Having some pretensions of being moderately above average in the writing department…and having a plethora of free time I have been trying my had at poetry of late (:::groan::: I know, I know but hey its essentially winter in Mongolia, what else is there to do but waste time indoors once it gets dark, at 6:30 O_o) Za, so hear we go…
Warning
Oh, I like to rhyme,
At this point in time,
For it presents a challenge to write thoughts of mine…
In this flowy prose,
Where anything goes,
It will cause all my readers to go into throes…
Of passion so great,
They will emulate,
The sum of my actions till they up and faint!
Volunteering In:
More than I had ever thought
Or had ever dreamed,
Nothing ever felt as right as
Giving aide to those in need.
Others may have money,
Living life in style;
I am “poor” but happy,
And that makes it all worthwhile!
To my dear Chinggi Kuu,
I’ve become three things,
Or so it seems;
Each one more strange than the last.
Teacher is first,
But hardly the worst;
Molding young minds is a blast!
The seconds a mom…
Which is just wrong,
Omkhees a pain in my ass!
Then it’s hazy,
As thirds crazy…
Writing to Khans from the past.
But all is zugeer*,
I love it here!
Times passing by oh so fast.
Two years goes quick
And when I’m homesick,
Your letters are my heart’s cast!
*Zugeer=okay
~Note~ Yes, I really do write letters to the late Chinggis Khan…. No I don’t know why…. But that’s okay!
Mongol khel medegui*
All around me the world scurries about, while I sit apart.
As noise and motion merge together
I observe the tapestry of sound and color.
I feel empty and long to be apart of it,
Yet I remain alone with the shadows of my mind.
Hoping, waiting, forever anxious for the day…
The day I finally understand and they invite me in.
*Mongol khel medegui=I don’t know Mongolian.
Bedtimes in my Bashin*
There’s a cat on my head where she’s fallen asleep.
I can tell she is dreaming by the twitch in her feet.
And for some random reason she smells of raw meat.
But because of my cat, I can’t get to sleep.
*Bashin=house
Dust storm induced Daydreams
The hustle and bustle just couldn’t compare,
To the vision of leaves dancing on air.
Completely entranced I sat unaware,
Like the wind caught the leaves, I’d caught your stare.
And so we spent out whole day sitting there…
Me watching the leaves, you watching my hair.
~Note~ this is utter fiction, except for the dust storm…that was real, as was attempting to remove the sand from EVERWHERE O_o
Meeting Mongolians
Sainuu? I’m Cassandra.
You can call me Cass.
I am from America.
Vodka? Think I’ll pass.
I’m an English Bagshaa,
I live in the Cho.
I’ll be here for two years,
Then I gotta go!
I am 2 and 20,
Bi jimsnd durtai,
Yes I enjoy Mongol buuz,
Just please not every day.
No, I don’t have children.
No, I’m not a wife.
Don’t have a boyfriend either.
Za…I have a life.
It was nice to meet you,
But now I have to say…
“Peace out!” as I teach my class,
And that means bayartai!
Sainuu=Hello!
Bagshaa=Teacher
Bi jimsnd durtai=I like fruit (PCM inside joke)
Buuz=Mongolian traditional food (sort of like a steamed dumpling)
Za=like “um” Mongolians always say this…. ALWAYS!
Bayartai=good-bye!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
A Whole lot of Xairtai!
Xairtai=Love…and I’ve had a ton of it of late ^_^
Family Love
The first and most appreciated was a package from my family. In it was a variety of goods my 2 favorite being the photos, old and new, of my family and friends back home and the new iPod to replace my stolen one (a million thanks to Granny and Grandpa Coll, Aunt Vicki, Uncle Raymond, and any other relatives who aided in the purchase). I sat on the floor with everything around me, listening to The Beatles (of course) and cried. I was shocked at how much I missed everyone and everything that was familiar to me. But it was a quick and stress relieving cry. I now show all my students the pictures and they all comment on how beautiful my family and friends are. Also, upon learning that Gregory is 17 (“he very beautiful”), a number of my female students want to know if he will be visiting.
Putrid Love
Omkhee is a pain in the butt. I don’t like cats, as many of you have commented. But I dislike living alone more so what can you do. However little affection I may feel for the cute but highly annoying fuzz ball, she is obsessed with me. She comes when I call. If I stand still for a moment, she will quickly climb up me and perch on my shoulder. She will mewl pitifully if I lock her out of a room I am in so I can work (or bathe) in peace. At night she sleeps on my pillow, her paws wrapped in my hair, purring ecstatically until she falls asleep or I get uber-frustrated and throw her off the bed. But, it can be charming at times, and since I have put Bullet’s old dog tag on her, I can hear her coming and avoid her violent love attacks. Pat Benatar was right when she sang, “Love is a Battlefield!”
“Yesus” Love
Gansukh, my fellow English teacher, invited me to his home to meet his family and eat buuz the other day. Suddenly while the buuz were being pinched and steamed, Gansukh comes out with 3 books: A Mongolian Bible, An English/German/French Bible, An English/Mongolian Hymn book. I then had the interesting experience of reading the bible in French and German (despite protests that I knew neither language); translating the archaic, formalized, biblical English into laymen’s terms; and singing “Jesus Loves Me” in Mongolian. It was most surreal especially since the last time I had heard the song “Jesus Loves Me” was when my college roommate Lauren was singing it in the harsh, screaming, death metal style. HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Student Love
After my sad attempts at understanding the advanced Mongolian being spoken to me, my student stopped for a moment and said simply, “I love you.” (When we later found the dictionary it turned out that she was trying to say that she felt akin to me, that even though I was American I could have been like her older sister). Her name is Odonzaya (Something “Destiny”…I forget what Odon means) and she is one of my favorites. She always comes on time to class, and attends every English Club meeting. It was such a rewarding moment to feel appreciated. Sometimes teaching is ridiculously hard and I feel like I’ve accomplished nothing. But students like her make me realize that I can last these 2 years in a job that I would never have chosen for myself.
Choi Love
Everyday, I love this place more and more. Outwardly it is a dull, semi ruin of an ugly ex-Soviet city…but in its people and the life they bring to this place it is beautiful. The other day I went to the river and it was glorious! I can already tell that I will miss this place when I leave, but while I love it here, America still holds my heart.
Halloween Love
All-hallows-eve is almost upon us!!!!!!! Don’t have a costume yet, but zugair, I will figure it out. There is to be a small thing at my school on the 31st, a party for people of all ages at Stars on the 31st, and the PCV Halloween party on the 2nd!!!!! Goe youmaa!
Family Love
The first and most appreciated was a package from my family. In it was a variety of goods my 2 favorite being the photos, old and new, of my family and friends back home and the new iPod to replace my stolen one (a million thanks to Granny and Grandpa Coll, Aunt Vicki, Uncle Raymond, and any other relatives who aided in the purchase). I sat on the floor with everything around me, listening to The Beatles (of course) and cried. I was shocked at how much I missed everyone and everything that was familiar to me. But it was a quick and stress relieving cry. I now show all my students the pictures and they all comment on how beautiful my family and friends are. Also, upon learning that Gregory is 17 (“he very beautiful”), a number of my female students want to know if he will be visiting.
Putrid Love
Omkhee is a pain in the butt. I don’t like cats, as many of you have commented. But I dislike living alone more so what can you do. However little affection I may feel for the cute but highly annoying fuzz ball, she is obsessed with me. She comes when I call. If I stand still for a moment, she will quickly climb up me and perch on my shoulder. She will mewl pitifully if I lock her out of a room I am in so I can work (or bathe) in peace. At night she sleeps on my pillow, her paws wrapped in my hair, purring ecstatically until she falls asleep or I get uber-frustrated and throw her off the bed. But, it can be charming at times, and since I have put Bullet’s old dog tag on her, I can hear her coming and avoid her violent love attacks. Pat Benatar was right when she sang, “Love is a Battlefield!”
“Yesus” Love
Gansukh, my fellow English teacher, invited me to his home to meet his family and eat buuz the other day. Suddenly while the buuz were being pinched and steamed, Gansukh comes out with 3 books: A Mongolian Bible, An English/German/French Bible, An English/Mongolian Hymn book. I then had the interesting experience of reading the bible in French and German (despite protests that I knew neither language); translating the archaic, formalized, biblical English into laymen’s terms; and singing “Jesus Loves Me” in Mongolian. It was most surreal especially since the last time I had heard the song “Jesus Loves Me” was when my college roommate Lauren was singing it in the harsh, screaming, death metal style. HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Student Love
After my sad attempts at understanding the advanced Mongolian being spoken to me, my student stopped for a moment and said simply, “I love you.” (When we later found the dictionary it turned out that she was trying to say that she felt akin to me, that even though I was American I could have been like her older sister). Her name is Odonzaya (Something “Destiny”…I forget what Odon means) and she is one of my favorites. She always comes on time to class, and attends every English Club meeting. It was such a rewarding moment to feel appreciated. Sometimes teaching is ridiculously hard and I feel like I’ve accomplished nothing. But students like her make me realize that I can last these 2 years in a job that I would never have chosen for myself.
Choi Love
Everyday, I love this place more and more. Outwardly it is a dull, semi ruin of an ugly ex-Soviet city…but in its people and the life they bring to this place it is beautiful. The other day I went to the river and it was glorious! I can already tell that I will miss this place when I leave, but while I love it here, America still holds my heart.
Halloween Love
All-hallows-eve is almost upon us!!!!!!! Don’t have a costume yet, but zugair, I will figure it out. There is to be a small thing at my school on the 31st, a party for people of all ages at Stars on the 31st, and the PCV Halloween party on the 2nd!!!!! Goe youmaa!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
CAT FIGHT
am in the internet center (my schools service is out)
two women just busted in fighting ... and yelling at each other like crazy!!!!!!!!!!! it was insane, frightening, and just a bit hilair
the only word i can discern is "che"=you
but now i must go buy food for the cat or she will insist on inflicting more damage on my already scratched up hands O_o
and here is a picture for the road ^_^
water in mongolia ... glorious!
Brass Grommets aka NJ finally did something right ^_~
Residential Quality!! Rust-Proof Brass Grommets in Canvas!!! Proudly Made in USA!!!! (Roseland, NJ to be exact) … that’s right ladies and gents, I now have good ole’ stars and stripes to hang in the class (compliments of the Lalalala Lovely Linda)! Today I am feeling even more patriotic than ever, and I am a rather patriotic individual (blame it on being a navy brat). Yet I find that I don’t really miss home, rather I am even surer that Mongolia is the place that I should now be. I enjoy teaching about American culture in addition to English (American English … none of this “has got” British babble ^_~). For example…Halloween! More on that after our Halloween celebration on well, Halloween!!!
I am finally 100% happy to be living in an apartment. This is due to the fact that I get a horrific case of the “gedis moe” (bad stomach) about once every fortnight or so O_o. Like yesterday, which I spent in bed, alternately sleeping and reading about the Allied forces breaking the German enigma code during WWII (Station X, good book). Thus, midnight/frequent trips to the bathroom are not conducted in sub-zero temperatures!
Things have fallen into a schedule, a normal routine, with the inevitable Mongolian wrench thrown in about once a week. But even the unpredictable has become anticipated and no longer causes stress (or too much stress). And tomorrow my very own class begins!!!! It is the waiter/waitress class. They have basic English so I will be teaching special food service terminology! I am sooooo excited and yet so nervous. The age range for this class is 17-22. 15 students. Mostly girls. I really want them to like my class, have fun, but most importantly I want them to actually learn something! Tomorrow will be a basic review type class to see where they are at. I could go on forever about lesson plans and such, but it would be most boring for you and would send me into a panic attack!
I am finally 100% happy to be living in an apartment. This is due to the fact that I get a horrific case of the “gedis moe” (bad stomach) about once every fortnight or so O_o. Like yesterday, which I spent in bed, alternately sleeping and reading about the Allied forces breaking the German enigma code during WWII (Station X, good book). Thus, midnight/frequent trips to the bathroom are not conducted in sub-zero temperatures!
Things have fallen into a schedule, a normal routine, with the inevitable Mongolian wrench thrown in about once a week. But even the unpredictable has become anticipated and no longer causes stress (or too much stress). And tomorrow my very own class begins!!!! It is the waiter/waitress class. They have basic English so I will be teaching special food service terminology! I am sooooo excited and yet so nervous. The age range for this class is 17-22. 15 students. Mostly girls. I really want them to like my class, have fun, but most importantly I want them to actually learn something! Tomorrow will be a basic review type class to see where they are at. I could go on forever about lesson plans and such, but it would be most boring for you and would send me into a panic attack!
Sunday, October 7, 2007
First Snow!
It snowed on Friday night! Mongolians say the the first snow of the year is Medicine while the last snow is poison. That made Saturday a very auspicious if very very cold day!
(the view from my window)
Some of my Students!Monday, October 1, 2007
Shakespeare would be jealous
PROLOGUE
On Friday I went out to dinner with Bavaasan and Ariuntuya, my fellow English teachers. I got to eat some delish Mongolian gulash, and practice my Mongolian, and chill with my counterparts which was best of all! After dinner Ariuntuya returned home to her husband and little baby, and Bavaasan and I decided that the time was ripe to hit up the STARS! Nightclub. On our way over we ran into Sarah and persuaded her to join us in a night of dance!Setting: Warehouse sized building, with giant larger than life sized poster of Keanu Reeves on the outside and sign advertising STARS! Disco. Medium sized dance floor under a plethora of disco and strobe lights (Mongolians love their strobe lights). Tables ring the dance floor and extend to a second floor loft, where the DJ is located. A bar is in the left corner just as you enter.
Soundtrack: Bass so loud it vibrates your entire being!!! An eclectically enjoyable mix of Mongolian hip-hop, Russian dance, Turkish techno, and the most popular songs from America (or at least they were quite popular at some point in time ^_^). Favorite song of the night: a techno remix of San Fransisco or possibly Torson Odor (the Mongolian Birthday song).
Characters: Mongolian youth. Ages ranging from I would guess 18-35. Alot of students from the local Dornod college. All dancing is done in circles. Some of the more daring (or drunk) couples actually dance in a style similar to American clubs, but it is only a few, and only for brief moments. Oh yes and how could I forget the two white girls. Sarah in jeans and a nice top, me in jeans and a tee-shirt.
ACT ONE
We sit at a table, Bavaasan buys us drinks. We sip for a bit, check out the scene, and when a song by Flash (a popular Mongolian hip-hop singer) comes on we get up and dance! (At least Sarah and I do, Bavaasan has more fun watching the dancing that actually dancing).ACT TWO
Our mini circle of two is soon joined by 3 Mongolian women. They look to be in their late 20s. One is very tipsy, but very friendly and we all take turns dancing in the center of the circle. A bit later some boys (we later find out they are 20 and go to Dornod college) join our circle. They too dance in the center. Sometimes 2 people will dance in the center together! Girl-boy, girl-girl, boy-boy ... hamagui ("it doesn't matter"). I love this about Mongolia. Security of gender. At one point tipsy woman's dancing gets a bit crazy and I get punched in the face (I will later find out that my glasses have been broken, as it is I spend the rest of the night half thinking I've been concussed as my vision is now blurry). Sarah and I take a break and join Bavaasan back at our table.ACT THREE
Rested and ready for more dancing. We boogie back onto the dance floor and dance like the crazy fools that we are. It is the best feeling in the world. If I were to dance like this in the States I would get the strangest looks, instead I find I get curious sidelong glances as the Mongolians attempt to imitate the Americans dancing. For the first time in my life I am cool! Suddenly the DJ says something and next thing I know all the woman have cleared the dance floor. Bavaasan rushes up to tell me that there was a dance contest and I won. Now I had to dance with all of the men and choose the best dancer. I laugh, this is hilarious, but I go along with it. I end up choosing the boy in the Green Sweater simply because I recognized him and he seemed nice enough. We danced to a techno remix of a traditional Mongolian song, and I was then presented with my congratulatory bottle of vodka O_o.ACT FOUR
We share the bottle of vodka with Green Sweater and his friends following proper Mongolian protocol. I only had to cringe down 2 shots thankfully. Then the boys disappear and Sarah and I are back on the dance floor with a new group. At one point Sarah gets licked by a very drunk Mongol. The rest of the evening is spent changing circles to avoid him. ACT FIVE
Midnight has arrived and the time for final dances is now. Slow and sappy Mongolian love songs come on. A Mongolian comes up to our table and starts taking to me. I can't understand sadly and direct him to Bavaasan. Sarah and I decide that who cares if we don't have boy friends to dance with this is Mongolia. We bounce up and begin a twirly waltzy dance. It is silly but fun. Bavaasan and the Mongol come to the dance floor. He would like to dance with me she tells me. I give him a quick look to make sure he's not drunk and consent to the dance. It was very middle school dance like but nice. He talked with me in Mongolian, I didn't understand a word of it, and then slipped a bracelet on my wrist (I have an admirer, how cute). The lights came on it was time to go home, tired but happy.EPILOGUE
Sarah, Bavaasan and I walk home arm in arm to ward off the chill. A large group of Mongolian college boys follows us. About half way to Bavaasan's home we part ways, she goes home, and I decide to stay at Sarah's. We double back across the soccer field in an attempt to lose the crowd of boys. 2 break off and follow us O_o. But it is only Green Sweater (or Munkhgo ="Money/Silver") and his friend. They want to make sure we get home safe. We talk about college with the two boys, and say goodbye outside of a different building, saying we have to send a message before we go in. Once they are gone, we go to Sarah's, certain that we are not followed. It was a great night!
Pirates and Putrid Destiny aka My entrance into Motherhood
*note* this post is very late, and since I've yet to go to the bank and am using the slow but FREE! school computer, pictures will be in a later post! ... yes there are most certainly pictures :::evil grin:::
PIRATES!
As you may or may not have know September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Now being ever the fan of Pirates since I was a wee lass and took a field trip to the jail cell/beheading site of none other than the infamous Blackbeard!!!! However, as Mongolia is a landlocked country there obviously are no pirates now, or ever (in fact the Mongolian word for pirate literally translates to "water bandit"). I thought about that fact for oh, maybe a nano second and decided that I would celebrate anyway!
So Wednesday rolled around and I found myself the victim of many a strange look as I came to school dressed as a Pirate wench! I even managed to cause piratical mayhem as far away as the Gobi by sending a few of my close friends texts using my extensive pirate lexicon, which they had the mistake of reading during class. Well tis a jolly day when ye own teach be laughin fer naught a reason ye know!
That afternoon I had English club and I taught them all a Pirate song that I pseudo made up from Disney's and George Harrison's Pirate songs (will include in later post w/ pictures). They love it! We now practice every week so they can perform it at the Halloween competition!
The rest of the week was rather uneventful until Saturday brought...
PUTRID DESTINY
Jasmine had made her monthly trip into town and we though it would be grand to get together and belatedly celebrate her birthday. So it was that Sarah, Jasmine, and I found ourselves at Winner's Cafe, waiting for the arrival of Angus, Yann, Mai, and Kenny. It was then that I got the text from Kenny. He was at the Annai Home for Street children with Mai. There was a wee one being "played" with by the older kids in a fashion that worried my two friends. The two of them knew that I was lonely in my apartment, did I want to take in the poor thing. She was tiny and simply beautiful they told me. I pondered a moment and then in a rash decision that would change the rest of my life here in Mongolia I said yes. I was now a Mom O_o. When they brought her to Winners and she sat in my lap sharing my plate, it wasn't love, but rather "I think we shall get along well enough" (and I suppose if we don't I can always take her back to the Home). Later on as she slept at Sarah's place, we named her .... Omkhee-Zaya, or "Putrid Destiny." Later as I was carrying her to her new home, she looked up at me with her big blue eyes, let out a happy sigh, and viciously clawed me....stupid cat.
As you may or may not have know September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Now being ever the fan of Pirates since I was a wee lass and took a field trip to the jail cell/beheading site of none other than the infamous Blackbeard!!!! However, as Mongolia is a landlocked country there obviously are no pirates now, or ever (in fact the Mongolian word for pirate literally translates to "water bandit"). I thought about that fact for oh, maybe a nano second and decided that I would celebrate anyway!
So Wednesday rolled around and I found myself the victim of many a strange look as I came to school dressed as a Pirate wench! I even managed to cause piratical mayhem as far away as the Gobi by sending a few of my close friends texts using my extensive pirate lexicon, which they had the mistake of reading during class. Well tis a jolly day when ye own teach be laughin fer naught a reason ye know!
That afternoon I had English club and I taught them all a Pirate song that I pseudo made up from Disney's and George Harrison's Pirate songs (will include in later post w/ pictures). They love it! We now practice every week so they can perform it at the Halloween competition!
The rest of the week was rather uneventful until Saturday brought...
Jasmine had made her monthly trip into town and we though it would be grand to get together and belatedly celebrate her birthday. So it was that Sarah, Jasmine, and I found ourselves at Winner's Cafe, waiting for the arrival of Angus, Yann, Mai, and Kenny. It was then that I got the text from Kenny. He was at the Annai Home for Street children with Mai. There was a wee one being "played" with by the older kids in a fashion that worried my two friends. The two of them knew that I was lonely in my apartment, did I want to take in the poor thing. She was tiny and simply beautiful they told me. I pondered a moment and then in a rash decision that would change the rest of my life here in Mongolia I said yes. I was now a Mom O_o. When they brought her to Winners and she sat in my lap sharing my plate, it wasn't love, but rather "I think we shall get along well enough" (and I suppose if we don't I can always take her back to the Home). Later on as she slept at Sarah's place, we named her .... Omkhee-Zaya, or "Putrid Destiny." Later as I was carrying her to her new home, she looked up at me with her big blue eyes, let out a happy sigh, and viciously clawed me....stupid cat.
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