Go Mongolia! Its your Birthday!

TUVSHINBAYAR GOE SHVV DEE!!!
"TUVSHINBAYAR IS THE MAN!!!"


The entire city and quite possibly even country broke out into a simultaneous party last night at 8:30pm. The reason: A man by the name of Tuvshinbayar ("Level-Holiday"). Not only did he utterly annihilate his opponent to win the Gold, but it is the first ever Mongolian Gold!!!

Watching him on the podium, gold medal hanging proudly from his neck, his masculinity not even touched by the bouquet of flowers in his arms, singing the Mongolian National Anthem as the Mongolian Flag was raised above all other for this moment of glory, I found myself overwhelmed with joy. I even shed a single tear. It was most excellently glorious!!!

In bed last night I could hear the multitude of voices rising above the sounds of the city joined together singing the Mongolian National Anthem. And while I am now currently feeling my lack of sleep, it was well worth it. I am American, but Mongolia has been a good home to me this past year, and I hope they do well in boxing tonight and get another!!!!




Meredith you lucked out! I had been planning to write about poop and how it has infiltrated all areas of my existence. It could have been more shocking that the sheep intestines. Guess I'll have to save that for another post.

Thought I Passed My Own Shadow

I wish I lived in Ghana so I could name my son Prince Octopus too!

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Everyday as I walk from my "relatives" apartment, on my way to wherever I happen to be going on any given day, I pass by a little plot of sunflowers. They are very much like sunflowers in America. They stand at 5+ feet. They are yellow with the big black pistil (or is it stamen???). However, unlike our American sunflowers, Mongolian sunflowers do not adulate the heavenly body they are named for. Rather, they remain immobile only drooping slightly at the hottest times of day. At first this disturbed me, but then I realized that moving flowers are actually most freakadeaky.

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I confuse UB Mongolians. I'm obviously NOT Mongolian. Even if I didn't have the extremely white (and now utterly freckled) skin, "yellow" hair, blue eyes, gex met...I still couldn't pass for Mongolian. My body shape is all wrong, which in turn makes my walk all wrong. Yes I can prepare blow torched sheep's head, but I am without a doubt a gadad khun ("outside person"=foreigner). However, I don't act like a gadad khun should. I ride the bus. I cram into microbus/van thingys. I text on my cell phone while crossing the street. I eat in hole in the wall, cheap, Mongolian restaurants. I wear heels and makeup. Who is this girl??? I can see the question in their eyes. She looks like one of them, but she almost acts like one of us. Maybe this is why I perpetually get confronted by Mongolian men, especially if they've heard me speaking Mongolian (which I am told has improved greatly since my move to the soum). No, I don't want to meet you. No, I can't teach you English. No, I don't need you to walk me home. Drinks? I don't think so! Why? Because I'm on my way to meet my boyfriend. He lives in the city. He's American. He is tall and strong and has a beard. He is very handsome and jealous. No, we are not breaking up. Usually my crisp responses and "boyfriend" do the trick. However, some manage to see through the lie, or insist that its okay. (And by some I mean 4 people) For them I pull out The Picture.

This past Xmas the Fam went up to Mass to vacation. (I know, I know, I should have wrote "vacay" to keep with the whole abbrev. thing I had going but I can't stand that word!!!) Anyway, there is a picture of the entire Nomadic Weiner Crew, myself excluded. Even Bullet is in the picture. Now, I can't see it, but when Mongolians see this picture they assume Meredith is me. Even upon being told its not me, they either think I'm lying or ask if she is my twin. Like I said I don't see it. Sisters yeah, but twins...naw. Next to her stands Gregory. They also assume that Ickle Baby Greggiekins is 27 not 17 (at the time of the picture). With the full beard this is not surprising. Unless told its a picture of my family, they also assume he is not related to us because he doesn't look like us. This is crazy Gregory could have aptly named Dana Jr. but I think they cant get past that beard of his. Anyway, I like the picture, so I carry it around with me. And waahlaa! You have a picture of "Me" with my family on Christmas standing next to my "Boyfriend."

The first time I did this I thought: 1) They are gonna realize its not really me. and 2) Its kinda creepy saying Gregory is my boyfriend. But it worked. Most hilair. Now I just find it funny. Though I'd rather they not talk to me in the first place.

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My little brothers just called. "Azaa cut open his hand, I must come home quickly." The little liar. When will they realize I know all their tricks. I've pulled all their tricks and then some. Its cute. I only wish they would stop punching me in the arm, as hard as they can, when their little shenanigans don't work out as planned.

Mark asks...

Did you see the eclipse?

It was a little over a week ago...August 1st, or maybe 2nd...the day was hot. The kind of hot where all other thought is erased except for the thought of it being hot. My ger had turned into an oven, well not really and oven, more like an Easy-Bake oven. Unable to endure the heat and the flies I sought refuge in my Mongolian Grandfathers house, a blissfully cool sanctuary only 20yards away. My sister, her husband, their baby, and my two little brothers (cousins?) were home at the time. Uyanga (sis) was making food so her husband was supposed to be watching little 5month old Ermuun, however he and the rest of my brother are utterly addicted to this Korean Soap Opera "Jumong." So being the only one not occupied I took Ermuun in the little back room and we had a long giggly talk in English. I always talk with him in English. It will be interesting to see if he uses any when he starts talking. Anyway I was in the middle of explaining why Slurpees are better than Slushies when something happened that has never happened before...Ermuun pooped on me O_o. Mongolian babies don't wear diapers as they are too expensive, I've been peed and barfed on many a time, but had avoided the poopage. I was thankfully wearing shorts (that I stole from Erin muahahahaha) so clean up was easy for me, and thankfully Uyanga had finished cooking so she took care of the baby mess. So I joined the Bros in watching "Jumong" when suddenly Tuvshin (yet another brother) walks in and asks if there are any sunglasses he wants to see the blublibiiblabu. I didn't know what he wanted to see but I handed over my shades and watch a bit confused as all my brothers stop watching "Jumong" and go outside. Turns out what ever Tuvshin had said meant eclipse. So it was that I got to see what little of the eclipse that was visible from my part of Mongolia (only about 1/8th of the sun was eclipsed, though out in the far West they had a total eclipse).

So Uncle Mark to answer your question: yes. However being pooped is what stands out most from that day!

Linda asks....

Will you have a new list of any school supplies, etc. you might need come Sept???

White board accessories (pens, erasers, that magic erase spray, etc.)
Any old magazines or things with pictures that can be used for teaching props
Kiddy Books
STICKERS and BALLOONS(kids LOVE them and there is not a lot of them here)
America Map
American Flag (these last two I had but left in my old classroom so they would have them if not an American teacher)

I am ever so estatic to be teaching children! As of now I don't know what grades I will be teaching but I'm hoping for 9th grade as that is the grade my 2 favorite brothers will be entering. The one boy Monkhzaya ("Eternal-destiny") is a little poop head. But is so bright and has the cutest one dimpled smile that I can't get mad at him. Its always cute and nice to see him sitting there in the b-ball shorts and jersey he wears most everyday, listing to Mongolian Pop music, and studying English of his own accord. A good number of Altanbulag's children are like this. I think it is because we are soo close to UB that the kids can actually see how English can be useful for them and their future. It will be nice having students who want to learn for a change!

Snail Mail

Hey all I am in UB for about 2 weeks...so I will be slowly updating the blog! Anything you want to know...ask and I can answer in full!

Also come September when school starts, I shall be most busy but have a post office at my site and love to write letters so please give me you addresses!!!!!

Also I got a new phone number that actually works in my soum!

9119-0789

Okay that is all for now...Im in great health, got a nice spread of freckles from my frequent trips to the river where I teach the brothers how to swim! I get to shower the musky smell off me (my new chore is to help Monkhoo collect the cow dung to put out to dry to burn come winter! good times)

my journal entry form 30 May 2008

Notes on a Meeting with my Bagshnar ("teachers")

The meeting was scheduled to start at 12. It is now 12:40 and we haven't started yet. We were reprimanded with ver fierce tones (at least what I could gather. The only words I could clearly make out were "bad teachers," "failed exams," "if the students are bad, we are bad.") However, this arrangement is quite nice as the body heat keeps me warm and the woman next to me smells better than the dung smoke that flooded my ger this morning. The director has finally arrived.

It is 12:50. Only they can't seem to get the powerpoint working (though this is understandable I suppose as 4 different people have been working on it for 20 minuets. I know what the problem is and how to fix it but I dont exactly know if its my place to interfere.)

ZA!!!! Success at 12:52. The bagshnar are note taking most furiously, copying the slides word for word, as a woman reads the slides aloud. I can't understand a thing other than stray words, so I let my mind wander where it will go. Today is plesently unwindy. Meaning I won't have have a dust coated body upon my return to my ger. Nor will I have to sweep agin when I get home. Its only been 2 times today, and one was because I had trouble with my ash box this morning as I made my dung fire. Dung smells ver nice, almost sweet when it burns. Though every now and then it smells like actual dung. Sweet I understand something!!! They are talking about student enrollment (age 2-6 59% attend kindergarden; age 7-15 76.1% attend school, etc.) Mongolian schools recently made a change and students go to the 11th grade (as of 2006 I believe, maybe). My schools 11th graders have just finished thier finals.. There are about 25 studends in the entire grade. they have gone to school together their whole lives. It is interesting to see what a tight knit group it has make them into. I can not relate to this in the slightest. The man next to me has VERY shiny shoes. They are G-Man brand shoes. I have never heard of this brand. I wonder how he manages to keep them so clean when we live in a literal dust bowl. Some students visited my ger and looked at my photo album. My siblings and I were "kuukultai" children. This means doll. I think its a Russian word. The presenters foundation is about 3 shades paler than her actual skin. She could be the mother of the Mongolian Addams Family.

It is 1:15.

It is 1:20 and I've lost feeling in my butt buy have become painfully aware that all I've had to eat today was a small muffin at 8 o'clock this morning.

1:25 - a teacher enters. For a moment I hope she is here to anounce a break out of plague (I suppose something less severe would work as well) and that we must leave in a calm and orderly fashion. Alas, she is merely late for this mindnumbing meeting/presentation thing.

1:27 - the woman on the bench next to me just farted. I felt a little vibration but thankfully it doesnt smell. No one is disturbed by this gastral explulsion. She doesnt say "excuse me." Flatulance is a natural part of life here and there are no norms that make it in anyway taboo. Oh wait I was wrong, the smell was only delayed. I hade a laugh in an awkward cough. The accountant gives me a strange look and smiles his jack-o-lantern smile back at me when I flash him a toothy grin.

1:38. Powerpoint problems once again. The presenter doesn't stop her speech as 2 teachers fiddle with it and argue in barely hushed tones. I suddenly regret the cup of milk tea I drank right before the meeting as I now need to pee something fierce.

1:42-need to pee has passes. Am wondering exactly what shade of blue the desks are and shat they taste like. I think my brain is being invaded by something...my stomach...yeah thats probably it.

1:45 - computer has gone crazier than me and I think tha... OH SWEET POTATOE PIE SHE HAS FINISHED!!! IM FREE!!!

1:46 - my rejoicing came too soon...there is a second presenter. i think my inner child is being smothered to death with a dusty rag that smells of sheep stomach stew.

1:53 - I notice a sign on the wall. More of a poster really. About conversions. 10mm=1cm, 1kg=1000g, 1 year=360 days, 1cubicmeter= WAIT!?!?!?!? 360 DAYs???!?!?! What happened to the other 5 days? What about leap year? Giddy Gods trousers, I've entered into an alternate plane of existance. Maybe these missing 5 days are spent in meetings like this one... I feel the start of a panic attack coming on.

2:10 - A man comes in and takes pictures. The flash draws me in from my daydreaming. I was on a train with Bob Dylan singing the Quarter Rap. I could go for Polly and Pete's Pizza Delight.

2:13 - Another teacher arrives late. How I envy this brown wrinkled little old mongolian man, not only because he hasn't been sitting here for 2+ hours but he has a really cool hat too.

2:21 - they showed pictures of an "American" Elementary classroom, at which point everyone looked at me. I smiled as if to say, "yes, this is what I grew up with!" However, it didnt really resemble any elementary class I've ever learned in. If I had any will left I might feel a bit of shame at this white lie...as it is I just want to go to an outhouse ASAP.

2:30 - we are finally done. I'm so happy. Now to pee!

2:45 - just kidding we are still here...never want to sit again

2:53 I'm standing. It's over. Man alive does it feel good!

Look at what I can do Ma!

I now know how to disect a sheep/goat, clean its stomach/intestines, and then cook said innards. This is not only from observing it multiple times the past month, but also because I have personally done it as I was the only woman around when my brothers were preparing the sheep and the cleaning is a womans job.

It was hilarious as the 3 of us had no real clue what we were doing, but it was a lot of fun (even if my hands are still a bit green from emptying the grassy filling of the sheep's still warm stomach)!

It frightens me that I find stomach rather delicious now. My favorite has got to be bits of liver chopped up with onions and stuffed into the intestine with some blood, tied up and boiled. It tastes really good. Also sheep brains taste like Stoffers Oven Macaroni and Cheese minus the cheese. Wierd but good.

I've become addicted to the Mongolian Soap Opera "Cariin Nulmus" (Moon Tears). Its soooooo good.

I miss English and showers, but living in a ger is sooo fun and my new "family" is full of brothers to play B-ball and cards with so I'm happy.