Internet!

So Amber is out of town and has graciously offered to let me stay at her place and use her internet. My plan is to finish up work at 6 and be online until I can't keep my eyes open anymore. Then wake up and use a it a little more. I am super excited. I brought Polly over so she can become friends with Amber's Kitty-boo. So far, Polly who is about half Kitty's size, appears to dominate. We shall see how the night goes.

12 hours later:
I have just spent close to 6 hours on the phone and 6 hours sleeping. Whew! Internet is fun! If I didn't call you, it is not because I don't love you, but rather because I had to talk to my family for much of my time. It was awesome! The only downside is Amber's apartment is cold and I forgot my purse, so I have no money and hence no food. But being hungry and cold is worth it for so much internet.

Everything is going well here. Sometimes things are really hard or frustrating, but something great always happens to make up for it. I just had a session yesterday with teenage girls to talk about Self Esteem that was great. I don't think anyone had ever talked about this with them before and I think it really went well. I will try to post pictures later this week, I promise. Thanks for all the support! love, C

guests

Spiders and
Brandon and people from Poland. Polly loves having the guests, including the spiders. I only like the Polish and
American varieties. My new polish friends have been staying with Peace Corps Volunteers all across Mongolia and are super nice.
Brandon is up from his soum (village) as are all the other nearby soum PCVs. I really like having guests and having my routine disrupted and I really like having my routine back when they leave. It makes me realize how much I like my life when it changes. Brandon sprung for the wireless internet, so I am using internet in my ger for the first time. This is so something I could do, but I feel like it is a giant world that is too big for my little ger, and I can always go to someone elses house or a internet cafe. I got a package today! It is from you Dad. I was super excited, especially since now I can copy all of
Brandon's tv shows. Seriously my life just became really full of entertainment opportunities. I like thinking of how I can use every part of the package. It makes me feel like the sioux with the buffalo. I will use the straps holding the blankets in a role to hang things from my rafters. I will use the carboard as kindling to start rockin' fires.
Beef Jerky bags for trash after I eat all the jerky. This week I started my clubs at school. Some were really successful, others, we will try again next week. I have English, Life Skills,
Book, and Theatre Clubs. I also tutor the English Competition level students for the upcoming English Olympics. I just found out it is almost October! Holy Cow! Thnaks for all the stateside support! love, C

I feel all floopy

I am not sure why. But not in a bad way. Plus I have FRIENDS to watch. So that is good. Short post due to the floopiness. I love you guys

Feedback on Packages

So the packages have been amazing, I don't know if I have said that enough. Seriously, my sitemates have heard me say it so many times, I think they would hate me if I didn't keep giving them fruit rollups and things when they come over. I thought I could offer some feedback, so people who are the greatest and wish to send things will have more of an idea of what works and what doesn't. For examples, Gushers tend to pre-gush before reaching destination. I told them not to feel bad, it happens more that people think. I honestly could never have enough Beef Jerky and Peanut Butter. Lemon Bread sent by the g'rents was amazing. I was a fraid it would go bad so I kept inviting people over to have some, but everyone is really busy, so I have eaten most of it by myself. I am full and happy. Also, those fiber one PB and Oats bars are so so so good. They taste almost like some PB and Oat bar you used to make grandma, I seriously almost cried. They made the list, they were so good. (PLease see updated list to the right) The CDs you sent Kate are great,if not a little strange. The movie (Rear Window) is too scary to watch in my ger alone. I loved it, but had trouble sleeping. I live in a tent in the middle of nowhere people! Only movies about frolicking unicorns please! (hahaha Just Kidding!)
The packages really make my whole week whern they come! The lady who works at the post office calls my phone and I just start skipping for joy!

Things here are good. Still trying to find a routine, which may actually continue for the next two years. I have been sick this week, but saeem to be in the upswing. Fluids, rest, and Jimmy Stuart inmortal danger are the key. One of my sitemates just gave me Twilight, so I will have entertainement for a while. There is something about that movie, I could watch it over and over again. I miss you all!
ps Camber there are vehicals from UB to me i assure you!

Jesus Christ

Superstar. "everything's alright, yes, everything's fine"
Camber, come visit me! My mom is coming next summer, not sure when and I amy have to go home for Jennie's wedding unless I can convince her to wait for me, but I would love to have you visit anuother time. Actually come to think of it, you could come at the same time as my mom if that is is the time that it workss best, it just might be more fun to have two different times to entertain my favorite people. Woot!
Dad, woohoo for the package, I am psyched to get it. Also, I cut the top of my knuckle off, blood was everywhere, you would have passed out. It seems to be healing ok, so hopefully no lasting damage. I will probably have a dent though and an awesome scar. cool beans
Gabb, you are my favorite and I am glad you adopted a frog. See, you too are making a difference in the world. Hurry up and learn how to write a thesis so if I go to grad school you can teach me. Hahahaha.
Aaron-did you check with Respec? Did you name drop? Did you mention you bowl? hahahaha!
Mom- I can't remember exaclt why the sky is blue, something about the color scheme being displaced by sunlight and blue has the lowest frequency so that is the color we see. So in a sence it is not actually blue, that is just the way we percieve it.

I am sick. Sore throat and achy and tired and gerouchy. (I liked that spelling mistake, so I left it in grandpa) Brandon, who is an M19 (i.e. has been here a here)and lives in a soum (tiny town) nearby stay at my ger for the weekend. It was great fun, people came over and watched Lord of the Rings. Polly, my cat, likes company. More hands and feet to attack! Poor guy had to sleep on the floor though...not a lot of room. I am glad I usually live by myself, but it was great to have an actual person to talk to. Well, apparently skyoe is going to work on this computer, so I am going to go find another. Then go home and make some soup and eat some goldfish. (The crackers, danny!) love, C

yes, everything's fine!

10 points for anyone who knows where the titles of this post and the last one come from. I got two packages yesterday! Two! My heart just leapt and everything seemed so much brighter! Seriously, it was the best I have felt since I got to Arvaikheer. Not that I have been feeling bad, just normal, but yesterday I was ecstatic! I am going to update the wish list two the right based on the things I know have thanks to two wonderful aunts I have! Thank you so much Casey and Kate, the packages were wonderful. I feasted last night on fruit rollups and beef jerkey and hot chocolate and had oatmeal for breakfast and look forward to goldfish for lunch. I had actually just over lunch gone to the post office and given the woman there my number and tried to communicate that I would like it if she called or texted if a package came for me. A mere 3 hours later I got a call that had a lot of mongolian words in it, but one I recognized. Shoodan means post office so I repeated it and she said yes! Then when I got there and there was two I just about vomited happiness! The magazines and the movie and the school supplies and the nicest pencil sharpener I have ever seen and the list goes on and on!
I have been steadily trying to figure out more of what I will be doing here. Yesterday I taught to english lessons, one to my schools director and managers and one to some non-english teachers. (Like math, I think) That was exciting and kind of nerve racking. At one point that wanted me to give examples of questions using the verb "to be". One of my questions was "Why is the sky blue?" After I had explained all the questions they then wanted me to answer the questions. Needless to say that one gave me pause, until I remember it is answered in one of my favorite episodes of The West Wing, so I attempted to give the scientific answer, got a lot of confused faces and ended up going with "Because it is not raining." Hahahaha
This is the first time I have managed to get my own computer on the internet and I am very happy. Last night, I also found on my computer the first 2 episodes of Buffy The Vampire Slayer that Madeline and I had put on my computer one day at the library. I was able to get a program from one of my site mates to play it on and watched them last night and now I am sad I do not have more. I have been spending some time organizing the books at the new English library here and some time trying to cook. Mostly, I am just so happy to go home to my little ger in the evening that I don't want to stop at the internet, so that is the reason for the lack of internet communication. Now that I am able to get on the internet at school, hopefully I will better! I miss you, keep the packages and comments coming! I miss you all! love, C

everything's ok

No worries people, I am well. I am very very busy and so tired when I am not busy, but I will make a big post soon. My finger is ok, i think mom! I love you guys! I hope I get a package soon! love, C