I hand washed my clothes last week and let me tell you... it is a chore! I got two blisters on my fingers. I will never take a washing machine and dryer for granted again! And believe it or not - I still cleaned them faster than my sister does laundry! (Just kidding Brandy!)
I also tried the dried meat. I do not like jerky in the states, except for slim jim. My mom came home eating it and I told her I didn't like it. She said she loved it! I was eating my dinner and she brought me another plate of pasta. I asked if the dried meat was in it and she said no. I took a bite and almost started to throw up. I just sat there with my hand over my mouth and my mom was laughing (bc the meat was in there). They were like, "It's ok, It's ok.) I thought I was going to puke!
My pics: There are some of a cultural thing we had during training with the horse violin and dancers. The older man is the u.s. ambassador for Mongolia. The oboos are religious things that you have to walk around 3 times and throw three rocks on. The red building is the hospital where my mom works. There are other pics of our town. It was made by the Soviets so it is very plain. Some of the buildings have nothing in them but trash. We went out to the Soviet Air Force base and took pics. There are also pics of my ger, my outhouse, the dog and our house - compare it to the size of the houses in the U.S. - it's crazy! There are also pics of the yak getting killed and skinned. The pics that look like a big city are another site where we went to get our shots. I felt like I was in NYC! There are also a lot of landscape pics because I think they are pretty. I also milked a cow for the first time. It was weird feeling and I don't really want to do it again. My older sister usually milks them. I posted a pic that shows all the bugs on my ger and my sister's friends that sleep on our floor. The house is really small. Our town is really small but yesterday we found a salon and my friend Cassie got her haircut. We also found a hoosher restaurant (it is like a Mongolian empanada). My beer I bought last night - Old Czech - it was warm but not too bad. I would really like it if it was cold. There is another pics of us playing cards last night in Alyssa's ger.
Hope you enjoy! Here is the link: http://www.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2225482021/a=151443402_151443402/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/
Love you and miss you,
M
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
26.6.10
First off, I would like to say that it is soooo hot right now in Mongolia! I thought it was supposed to be cold here! Hahahaha. Things are going well. We still have language classes in the morning and we started teaching in the afternoons twice a week so it is fun. The kids are excited to learn English. It has only been about a month and it is funny how close our group has gotten. We have no problem telling each other how often we have or haven't gone to the bathroom, about the foods we have eaten and the funny stories about our families. (I am regular by the way in case anyone was wondering.)
A couple people in our group have gotten sick - vomiting and diarrhea. I have not thankfully. It only lasts about 2-3 days. I'm praying that I don't get it.
We saw the shaman the other day. It Alyssa's sister who is only15. Apparently, she was sick for two years. She couldn't even go to school and would pass out on a regular basis. They finally tried to go to a shaman and they said she was sick because the spirit was trying to get into her body. He has been training her. She has only been doing it for 9 days. You have to train and then do the rituals for 39 days. After that, he can tell us about our spirits and our families. So we get in there and she blindfolds herself, puts on a mask with fake eyes on it, and string coming down. She starts beating on a drum to envoke the spirit and turns in circles. When she stops, she is moaning like an old man and can barely stand. She sits down. It is her great great great great grandfather (maybe add some more greats) from the 1500s. He smokes and drinks vodka and milk tea and talks to us. Our teacher was there to translate and told him we were interested in him. He called me up to him to tell him what I knew about Shamans so I told him about The Horse Boy book. He then took my head and started rubbing it and smelling me( which I know didn't smell good). And then he did that to everyone else. He said he had never seen foreigners before and that the guys were really hairy like yaks! Hahahaha. We also have a really tall guy in our group and he says to him, 'You are so tall...how are you going to get married?" I was cracking up. After that, he left and then 10 minutes later his spirit was sitting on the candle flames and he wanted to come back. He said we could come listen to him anytime. I can't wait to go back after 39 days to hear what he says about me. It was a crazy experience!
There are tons of bugs in my ger. It is open at the top so they come in whenever. Another girl in our group has a ger infested with spiders. She counts them everyday and has killed about 120 in the past two days. I would die! The gnats are bad enough!
I think that is all for now. Miss you guys and hope to hear from you soon! Haven't received any packages yet, but I'm so excited! I'm also going to try and post pics.
Love you and miss you!
M
A couple people in our group have gotten sick - vomiting and diarrhea. I have not thankfully. It only lasts about 2-3 days. I'm praying that I don't get it.
We saw the shaman the other day. It Alyssa's sister who is only15. Apparently, she was sick for two years. She couldn't even go to school and would pass out on a regular basis. They finally tried to go to a shaman and they said she was sick because the spirit was trying to get into her body. He has been training her. She has only been doing it for 9 days. You have to train and then do the rituals for 39 days. After that, he can tell us about our spirits and our families. So we get in there and she blindfolds herself, puts on a mask with fake eyes on it, and string coming down. She starts beating on a drum to envoke the spirit and turns in circles. When she stops, she is moaning like an old man and can barely stand. She sits down. It is her great great great great grandfather (maybe add some more greats) from the 1500s. He smokes and drinks vodka and milk tea and talks to us. Our teacher was there to translate and told him we were interested in him. He called me up to him to tell him what I knew about Shamans so I told him about The Horse Boy book. He then took my head and started rubbing it and smelling me( which I know didn't smell good). And then he did that to everyone else. He said he had never seen foreigners before and that the guys were really hairy like yaks! Hahahaha. We also have a really tall guy in our group and he says to him, 'You are so tall...how are you going to get married?" I was cracking up. After that, he left and then 10 minutes later his spirit was sitting on the candle flames and he wanted to come back. He said we could come listen to him anytime. I can't wait to go back after 39 days to hear what he says about me. It was a crazy experience!
There are tons of bugs in my ger. It is open at the top so they come in whenever. Another girl in our group has a ger infested with spiders. She counts them everyday and has killed about 120 in the past two days. I would die! The gnats are bad enough!
I think that is all for now. Miss you guys and hope to hear from you soon! Haven't received any packages yet, but I'm so excited! I'm also going to try and post pics.
Love you and miss you!
M
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Training Site
I am located in a very small town outside of UB. I have a small ger and my family owns 5 cows. It is weird sleeping with cows mooing all the time but I am getting used to it. I guess I'm kind of lucky because my family built me a new outhouse which I have finally figured out how to not pee on myself (get low...hahaha). The food is ok but I have told them that I don't like a lot of meat so they have given me chicken a couple of times. Ger living is ok but ger beetles drop in occasionally and I only get to bathe about every 3 days. Yes, we all smell when we are in a group!
We have class everyday and I don't feel like I am understanding it very well. But again, I have only been here a total of 2 weeks. I would love for you guys to write me a letter. I had to walk 3.3 miles to find wifi and I'm borrowing someone's computer. Then I will have your addresses to write back.
We saw a yak get killed the other day and then the family skinned it and cut it up. The skinning was the worse part for me. I could handle the guts (or gitz in Mongolia) but the skinning was disgusting! We saw the dad in town the next day with all of the meat in the back of his van selling it. We also got our second round of shots the other day...4 more. We have another round in 28 days. One weird thing is that I have not used a napkin since I got to my host family. They don't exist here! I just started wiping my hands on my legs since I figured they are dry anyways so what will a little grease hurt? I guess you learn to adapt. The one thing I will not do is pick up dung with my bare hands. The people here do that and then cook food or do other things. So if anyone could send me a pair or kitchen gloves. I told the PC doctor that there was a line and I'm not picking up poop with my bare hands. I wonder if I will still think that way in 2 years...hahahaha I miss you guys a lot. I feel like I have been here forever even though it has only been 2 weeks.
The family is nice. They gave me a Mongolia name - It sounds like "althga". I wish they would have given me one that I could pronounce better. The girls are really helpful. The come into my ger a lot and watch me put on make up or just stare at me. We have had a lot of awkward conversations. They speak to me like I understand them...which I guess is good because one day I will. Right? We play a lot of games - some russian game, cards, and I taught them duck, duck, goose. They give me a block to sit on since I can't get up and down as fast as them. Hahahaha. The only major problem has been these birds that are outside of my ger. They start crowing EVERY morning at 4:30 until 5:00 and it wakes me up. I start screaming, "Shut the ____ up!" I wonder if my family hears me? Oh well...they won't understand anyways.
I guess it is just so different because I feel isolated - no computer, no internet! It is very different but I am getting used to it. Please send me a letter so I can have your address or send it to my mom so she can put them in a package/letter for me. Her email is cibrmico@aol.com.(If you don't mind mom - also some stationary would be good and some envelopes). Have I been asking for too much? You don't have to send it me all of this stuff but it would be good! Hahaha
Thanks! Love you guys and miss you! I'm trying to post pics so check the link from the previous blog!
M
We have class everyday and I don't feel like I am understanding it very well. But again, I have only been here a total of 2 weeks. I would love for you guys to write me a letter. I had to walk 3.3 miles to find wifi and I'm borrowing someone's computer. Then I will have your addresses to write back.
We saw a yak get killed the other day and then the family skinned it and cut it up. The skinning was the worse part for me. I could handle the guts (or gitz in Mongolia) but the skinning was disgusting! We saw the dad in town the next day with all of the meat in the back of his van selling it. We also got our second round of shots the other day...4 more. We have another round in 28 days. One weird thing is that I have not used a napkin since I got to my host family. They don't exist here! I just started wiping my hands on my legs since I figured they are dry anyways so what will a little grease hurt? I guess you learn to adapt. The one thing I will not do is pick up dung with my bare hands. The people here do that and then cook food or do other things. So if anyone could send me a pair or kitchen gloves. I told the PC doctor that there was a line and I'm not picking up poop with my bare hands. I wonder if I will still think that way in 2 years...hahahaha I miss you guys a lot. I feel like I have been here forever even though it has only been 2 weeks.
The family is nice. They gave me a Mongolia name - It sounds like "althga". I wish they would have given me one that I could pronounce better. The girls are really helpful. The come into my ger a lot and watch me put on make up or just stare at me. We have had a lot of awkward conversations. They speak to me like I understand them...which I guess is good because one day I will. Right? We play a lot of games - some russian game, cards, and I taught them duck, duck, goose. They give me a block to sit on since I can't get up and down as fast as them. Hahahaha. The only major problem has been these birds that are outside of my ger. They start crowing EVERY morning at 4:30 until 5:00 and it wakes me up. I start screaming, "Shut the ____ up!" I wonder if my family hears me? Oh well...they won't understand anyways.
I guess it is just so different because I feel isolated - no computer, no internet! It is very different but I am getting used to it. Please send me a letter so I can have your address or send it to my mom so she can put them in a package/letter for me. Her email is cibrmico@aol.com.(If you don't mind mom - also some stationary would be good and some envelopes). Have I been asking for too much? You don't have to send it me all of this stuff but it would be good! Hahaha
Thanks! Love you guys and miss you! I'm trying to post pics so check the link from the previous blog!
M
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Food Experiences / Host Family
We had a cultural day at school today. One session, they made a makeshift ger and we learned about the customs and how to do things when you are inside one. There was one about surprises we might find - how they kill animals for food, how they treat dogs (not like pets), etc. Then there was one about hospitality and how to accept gifts, drinks, and candy from your family. Always with the right hand, palm up. The last session was on food. I tasted boiled mutton (not too bad), dried curds ( one tasted like the worst rank blue cheese I have ever tasted and the small ones kind of taste like parmesean cheese..good), mare's milk tea (tastes like liquid pasta), and fresh yogurt ( sour but would be good with jam). It was a very interesting day.
We also got our host family assignments. My is a mom who is 38, a hospital cook, and she has 4 daughters - 18, 15, 7, and 5 years old. They have a puppy, who I am hoping to convert into Bailey, 5 cows, and a potato garden. They like playing cards and watching tv. They live in a house but I will have my own ger next to them. I am pretty excited.
That is all for now. E-mail me updates! Can't wait to hear from all of you!
M
We also got our host family assignments. My is a mom who is 38, a hospital cook, and she has 4 daughters - 18, 15, 7, and 5 years old. They have a puppy, who I am hoping to convert into Bailey, 5 cows, and a potato garden. They like playing cards and watching tv. They live in a house but I will have my own ger next to them. I am pretty excited.
That is all for now. E-mail me updates! Can't wait to hear from all of you!
M
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
More training 8.6.10
We have been so busy here. Our schedules are packed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We started our language classes though and the teachers speak no English and we just practice by charades. We learned how to write our names today in the Cyrillic alphabet which was pretty cool. We are leaving on Thursday to meet our host families and we are told that we probably won't have internet. So I'm sorry if I don't get back to you as often. (Mom/Brandy - no news is good news!) And we definitely will not have showers! We will have to bucket bath and use a bath house every once in a while (it costs money!). We also have to start conserving our toilet paper because they won't have it. I got my sleeping bag and water purifier the other day as well.
The people here have been really friendly. All of the little kids say "hello" to us when we are walking around town and they help us with the different vocabulary. I finally learned how to ask "What is this?", even though I forget what they tell me 5 minutes later. The picture of the goat head is a funny story. We went into the market and I had my camera. The ladies in there would not let me take a picture of them so I was just taking pictures of the meat. They are mutton and the big hunk of meat in my photos is horse by the way. When I started to leave, the one lady grabbed me and pointed to the goat's head for me to take a picture of it. She picked it up by its horns and put it in front of her face and then she went towards the other lady as a joke. It was pretty funny!
I have eaten mutton - a lot! It is so chewy but I tried it. I do think I might become a vegetarian which might be hard for some of you to believe. (I grabbed the vegetarian option for lunch today - it was rice with peppers in it.) I'm not sure what is will be like with our host families. I will have to try more things but I don't think I will eat all of the stuff when I am on my own. I did have fried chicken for dinner tonight because I don't think I will be having it for a while.
It has been cold here as well. Very hot the first day, but since then it has been in the 50's maybe. It has also rained. They said it can snow sometimes during the summer (is it really a summer if it snows?). I like the weather but other people aren't happy.
I'll post again when I can but it might be a while. Can someone e-mail me who wins Top Chef Masters? The season finale is this Wednesday. Thanks! Hahahaha.
I also am not supposed to post the towns I am going to be in for safety reasons. My address is still the same. My mail goes to the main post office in UB and they have a truck everyday make the deliveries. I would love some toilet paper, tights, and peanut butter. And some Mexican food...that would be good!
Love you guys and talk to you soon!
Mindy
The people here have been really friendly. All of the little kids say "hello" to us when we are walking around town and they help us with the different vocabulary. I finally learned how to ask "What is this?", even though I forget what they tell me 5 minutes later. The picture of the goat head is a funny story. We went into the market and I had my camera. The ladies in there would not let me take a picture of them so I was just taking pictures of the meat. They are mutton and the big hunk of meat in my photos is horse by the way. When I started to leave, the one lady grabbed me and pointed to the goat's head for me to take a picture of it. She picked it up by its horns and put it in front of her face and then she went towards the other lady as a joke. It was pretty funny!
I have eaten mutton - a lot! It is so chewy but I tried it. I do think I might become a vegetarian which might be hard for some of you to believe. (I grabbed the vegetarian option for lunch today - it was rice with peppers in it.) I'm not sure what is will be like with our host families. I will have to try more things but I don't think I will eat all of the stuff when I am on my own. I did have fried chicken for dinner tonight because I don't think I will be having it for a while.
It has been cold here as well. Very hot the first day, but since then it has been in the 50's maybe. It has also rained. They said it can snow sometimes during the summer (is it really a summer if it snows?). I like the weather but other people aren't happy.
I'll post again when I can but it might be a while. Can someone e-mail me who wins Top Chef Masters? The season finale is this Wednesday. Thanks! Hahahaha.
I also am not supposed to post the towns I am going to be in for safety reasons. My address is still the same. My mail goes to the main post office in UB and they have a truck everyday make the deliveries. I would love some toilet paper, tights, and peanut butter. And some Mexican food...that would be good!
Love you guys and talk to you soon!
Mindy
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Training
We arrived in Ulaanbaatar around 10 o'clock at night and were welcomed by a line of current Peace Corps volunteers. (Now I know how football players feel!) We took a bus to another town which is about 45 minutes away. It is a pretty big town. We are in dorms right now until Thursday. I am with 3 other girls. We had some meetings today and then a tour of the town. It is a little run down but it is cute and the people are so nice. For breakfast, we had mash potatoes (yay!), toast, buckwheat and sheep sausage. I didn't eat much of the sausage. For lunch, we also had sheep and rice. We did go to a market today that has fruits and vegetables but they said it was nicer because it is so close to the capital. I will be with my host family on Thursday and we start getting our shots on Wednesday. We have 3 rounds but the people didn't know what were getting *we have to talk to the doctors. Our group is really nice. Everyone is really friendly and we all have traveled and have a lot of the same interests. There are also a lot of jugglers.
Here is a link to the pictures I have taken so far: http://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2225482021/a=151443402_151443402/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/
Well I will hopefully talk to you soon. Thanks for reading my blog.
~Mindy
P.S. I also would like to give a big shout to Pauline for designing my blog! Thank you so much!
Here is a link to the pictures I have taken so far: http://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2225482021/a=151443402_151443402/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/
Well I will hopefully talk to you soon. Thanks for reading my blog.
~Mindy
P.S. I also would like to give a big shout to Pauline for designing my blog! Thank you so much!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Address
Hello everbody! There has been a slight change from the one I sent before. (They added a zip code.) In the address after Mongolia, write 15160 and it will be correct. They said things would still get to me with the old address. I am in San Franscisco and we are leaving in the morning for Mongolia. We had a five hour meeting today. It was very informational but I am really tired. I hope to post soon. Love you and miss you!
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