for what I'm going to do with each class that day. I walk over to the classroom building about 8:00 am and open up my computer and go straight to my email. Then I fill out the next blog entry and then begin planning the lessons in earnest, writing sample sentences, questions, etc. My first class begins at 1:00 pm and runs until 3 pm. I have half an hour off and then the second class starts at 3:30, and lasts until 5:30. At this point I might do a little more research about topics to discuss the following day, or I might just go home, cook my supper, read or knit a little and go to bed. It might not sound like much, but the schedule is full and I am exhausted by bedtime. Although I would love to have a real two day weekend so that I could get out into the countryside and see something other than Ulan Bataar I do look forward to that break I'll have every Wednesday so that I can recuperate and rest up for the remainder of the week ahead.
For those wondering what my usual routine looks like on a teaching day, here it is. I wake up early, take a shower and rinse out yesterday's clothes, dry my hair and fix a small breakfast. I get dressed and look over my notes and plans for what I'm going to do with each class that day. I walk over to the classroom building about 8:00 am and open up my computer and go straight to my email. Then I fill out the next blog entry and then begin planning the lessons in earnest, writing sample sentences, questions, etc. My first class begins at 1:00 pm and runs until 3 pm. I have half an hour off and then the second class starts at 3:30, and lasts until 5:30. At this point I might do a little more research about topics to discuss the following day, or I might just go home, cook my supper, read or knit a little and go to bed. It might not sound like much, but the schedule is full and I am exhausted by bedtime. Although I would love to have a real two day weekend so that I could get out into the countryside and see something other than Ulan Bataar I do look forward to that break I'll have every Wednesday so that I can recuperate and rest up for the remainder of the week ahead.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Teaching is tiring
I teach two classes a day, two hours each class and then I scour the Internet for ideas for lessons for the next day. I am exhausted when I finally get home, but these classes sure burn through my materials quickly. On top of that, one group speaks very basic English only and the other students understand fairly well but have the usual problems with pronunciation, leaving out articles and the verb "to be", which is missing in Mongolian, so I cannot simply recycle one lesson plan for the next group. Wish I could.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Hot boiled yogurt
I went to the school's cafeteria in the basement today at lunch and had a most delicious drink. It's called aarts, in Mongolian, and that translates, more or less, as hot boiled yogurt. It really is delicious and very filling. By contrast I wasn't very fond of the salted milk tea that you get every time you visit a ger, but this (the aarts) has a unique taste, not sour, but not terribly sweet, either. I've asked my officemate, Haly, to teach me how to say "It was delicious", so I can tell the cafeteria workers when I take my cup back.
I've been pleasantly surprised by how quickly I've learned the names of my students this time around, even the names I hadn't heard before. I already know everyone's names and that small thing took me WEEKS to learn last year.
I've been pleasantly surprised by how quickly I've learned the names of my students this time around, even the names I hadn't heard before. I already know everyone's names and that small thing took me WEEKS to learn last year.
Cattle in my neighborhood
I forgot to mention in the previous posting that yesterday when I came home from the school there was a small herd of cattle in my neighborhood. Now mind you, this is a university campus with numerous dorms and apartment buildings and everything is paved, but there they were just standing on the corner. I vowed at that moment I would not go anywhere without my camera. Can't believe that I didn't get a picture of them.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
This is spring?
The rain we had yesterday was just a prelude for the snow that arrived later in the afternoon. By the time I left the school, the ground was completely covered in white. This being Mongolia, heat in the buildings has been turned off citywide according to the calendar date, with no regard to the actual weather outside the windows. Still my room was quite cozy last night; I have plenty of blankets and the heated towel rack is still working, so there are no complaints from me.
I "timed" my walk to school this morning. Last year my trek to Aptech took exactly as long as two run-throughs of Mary J. Blige's version of "One". Today's walk lasted through 3 repetitions. I've been told that my internet situation at the dorm will be resolved this afternoon. We'll see. I'm not optimistic nor pessimistic about it. I just know that some things take a little longer than others and the communication barrier is a complication. I've also noticed that people seem to be reluctant to explicitly give me disappointing news like there will be a delay in getting something done. It seems to be easier just to let the situation drag out. Eventually things get done, but no one wants to be the bearer of bad news. So I wait and busy myself with other things and hurry to school in the mornings so that I can log on to my email and scour this blog's comments for news from all of you.
I "timed" my walk to school this morning. Last year my trek to Aptech took exactly as long as two run-throughs of Mary J. Blige's version of "One". Today's walk lasted through 3 repetitions. I've been told that my internet situation at the dorm will be resolved this afternoon. We'll see. I'm not optimistic nor pessimistic about it. I just know that some things take a little longer than others and the communication barrier is a complication. I've also noticed that people seem to be reluctant to explicitly give me disappointing news like there will be a delay in getting something done. It seems to be easier just to let the situation drag out. Eventually things get done, but no one wants to be the bearer of bad news. So I wait and busy myself with other things and hurry to school in the mornings so that I can log on to my email and scour this blog's comments for news from all of you.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
My first day off.
I have Wednesdays off from teaching because the teachers who are my students here at the school of vet med have meetings that day. As a result I will be teaching 2 levels of classes on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Because I was free today I traveled back to my former school to visit the teachers I knew there and to leave some presents for the baby born last year to 2 of the teachers, and one for the little girl I knitted the sweater for. It was fun to surprise them all by showing up and I already have several invitations for dinner.
Before climbing the stairs to Aptech, I stopped by to see the family of dogs who live behind the school. I was surprised to see that the junk yard in which they live has changed and there is more construction back there than before. There are only 3 dogs back there now: the papa dog, mama dog and the fluffy puppy. No signs of the other mother dog, the one who was being ostracized last April just before I left, nor any sign of the smallest puppy born in January 2010. I'm not sure if they recognized me (although I made sure to wear the same color coat as I did before), but by the end of my visit they were much friendlier than when I arrived. I am certainly surprised that there isn't a new litter of puppies this year.
I started out early this morning from my room and caught a free-lance taxi to get to the northern part of the city where Aptech is. We got ensnarled in a traffic jam and when the things came to a standstill, the driver motioned for me to get out! I did make much better time walking and ended up walking all the way to Baga Toiruu, the street I lived on and where the school is, but I wonder why he wanted me to get out. He wasn't going to make any money sitting in the traffic jam and at least I was willing to pay him. Maybe he just wanted to cut his losses and turn around and hope for a fare going in a different direction. That's one of the delights of being here: without the ability to communicate so many things end up simply as guesses.
It rained last night and on and off during the day today. First time I've seen rain in UB, although it rarely amounted to much more than a drizzle.
Before climbing the stairs to Aptech, I stopped by to see the family of dogs who live behind the school. I was surprised to see that the junk yard in which they live has changed and there is more construction back there than before. There are only 3 dogs back there now: the papa dog, mama dog and the fluffy puppy. No signs of the other mother dog, the one who was being ostracized last April just before I left, nor any sign of the smallest puppy born in January 2010. I'm not sure if they recognized me (although I made sure to wear the same color coat as I did before), but by the end of my visit they were much friendlier than when I arrived. I am certainly surprised that there isn't a new litter of puppies this year.
I started out early this morning from my room and caught a free-lance taxi to get to the northern part of the city where Aptech is. We got ensnarled in a traffic jam and when the things came to a standstill, the driver motioned for me to get out! I did make much better time walking and ended up walking all the way to Baga Toiruu, the street I lived on and where the school is, but I wonder why he wanted me to get out. He wasn't going to make any money sitting in the traffic jam and at least I was willing to pay him. Maybe he just wanted to cut his losses and turn around and hope for a fare going in a different direction. That's one of the delights of being here: without the ability to communicate so many things end up simply as guesses.
It rained last night and on and off during the day today. First time I've seen rain in UB, although it rarely amounted to much more than a drizzle.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Back in UB
I'm back in UB, for 2 months this time. I'm teaching English to a group of professors at the Mongolia State University of Agriculture, School of Veterinary Medicine. The total number of students I'll have is unknown at this time. Yesterday I met a group of them and tried to make a determination of whether they were beginner or more advanced students by asking questions and seeing how well they understood me or could answer the questions. Then I had to divide the names into 2 classes and present the rosters to the director. I wasn't sure if I needed to be political in this decision or not (should I put the department head of surgery in the beginner's group?), but in the end I decided to just go with my gut instinct and divide them as I saw them. Today will be my first day of really teaching and I'm a bit nervous.
As for my accommodations - they're a big improvement over last year's apartment. I have a room in the dormitory for the "better students." It's one room, with a bathroom, and has 2 twin beds, a fridge, hot plate, desk, chair and TV. The bathroom is nice (no exposed pipes!) and has a handheld shower in the corner without shower walls or door. The floor is slightly depressed in that area to let the water drain out there. The building is only 2 years old and is in very good condition. The stairs are stone, not concrete, and more regular in terms of the height of the risers, although not always quite standard. I'm on the 5th floor this time, so I'm still getting plenty of exercise up and down the stairs. I have a splendid view of mountains out my window. If you look at a map of UB, I'm in the southern part of the city, near the Golden Buddha statue and the Bogd Khan mountain, which is one of the peaks I see from my window. The electricity situation is slightly improved over last year. This time I have a long florescent bulb in the middle of the ceiling (not the single suspended incandescent bulb I had last year). There still is only one outlet, but I do have a power strip, however. Unfortunately the outlet is not near the mirror, so drying my hair took some improvising. There is an aluminum tray in the kitchen area, so I propped the tray up on top of the fridge, using a ladle to keep it from sliding down, and I dry my hair looking at my reflection in the shiny tray. You do what you have to with what you have!
How I happened to return to UB is a story I will share soon, as well as the saga (and it IS an epic story) of my trip here. I know, too, that the ending of my 2010 trip is missing from this blog, and I will fill that in in later posts. For now I'll say that I'm pleased to be back in Mongolia and looking forward to more adventures. I feel like an old hand in many ways. I was able to tell the director of the department how to register my passport, and I already knew that I had to get a new SIM card for my cell phone since they use a different technology here.
As for my accommodations - they're a big improvement over last year's apartment. I have a room in the dormitory for the "better students." It's one room, with a bathroom, and has 2 twin beds, a fridge, hot plate, desk, chair and TV. The bathroom is nice (no exposed pipes!) and has a handheld shower in the corner without shower walls or door. The floor is slightly depressed in that area to let the water drain out there. The building is only 2 years old and is in very good condition. The stairs are stone, not concrete, and more regular in terms of the height of the risers, although not always quite standard. I'm on the 5th floor this time, so I'm still getting plenty of exercise up and down the stairs. I have a splendid view of mountains out my window. If you look at a map of UB, I'm in the southern part of the city, near the Golden Buddha statue and the Bogd Khan mountain, which is one of the peaks I see from my window. The electricity situation is slightly improved over last year. This time I have a long florescent bulb in the middle of the ceiling (not the single suspended incandescent bulb I had last year). There still is only one outlet, but I do have a power strip, however. Unfortunately the outlet is not near the mirror, so drying my hair took some improvising. There is an aluminum tray in the kitchen area, so I propped the tray up on top of the fridge, using a ladle to keep it from sliding down, and I dry my hair looking at my reflection in the shiny tray. You do what you have to with what you have!
How I happened to return to UB is a story I will share soon, as well as the saga (and it IS an epic story) of my trip here. I know, too, that the ending of my 2010 trip is missing from this blog, and I will fill that in in later posts. For now I'll say that I'm pleased to be back in Mongolia and looking forward to more adventures. I feel like an old hand in many ways. I was able to tell the director of the department how to register my passport, and I already knew that I had to get a new SIM card for my cell phone since they use a different technology here.
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