“How do I go to the bathroom when it won’t stop raining?
Hello faithful readers! I apologize for the lack of ridiculously long and intriguing posts to test your love and your patience. But you need not wait any longer. I have a decent playlist going on my computer (Elvis Costello, Arcade Fire, The Ramones, The Young Dubliners, Buckwheat Zydeco, The Pogues, Pearl Jam, Rufus Wainwright, The Bodeans, Flogging Molly…), my feet up on the obligatory Mongolian little plastic stools, and my laundry drying optimistically outside my ger in the sun. They are hoping to dry fully before it rains again and I am humoring them.
Question: How can I feed myself when I barely know how to cook in the states and I don’t have an oven nor ingredients I am familiar with, nor lean pockets?
Arvaikheer is a swell little Mongolian town. It lacks neither on sky nor on indistinguishable little delguurs (shops) every 20 meters or so. I have found both yarn and vegetable crackers so I want for very little. (lie, lie, lies! I will spare you the extensive list of trivialities that I want, for things that can actually be sent please see the list to the left.) There is one ATM in town in the building with the 24-hour delguur. There is a couple internet cafés, neither or which is as nice as the one in Zuunmod that we go to use during training, but c’est la vie poo poo. (Hi mom!) There are some places to shower, which I have yet to use as I brought a solar shower. (Thanks Aunt Kate!) My hashaa (yard) is a 15 minute walk from most things and a 20 minute to my school. So far, I really enjoy the stroll. I can put on my ipod on shuffle and collect my thoughts. I love hearing a song and remembering where I got it, tons from my mom, Aunt Kate, my dad, and Uncle Dave, a few from Aunt Sue, Kat, Joe & Brie’s daddy, and some from my young adulthood. Almost every song makes me smile and new contributions are always welcome.
Question: Is it better to have flies everyone or be very very cold?
Ask again in a couple months when I have experienced both.
I mentioned my hashaa earlier and feel it deserves more of a description. Mongolians, if not in an apartment, often live in a hashaa, which is surrounded by a tall fence of wood or metal sheets. Inside a hashaa you will find a house and/or a ger, an outhouse, and varies other requirements. Mine has a brick house, a wooden structure (dwelling? shed?), 3 gers (the grandma’s, mine, and one made of metal which I have never seen before and have no idea what it is used for), an outhouse, a shed, a woodpile and various pieces of metal. Almost every hashaa comes with a hashaa dog, and mine is no different. His name is Aslan which means lion which is really interesting if you are a CS Lewis fan. He seems uninterested in biting me which is great and actually seems to like me, but I don’t throw rocks at him so there you go. I am hopefully going to get a cat in the next few days from my counterparts sister. Mongolians tend to name their dogs Aslan or Nahoi, which means dog. I was discussing what I was going to name my cat with my counterpart (Tungaa) and she suggested Moor (which means cat) or Aslan. She said it would be ok even though the dog’s name is Aslan. I think I am actually going to go with Tomc which sounds like the name of the fawn in Narnia and means potato in Mongolian. This may have been the funniest thing my counterpart has ever heard.
Question: How bad is it that I love in a felt tent with a wood burning
stove in the middle and my smoke alarm won’t work?
School start Monday morning. I am apparently giving a speech in Mongolian to all the staff and students. I anticipate it being a very short speech. I hope it is sunny for at least an hour or two tomorrow so I can let the water in my solar shower heat up so my shower won’t be miserable. I am supposed to dress up for Monday and I suppose a shower wouldn’t hurt.
Question: Are cucumber and mayonnaise sandwiches a balanced meal?
I have almost watched the entirety of the West Wing…again. I am almost done with my second book since arriving in Arvikheer. I have watched 4 movies. Listened to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire AudioBook. I should find more to do, like maybe learn to cook. I have been basically surviving on cold spaghetti sause type stuff and the afore mentioned vegetable crackers. I really need to get some material to help me learn to play the guitar I randomly bought.
Fact: Mongolian milk hot with Russian chocolate powder makes me sleepy.
Austin to Big Bend
13 years ago
