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25 Random Facts about Cassandra ... The Mongolia Edition

1. I haven't been online in over a month. Blame my town's internet center that is equipt with all the latest in computer technology (for rural Mongolia), but is located in a spot that doesn't get internet service. Good one.
2. Overflowing toilet...gross. Overflowing outhouse...you don't even want to know.
3. I got a tattoo here in Mongolia. It on my inner left arm, a G serves as a sun setting into the ocean, its about the size of a Sacagawea dollor coin. G=Gregory. The Mongolian tattoo artist studied business in NYC and believes that the end of the world will come in 2012.
4. My Mongolian name is Anu. Translation=USA.
5. I have met BX ("Mongolia's Justin Timberlake") twice. He isn't very impressing.
6. There is a cat that prowls outside my ger every morning. Its meowls sound like a baby crying. It scares me.
7. Velicoraptors come from Mongolia. That scares me even more.
8. I always blush when my 11th graders ask me what is my favorite kind of Boov. I pretend they are talking about the delicious tea time pastries, even though I know they are being evil and talking about "Man Boov" (a weener). Even in Mongolia I can't escape male genetalia jokes.
9. I've a Mongolian boyfriend. His name is Ganaa. Translation=Steel. He has a Mongolian equivilant of a rat-tail. Its not as bad as it sounds. The first English word he ever asked me to teach him..."poop".
10. I enjoy intestines if they are fried in a hot pocketesq dough pastry...aka hooshoor.
11. I can sware in Mongolian. They think its cute. My anger is not taken seriously.
12. The most frequently refilled item in my medkit...chapstick.
13. When getting my new phone number the lady was shocked that I didn't want to personally choose my last four digets. She gave me 0789...its apparently a nice number. I wish I had G-Mobile service so then I could get the phone number: 8867-5309.
14. In the month that I have had my dvd-player in my ger, I have watched all of my 18 dvd's at least twice, and seen most of the commentaries and special features. If you haven't seen the Comedy Central Tv Series: STELLA...do it.
15. When its too cold outside at night I just pee in a bucket and then empty it in the morning.
16. Everyday I steal a bowl of the elementary children's free snack. If I'm lucky its a delicious soup. If I'm unlucky its a delicious bowl of rice in a sweet milkesq substance.
17. I make about minimum wage...for a Mongolian. They find this confusing, funny, and sad. Volunteering is still a strange concept to many of them. They also find it strange that the family didn't get money for Gregory's organs and what not.
18. I've developed amazing squatting muscles, but Marie Windsor's patented "Elevated Clams" and "Fetal Thighs" still cause me pain.
19. I can type faster in Mongolian than many of my Mongolian Counterparts. Unfortunatly this means that I now often type up both the English and Mongolian work. Touche.
20. My towns people are sad that I lost the ice cream and cheese-it weight I put on in America, as I need more insulation against the cold.
21. Drinking cold water made me sick, not germs. I never knew.
22. I taught the 9th graders spin the bottle for a Valentine's Day treat. We only kiss on the cheek but they would get so embarassed, it was cute.
23. I broke in my new credit card by taking the "family" out for pizza, and buying "American" food goods (including a whole chicken, which was less than the small can of JIF Peanut Butter I decided not to buy) to take back to the soum. Time to break the sheep stomach addiction.
24. Mongolian has two words for you...for elders "ta" and for peers and youngers "chi"...most of my students call me "chi"...this makes the teachers mad as its "rude" but I really dont care.
25. I still haven't ridden a horse in Mongolia. They are convinced I will break something. It's sad.