Welcome back to another posting, this time yesterday I was a tired but healthy PCV. Today that is all different, I am a very tired cold having, cough hating PCV. GRRRR. So I might have to make the large update to this site at another time, probably this weekend when I am in UB again for training/ social/ catching up with some close friends. Sadly, I've have no one to blame but myself for the sickness, just over working and not sleeping enough, not too mention the naughty cigarettes, which never helps when it is -20 and you are not sleeping well. So, oops here it is again but I am drinking gallons of water and hoping for the best!
Anyway, so maybe you would be interested to learn a bit more about my oh so strange and wonderful life in the depths of Ovorkhangai province. Most weeks I am at school by 9 or 10 and my job title is to help assist in the development of the English department here as well as provide English lessons to the 12 or so English teachers at the secondary school. Sometimes it works, and well, sometimes things don't. Such is life as a volunteer, and when you are trying to get things accomplished then it's never fun when none of your teachers feel like A.) showing up B.) paying attention C. talking on their mobiles...well, they had an exam from the ministry of education a couple days ago and hopefully the results will scare them a little more into working a bit more. It's alright, as a close friend of mine says, "I ain't mad", I just wish I could be a bit more productive at times. Nevertheless, things are good, my school is pretty fun to work in and I have a laugh with the other PCVs. But. I am sick. And that is somewhat detrimental to my good humor right now, so I think I will try and get some work done and then go drink veggie soup into it seeps from my pores.
Just to let you have an idea of what else I am doing, I am teaching a free class at the government English centre today, and writing an exam for the 11th grade students on Friday. This is called the "English Olympics", where a select group of students take a test and receive a certificate. Its good for them and it makes the English teachers happy. So that okay, however, I was told told about it until two days ago and won't be able to see how the fruits of my labour test these students. Oh well, margash....so I must depart, but will update this weekend. I've got about 6 other things to finish before I leave but don't worry, you;ll here all about them soon :-0
cheerio
Tuesday 9 December 2008
oops, it's been a while...
Greetings...
I should really apologise for not getting this done about 2.5 months ago, there is no reason to think I am living in the middle of nowhere, I am just so lazy and preoccupied with the trivialities and ridiculous issues of my daily life that not a whole hell of thought has really gone into updating this blog. My apologies, rest assure after a couple months at my site things i'll start to settle in and be a little more regular, but there are one or two things that I say before I get on with it; Life in Mongolia is both fascinating and frustrating because it is so amasing but at the same time it will certainly "do your head in"....I must admit that sometime over the last few months I have thought, "hey I'm sure some people would be interested in hearing what's going on..." I'm sure that might be the case, nevertheless, I am here and available....finally, I am able to recognise that this needs to be updated regularly and I shall supply you with a serious update tomorrow when I am back at school and not taking up my friends Internet time on his newly arrived Internet...rest assured I am alive and well and learning as well as attempting to teach some very odd and peculiar aspects of the English language. Hopefully in the last two months I have actually learnt how to type a little more legibly as well. I'll speak to you all quite soon and promise to make tomorrow a more interesting and verbally stimulating read....cheerio x
I should really apologise for not getting this done about 2.5 months ago, there is no reason to think I am living in the middle of nowhere, I am just so lazy and preoccupied with the trivialities and ridiculous issues of my daily life that not a whole hell of thought has really gone into updating this blog. My apologies, rest assure after a couple months at my site things i'll start to settle in and be a little more regular, but there are one or two things that I say before I get on with it; Life in Mongolia is both fascinating and frustrating because it is so amasing but at the same time it will certainly "do your head in"....I must admit that sometime over the last few months I have thought, "hey I'm sure some people would be interested in hearing what's going on..." I'm sure that might be the case, nevertheless, I am here and available....finally, I am able to recognise that this needs to be updated regularly and I shall supply you with a serious update tomorrow when I am back at school and not taking up my friends Internet time on his newly arrived Internet...rest assured I am alive and well and learning as well as attempting to teach some very odd and peculiar aspects of the English language. Hopefully in the last two months I have actually learnt how to type a little more legibly as well. I'll speak to you all quite soon and promise to make tomorrow a more interesting and verbally stimulating read....cheerio x
Saturday 13 September 2008
Part 3
This is my heating system, which tends to work quite nicely as my ger is pretty small
A beautiful sunrise, I had an extremely early class to watch and was able to snap this as I left
Some of the entertaining little people who I see everyday...even though I am a teacher trainer, I still get to co-teach with my teachers so I am able to enjoy some teaching. Okay, I need to go get some things ready, tomorrow I start my co-teaching, more Mongolian language lessons and generally speaking, what I came here to do. I am also dicsussing classroom managment and how to teach some of the finer and more difficult points of the English language, so tomorrow is another busy day. I hope to get another update done by the end of this week. In the meantime, any comments or questions are appreciated. Cheerio.Photos part 2
This is the view from my ger; my front yard and the gate...As I'm not allowed to say where I am, I live in Ovorkhangai aimag on the edge of the desert. Notice I have not included a picture of the outhouse, as it is, well, an outhouse, and not that aesthetically pleasing
My lobby with non-matching wooden sink and mirror. The blue "tunpin" is the walk in shower, which is not that bad; however, real showers are pretty amazing inventions.
My bed and bedside table..it's hard but strangely comfortable
My kitchen and firewood storage unit, as well as a prime example of why I might leave Mongolia with a hunchback...all my chairs are made for 3 year olds...
And finally, my living room...yes those are red, yellow and orange flowers set against a green backdrop. Behind that cover are two layers of wool and some wooden gates...and there you have it, MY GER. I may sound as if I am being a little sarcastic about my home, but it is really quite nice, I have added some of my own posters, but other than that nothing has really changed, expect the TV is now gone since I s0 rarely used it.Some photos, finally!
This is the "site placement" day we had in August in Darkhan. Two maps, one big and one small, were layed out. Our photo was laid on the smalll map and then we had to stand where we were placed. Behind the small white map is a massive concrete and grass copy of Mongolia's borders..pretty entertaining and it gave me a decent idea of how far some of us are from each other.
From our swearing in ceremony. Most of us had tradtional Mongolian clothing given to us by our host families. I'm the blue one..and yes, they are supposed to be worn a couple sizes too big, I haven't gained any weight...
Someone very close to me, literally...
Indeed, that is my home for the next two years...and that is me trying to smile after a day of intensive rescheduling, meetings and class observation...note that what I am wearing is not typical for a school day, but more focused on the "Warm and Comfortable" look...and that is dirt around the edge of my ger, commonly referred to as "insulation".
Thursday 28 August 2008
What do you do when there is no power?
Hello to all again, i am back with what one hopes to be another arousing and entertaining discussion of life in middle mongolia. It is WEdnesday and has been snowing incredibl amounts all morning, sadly i ran out of wood so had to borrow from my hosat family, which is kind of essential. Let me just make this one point. Gers tend to leak a little, and it can be frustrating. Oh werll, it is part of the fun, but still, its cold and my ger is wet, and there is no electricty. currenlty I'm sditting in the internet cafe here, because this is the only place in A-Town where there is electrcity. I do wish it will come back, Brian needs to eat and spending money he really should be using on a winter jacket is a bad idea!
Anyway, so maybe i should talk a little about my site. 20-25 thousand people, cold and windy but it has been hot and warm, so a little slice of everything. We have all the amenities tgat are needed and its not too expensive, so i should be fine. The only problem is reliable electricity. I am living in a big tent, or GER and it is taking some time to get used to, especially when trying to start fires. Stupidly i inhaled a little smoke this morning trying to get the fire started, so in future it might be prudent to wear a mask. I am working with 12 English teachers in a secondary school and trying to build an English department as well as ensure they are able to teach the English language effectively. Not too mention trying to get their speaking abilities up to date, which is going to be lots of fun, as they are quite lovely women. And yes, i am one of only 10 or so malke teachers, which makes me either very lucky or in danger....hahaha, obviously not, but the first question most of the teachers have asked is "Are you married?" "Why not?" and "Maybe you can find a Mongolian wife." Who knows, stange things can happen but i am quite comfortable in my present state, albiet cutting some of the distance would help things run a little more smoothly. Moving swiftly along, Life in A-town is going well, I am starting class on Monday and am expected to deliver a 5 minute speech, as is tradition. Needless to say, my Mongolian is a little poor so writing it andf having it corrected by my tutor and co-workers is essential. I should also mention that i do have a mongolian tutor, a very sweet woman who has a great deal of patience. I've only had one lesson but have I enjoyed it and I'm hoping for a couple a week. Maybe i will be able to carry on a full conversation soon! Crazier things have happened.
Okay, other than being wet and cold and anxious about school starting, there isn't much going on so far. I would like to thank my parents for sending a package, I have no doubt it will make what appears to be a very long winter much more relaxing. I need to get some lesson planning and done and maybe check on the electrcity at home situation but will come back with something a lot more interesting next week, when i should have a much better idea of how a week or month is going to function. Take care andf think of me while you sit in your centrally heated, or even radiator heated building...grrrr....i'm joking; complaining is not something i want to do as it is my choice to be here but right now i am a little jealous of people with heated buildings! Cheerio
Anyway, so maybe i should talk a little about my site. 20-25 thousand people, cold and windy but it has been hot and warm, so a little slice of everything. We have all the amenities tgat are needed and its not too expensive, so i should be fine. The only problem is reliable electricity. I am living in a big tent, or GER and it is taking some time to get used to, especially when trying to start fires. Stupidly i inhaled a little smoke this morning trying to get the fire started, so in future it might be prudent to wear a mask. I am working with 12 English teachers in a secondary school and trying to build an English department as well as ensure they are able to teach the English language effectively. Not too mention trying to get their speaking abilities up to date, which is going to be lots of fun, as they are quite lovely women. And yes, i am one of only 10 or so malke teachers, which makes me either very lucky or in danger....hahaha, obviously not, but the first question most of the teachers have asked is "Are you married?" "Why not?" and "Maybe you can find a Mongolian wife." Who knows, stange things can happen but i am quite comfortable in my present state, albiet cutting some of the distance would help things run a little more smoothly. Moving swiftly along, Life in A-town is going well, I am starting class on Monday and am expected to deliver a 5 minute speech, as is tradition. Needless to say, my Mongolian is a little poor so writing it andf having it corrected by my tutor and co-workers is essential. I should also mention that i do have a mongolian tutor, a very sweet woman who has a great deal of patience. I've only had one lesson but have I enjoyed it and I'm hoping for a couple a week. Maybe i will be able to carry on a full conversation soon! Crazier things have happened.
Okay, other than being wet and cold and anxious about school starting, there isn't much going on so far. I would like to thank my parents for sending a package, I have no doubt it will make what appears to be a very long winter much more relaxing. I need to get some lesson planning and done and maybe check on the electrcity at home situation but will come back with something a lot more interesting next week, when i should have a much better idea of how a week or month is going to function. Take care andf think of me while you sit in your centrally heated, or even radiator heated building...grrrr....i'm joking; complaining is not something i want to do as it is my choice to be here but right now i am a little jealous of people with heated buildings! Cheerio
Sunday 24 August 2008
Snow..in August...only in Mongolia!
The above statement is not only false but misleading and does not imply that is doesn't snow anywhere else in the world in the month of August. I just thought it was amusing...because it is actually snowing quite heavily now, and we are now August 25th, so it is some sort of warning as too just how much fun winter is going to be. I do need to go chop some wood and get some water, so this will prove to be an interesting day indeed!
So where were we last? Ah yes, I am now a Peace Corps Volunteer with a rather pathetic command of the Mongolian language. I can get by, but not so well. I have some tutoring starting this week which will hopefully ensure I do actually get better. If you are not aware, I have been posted to a site about 8 hours from UB, the capital. I can' t tell you where, because you might come visit me, which for the first three months is a strict "no no". But worry not, check my facebook if you are interested or email me, I will happily supply an address with which you may mail various fruits, nuts or peanut butter, upon which I will dine when my stove freezes over. Okay, it is not that bad but consider this option; the average temperature here in the winter is about -20 C...sound fun yet? It gets better. I am leaving in a Ger (Mongolian tent) and I still do not have glass coverings on the roof, only a heavy wool cover which doesn't quite over the hole becuase my stove is inthe way. I'll post a photo of it soon, but needless to say, it's a touch on the chilly side at the moment.
Serious things now. I am working in a secondary school of 3600 students rnaing from 11-18 years old, where I am responsible for the English abilities and resources of 12 Mongolian English langage teachers. They are wonderful ladies and seem to have enjoyed our discussions so far. School does not start until the first of September but I have been meeting with them in order to understand a little more about the current situation. They have some resources but are in desperate need of the CD's, casettes issued by the Mongolian Education Ministry and various other resources. And a Stereo. So I will work on getting that taken care of as well and build on their English speaking abilities, which are quite good but need more practice, as they are used so infrequently. So I am working on getting those as well as creating a library abnd English Langauge Corner from which the students can check out english books. having gotten in touch with a wonderful organisation, The Darien Book Aid in the United States; hopefully witin the next couple months the 15 kilos of books they are sending will have arrived. I suppose that will be a good sign of progress. I ashould explain that I am an English teacher, but generally for teaching the teachers. And that is fantastic, because I feel this is an experience that will assist both professionaly an personaly. So, as a teacher trainer, I will live near the Gobi for 2 years and try to not lose any appendages to frostbite or wild yaks. Fairly amazing in my asute opinion. Oh that reminds me of another tangent. Yesterday I went to toe store for a Viamin C kick (seriously sugary juice with SOME vitamin C) and noticed that a wild yak was bearing herded own the street by a gentleman on a horse with his colleague running beside. I do't think I have ever seen anything so wonderful in my life. What a site! Yaks are by far the most peculiar looking animals, hairy, bulky and a bit clumsy. I think Stars Wars must have used them for various characters because they don't really look like they belong anywhere. Look up Yaks and let me know what you think.
Okay, so I've rambled enough time for some food and fire but I just wanted to let you know what happening. I'll be be back with another peculiar insight into my life here. Feel free to let me know how things are going and if you feel like sending anything, I always welcome cards, photos or food products. Making a wish list seems childish but I am sure I can think of a few things I wouldn't mind receiving! Cheerio.
So where were we last? Ah yes, I am now a Peace Corps Volunteer with a rather pathetic command of the Mongolian language. I can get by, but not so well. I have some tutoring starting this week which will hopefully ensure I do actually get better. If you are not aware, I have been posted to a site about 8 hours from UB, the capital. I can' t tell you where, because you might come visit me, which for the first three months is a strict "no no". But worry not, check my facebook if you are interested or email me, I will happily supply an address with which you may mail various fruits, nuts or peanut butter, upon which I will dine when my stove freezes over. Okay, it is not that bad but consider this option; the average temperature here in the winter is about -20 C...sound fun yet? It gets better. I am leaving in a Ger (Mongolian tent) and I still do not have glass coverings on the roof, only a heavy wool cover which doesn't quite over the hole becuase my stove is inthe way. I'll post a photo of it soon, but needless to say, it's a touch on the chilly side at the moment.
Serious things now. I am working in a secondary school of 3600 students rnaing from 11-18 years old, where I am responsible for the English abilities and resources of 12 Mongolian English langage teachers. They are wonderful ladies and seem to have enjoyed our discussions so far. School does not start until the first of September but I have been meeting with them in order to understand a little more about the current situation. They have some resources but are in desperate need of the CD's, casettes issued by the Mongolian Education Ministry and various other resources. And a Stereo. So I will work on getting that taken care of as well and build on their English speaking abilities, which are quite good but need more practice, as they are used so infrequently. So I am working on getting those as well as creating a library abnd English Langauge Corner from which the students can check out english books. having gotten in touch with a wonderful organisation, The Darien Book Aid in the United States; hopefully witin the next couple months the 15 kilos of books they are sending will have arrived. I suppose that will be a good sign of progress. I ashould explain that I am an English teacher, but generally for teaching the teachers. And that is fantastic, because I feel this is an experience that will assist both professionaly an personaly. So, as a teacher trainer, I will live near the Gobi for 2 years and try to not lose any appendages to frostbite or wild yaks. Fairly amazing in my asute opinion. Oh that reminds me of another tangent. Yesterday I went to toe store for a Viamin C kick (seriously sugary juice with SOME vitamin C) and noticed that a wild yak was bearing herded own the street by a gentleman on a horse with his colleague running beside. I do't think I have ever seen anything so wonderful in my life. What a site! Yaks are by far the most peculiar looking animals, hairy, bulky and a bit clumsy. I think Stars Wars must have used them for various characters because they don't really look like they belong anywhere. Look up Yaks and let me know what you think.
Okay, so I've rambled enough time for some food and fire but I just wanted to let you know what happening. I'll be be back with another peculiar insight into my life here. Feel free to let me know how things are going and if you feel like sending anything, I always welcome cards, photos or food products. Making a wish list seems childish but I am sure I can think of a few things I wouldn't mind receiving! Cheerio.
Tuesday 19 August 2008
I AM NOW A PCV! M
07/28
Here we are, about to try and get down to some business.
Or so I am trying to tell myself; after nursing the prior evenings physical and liquid based activity, I am trying to reflect on what the last few months have been like. I have now been in Mongolia for just over two months and feel free enough to admit that I still love it tremendously. Of course, everyone has good and bad days; that is part of the routine of changing everything about your life and moving around the world. However, despite some language issues and frustration at the lack of activity and disposable income, it is safe to say that things are fairly tremendous. With a wonderful family who are patient enough to tolerate my below par abilities in Mongolian, excellent site mates and some other people I won’t go into details about, life in Mongolia “aint so bad”.
However.
I miss some aspects of being back in the UK, a some friends and family in the USA. There are some wonderful things there that I hope to see again, Brighton itself being one of them. However, things can change and they in fact do, so it is important to get on with things and look out for new possibilities that will create something new and interesting. Being somewhat of a nomadic person, I continuously feel the need to move around, but I think that’s because I have really been able to go anywhere, and I feel ready and confident enough to get out into Mongolia and try to get on with the job I came here for. Now that I’ve said my piece, time to get down to the actual theme of this entry. I might add my apologies for the spelling errors in the last two entries, I had 20 minutes to get it done and post it before heading back to the land of no internet but I will ensure it gets better. Also, if Julia’s Mum is reading this, don’t worry she’s fine and enjoying herself. And of course, she says hello. In fact, I will personally take this opportunity to say hello to all the family members of M-19 Javflant, but in particular I just wanted to make sure Julia’s mum knows she is missed.
So, after two months I am ready to get on with work and get to site, the problem is that I don’t know where that is yet. Now I have an interesting and somewhat annoying 2 week wait to find out. I could be in the Gobi, surreptitious channels have mentioned that I could be in Choibalsan, which is the far eastern region. Who knows, I have only one request and it likely won’t be something they will consider, so I am ready to see a bit more of this country and get down to business.
So, after having had Nadaam, camping out at the biggest monastery in Mongolia and generally trying to find things to keep one occupied, we M-19’s are nearing the end of Peace Corps Training. I am not the biggest fan of acronyms, but I might have to start using them more often as it’s a pain to keep writing things out. So from on, PST equals training, and soon I will be a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV).
Hopefully.
Peace Corps has these various tasks we have to fulfill before we become volunteers, and most are pretty good. For example, we have our community development project due today, which is supposed to be a field day complete with games and English speaking. However, A.) it is not the sunniest weather, and B.) Trying to get 10-15 kids to play games in English can be difficult. I’m not too worried though, the best thing we can do is keep people entertained, which has been pretty easy; 10 foreigners walking around a village of 1-2000 people makes for particularly juicy gossip. Also, there is a sports hall which can be used to it will be fine. I would like to think we are all excited about getting these things done so that when we get to our sites in August, we will have more of an idea about how to go about settling in and becoming a member of our communities. I’ll deal with that in August, because right now I have no idea what is going on. As much as Peace Corps helps out, they do love to keep us in the dark sometimes. Fair enough, I can’t fault that, if we knew more we would just ask more questions. Pardon me for being inquisitive. So life in the steppe continues to wind down; we leave our Javflant early August and will be leaving for sites mid August, I will know my site address by the 12, and will even have a phone! The ability to communicate globally returns to my fingertips, considering how much I relied on my phone prior to Mongolia, I am amazed the withdrawal symptoms have been that bad. Let me know via email if you feel like sending dried fruit, or some photos of what you’re doing, or just a little card saying hello. I will also need your phone numbers, because texting is fairly cheap. Phone calls might not be so cheap, but I can certainly receive calls cheaply and send a text or two. Anyway, I hope this entry finds you well, I am ready to begin another chapter of work and see where it takes me. Hopefully the next time you read, I will have a clearer idea of where and why I have come to Mongolia. Cheerio.
11/08/08
It’s the evening before I leave my host site for Darkhan, I’ve just eaten a ridiculous amount of food and have just been told that because I am leaving, my family has slaughtered a goat for my departure. Where I will fit any more of this food is a whole new question. This does not bother me at all because as one does in all types of situations, one assimilates and enjoys the moment for what it is. But seriously though, if you’ve never smelt the inside of goat, you are not missing a thing. Unpleasant stenches aside, I would like to say what a great summer this has been. Sure, I’ve had no material things expect this little computer and my IPOD, but that is more than fine. Classes have been tough but hopefully I have gathered enough skill in Mongolian to at least not die freezing on the steppe. And finally, I have met some truly wonderful people, both Mongolian and American and am in good spirits for the next week. If you are not aware of how Peace Corps works, then you should know one thing: PC tells you nothing at all about placements, site location or your job description. I suppose I can understand, you don’t want any volunteers to have preconceptions about places but honestly, tomorrow I am going to find out what I have wanted to know all summer; where I will be for the next two years. I’m not ner ner ner nervous at all…not really, just apprehensive about what is going to happen, since I am still unsure what my occupation is going to be. Whatever it may be, I’m sure I am going to love it. Starting tomorrow morning at 7, we have five days of final checks, probing and security issues before we swear in on Saturday as actually volunteers. At a grand total of “very little” in the way of salaries, I’m pretty sure I will start to relish the idea of vegetables, abundant salads, tofu and Guinness. That’s alright, I didn’t come here to live the high life, so as apprehensive about how things will go as I am right now, I am more than ready to start. Well, after a really nice hot shower, a sit down toilet and food that doesn’t alleys include salt, I’ll be ready. Hopefully by the end of this week those of you who I know will have received an email with my new address and phone number , feel free to say hello when you get a chance. Okay, I am of to eat some goat liver and intestines, I’ll catch up with you soon. And for the record, I think I will be in ether Choibalson or a large city in the Gobi.
Here we are, about to try and get down to some business.
Or so I am trying to tell myself; after nursing the prior evenings physical and liquid based activity, I am trying to reflect on what the last few months have been like. I have now been in Mongolia for just over two months and feel free enough to admit that I still love it tremendously. Of course, everyone has good and bad days; that is part of the routine of changing everything about your life and moving around the world. However, despite some language issues and frustration at the lack of activity and disposable income, it is safe to say that things are fairly tremendous. With a wonderful family who are patient enough to tolerate my below par abilities in Mongolian, excellent site mates and some other people I won’t go into details about, life in Mongolia “aint so bad”.
However.
I miss some aspects of being back in the UK, a some friends and family in the USA. There are some wonderful things there that I hope to see again, Brighton itself being one of them. However, things can change and they in fact do, so it is important to get on with things and look out for new possibilities that will create something new and interesting. Being somewhat of a nomadic person, I continuously feel the need to move around, but I think that’s because I have really been able to go anywhere, and I feel ready and confident enough to get out into Mongolia and try to get on with the job I came here for. Now that I’ve said my piece, time to get down to the actual theme of this entry. I might add my apologies for the spelling errors in the last two entries, I had 20 minutes to get it done and post it before heading back to the land of no internet but I will ensure it gets better. Also, if Julia’s Mum is reading this, don’t worry she’s fine and enjoying herself. And of course, she says hello. In fact, I will personally take this opportunity to say hello to all the family members of M-19 Javflant, but in particular I just wanted to make sure Julia’s mum knows she is missed.
So, after two months I am ready to get on with work and get to site, the problem is that I don’t know where that is yet. Now I have an interesting and somewhat annoying 2 week wait to find out. I could be in the Gobi, surreptitious channels have mentioned that I could be in Choibalsan, which is the far eastern region. Who knows, I have only one request and it likely won’t be something they will consider, so I am ready to see a bit more of this country and get down to business.
So, after having had Nadaam, camping out at the biggest monastery in Mongolia and generally trying to find things to keep one occupied, we M-19’s are nearing the end of Peace Corps Training. I am not the biggest fan of acronyms, but I might have to start using them more often as it’s a pain to keep writing things out. So from on, PST equals training, and soon I will be a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV).
Hopefully.
Peace Corps has these various tasks we have to fulfill before we become volunteers, and most are pretty good. For example, we have our community development project due today, which is supposed to be a field day complete with games and English speaking. However, A.) it is not the sunniest weather, and B.) Trying to get 10-15 kids to play games in English can be difficult. I’m not too worried though, the best thing we can do is keep people entertained, which has been pretty easy; 10 foreigners walking around a village of 1-2000 people makes for particularly juicy gossip. Also, there is a sports hall which can be used to it will be fine. I would like to think we are all excited about getting these things done so that when we get to our sites in August, we will have more of an idea about how to go about settling in and becoming a member of our communities. I’ll deal with that in August, because right now I have no idea what is going on. As much as Peace Corps helps out, they do love to keep us in the dark sometimes. Fair enough, I can’t fault that, if we knew more we would just ask more questions. Pardon me for being inquisitive. So life in the steppe continues to wind down; we leave our Javflant early August and will be leaving for sites mid August, I will know my site address by the 12, and will even have a phone! The ability to communicate globally returns to my fingertips, considering how much I relied on my phone prior to Mongolia, I am amazed the withdrawal symptoms have been that bad. Let me know via email if you feel like sending dried fruit, or some photos of what you’re doing, or just a little card saying hello. I will also need your phone numbers, because texting is fairly cheap. Phone calls might not be so cheap, but I can certainly receive calls cheaply and send a text or two. Anyway, I hope this entry finds you well, I am ready to begin another chapter of work and see where it takes me. Hopefully the next time you read, I will have a clearer idea of where and why I have come to Mongolia. Cheerio.
11/08/08
It’s the evening before I leave my host site for Darkhan, I’ve just eaten a ridiculous amount of food and have just been told that because I am leaving, my family has slaughtered a goat for my departure. Where I will fit any more of this food is a whole new question. This does not bother me at all because as one does in all types of situations, one assimilates and enjoys the moment for what it is. But seriously though, if you’ve never smelt the inside of goat, you are not missing a thing. Unpleasant stenches aside, I would like to say what a great summer this has been. Sure, I’ve had no material things expect this little computer and my IPOD, but that is more than fine. Classes have been tough but hopefully I have gathered enough skill in Mongolian to at least not die freezing on the steppe. And finally, I have met some truly wonderful people, both Mongolian and American and am in good spirits for the next week. If you are not aware of how Peace Corps works, then you should know one thing: PC tells you nothing at all about placements, site location or your job description. I suppose I can understand, you don’t want any volunteers to have preconceptions about places but honestly, tomorrow I am going to find out what I have wanted to know all summer; where I will be for the next two years. I’m not ner ner ner nervous at all…not really, just apprehensive about what is going to happen, since I am still unsure what my occupation is going to be. Whatever it may be, I’m sure I am going to love it. Starting tomorrow morning at 7, we have five days of final checks, probing and security issues before we swear in on Saturday as actually volunteers. At a grand total of “very little” in the way of salaries, I’m pretty sure I will start to relish the idea of vegetables, abundant salads, tofu and Guinness. That’s alright, I didn’t come here to live the high life, so as apprehensive about how things will go as I am right now, I am more than ready to start. Well, after a really nice hot shower, a sit down toilet and food that doesn’t alleys include salt, I’ll be ready. Hopefully by the end of this week those of you who I know will have received an email with my new address and phone number , feel free to say hello when you get a chance. Okay, I am of to eat some goat liver and intestines, I’ll catch up with you soon. And for the record, I think I will be in ether Choibalson or a large city in the Gobi.
Friday 18 July 2008
alright, now its really hot!
Okay, I just realized that my most recent entry is not in the correct format and I can't post it, but rest assured I will be back with the internet in two weeks and will ensure you are able to follow the crazy adventures of Brian in Mongolia...sorry about that, if it helps, I am annoyed too...this internet cafe is like a sauna, which is helping matters....
my site mates and I are off to see a monastery and camp out tonight, then back home for work, Mongolian and my attempt to please my family with my "exotic" cooking...I'll be in touch, cheerio
my site mates and I are off to see a monastery and camp out tonight, then back home for work, Mongolian and my attempt to please my family with my "exotic" cooking...I'll be in touch, cheerio
beginners blog
Hello to all of you, I should really try to apologize as you’ve not heard from in a very long time. There is so much I could ramble on about that surely you would bash the back button with great intent, so I’ll save some for another entry. Sincerely, being part of the peace corps is a 24 hour job, and being part of something which we hope will create more avenues for learning is quite fun, as long as you believe all the rhetoric that comes along with it. Which I am somewhat inclined to do. Maybe that’s me being too much of an optimist, but I need to see if development in the sustainable sense is a functional reality. Watch this space.
06/28/08
I had an interesting chat today with one of my fellow trainees; although it might not seem like what we are doing is going to have that much of effect, it’s possible that opening the eyes of one or two other people to something different is the key to this kind of work. You can’t help everyone, but you can make something seem more interesting and easier if said people are willing to explore other avenues of learning. I’ll get back to that idea in another entry but suffice to say, I am hoping I can offer another train of thought to those who want to work outside the proverbial “box”. I’m here to give people the benefit of the doubt, which doesn’t always seem to be a prevalent idea.
21/06/08
I’m sitting on the floor in my room in Javflant, which is about 4 and a half hours north of
The rain is very much another key fixture here as the summer festival Nadaam (Festival of Manly Sports) is coming up in a couple weeks. During this time, wrestling, archery and horse riding are exercised on a grandiose scale. From what I’ve heard, Boatz (meat and onion mixture in dumplings), Airrag and Vodka are all prevalent. It should be quite a party, and it just so happens I will be back for it on my birthday. Before that I Darhan, a town with internet which is the main reason you are reading this. So think of me suffering in the hopefully warm sun being treated to dumplings and cheese water. It might be better to put this all in a bit of context actually; I am 45 minutes away from a town with internet and have to go back for training sessions, which just happen to coincide with everyone in my entire group being there, so there are a few social occasions and friendly chats to look forward to. After three months of language, culture and teacher training, I will be posted to site. Which one I don’t know, but a site nonetheless; more to follow on that as well. After having spent some time with my fellow Peace Corps M-19 trainees, I must admit I am unusually surprised at the amount of people who I enjoy being around. I sadly assumed being out of the
Peace Corps regulations aside, I am supposed be trying to help teachers make better use of their English abilities, and I look forward to hopefully have in some input on curriculum development for
06/30/08
After spending a few days in
Moving swiftly along, after sleeping in a Ger (circular Mongolian tent) on the first night we were rushed out to Darkhan, which was one week full of fairly boisterous socializing and rather intensive cultural and practical training. After inhaling Mongolian food, alcohol and various bits of information, my group of 60 some trainee volunteers had come to believe that in the first two weeks we were going to be:
A.) Seriously raped or molested , B.) Ripped to shreds by vicious dogs, C.) Suffer serious harm from drunks D.) Empty our entire body of all waste products from every potential orifice
Well, as you might not know but do now, I have not suffered from any of the above afflictions, other than having to scare off a few dogs who thought it might be fun to get too close…Other than scaring us, the training wasn’t too bad and it was nice to build some rapport with both traineers and trainees. Anyway, life here is just different and run on a different time scale, which is fine by me. I am enjoying the people, my trainee friends and the food has been quite nice, albeit a little on the salty or oily side at times. Thankfully my host family like Kimchi (spicy Korean cabbage), which makes things a little more flavorous. How I miss fruit though! If anyone wants to send anything, dried fruit would be wonderful. I’m not begging but would certainly enjoy it. I can give you my address but not right here, so email me if you are feeling generous and I’ll let you know the details.
Okay, this is what I going to try and do; divide the last couple weeks up and give an entry for each one, when you finally read this I will have returned from the city with internet, as where I am now simply doesn’t have it. Hopefully I will have all these entries by the end of July, sorry for not posting them here but it has been very busy and I‘ve just returned from a trainee vs. trainer dodge ball game, and am in need of a finally running water shower before I return to bathing with well water, soap and a large basin. I will be back in the city of internet at the end of July, so feel free to say hello and I’ll do what I can to reply then. I wouldn’t mind making a quick comment about the riots, although to be honest I haven’t read much on the internet or newspapers yet, but suffice to say it is the worst it has ever been...They’ve even banned sales of vodka, which certainly means things are bad. Naturally, it is possible to get around this, but what do you expect, that all underage people in the
hahahahaha
Anyway, hopefully this finds you well, I’ll do best to let you know what’s happening within the next month…ciao
Thursday 29 May 2008
Blogs are hard when you're busy
Hi there, I know I have written in a while, but to be honest, I haven't been this focused on anything in a while and it has sort of taken up ALL of my time...Feeling good though, to quote the sherminator, confidence is high...I'm completely over the hill strung out on Adrenalin right now, everything is packed and tomorrow I am off to SF for some orientation and general welcoming, then Monday night I will be hitting the clubs of Ulaanbataar! Not really, but I will certainly be there, whether as a US government employee I'm allowed to go clubbing, well, that's another matter altogether...
I'm learning what I can about Mongolia and am now fully packed, and will be sure to let you know a bit more about things when I get a chance. Suffice to say that as of tomorrow, I will be a PCT: peace corps trainee.....Баяртай!
I'm learning what I can about Mongolia and am now fully packed, and will be sure to let you know a bit more about things when I get a chance. Suffice to say that as of tomorrow, I will be a PCT: peace corps trainee.....Баяртай!
Friday 2 May 2008
Back for more? Why not...
Hello again to anyone who'se there, you might notice a slight discrepancy in the amount of time between entries. Even though I have regular access to fast Internet (courtesy of work), I haven't really felt able to communicate due to some personal issues. Well, I had my low point last night, now its time to come back with a vengeance! Okay, maybe not the best choice of words, but that's fine, it will come with blogging experience...anyway, so after five and a half years, I am "single". Or as facebook relationship status designates, "its complicated". Sure, life and relationships and big changes are always difficult, but that's what makes it life, doesn't it? All the stress, ups and downs and sideways meanderings make people able to handle the future in a more proactive way. Who I am now, Dr. Phil?
Pathetic attempts at humor aside, the point is that once you realise that getting up and on with your life will help, it actually seems to. Incredible how human beings cope, isn't it?
So that's the score with me, I'm off to see yaks, interesting people and experience the joys of -20 degrees inside my living abode. Wonderful. Actually, it is. The date of departure is approaching and all I think about is just how fantastic this is going to be. I've been trying to pick up a little Mongolian and get ready for the harsh reality of using one's mouth in new and exciting ways(linguistically speaking of course). Working my way around the 36 letter alphabet every night has been an interesting experience. So far, I've managed to learn 5 letters. Might need a little more practice. I am flying into San Francisco (most likely) and should be in the Ulaanbaatar by the third of May. This should make for some very interesting entries and photos, so watch this space.
Those of you have just made it here, try to be nice with the comments as the PC doesn't really like it when swearing appears on the personal blogs of volunteers. I could give you the whole disclaimer thing again but I haven't got it on me; nevertheless, I'll do my best to comment on issues without raising the eyebrows of the powers that be. Well, maybe a little. Cheerio.
Pathetic attempts at humor aside, the point is that once you realise that getting up and on with your life will help, it actually seems to. Incredible how human beings cope, isn't it?
So that's the score with me, I'm off to see yaks, interesting people and experience the joys of -20 degrees inside my living abode. Wonderful. Actually, it is. The date of departure is approaching and all I think about is just how fantastic this is going to be. I've been trying to pick up a little Mongolian and get ready for the harsh reality of using one's mouth in new and exciting ways(linguistically speaking of course). Working my way around the 36 letter alphabet every night has been an interesting experience. So far, I've managed to learn 5 letters. Might need a little more practice. I am flying into San Francisco (most likely) and should be in the Ulaanbaatar by the third of May. This should make for some very interesting entries and photos, so watch this space.
Those of you have just made it here, try to be nice with the comments as the PC doesn't really like it when swearing appears on the personal blogs of volunteers. I could give you the whole disclaimer thing again but I haven't got it on me; nevertheless, I'll do my best to comment on issues without raising the eyebrows of the powers that be. Well, maybe a little. Cheerio.
Wednesday 23 April 2008
First One Out
Sain bainuu! Good day to you kind reader, thanks for stopping by for a look, I'm beginning this blog like so many others to chart and discusses the next couple years of my life, and possibly gain more insight into what it is I'm about to do. In a little over a month, I will be flying to marvelous Mongolia for two years of yak milk, -35c weather, incredible people and tremendous amounts of supposed creativity and ingenuity on my part. Watch this space.
Having decided that the only way to assist readjusting some problems in a world gone slightly askew, I accepted the idea of going to Mongolia to help train local teachers in methodology, English and whatever community projects are in need of help. Those of you who know me are aware I have some experience in this area of work, but the challenges will make this all the more facinating. You might ask, why Brian, why are you doing this? Your position in the the UK isn't bad, relationships are good and friendships are strong...well, to be honestly honest, I need to do something different, and I need to do something I feel is effective, long lasting and sustainable. Hopefully that happens; if not, well I can always say I know what its like to live in a Ger, or wear long underwear for 9 months of the year. Brilliant.
Anyway old wahoo, I've been living in the UK for the last five years and am returning to my country of birth in a couple weeks for some serious packing, purchasing and pubbing...actually, I'll 'get on it' here in B-town as Richmond's nightlife doesn't quite have the same appeal as the "Open House" two minutes from my flat.
I've still got a couple issues to resolve before I head back to the U S of A but rest assured, I'm sure they will all equally drive me barmy. I'm off to Londonium on Friday for a chat with GW's English posse to get a US government passport and then attempting to cancel five or six debits, which should leave my bank account at approximately "bugger all"; wonderful. I'll be back shortly to comment on some other interesting issues, but just to spark your interest, if that's at all possible considering the state of this first posting, here are some fun facts for you:
I'm 28, about to not be in a relationship, a citizen of the world, quite tired from having too much fun last night and absolutely raring to get to Mongolia to start a truly amazing experience with the Peace Corps! I should add a disclaimer from the PC saying that I will not be a naughty boy and post things that are political, erotic or have anything to do with hormonal sloths, but my lunch hour just finished. See ya.
Having decided that the only way to assist readjusting some problems in a world gone slightly askew, I accepted the idea of going to Mongolia to help train local teachers in methodology, English and whatever community projects are in need of help. Those of you who know me are aware I have some experience in this area of work, but the challenges will make this all the more facinating. You might ask, why Brian, why are you doing this? Your position in the the UK isn't bad, relationships are good and friendships are strong...well, to be honestly honest, I need to do something different, and I need to do something I feel is effective, long lasting and sustainable. Hopefully that happens; if not, well I can always say I know what its like to live in a Ger, or wear long underwear for 9 months of the year. Brilliant.
Anyway old wahoo, I've been living in the UK for the last five years and am returning to my country of birth in a couple weeks for some serious packing, purchasing and pubbing...actually, I'll 'get on it' here in B-town as Richmond's nightlife doesn't quite have the same appeal as the "Open House" two minutes from my flat.
I've still got a couple issues to resolve before I head back to the U S of A but rest assured, I'm sure they will all equally drive me barmy. I'm off to Londonium on Friday for a chat with GW's English posse to get a US government passport and then attempting to cancel five or six debits, which should leave my bank account at approximately "bugger all"; wonderful. I'll be back shortly to comment on some other interesting issues, but just to spark your interest, if that's at all possible considering the state of this first posting, here are some fun facts for you:
I'm 28, about to not be in a relationship, a citizen of the world, quite tired from having too much fun last night and absolutely raring to get to Mongolia to start a truly amazing experience with the Peace Corps! I should add a disclaimer from the PC saying that I will not be a naughty boy and post things that are political, erotic or have anything to do with hormonal sloths, but my lunch hour just finished. See ya.
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