Bayartai “Goodbye”

The time has come to say goodbye, as I am no longer a Peace Corps Volunteer. I can hardly believe that it has been over 2 years already. The time went by so fast, especially these past few months (in which I blogged nothing because nothing really happened). So looking back what did I get out of it all? Was it worth it? I'd have to say yes. I have this weird habit of writing letters to myself at various time marks in the future, and I wrote on shortly after swearing in as a volunteer to read at COS (close of service). Here is an excerpt of the 2 page letter:

"How are you doing my lovely? This chapter of your life is now over and I hope I made it a good one for you. Has it been two years, or did you extend to three? It's only been three months and already Mongolia has changed me. I am slowly beginning to accept and embrace the woman I am, and am learning that growing up doesn't mean growing old. Instead of my usual assault of questions, this time I shall simply write what I want from life and hope it will ease the sorrow that leaving Mongolia is bound to bring you. … I want to become fully comfortable with my clumsy awkward self. I'm too loud, too crazy, too Cassandra, but I want to love that. … I am 22 now. You are 24, possibly 25 and on the cusp of returning to America. What are you going to do once you get stateside??? I have no real clue, 2 years is such a long way off. …Oh man, you are soooooo old! I hope you don't feel or look it. I am on the brink of this grand adventure and simply can't wait for it to begin. I know it will be difficult at times. I know there will be silly teas, and bitter ones, and heartbreaking ones too. But you made it out alive, which means I will too!! Oh, I want a Mongolia scar, and a collection of hilair and utterly Cassandra stories! You are so lucky, do you know that? I hope you do. Look at all you have come from, all you have been through. … I know you will forgive me for the mistakes I'm bound to make. I know you will never fail to amuse me even in the 'bluest of 3 o'clocks.' I know you are a good, loving, genuine woman of frustrating quality. You did it!"

While the specifics of my hopes for my PC service were not exact, the overall experience was all I was hoping for and more. My Country Director told me that of all the years he has been working as a PC Director (more than 7) that I've been the most difficult to get to COS, but in a good way. May who have been faced with switching sites, family deaths, repeated illnesses, host agency problems, any number of the things that I have faced usually end up early terminating. He apparently heard stellar reports from my 2^nd site, and was proud of me. I'm proud of me. I hope that if the Cassandra of the past who wrote that letter would be proud of me.

So this is goodbye. It's been a long journey. I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I will be keeping a personal blog for any who still wish to follow my misadventure, hear my random rants, and whatever else I may post. That blog can be found at: http://cassandra-anu.blogspot.com/

Aaviin Bayariin Mend Hurgie!!!!

"Happy Father's Day!" ... or rather a belated one, as I spent actual Father's Day at home, washing clothes, reading Pope Joan, and eating gamber (a traditional fried bread type thing).

I know it's been a while since I updated, but very little seems worth updating, as I'm currently living in limbo trapped in UB. (Shuree, my best Mongolian friend got mugged and robbed, so I loaned her money, and till payday don't have any extra traveling around funds...but she is safe and sound which is the more important thing).

I finally turned in round one of the veritable cornucopia of paperwork I need to fill out and hand in before I will be allowed to COS. Its more so busy work than anything else, but still, it took forever for me to finally sit down and just do it! I think it's the fact that I have to trek all the way to the PC office and then type it up and then trek home (okay so 15 minuets of walking is not really a trek, but it seems that way sometimes). I will be happy to get my own computer when I'm done with PC and be able to work from home.

Learning to "live without" these two years has changed my concept on what is really "essential" to life, but now that I have the option, I will be adding some luxury to my life. Though, considering my luck with phones in this country (the screen on my phone died somehow), I think I will stick with the 5000 tugrug (~$3.50) phone I bought to replace it. It calls, sends messages, its kinda cute...but mostly its sturdy and works.

I'm perpetually freaked out a little by the exponential growth of the foreigner population here in UB. Yes it is summer and it is tourist season, and it only makes sense but still, I don't know...it's a bit strange, I feel almost more Mongolian than foreign at times. But, then I get frustrated at my boyfriend, his mom, his friends, my Mongolian friends who come over and leave there nasty chewed up gum where ever they want (hello people!!!! trash cans?!?!?!!?), and know that I'm foreign to the core.

Okay, well that's all for now. Will try to do something exciting so I can write about it for you all.

I do not think this word means what you think it means.

As my time in Peace Corps draws to an end it almost seems to be speeding up. Nothing new is happening, but the familiar (random visits from my 6 year old "sisters", being followed by the 1-eyed dog, taking naps in the student dorms, etc.) have become ever more precious as soon it will be over and I will no longer be a PCV but rather a RPCV (Return Peace Corps Volunteer)...and life will never be the same.

We had our COS (Close Of Service) Conference last week and it was most mellow. (Though not for everyone as you could definitely smell the partiers the morning after, and I'm pretty sure at one point someone peed on our window). I went to one session about returning to America and the difficulties RPCVs can face. It was nice to be able to give tips and stories having been back to America during my service, and know just how strange things can be (You can flush toilet paper?!? An entire grocery aisle of ketchup?!? They not only have food but actually have all the food listed on the menu?!?) Yet it was really wired since I wont be going back to America for at least another year (having officially signed my contract to be a Primary Teacher). But I know that it will be much different; living in the city, having a salary, having a shower, not being able to text or call my fellow PCVs (aka "family") whenever I want. Its scary. But COS helped to reassure me that while the physical distance may increase, the relationships don't have to decrease.

One bad thing about COS was that I got addicted to this awesome show DEXTER. Most of you know about it probably, but if you don't its about a man named Dexter who is a blood splatter analysis for Miami PD by day and a serial killer by night. However, he only kills other serial killers...so is he the "Bay Harbor Butcher" or "The Dark Defender"? Its highly entertaining, the filmography is stunning, and the forensics of it isn't completely off. So once again my interest in forensics has flared up, and got me thinking about what do I want to be when I grow up. I love teaching. I loved forensics. Maybe I'll chose my future career one of these days...

The conference itself encompassed the essence of Mongolia most excellently. We stayed at a beautiful tourist camp called The Mongolian Secret History Camp, where we stayed in Luxury gers on a hillside field complete with randomly grazing cows. (Sadly after 2 years my fear of cows has not lessen. Calves are cute. Cows are terrifying). The first afternoon was disgustingly hot. I couldn't even nap it was so oppressive. So of course, Mother Nature decides to juxtapose day one with day two and its 5+ inches of snow! There was some worry about being snowed in and not making it back to UB safe, but the third and final day dawned delightfully and soon we found ourselves rocketing down the "paved" road to UB. But since no trip in Mongolia is complete without transportation difficulties, we ended up losing our back tire just inside the city. As I was sitting in the very last row on the side the tire came off I had the perfect view of it popping off, skimming a truck on the side of the road, wildly bouncing and rolling for about 100 yards at which point it meet/demolishes a fence before continuing another 200ish yards. Insane! Props to the driver though for not tipping the bus. Upon finally arriving back to the PC office I took my Mongolian Language Proficiency Interview, in which I scored an Intermediate High. I apparently missed Advanced because I" have good Mongolian and rich vocabulary. But one of the criteria is accuracy of the language." Read: grammar, or rather a lack their of. Whatever, I'm happy with my score and am understood, which is more important in the long run.

As of now I'm pretty much done with my PC work. I've some volunteer projects in my town and will be slowly moving out of my ger and into my apartment in the city. I'm also going to visit my host family in July! I can't believe I only have 2 months left....inconceivable.

"What do you mean bucket?"

So I find myself back in my town. Apparently PC was not fully aware that I was doing the seminar, despite the fact that I was totally open about it and what not. Oh well. What will be will be. The only really sucky part is the fact that I can no longer go on my vacation. I was bummed but then since there was nothing I could do about it I just let it go. So I find myself back in the soum, and I have to say that life is rather boring and slow. I’ve gone from working about 10hour days, to teaching like 3 40minuet classes a day. I have nothing to do. Luckily the weather is gorgeous!!!!! I walk about an hour every day. The other day I found myself finally climbing to the top of the mountain next to my home, and visiting the Buddhist shrine. It was so beautiful up there. I will have to borrow a camera one of these days and take pictures.

We recently had some visitors from Thailand who are going to help our school with a greenhouse project. I served as an informal translator. They seemed so shocked that I lived without running water, and had to bucket bath. This also seemed to shock the one American teacher at the Seminar. They couldn’t quite grasp the concept. So I present to you…

~The Art of the Bucket Bath~

First, buy a bucket. Mine is neon pink and about 50cm in diameter, and 7cm in height. You can go for something in a different color. Unfortunately there are no larger sizes. Next, go to the well and get water. If you are lucky, time the trip to coincide with your 11th grade boys’ trips to the well as the will inevitably offer to carry your water back to your house. If not you will have to roll the giant water canister all the way home, and pull you back out trying to lift it over the door frame into your ger. If you have electricity, the next step is to fill your instant water boiler with water and boil it. (Note: if you don’t have one of these yet, get one. They are glorious!). If there is no electricity, make a fire and heat water on the stove. First you must wash your hair. If you are efficient you can accomplish this with a grand total of 2 cups of water. One to wet your hair, and one to rinse. Then throw out the dirty hair infested water. Next fill your bucket with about two inches of water. Squat next to the bucket (remember you have no table) and wash face, ears, neck, and upper torso. Then sit in the bucket, and wash your lower torso. Finally stand in the bucket and wash your legs and feet. TADAAAAA!!!! That’s it! You are now, more or less, so fresh and so clean clean! Throw out this water, rinse your bucket, and you are completely done.

A Mongolian Children's Folk Tale

Once upon a time there were four animal friends walking in the forest. A wolf, a fox, a hedgehog, and a rabbit. Suddenly, they found a bottle of vodka in the middle of the road! However, they thought that the bottle was too small to share amongst the four of them, so they decided that whoever got drunk the quickest would be allowed to drink the entire bottle themself.

"I get drunk after just one taste of vodka," said the wolf.
"I get drunk after just one smell of vodka," said the fox.
"I get drunk after just one look at vodka," said the hedgehog.
"I get drunk after just hearing about vodka," slurred the rabbit.

So the rabbit won and got to drink the entire bottle of vodka by himself. THE END.


Discuss.

"Ashgui dee" = GREAT!

Mongolian doctors....seriously....way to give me all that crazy unnecessary stress.

Apparently DC took a look at the images, and snuffed. "Humph, that little thing. It's nothing. 85% of people have such things in their kidneys. The pain was most likely from a low grade urinary tract infection, with some sand in there somewhere. Nothing to fret about, simply keep pushing fluids."

:::faints:::

However, all this worrying has made me reassess all the crazy stressfulness that is my life here in Mongolia. I don't need it. I will have to talk to the seminar people, and if they can't cut back my hours then I'm going back to the soum, or just taking a vacation and visiting Dornod and other friends.

Being healthy is such a nice thing.

Celebrated Gregory's birthday yesterday with my boyfriend. We had surprisingly delicious and cheep cake, instant noodles, and shared a beer. It was nice.

Tomorrow Never Knows...

...and apparently neither do the doctors here.

One says blood clot, one says cyst, still another says tumor...is it new, have I had it from before?

I'm tired.

Tomorrow is Gregory's birthday and I miss him.

I'm going back to the countryside tomorrow until we hear from Washington, and there are three possible answers:
1. Nothing to worry about just forget it for now/take such-and-such a medicine/etc.
2. We want to know more go to Bangkok.
3. We want to know more, we are medically separating you from PC and bringing you back to America.

I know being healthy is what is most important, I know this. But I'm just hoping and praying that they at the very least let me finish ... I only got 4 months.

Fingers Crossed.

Waiter, there is too much pepper in my paprikosh

Typing is difficult. I'm tired from not eating, from the drugs they gave me, from waking up extra early to be on time only to end up waiting for the Mongolians, and from the fact that I'm ready for all this to be over!!!!

I got my CT this morning. It would have been unremarkable if it wasn't for the fact that they exploded my vein. Okay explosion is an exaggeration, but they didn't put the catheter into my arm enough so when they started pumping the meds through the IV it burnt for a second before starting to gush out of my arm and all over the last of my clean shirts!!! (Thank goodness for the free box at Peace Corps, hooray free new shirt!) So I look at it for a minuet..."Hmmmmm, I don't know if this is what should be happening..." and begin frantically waving as this was our prearranged signal for something is wrong. The doctor comes in and asks whats wrong..."Ummmm... this" I say and point to my gushing arm trying not to pass out, and trying not to forget my Mongolian as they didn't know English, and my Mongolian is the same as my "interpreter's" English. So that arm gets de-IVd and swaddled up, and the other arm gets stuck...and immediately starts gushing blood! The nurse called over the doctor, he jiggles it around in my arm for a painful but thankfully brief moment, and voila! Its it...the scan finishes with out a hitch!

However, when it inevitably came time to analyze the image, we were told to come back after noon...O_o...seriously? You guys just exploded my arm..."I know you are not the official doctor but can you tell me what you think." "Well there is a mass, you can see right there" Okay, okay, we are not going to punch out the doctor. "Yes I know, but can you tell me exactly what you think it might be...should I worry?" "I will have the results for you after 12 o'clock" ... "Ooookaaay. See you later than." :::sigh resignedly and weakly shake head:::

But that's okay. Physically I feel much better. I'm on some kinda antibiotics specifically designed for the urinary system. This afternoon I will meet with the Urologist who should be able to give me answers.

Okay, pushing buttons has become too difficult. Will update again later.

The Mongolian word for Kindney is "Boor"

Yey! My kidneys, liver, bladder, etc. etc. are working perfectly!

I know this because of the IVP test. Which did not hurt at all!!! This may be because I am just such a beast at taking pain. But most likely its probably because they slipped me some drugs, which knocked me out and uber dilated my eyes for quite a while. In the wait for the results to be processed I was taken out to a restaurant and fed a bacon cheeseburger! Yum! Then we went back to the hospital to find out the news...

Boo! There is a low density mass in my right kidney. Maybe a blood clot??? We are calling it a blood clot, but who knows. No one...hence another trip to the doctors office! I'm actually starting to like it over there. They have these nifty Korean water dispensers that instead of Dixie cups have these flat paper cups that sorta slot open to put water inside...more like a mini envelope than a cup. It really space efficient.

Also a theory has developed as to how I got said "blood clot" in my kidney. I got accidentally knocked into a pile of luggage/boxes about 2 weeks ago. I noticed the bruise on my arm that night, but then had forgotten all about it by the time my killer pains had started the next day. Hm...maybe, maybe. The majority of kidney blood clots come from internal bleeding due to trauma, which will eventually go away by itself. However, it never hurts to double check. So after my CT scan tomorrow I also get to go visit a urologist!!!!

All of this is actually really interesting, and makes me miss my forensic anthropology days. The body is fascinating.

We all make mistakes aka "You have beautiful testicles"

Every week I teach a new group of teachers, and part of my introduction is a mini speech, that is half in English and half Mongolian. It gets us acquainted really quick, bonds us as teachers and foreign language learners, and is funny. So here is my intro speech ^_^.

Hi! My name is Cassandra, but you can call me Cass, Anu, or Teacher. But please, please, please do not call me bagsh (teacher). I am not a bagsh, I am a teacher. You are not bagshnar, you are teachers. If your students call you bagsh they are thinking in ... Mongolian. If they call you "Teacher" then they are thinking in ... English! And that makes the learning process easier. Now, I know and understand Mongolian, but because this is a Speaking and Listening class, we want to use English as much as possible. If you don't know a word, use a different word, or describe what you are talking about. When I first moved into my ger I didn't know the word orts (felt flap that covers the hole in the roof of the ger). So one day it starts raining and water is coming into the hole in my ger, and I run next door and yell "Migaa akhaa, tuslaarai, geriin malgai yaj khaakh ve?" ("Migaa brother, help, how do I close the ger's hat?) :::pause for laughter::: I didn't know the correct word, but by using words I did know he was able to understand me. So lets us as much English as we can. Also, I know that we are all teachers, but we never stop learning. All of you are here because you want to improve your English. And because this is the speaking class it is important that you speak! Don't be shy! Don't be afraid to make mistakes! I make mistakes all the time! Once I was talking with this women, and she had such beautiful eyebrows that I wanted to tell her, so I said, "Egchee ta yamar saikhan tomsogtoi!" ("Sister, you have beautiful testicles") :::pause for laughter::: She looks and me very strangely and asks, "Tomsog gej uu?" ("Did you say testicles?") :::pause again for laughter::: I thought for a second before I realized my mistake. "Ugui, ugui, ugui, tomsog bish! Homsog! Ta yamar saikhan homsogtoi!" ("No, no, no, not testicles! Eyebrows! You have beautiful eyebrows") :::pause yet again for laughter::: So you see, its okay to make mistakes! We can do it! So now instead of me just standing here and introducing myself to you, I want you to ask me questions. What do you want to know about me?

So that's my into speech. Awesome huh? The testicles story is true. I also told a man that I ate a person's head and eyes. This is because the words for sheep and person (hun hoon) are sooooo similar! In fact I hate the Cyrillic vowels: Ү, У, Ө, and О...they are soooo similar. My ear is starting to hear the difference (after 2 years), however my mouth refuses to cooperate. Stupid American mouth.

The Waiting is the hardest part...

Went to hospital this morning (note my use of British English :::shakes fist:::). Got an x-ray of my stomach and intestines to make sure that I obeyed directions and didn't eat or drink. There was a little bit of gas in my intestines, and a scary moment when I was told that I would have to get an enema ("Don't worry it will be just like before." "What do you mean before?!?!? I've never had an enema!!!" "Oh really, well get ready for one." ... thanks Doc that's almost as reassuring as when you informed me that the IVP will be extremely painful as I feel the fiery ink drip coursing throughout my entire body over a 30 min period...as if I wasn't nervous before O_o). However, when they redid the x-ray from a lying position I was declared ready to go.

This was when they told us we had to come back at 12:30 because the morning was reserved for walk-ins ... WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?! So needless to say, I'm cranky, having not eaten in over 12hours and not able to eat for another oh 4 or so hours. Also I'm not allowed to drink anything, not even water...so I've become uber cranky. Not to mention that needles freak me out a bit, and I'm nervous about passing out when the IV me. But better to find out.

Also got a call from the director of the training seminar asking if I was ready to be picked up. "Um, I have to go to the hospital, I can't go back today." "Really, Jessica told us that you were tired and just needed a day or two to rest." O_o ... Although I'm not overly surprised that he thought this, as many Mongolians will go to the hospital simply to do that. Rest with out having to worry about their lives for a few days. Sounds kinda nice actually ^_^.

Okay, time to nap if I can. Will update when updatage is possible.

Tell Them What They've Won!!!

Horray for my 100th entry! To celebrate I'm going to the hospital! Yey...???

Actually I've already been to the hospital today. I just get to go back tomorrow. It seems that the dixie cup of urine, the 2 giant tubes of blood, and the multiple ultrasounds of various internal organs resulted in no conclusive diagnosis. Yes there are quite a few extra white blood cells floating around, traces of blood in my urine, and all the signs of a kidney stone...but no stone. Hm...

So tomorrow I will go back and get an IVP (intravenous pyelogram: an X-ray test that can show the size, shape, and position of the urinary tract, including the kidneys and ureters. During IVP, a dye called contrast material is injected into a vein (intravenous, IV) in your arm. Then, a series of X-ray pictures is taken at timed intervals.) Its supposed to not hurt. But like the gremlins I'm not allowed to eat or drink after midnight.

I feel better that I have in a while. Maybe I passed the stone last night and that is why I hurt so bad for those 4ish hours. Hopefully this is the case.

Also, the "Korean" Hospital I went to was really nice. I've been in a number of hospitals in various parts of Monglia (countryside, town, and city) and while some were okay, many of them scared me a little, though that might have been because of the sovietesq construction. However, this hospital was nice. It almost didn't feel like a hospital (I think it was the rugs instead of tile floors that made it feel so). They staff was very efficient, the prices moderate, the doctors very professional and highly qualified. I really enjoied my time there...well as much as one can enjoy such an experience. I also have a nifty medical card so that in the future they can easily call up information should I need it. It reminds me of a library card, and that makes me happy, I love library cards. Although they spelled my name "Cassandre".

So that is the update. Now to treat myself to some salad and possibly a "smoothie". Will let you know when there is more to be let known.

I want a kabob

Before I shower and go eat a kabob, I feel like I should update, because I know that I wont be back online for a while. But what is there to update about??? I feel that much of me has remained the same, while the world moves on. Peace Corps service is almost over, and a good number of the M18s (my group) have already left. While so many are getting ready to return to America, I feel a bit like the odd duck out as I am staying. Yeah there will be a lot of new people coming, but I am out of the Peace Corps world, and I think it would be a bit wierd. Also, I'm lazy.

I was also asked the question last night of "Is Peace Corps really worth it? Is all the work really worth it in the end?" For me the answer is yes. And fully realizing that and knowing that is a nice way to end my Peace Corps service. Okay, well I'm tired and there isn't much else to say...will try to be more through in the future.

Temporary Address

Since I will be at the training seminar for the next 4 months or so, and won't be getting out to my site very often (if ever) until its over, I would recomend that any letters, packages, etc. be sent to the following address:

Касандра Вайнэр
Энх Тайвны Корпyс
Тов Шyyдан
Шyyдангийн хайрцаг 1036
Улаанбаатар 13
ΜΟНГОЛ УЛС

Cassandra Weiner, PCV
Post Office Box 1036
Central Post Office
Ulaanbaatar 13
MONGOLIA

This way the packages will go to Peace Corps and when I'm in UB to use the internet and what not it will be very easy to pick up! Thanks!

and the beat goes on

I'm still alive, still in Mongolia, still working like crazy, but enjoying it as much as ever.

My director gave me permission to stay with the training seminar for the whole 4 months. This is great because the majority of Mongolian English Teachers in the whole country will be attending. Not to mention the connections I'm making. Its hard work, but worth it. Only down side, no hot water (so I still take my bucket baths), and I don't practice Mongolian, always English, English, English. Which would be okay, if it weren't for the fact that I have a Language Proficency Test coming up in May! But who knows, I'm bring my text books with me this time so that I will have something to study!

I find the busy schedule keeps the missing at bay, and that living indoors has improved my health. Though I've been putting on weight because of the delish food prepared for us by Mongolia's master chef.

Okay, will try to write more later...a month in the countryside with no internet or phone service (unless your standing on the mountain of course) has made me impatient about technology.

Love to all ^_^

My Favorite Karaoke Song ^_^

Ghenghis Khan
Dschinghis Khan

Hu, ha, hu, ha... hu, ha, hu, ha...
Hu, ha, hu, ha... hu, ha, hu, ha...
Hu, ha, hu, ha, hu, ha, hu, ha...

They rode the fastest horses
Left the wind behind
Thousand men
Ha, hu, ha...
And one man led the way
The others followed by:
Genghis Khan
Ha, hu, ha...

They gallopped over mountains and desert-sands
They carried desolation throughout the land
And nothing there could stop them in this world
Hu, ha...

Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan
Hey, rider; ho, rider; go, rider
Let us follow
Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan
Hey, brother; ho, brother; hey, brother
Hear us holler

Who cares where we're going
Ho, ho, ho, ho...
There's no way of knowing
Ha, ha, ha, ha...
And we'll let the Devil take our souls

Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan
Hey, rider; ho, rider; go, rider
Let us follow
Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan
Go, brother; dream, brother; dance, brother
Hear us holler

You can hear his laughter
Ho, ho, ho, ho...
Now and ever-after
Ha, ha, ha, ha...
When he lifts his glass up in the air

He was the greatest lover
And the strongest man
Of his day
Ha, hu, ha...
And we have heard that
All the women fell for him
So they say
Ha, hu, ha...

And he bred seven children in one whole night
He had his girls around him at his very sight
And nothing that could stop him in this world
Hu, ha...

Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan
Hey, rider; ho, rider; go, rider
Let us follow
Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan
Hey, brother; ho, brother; hey, brother
Hear us holler

Who cares where we're going
Ho, ho, ho, ho...
There's no way of knowing
Ha, ha, ha, ha...
And we'll let the Devil take our souls

Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan
Hey, rider; ho, rider; go, rider
Let us follow
Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan
Go, brother; dream, brother; dance, brother
Hear us holler

You can hear his laughter
Ho, ho, ho, ho...
Now and ever-after
Ha, ha, ha, ha...
When he lifts his glass up in the air
Ha... hu, ha, hu...

Never slow down, never grow old

So my school has a two week break coming up! Exciting right. I was going to relax, help out in the English Olympics, and take a trip to my old haunt in the Cho...but my director, the wonderful man, pimped me out to be an instructor for an Seminar catering to English teachers from the Western Providences (even told me to miss this next week of school so that I could participate in the entire first part). Now, opportunity wise this is going to be great! Its good experience to get under my belt, will look good on applications and what not. On the other hand, its work, a LOT of work...8 hours a day, 6 days a week, for 3 weeks. The other foreign teachers get a lovely $500 for their work. And me...that's right, I'm a Peace Corps Volunteer...I get a lovely pat on the back and thank you for coming. I know that sounds bitter, and sure it is kinda a hard deal to swallow, but then I think about the glorious 3 weeks of living with a hot shower, prepared meals, warm bed...and you know what I get giddy just thinking about it! I can visit the Cho later, really who want to take a 16hour bus ride in this once again cold weather (it has snowed a good 2inches today)? So I will try and "gournal" while I'm at the tourist camp and then type it up when I get back to the big city. We will see.

I've still got the final remains of a cold that just loves me too much to go away, but I think that being in a steadily warm environment will finally kill it!

Happy Birthday to Meredith who is 22 today. Scary. Even scarier is the fact that I will be 24 in about 2 months. Yanna

Back to lesson planing!

What is this...Grouchland?

I lay peacefully relaxing this morning, my last in UB. The only drawback to my rest was the fact that the room was a bajillion and seven degrees...Celsius, that and my ribs still hurt a bit from the costal condilitis. When suddenly a glorious sound came to my ears...it was ice cream truck music! Surely I must be dreaming...I know Mongolia finally got delivery pizza (I've yet to try it as I hear its rather expensive and not that great), but an Ice Cream truck...in winter? No, no, no, just not possible it must be in my head. Then my friend Shuree came in.

"Cass, get up the truck is here!"
"REALLY?!?!?!?" Now I knew I must be dreaming, maybe a side effect of all the meat and onions I ate right before bed last night.
"Yes, hurry please I have class, can you get the trash?"
... O_o? ... "Trash?"
"Yes, the trash truck is here, can you take the trash out to it, don't forget the front room can."
... O_o? ... "Oookay...?"
"Thanks babe, it will be parked outside, just go right."
... O_o? ... "No problem...?"

So I gathered up all the trash from the training center, the whole time listening the the whimsical childlike music making the situation all the more surreal. The was just no way, maybe this was all a joke, maybe I actually was asleep and would wake with no memory of this strange dream except for an odd craving for ice cream. But sure enough, there it was...a big ol' garbage truck, emitting the dulcet tones that make children's mouths water all over America (or at least used to...are their even Ice Cream trucks anymore?).

It was bizarre, you could see people pouring out of the surrounding apartment buildings, their hands full of trash, all slowly meandering towards the siren call of the garbage truck...the Pied Piper of Grouchland. I got strange looks from both the garbage men and my fellow flockers...I am a gadaad khun ("foreigner"), yet there I was in my Mongolian Deel Jacket and pink house slippers (with no socks :::gasp:::). If only they could read my thoughts their confusion would have reached a whole new level...

"Why does the trash music make the foreigner want ice cream?"

Curse Mongolian Internet

So I wrote a long detailed wonderful entry about my Tsagaan Sar ("White Month" aka Lunar New Year)...it was witty and insightful and lacked any referance to poop or outhouses...thus, inevitably when I went the post it the internet freaked out and POOF ... baikhgui ... gone

So I sighed a massive sigh...and despaired of rewriting it...thus I present you the Cliffnotes version of my glorious entry:

Was supposed to be in my small town and experience first hand a real traditional Mongolian Tsagaan Sar...yey!...Anthropologists dream! ... but I was exausted from being sick forever and decided to "hide" in UB and "skip" Tsagaan Sar :::gasp::: ... did celebrate with Shuree's Family and Ganaa's Family (who gave me a traditional Mongolian Jacket and a watch respectivly...that oddly enough happen to match)...made buuz ("steamed dumplings" traditional Ts.S. food) and ate quite a few of them ... only had 3 shots of vodka the whole week! ... took many showers, made no fires, rested, relaxed, missed Gregory, but was happy overall ... the end!

Sorry its a lame entry I know...but I'm tired and want to nap and then do laundry!

Updated List of "Needs"
AAA Batteries
DVDs
Crystal Light Instant Drink mix pouch thingys
No-Bake Cheesecake
Bite Sized Assorted Candies
Books (for me...the kids have TONS of new books)
Love ^_~

For those who don't have Facebook...

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.