Dear Prudence

The sun is up, the sky is blue, its beautiful, and so are you, Dear Choibi, I wanna go out and play!

Spring is here in the good ole Cho and I personally am loving it!!!!! Its wonderful outside, no more need for heavy coats or long johns (it still snows every week or so but other that that its great!)

Many claim that spring is the most difficult season in Mongolia due to the wind. Personally I love the wind. The fact that it blows up all the sand corroding away your flesh and making you dirty as one of the street children isn't all that enjoyable, but hey life's not perfect.

My job is going swimmingly! I am teaching a "Business English for Accountants" class at the moment and as the level of my students (the majority of whom are older than me by the way) is far from advanced, I'm not having any problems. Unless you consider the fact that they never do homework, or pay attention, or have sporadic attendance...but really other than that is heavenly. I also heard the most glorious words come from my teachers mouths during our last lesson!!!!!

"We don't want to learn grammar, just vocabulary and phrases."

I nearly up and died it was soooo glorious. Our normal 1 hour lesson turned into a 3 hour one as I taught time phrases ("back in the day" "two weeks from now" "in two shakes of a lamb's tail") ... this was also when it was brought to my attention that I say the word "just" almost constantly O_o. But I was somehow able to explain the various time and meanings of the word with ease!!!!

I've also made friends with the jijuur (sort of a jack of all trades stairwell cleaner) and her family that literally live under the stairwell in my apartment building. There is the mother, her three little boys, and sometimes the father....and they all share a space that would make Harry Potter's under the stairs room look like a swanky pad.

I tripped over a skull on my way to school the other day and it didn't disturb me in the slightest. The severed sheep legs with their fur still on them in the road the other day threw me off a bit.

Sunday was Easter but I forgot. Maybe I will by an egg and eat it later in memory of the holiday. Though I did get to eat many a glorious Cadbury Creme Egg (my all time fav candy, which is only seasonal or I would be insanely obese by now) thanks to my wicked awesome Grandparents...

Za...well that is it for now. I know I'm most lazy with posting these things but if there is any specific topic you would like to hear about let me know and I will totally post about it ^_^!

Later Days!

Cloverfield

Yesterday I found myself in a real movie theator, eating real popcorn, drinking an orange soad, and watching a movie in English...........utterly surreal, UB is a whole different world!

The Movie was called Cloverfield and was actually quite enjoyable, you should check it out. It was totally worth the 2,000 tugrigs it cost to get in!!!

Cloverfield

Stupid Groundhog

So its snowing again....our heat streak must be over :::tear:::

Also since people seem to insist on sending me things (its perpetually christmas for me!) I've decided to update my list of things that I need since I suddenly find myself with enough lady products to last my whole two years here ^_~

Nerf Screaming Vortex (or other light weight durable outside sporty equiptment)
Stickers
Children's Books
American Candy
Pictures of Yourself or America
No-Bake Cheesecakes (or things of a similar nature)
Kool-Aid
Flying Monkeys to do my evil wonderfully productive bidding
and of course the randomosity factor is always delightful!

now off to treck through the light snow and do some work O_o

"I'd rather eat sheep back thanks"

I realize that it has been a while since I blogged, and Tsagaan Sar has come and gone….and well its Mongolia’s biggest holiday so I should write about it…….however, Sarah has the pictures, and really I need to pictures to convey the entirety of what my Lunar New Year holiday was like.

So with that in mind, please be patient (or check out my site mates Jim and Julie’s blog: http://moultonsinmongolia.blogspot.com/2008/02/my-friend-sarantuyas-family.html ) and I feel I must discuss a most disturbing discovery about Mongolians.

Now every culture has its peculiarities, Mongolian included. At times they have an over fondness for glitter and vodka. At times they have an inexplicable disgust for veggies and the Chinese. All this and more, yet it is part of what makes Mongolians the culture of people I have grown to know and love. However, I have just learned a fact about Mongolians that is simply unforgivable (parents you may want to hide your children for this one)…

THEY DON’T LIKE POP-TARTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Due to a most awesome package sent to me by my Grandparents, I once again was able to rediscover the glory that is a Kellogg Pop-Tart. In pursuing the 2 goal of Peace Corps (to spread American culture) I decided to share this glory with some Mongolian friends…only to discover that not only did they not like the processed pastry goodness, but as the one said, “If I eat this I will throw up.” I informed him we could no longer be friends, and well I doubt he realizes I was serious.

When my friends left I went into a corner, cradling the remaining Pop-Tarts and cooing to them that “don’t worry my little friends, everything will be all right, Cassandra still loves you!” Then I broke down and cried like a baby fresh from the womb. But then the light at the end of the tunnel (or at the head of the cave as the saying goes in Mongolian) appeared. I would no longer feel obligated to share my Pop-Tarts with the unappreciative! I could, in time, consume all 8 of the beauties myself! I cackled in palletorical delight and hid the box behind my books (another glorious part of the package G&G sent!).

On the upside, its getting warmer! In the -10s C!!!! This means that not only can I stop wearing long johns, but that I can also go outside and not risk frostbite of the face!!! This in turn means that I can escape the solitude and sub sequential cabin fever solitary apartment life has instilled in me!!! And this in turn means I will probably stop talking to Pop-Tarts….maybe….

We Can Dance If We Want To

Okay so check this....Mongolia has this holiday right....Teacher's Holiday! I randomly got people wishing me happy holidays and congratulations and giving me presents! The best was given to me by my very best Mongolian Friend Shuree: A book all about the Beatles.....in Mongolian!!!!!! What better way to improve my language skills and further my obsession!

To celebrate this momentous occasion we went to a B Productions Concert that featured the hottest young singers in Mongolia including the former member of Carmand, the one, the only, BOLD!!!!! It was an awesome concert, and only 3,000 tugrigs (though I was given the ticket as a gift!) In UB a show like this would put you back around 10,000 tugs! The only problem, these singers performed the most excellent dance music, but no one danced or even really moved for that matter! I mean they could have at least thrown a little head bob or two in their...ever interesting Mongolia.

Also, Tsagaan Sar ("White Month" aka Mongolian Lunar New Year) is fast approaching and I am sooo excited. This is a time to eat buuz, drink arig, get socks, and wear a del! Im uber excited

I've only partially frozen to death ^_~

Life has been crazy hectic of late and thus I have been unable to keep you all up to date on the fascinating tales of my Mongolian misadventures. But as my classroom computer’s internet finally works I’ve decided to fill you in! So here are the top 5 most important things that have happened to me since my last update.

1.I got rid of my cat. I was simply to busy with life to really care for the annoying beast, and there was a VSO Volunteer who really wanted her, and is far more qualified to be a cat caretaker as her daughter owns a Cattery. (Yes, I too was surprised by the fact that such things as a Cattery exist, but they are British, so maybe the driving on the other side of the road and spelling “colour” wrong has something to do with it ^_~). Also Omkhee is now called Phoebe (still keeping the whole smelly cat theme going). To be honest though, I’ve already forgotten what cat life was like, and don’t really miss it.

2.I visited the lovely Jasmine out in Choibalsan Soum and got to stay in her luxury ger. There I chopped coal, hauled water from the well, made fire with DUNG!!!!!!!!! (I have to say that burning dung smells surprisingly nice), and was briefly stalked by a local Mongolian boy. Another highlight was the 2 hour Porigon (a Russian truck roughly the size of a bloated VW Van) ride in which there were 25 people and 1 baby riding all together. Ups: body heat and 2 of the people were young girls. Downs: both of those girls were sitting on my left leg, and I was by the window so only half of me had the body heat. All in all it was a most excellent 2.27 days!

3.Winter Break! Yes folks that’s right it is winter break here at Shatalsan College and you know what that means???? I’M FREE AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHahah…..wait, what was that? Oh break for students NOT teachers. Okay then :::goes to corner and cries::: At least I get to party a bit for Teacher’s Day Holiday (after a conference of course) O_o

4.
Conferences. Yes that’s right I get to spend my “Winter Break” attending Mongolian teaching conferences, that are all in rapid Mongolian. Thus far I have learned about Mongolian blood types, utilizing technology into physical education classes, and something that was about forming clubs for students or using them as slave labor. Though I’m really excited for next Monday’s conference about Mongolian Pension and Retirement plans!!!! Now that’s something I’ve always been curious about, I’ll be sure to take notes and tell you all about it!

5.
I got to ride in a Mongolian Ambulance! Not only that I got to miss a conference while I was at the hospital. The only thing that ruined this otherwise exciting experience was the fact that I was between my battered Mongolian best friend and her abusive boyfriend…oh yeah and the fact that I had to see him beat her. Though it felt good to stand in between the two of them and tell him in comprehensible Mongolian that if he wanted to hit her again he would have to go through me first. She is leaving him, and I have the hope that it will be a successful separation.

So this is all for now….Tsagaan Sar (“White Month” aka Mongolian Lunar New Year) is coming up next week, so I will be sure to tell you all about it and hopefully have pictures!

My Babies!

This is MY class:
Battushig, Me, Uguurmur, Orkhon
Uyanga, Uyangtuya, Olzi, Me, Erdentsetseg
Borlgilma
My Waiters Class