The much anticipated visit

In which Four Redmond Women head off on a whirl wind Mongolia Palooza encountering a secret monastery, interesting smells (which some may describe as horrible, but as you see I have characterized it as interesting), a surprise forest, a waterfall, and the tolerance threshold of time in a meeker.

Seeing someone else see Mongolia is quite an enjoyable experience. It is comforting in many ways:
1. It demonstrates that you are not alone. Everything that you find difficult and/or strange will be met with similar reactions by relations. And they are grown-ups.
2. You realize how far you have come. You are easy breezy and have adapted actually quite nice thank you very much. What smell? What bumpy road? What unbearable noise? What intolerable cold? Hahaha! You laugh in the face of discomfort!
3. More people who understand more about your life is nice.

I am going to ask the three lovely ladies to write guest posts about their time here. I think they will do a better job than I. Look for those posts coming soon! One thing I wanted to mention was the waterfall. It was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen and I grew up next door to Mt. Rushmore.

love, C

Forgive me!

oh dear, I have been a terrible blogger. I am a sad Tigger, a sorry Tigger, a I'll-never-neglect-my-blog-so-bad-again Tigger. In my defense, I have been ever so busy and important. 2 children's camps totaling more than 4 weeks in addtion to no internet in the ger, not to mention Naadam and extreme laziness. Here is my attempt to catch you up:

Camp in Bayan-Olgi: June 11-July 3
Super fun! Tons of work. 7 hours of English Teaching a day, but the kids were great. It felt kinda weird to be telling kids when to go to bed and what to do, almost like being a grown-up. I am really glad I went and really happy I got a chance to see western Mongolia without taking a 60 hour bus ride, which may have killed me. Kazakh Mongolia is a lot like the rest of Mongolia but with some differences. Mostly people speak Kazakh, but a lot of people know Mongolian, as well as Russian and/or Turkish, with a smattering of English. The food tends to have a little more spice than traditional Mongolian food. Two thumbs way up for spice!! The majority of people are also Muslim, though not as strict as I would have thought. It was really interesting being in a part of Mongolia that was really different from both my life in America, and my life I have gotten used to in Mongolia.

After camp in Bayan-Olgi I flew back to Ulaanbaatar, stopping for gas in Moron in Northern Mongolia on the way. (Me: "Where are we? This isn't UB!" Stewardess: "No, we must stop in Moron for more petrol" Me: "Well, of course we do.") In UB I was able to celebrate Independence Day in true style. No, not by blowing up aliens with Will Smith, but by eating a sub sandwich and drinking wine coolers and harassing tourists.

Camp in Ovorkhungai, near Hojirt: July 12-19
Back in Arvaikheer a few days later, it was time to prepare for our camp a couple hours away near Hojirt. We took 75 kids to camp, 35 of which had a full or partial scholarship from funds we had applied for and received. Half way to camp on of the buses broke down so all the kids got onto one bus, then off again once the driver decided the othere could be fixed, then on again when that hope was proven false. The bus would have fit 25 people comfortably. We rode with around 80.
Tunga, my counterpart, and I led HIV prevention sessions everyday at this camp, with the help of one of the older more experienced campers. These sessions were about an hour long with a game to wrap up the sessions. The weather was chilly and rainy and the kids really just wanted to relax with their friends. I only brought 2 books with me. Huge mistake. I ended re-reading the enitre HIV prevention book, and reading one of the books twice. It did not warrant a second veiwing. So I wrote a little, played yahtzee, UNO, and poker with anyone who would, sometimes alone, and annoyed teenagers and Tunga's kids. Too much free time, no computer, angsty kids coupled with pretty terrible food made this not my favorite week. However, there were some highlights. Walking a couple miles to find a wider deeper part of the stream to bathe outside, with the sun shining, the birds chirping, the flowers nodding. Red Rover, Wheelbarrel Racing, and an awesome crazy active group version of rock, paper, scissors called Princess, Monster, Man. Good times were had, but when I was told we couldn't have a session on sunday, our last day, and there was a car going back on saturday, I jumped at the chance to go back a day early. Which turned into a whole new adventure...
I ended up riding home with one of the teachers from my school that I don't know really well in a super nice SUV in a caravan of 5 vehicles. It was one of his classes 20 year reunion. I thought it was really cute that they invited two of their teachers to their reunion and they all seemed to be having a really good time. However, after our second stop to play games and drink vodka, I stopped thinking anything was cute. After it started hailing, we stopped for the 4th time during which the driver of the car I was in vomited and jumped back in the driver's seat. Needless to say, I was super happy to get back to my little ger. I went to bed with thoughts of chilling in my hammock the next day and decompressing with The Gilmore Girls and crotcheting my blanket. Ahhh, the best laid plans.

All PCVs are expected to text Naraa, our Safety and Security Officer, whenever we change locations. So when I arrived home, I texted Naraa, who is great btw, and mentioned that my ger was still pretty wet. Since I had asked her a few weeks before what I could do to stay dryer, she knew it was an ongoing problem. So in the morning, she told my regional manager Baagi, who called me, at 9 am, and said he would tell my haashaa family. As things happen slowly in Mongolia, I figured I would just wait until Monday and talk to my counterpart and firgure out how to get more plastic. I am not really sure why, but about 15 minutes later my haashaa sister came over and told me all of my things needed to be moved outside. And then the roof started to come in. I was still in my pajamas. It was back up by evening with minimal permanate psychological damage done.

UB days July 25th-Aug 2nd
I went to UB to meet with the new CYD volunteers and impart my massive amount of wisdom to them. I was great meeting them and telling them funny stories. I also had my mid service medical exam and dental check-up, whcih bith came back with a clean bill of health, minus the fact I apparently clench my teeth when I sleep which is making my gums recede. The dentist asked me if I was stressed. I replied with the fact I live in a tent. She laughed.

My next post will highlight the visit from my mother and aunts and the adventures we found. Stay tuned!
love, C

Summer Plans

My summer is filling up! I recently recieved an email informing me that the camp I volunteered to work at in June would love to have and will, in fact, fly me out! It is in Bayab-Olgi, which is far west Mongolia. Seriously pul up Google Maps and check this place out. It's not space, but it's a pretty fine frontier. They speak Kazahk and the population is mostly Muslim. I am really excited to see such a different part of Mongolia. And really excited they are flying. 2 hour plane ride vs. 55 hour bus ride. Hugely Awesome. Ok so here is my summer:
*****EDIT*******
I think I will go to Bayankhongor the 30th of May and then go to UB from there on the 3rd of June. Because I want to,
JUNE:
3-5 UB (meetings, a concert, cheering friend Josh at the Marathon, greeting the new volunteers at the airport, eating food, taking showers...)
6-10 or 11 Erdenet (visiting friend Katie, eating food, taking showers, meeting her cat, seeing Erdenet: The Boston of Mongolia)
10-11-12? UB (Get on the plane. When? How much luggage can I bring? Are there showers at this camp?...)
12-30 Bayan-Olgi (CAMP!, hopefully as close to the independant film as possible.)
30-1-2? UB (fly in, get back to Arvaikhher, spend as little money as possible)
*****EDIT*******
I just found out that there are only flights from Bayan-Olgi to UB on Tuesdays and Saturdays. So Camp ends the 30th, but I wll stay in a hotel in Bayan-Olgi until the 4th! WOOT?!!!!
JULY:
6?-11 Arvaikheer (Laundry, prepare for Overkhangai Life Skills Camp, Naadam!)
12-24 Hojirt Soum (CAMP! Part Deux!)
25-30 Arvaikheer (Laundry, rest, hike?)
31 UB
AUGUST
1 UB (Mother and Aunts Arrive! 4 Redmond Women of on a Whirlwind Mongolian Adventure! Look out!)
2 UB (See UB briefly, rest)
TOUR!!!
Day 1 8/3. Bagagazariin chuluu
Day2. 8/4 bayanzag and Temeen shavar
Day3. 8/5 Khongor sand dune
Day4. 8/6 Full day Camel trip around Khongor sand dune.
Day5 8/7 Ongi Temple
Day6 8/8 Orkhon water fall
Day7 8/9 Arvaikheer

9-13 Arvaikheer Hang out and see where Caitlin lives, works, and plays. Hike?
14-15 UB last sights, say goodbye
16-26 Arvaikheer (cry, laundry, Greet the new Arvaikheer when the come after they Swear-In on the 20th.)
27-29 UB/Outside of UB Mid-Service Training!

And soon after that my bike project event happens. Busy busy summer full of fun travel! I am so excited. And I hoping there won't even be too big of a letdown at the end of the summer because of the 88Bikes project and the new volunteers. I am going to make them be my friends by winning them over with my delightful personality, infectious sense of humor, and persistance! And if neccasary tying them up in my ger and making them play Uno with me. Just kidding! ...mostly...

I hope you all will have as good of summer as I am going to have. Although propably with more swimming and bbqs and grass. Blarg.

love, C

Dip n' dots from Outer Space

Last night, walking home, we were hit my some sort of supernatural thunder ice storm from outer space. It was pretty crazy. It was like Zeus thought Percy Jackson stole his lightning bolt and was hurtling ice kernels down at us mere mortals in anger. Or something. When I got home, I had a handful of ice in the pouch of my hoodie. Awesome as I am, I had made a huge fire before leaving for dinner so my ger was warm and cozy upon our return. Epic win.

This weekend was a nice break. There were a ton of volunteers in town and we ate a lot of good food. This week all the M19s need to go into UB for their COS (close of service) conference. So, in addition to our regular 5 PCVs in town, we had our soumers Kristen and Marissa from Kharkhorin and Brandon from Hojirt. And just because Arvaikheer is the bee's knees Lindsey and Josh came too. Ihab and Alberto, new VSO volunteers stationed in town were awesome enough to hang out with us a little too. Needless to say very little Mongolian was spoke all weekend.

Friday night Karaoke fun was had along with some group games. Saturday we ate at French Toast and Loving Hut and exchanged so many tv and movie files we all should be good on entertainment for many months. That night was the going away party for one of M19 sitemates for her counterparts and other people. She is officially gone from Arvaikheer, but is staying in UB another year as one of our PCVLs (volunteer leaders). It will be nice to have her still be around, but a little sad that she is all moved out. The bright part of the evening was teaching my friend Khandaa the "awkward turtle" sign. Hahaha!

Sunday all the M19s left for UB. Marissa, Josh, and I watched The Shining and I made Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken Pasta. (I will eat the leftovers for dinner tonight and I am already thinking about it. Yum Yum) Just as Marissa's car came to take her home, (that sounds way fancier than it actually is) Ihab came over. Josh, Ihab, and I played Uno while we waited for our Loving Hut pizza to be made. Walking home from dinner was the ice kernel storm from outer space. Crazy weekend!

It is amazng how hanging with friends can make my life seem so normal. I really forgot that I live in a tent without plumbing in a country where I barely speak the language. Not that remembering is a bad thing, but it was nice to have other things to focus on. Movies and food and friends and fun.

In work news, I have finished my first draft for the 88 Bikes proposal. The project is really coming along, but there is so much left to do. One step at a time. My grant was approved for the summer camp project. We will have enough funds for 37 scholarships for disadvantaged youth as well as money for supplies to conduct HIV/STI/AIDS prevention trainings will the campers. This will take place in the middle of July and I am super excited.

It is cool today, but I am still wearing one of my new skirts. I found a second hand shop and bought a couple to extend my wardrobe a little. Of my pants, only one pair jeans really fit anymore and I can't wear those to work. I also bought some teal knockoff converse shoes. I think the combo looks pretty awesome!

Shannon, I hope this makes you happy. I will try to do better with keeping my blog updated.

I miss you all. Congrats to all my friends who are graduating! I love you all!

love, C

Lao Tzu

"Go to the people, Live with the people. Learn from them. Love them. Start with what they know. Build on what they have. But with the best leaders, when the work is done, The people all say, "We have done it ourselves." Lao Tzu

ok.

I had a couch surfer come stay with me last night. She is from France. (Really from france, not like those Coneheads.) I went to meet the bus when it got here yesterday, but then ended up having to rush back to school with my new friend in tow, to an English Tournament. An hour later, there was a short awards ceremony for previous compitions and then the competition I was supposed to judge at got going. It was decided that I should be more of the MC for the compitition and others would judge. However, one of the judges ended up not being able to come, so my new friend was told to judge. Hahahaha. Welcome to Arvaikheer, please be a judge for a competion for people who speak a language you don't know that are learning a language that is not your native tongue, nor your second language, but actually your Third language. She was a trouper!

She did not like the night in the ger though, so she is off again today. I am sending her to Bayankhongor to stayy with some appartment dwelling PCVs there. Oh well, ger life is not for everyone.

I am sure i have mentioned before about the never ending "hi! how are you?"s all day. This is shouted at me everywhere I go. Well, a few days ago I got a surprise. After the customery "Hi how are you?" and my reply "I am fine thanks. How are you?" The young girl replied, to my astonishment, "I am fine also. What do you think of air pollution?" whith a barely a breath between sentences. Wow! We ended up having a good conversation about pollution in Mongolia. What a good student she must be!

I let Bill out late Saturday because he was being so loud and I could not sleep throough s meowing. When I woke up on Sunday it was snowing and had been for a few hours it looked like and he was no where to be found. I was ever so worried. However, I had some guests coming over for brunch. I spent the morning getting reading and calling for kitty out the door every couple of minutes, but to no avail. When I walked out to the street to meet my guests, I still had not found my cat. As soon as we got to my ger and I opened the door, he seemed to appear out of nowhere and streaked through the door and proptly went and layed down next to the fire. Stinker. I made french toast which was a delicious and funny because one of my guests was French and he had never had it before.

Today is beautiful outside, I could barely see my breath this morning. No light dusting of snow either. I know it is not warm for good, but I am certainly enjoying it today. I just need to remind myself not to get complacent. Last year it snowed in June.

Well, not much else going on here. I might be getting my hammock frame this week and next week I am buying a desk from a fellow PCV who is moving to UB. I also found a small handheld vacuum (I hope it's a vacuum, the lady made a sucking noice when I asked her what is was!) so hopefully soon my ger will have a few more furnishings and less dirt.

I miss you people muchly much! Take care and don't forget to miss me!

love, C

PURPLE DAY!

I am wearing all purple today. Purple blouse, purple skirt, purple headband (it's really cute!), and purple shoes (with gree and pink and yellow from the early 90s, they make me feel like Kelly Kapowstki!) Nothing like Purple Day to lift my spirits.

I thought I bought dried cilantro, but alas, it is parsley. What can I do with parsley?

I also bought dried milk. It instructs me to "Dissolve in water and drink it or use for gruel, soup and omelet cooking. Also use it as an ingredient for bread, pancakes, pastries and ice-cream. I want some gruel!

I think i managed to communicate to one of my delguur (store) ladies about some powdered cheese that is available in UB. It is the same brand as the soup mix the store has and I really want it. On my walk home after this funny conversation, I thought about how different and more awesome my life will be if this cheese comes. I will put it on popcorn among other things.

Kharkhorin

I went to Kharkhorin last weekend. It was really nice and great to get out of town for a few days. I stayed with my friend and fellow PCV Kristen, or K Star. Her ger is cute and the door to her ping is the smallest door I have ever seen. You practically have to crawl in. I brought Billio the cat to eat her mice. He only got one, and two spiders. I still think that maybe that's all there was. Also, the driver came to my ger to get me early (!!!!) and I wan not ready and he was honking and...I forgot my computer power cord. Kristen has been living without a computer for some time and was looking forward to a weekend of movies. Epic Fail on my part. Maybe it was destiny. We did have a lot of good conversations and we played I Spy, so it wasn't a totally unentertaining weekend. We also saw PCV friend Marissa and went out to dinner one night. It snowed a ton so I wasn't able to get a ride back to Arvaikheer until Tuesday. The meeker (van-type vehicle) housed 14 adults, 1 baby, 1 loud cat, and around 10 Morin Khurr. A Morin Khurr is a Mongolia traditonal horse head string instrament slightly smaller than a cello. The meeker got stuck 4 times. The ride was cold and uncomfortable, but we made it! I wished I could have seen more of Kharkhorin, but I think I will take my 3 broads there this summer. It is aparently quite beautiful in the summer. Not that is wasn't last weekend, just beautiful and cold and snowy.

Things are tough back in Arvaikheer. My haasha sister died while I was in Kharkhorin. She lived in the house in my haasha (yard) with her husband and baby and the rest of the family. It is really difficult and very sad. This is all happening during the busiest time of the year. I have project proposals to work on and the 2nd part of a school social workers seminar that Esu (PCV sitemate) is putting on is this week as well.

Thank you for checking up on me. It is really important to me to have support back home. I miss you all! love, C