news worthy of noting

Mongolians have compound names and they tend to have an actual meaning to them too. I am Will (future tense). I teach English to people like Sunflower and Radiating Emerald. Eternal Destiny skipped class because she's meeting with No Name (yes, some people actually are called Anonymous). Firm rock and Iron Hero are repairing a classroom along with White Child. The training manager Treasure of Knowledge is in a meeting now with Golden Light... Sometimes I forget how beautiful their names are. My memory is terrible - over the span of 30 days, I have misplaced or lost: a dictionary, gloves, a wallet, a flashlight, and I forgot what else. Some of them I've found, but I wonder what my memory will be like 10 years from now... I'm taking care of my friend's cat for a week. Motivation for me to make fires in the morning so it doesn't freeze. One day my little sister came over and asked me a bunch of questions about it. "Does your cat play chess?" and then she realized that it can't play chess because it doesn't have any hands. Also she told me that its chin is hairy just like mine. One of the rewards of learning Mongolian is listening to her funny comments. Um, what else? Speaking of Winter, I got much better coal this year. Making fires are so much easier and they last longer. That is going to make the next few months a lot more pleasant.

things that I'm thankful for (in no particular order)

Friends - Life is much funner when you can vent your frustrations/bizzare moments with others that can understand where you're coming from. Me and my training buddies have gone through a lot together. It has been nice to meet some of the people from the new class of volunteers (M24's) but I also miss having the previous class here too (M22's). Regardless, I feel that there's a pretty strong bond even though I've known these people for a short time. Family - It is great to be able to talk to my parents, brother, and sisters (via skype) and keep in touch through facebook. Also the packages are wonderful. I also have an extended Mongolian family that watches over me. Yesterday I came home late and was surprised to find that my ger was warm. I had been gone all day, but my sister made a fire for me. School - Work isn't always easy, but I have a lot of people watching out for me. They have provided my ger with a washing machine and refrigerator above and beyond Peace Corps standards. I have made friendships with some of the teachers outside of the English department and they are very wonderful people. The school also makes sure to involve me in activities such as holidays, competitions, and so on. Counterparts - Its fun to see people grow and develop. Though progress is slow sometimes, I do work with a great group of English teachers and other community members. Though communication is not always perfect, they really help me to stay informed and are my main group that I interact with. My home here and my home far away - When I think about America, I get homesick. When I think about Mongolia, I realize that I will sincerely miss it. It can be emotional for me when I realize that my time here is going to be only a little bit longer. It is a mixture of happiness and also feelings of how much I will miss one place when I am at the other.

A little better, a little busier

I've had a good September and a good start to October. Nevertheless, its been really busy. Last year, I had know idea what was going on, and I was just starting to meet people. This year, I'm still disoriented at times, but now that I already know a lot of people - and consequently, I have not had any dull moments. thanks to the friendships that I have made I got to go on several countryside trips. One was a wedding, another was camping out, and another was just hanging out together. They can make an amazing meal with just meat vegetables and an open fire. I got to see a ram in the wild, and the wedding was really fun too. I like being a figurative fly on the wall but since I'm a foreigner its hard to do that. I decided to not take as many pictures on these outings because I don't want to seem like a tourist. Thanks to one of my counterparts I also got to see a shaman for the first time. it was - well I don't know how to describe it, but I was happy to experience it.

My regular English classes for students remain pretty much the same, but I'm doing a lot more English teaching outside of the classroom now. I started a class for other subject teachers again, and this year the attendance way more consistent (people actually show up). Last year I went to my counterparts and tried to set up weekly trainings, but it failed. This year, they came to me and asked for weekly trainings. I've also had other requests from people outside of school for help in improving their English. Not exactly sure why the sudden change. Maybe my understanding of Mongolian makes it easier to explain rules and translate phrases. Or maybe its because they know that I'm leaving next year.

culture preservation

Some of the things that I like most about Mongolia is its unique culture. For example, a ger is very different from houses in the US. Also the clothing is very decorative and colorful. I'm a music nerd, so throat singing and their traditional instruments are really intriguing to me too. And the nature here is breathtaking. I can also tell that some of this is changing though - and its partly because the country is developing. For example, along with electricity comes power lines. Even though I like gers, they are mostly suitable for herders - not town dwellers. The music is being influenced by technology too. Style is adapted towards pop music, and electronic effects are added onto recordings. Mongolian clothes are worn by some people (usually older folks) on a regular basis, but usually reserved for holidays. Mongolians are known for their hospitality, but not everyone displays it and actually a few people are not friendly towards foreigners. To a certain extent, I am a part of this progress by exposing Mongolians to English (along with its culture). At the same time I wouldn't advise Mongolia to stop these changes - exposure to new things, improved roads, electricity, etc. I think that the only way to really "preserve" culture is to freeze time, and well - that isn't life. I can't tell people to stay as they are and not change. But I think the Mongolian people have something to be proud of - their history and their present culture. That doesn't mean that they shouldn't have a brighter future in front of them though :)

glad to be back :)

This summer was a really nice break from the school year. I did some work, spent Naadam holiday at my town, took a vacation in Russia, and visited my family that I lived with last summer. During all of this, I got to spend time with my peace corps friends. I am typically am a loner, but now I mostly do things with others. It was fun seeing places in Russia, but it was a little difficult being in Russia because of the language barrier. I was very lazy when it came to learning any words because I put all of my efforts towards Mongolian instead. One of the best things that me and my friend did was couchsurfing. I had never done it before, but it was extremely helpful to speak with locals and get their advice about the area. The people that we stayed with were very generous - they gave us rides to places, let us do laundry, traveled with us and even made some food for us. It is amazing that there are people out there who are friendly to strangers and being a good Samaritan. I'm sure that couchsurfing doesn't always turn out well, but I'm happy that me and my friend tried it when we were in Russia. That being said, it was a relief to come back to Mongolia. I forgot how nice it is to be able to communicate and its a weird feeling that I feel at home here now. It was bizarre coming back to my Mongolian parents house and actually understanding them. What a difference a year makes! They mean alot to me and it was very satisfying to see them again and talk about whatever. I hope I'll be able to visit them a couple more times before my time here is finished. My second year of school is just around the corner and I think it will go by quickly.

summer adventures

So my Dad came to visit me. I think he was able to get a decent glimpse of what life is like here. We were on the road alot - at least 24 hours worth. somehow he has a higher skill of sleeping on buses than I do. He got to meet some of my Mongolian and American friends. He got to experience Mongolian hospitality too - they are very generous, but offer things that Americans aren't necessarily used to (like goat intestines). He also got to experience the different concept of time frames - they are only suggestions. in reality, things may happen hours later... or days later.

We saw some camels and yaks (a first for me) and also got to hike up a volcano. The volcano hiking day, the camera batteries died though :( It rained a lot more than I thought it would, but it didn't completely ruin anything so that was good. He brought a suitcase worth of stuff to me, and I gave him about a suitcase worth of things to bring back. I hope he had a good time.

the side that tourists don't see

The big difference from being a resident and a tourist is relationships. Its easy to see statues, nature and landmarks, but you can't really get to know people within a few weeks or a month. I've been invited over to many peoples houses for dinner and got to see what their family was like. Some of the people I occasionally visit actually start to treat me like family. I have some close friends in America and sometimes I visit their house. I specifically remember one time when I was away from home, and got invited over to a friends during Christmas. It meant a lot to me personally, and I've had the privilege of having those same feelings with my friends in Mongolia too. I have also been a part of many celebrations at school. There was recently a graduation ceremony (two weeks before school actually finishes?) and I got to go to one of their parties. Probably the most fun I've had is going to on road trips with a group of Mongolians.

Last month, I went with a group of adults that me and another American friend co-teach, and we went to a place that's translated "big place with rocks." Even though we are foreigners, they treated us like part of their group. We played games, ate a sheep (including the insides), sang together, and went hiking. There are many good people here.

Language Learning, Part 2

I've been in a foreign country for almost one year. I change my mind often as to whether I'm making progress. My language has improved in some ways, like vocabulary and stuff, but I only know how to say really simple sentences still. A really big difference between a written language and a spoken language is informal speech. Every language has it, but I guess I'm just saying that makes the learning curve much more difficult. I wish I could give some examples but you'd just have to be here to get it. I actually have learned English better while I've been here too. I wouldn't know what you were talking about if you brought up 1st conditionals, and 2nd conditionals, verb tenses, etc, before I got here. Verbs might take the prize for being the most discouraging part for someone trying to learn English as a foreign language. Not only are there irregular verbs, but there are participles – which don't really have a helpful function other than “sounding” better. Mongolian isn't an easy language, but it has more consistent patterns than English. I really love English though – there are so many books throughout history and from so many cultures and most of them are available in English. Though it is a long ways away, its possible that  the people who I am working with will some day be able to pick up an English and imagine the same wonderful thoughts that I have had through the medium of English literature. I have caught a glimpse of some Mongolian folktales and proverbs and they are really enjoyable too. I have more learning material than I can handle actually. There's only so much time to study it. Its pretty funny discovering something that is worded differently than you would expect. For example, a cup and a bowl are the exact same word. Grapes are literally “water grapes,” whereas in English we sometimes call raisins “dried grapes.” I also thought it was funny that a boat is called a “water plane” and then I realized that the English word “spaceship” is equally strange. I think its brilliant that a dictionary in Mongolian is a “word mirror.” Um, what else? There's probably a whole lot more, but I don't notice them anymore because I'm used to them. Mongolian actually has some very logical words that people might even be able to guess. Someone probably wouldn't be able to come up with the word for tongs used in fireplaces, but the Mongolian term for it is “fire-scissors.” English has compound nouns, but some of them don't make sense. (butterfly?) Back to the practical use of speaking Mongolian, sometimes I pretend that I know more than I do – and once in a while I get away with it. Also, I sometimes pretend that I don't know Mongolian and am able to eavesdrop quite successfully. When I am walking around town, I occasionally overhear people talk about me (either pointing out that I'm Russian (lol) or identifying who I am and where I work). In class, I usually claim ignorance as well, and sometimes I hear students say stuff like “Oh Good, Will's teaching us today.”

Abnormal is the new Normal

Sometimes I realize how different regular life is here, but most of the time I don't. The other day, some people walked into my Ger, and I had no idea who they were. I invited them to sit down and offered them some candy. There was an older man and a young boy. The man showed me a letter that the boy got from America. It was a Christmas card that arrived here in March. Since it was all in English, and they wanted me to translate it for them. I got the main points across, talked with them for a little bit, and then they went on their way.

It was good. First of all, my Ger wasn't messy. That's a big accomplishment because Mongolians do not like when a house is dirty. And I got lucky because I had no idea anyone was going to come and visit. It is also pretty important to offer guests at least something, so it was good that I at least had some candy to give them. Also, I managed to speak to some Mongolians that knew absolutely no English. Anytime I can have a decent conversation in all Mongolian is a big success for me. I've had many people come into my Ger that were complete strangers but that does not phase me anymore. I usually act like I know them anyways just in case I met them before and forgot who they were.

Whoever it was that sent that little kid a letter doesn't know how it significant it was to them either. I don't know what organization it was, but they had Americans send letters to Mongolian children. Later on, some other kids showed me their Christmas cards that they got in March too. I don't know how they figured out where I lived, but they were curious enough to figure out what the letter said and came to me for translation.

I imagine in America that most people would not let strangers into their home, and if someone was seeking help of some sort it would have to be arranged in advance. But Mongolia is very spontaneous – if Mongolians have a plan, its usually to “wing it.” That can be both good and frustrating sometimes. I don't know how the weather got the memo, but it is equally spontaneous. Just when I thought spring “broke” it will go into relapse again. It can be in the 60's several days in a row (no fire needed) only to be followed by snow and bitter wind the next day. But that doesn't phase me anymore either. I'm almost a year in now, and for the most part - I'm adjusted.

recent adventures in mongolia

It was kind of weird and surprising to have Americans coming to visit my school. They were doing an art project with children in many different countries, and one of the two places they visited in Mongolia happened to be my school. One of my counterparts and me worked with them to help things go as smoothly as possible. It was really fun working with younger kids. They really enjoyed making photos and making their own drawings too. When the project was finished, the students were invited to go on a free trip to a museum in the capital to see their art displayed in a gallery. Pretty cool, huh? I got to go with too. About twenty of us went to UB. It was really fun to see the kids looking at their photos and showing them to their parents. And later, other countries will get to see these kid's art too.

And - my English teachers set up an English week at my school. I'm really proud of them because they organized most of it without me. There was a song competition, spelling competition, poetry competition, and other games as well. Also we recently had a creative writing competition, and it was really interesting to read their essays.

So I wasn't really doing that much work during all of this. I'm impressed with my counterparts their ability to arrange project plans, and also translate for the Americans with very little help from me.

 

Tsagaan Sar Holiday

It was a pretty big blur, but probably the most fun Mongolian experience I've had so far. The holiday was started since the days of Chinggis Khan (also known as Ghengis), and it celebrates the lunar new year. It kind of brightens up February and is something to keep my mind off of the cold. They actually start calling this the beginning of spring, lol. The thing that looks like a basket is made out of bread, sugar, and some hard dairy products that I don't know how to describe. Everyone cleans their houses and akes food in preparation for their family to come over. I think I've mentioned buuz before, but they are meat covered with dough, and then steamed - like dumplings. Also people make a bunch of salads. None of them have lettuce, sometimes their potato salads have meat, and their fruit salads taste like candy - different, but I still like it. The first day, close family members will come over to visit. They greet each other by age, and then sit down in a circle. They will talk about family and have several types of drinks. Some of those are also very difficult to describe. Men and sometimes women will pass around a hoorog, which is a bottle made out of stone that has tobacco inside. Before guests leave, the host will give them a present. The following days, people continue to visit family and also friends.

Oh yeah, I got a dell made for me. one of the English teachers helped me find a person to sew it and then we went to a store to buy the materials. It is decently warm, but kind of difficult to put on and walk around in. And I still haven't figured out how to put the cloth belt on correctly. You can't see in the picture, but its bright orange and about 15 feet long. People often carry stuff in the shirt section but sometimes things can fall out. I actually thought I lost my camera, but fortunately I left it at my friends house.

Most of the time, I had no idea what was going on - nothing is really planned, so I just went along with what was happening. Some of the days, I went to multiple houses. It was fun, but it gets really filling. They also offered me drinks more often, because I'm a foreigner I guess. The holiday officially lasts 3 days, but it doesn't really finish. I was invited to peoples houses weeks after the fact. Some people gave me gifts ranging from phone minutes, candy, or games, to shirts. One of my friends mothers even made a Mongolian shirt for me! I felt bad because I did not give out that many gifts, but I'll know to prepare ahead next year. Tsagaan Sar does involve quite a bit of work especially for the mothers. I helped out a little, but since I am a foreigner people did not want me to do that much work. Za, I don't know what else to say, so I'm going to stop.

Winter isn't that bad...yet

After my hasha family's dog had puppies a couple months ago, most of them disappeared  We were going to keep one, but that one also was nowhere to be found - until one random day the puppy came back! He's not so cute now though, I might add a photo of it later.

I went to the store last week and got myself a sweater made out of camel wool. When I wore it to school, I got bombarded with compliments. People are proud of Mongolian clothes. I was going to have someone make me a big winter dell, but that might not happen this year.

Meanwhile, it hit 50F over the weekend. I actually went to the store without my jacket and wore my hooded sweatshirt instead... and then my training manager happened to see me and chided me for not wearing my jacket. Oh well, I was warm. Yeah - and I thought January was going to be much colder (crossing my fingers).

I've had a couple Morin Khuur lessons now. I can play the F major scale and 2 little songs. It doesn't sound very good, but I can play them. Still working on the fundamentals - my teacher often me that my hands need to relax. It reminds me of the piano teacher I used to have.

And English teaching? Well - there's still a lot of Mongolian spoken and a little English spoken. I think that's my official goal now - more English speaking.

happy holidays

I'm writing a couple weeks after the fact because its been ridiculously busy coordinating around work and planning parties. December in Mongolia is a little different than in America - they don't celebrate Christmas, but New Year's is a big holiday. If felt strange though because they use "Christmas" decorations, we eat "birthday" cake, and people dress up as if it is a "prom." - and most of the new years parties are not celebrated on new years - on new years eve, families are spending time home together. It was nice that people wanted me to take part in their celebrations. I probably went to about 5 parties, and they were pretty fun. I wasn't that homesick except for wishing that it were alot warmer.