I had great aspirations for this post, but rather than not doing it at all since I do not have time to accomplish it as planned,I will settle for this.
Tomorrow, Monday September 27 I leave for the countryside. I am going to fly to Murun, Huvsgul Aimag. Then, We drive to the homestay site in the Khatgal Soum. Then I will move in with my third homestay family.
On this homestay, I will also be teaching English like the last rural homestay. On Tuesday October 5, I will drive to Erdenet, currently the largest mining operation in Mongolia. I will be back in UB (coming home by train) on Saturday, October 9. This past week has been full with meeting all sorts of people and hearing lectures on various topics. I am definitely ready for the change of scenary and some fresh air!
The weather is colder here. Our first snow happened two nights ago.
Best to my sister who is moving to London tomorrow. And congrats to my grandmother who I have heard gave an amazing speech at the ribbon cutting for Eastern Blvd!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Internet and Pictures!
I often type my blog entries into a word document and just copy them onto the internet when I have internet, that's why the date and times of my posts might seem strange. So, even though I just posted the previous post, I already can confirm that yes, I have internet in my room, on my own computer.
I also now have pictures of the apartment!
Thanks to my mom who bought me this wonderful, tiny netbook. And my Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin who let me use their camera for this trip.
Already Feeling At Home ... again
I am about to go to sleep in my new home. Once again, I have lucked out on homestay families; they are better than I could have imagined. They might have something to do with my change of opinion about UB. I was dreading coming back to the city from the countryside, but I'm finding myself overwhelmed with excitement to actually learn what the city has to offer. When I lived here for orientation, our group of 8 rarely separated and we hardly explored at all. I think it was because I was more focused on not getting sick, getting enough sleep, not getting hit by traffic, and learning the language (basically surviving) rather than living.
After today - I'm ready to live in this city.
And that's a good thing since I am the farthest away from my school. I also was placed in a very remote rural homestay home, so when briefing us on our new families they joked, "Grace, since we know how much you love being isolated, you're living here." I couldn't get a straight answer on how long of a bus ride to school it will be - people just laughed when I asked if I would have any problems with traffic. Regardless, being this far away has introduced me to a new side of the city. Just driving around near my apartment, I can clearly see a difference between the types of places I have been so far, and the places where people who live here actually go.
My family consists of a mother (42), father (42), sister (18), brother (8) and four, relatively large rooms, plus a bathroom (the city has hot water again!). We live in Apartment #4 (a good omen for me), and as I entered the home, "Sanchin" (my brother) quickly pulled me through the door and showed me to his sister's room. He pointed to a fold out bed to indicate where I would be sleeping. Sanchin sleeps on his parents floor (normal for most children). Their room appears to also be someone's office. They have a flat-screen computer and internet. Apparently someone is coming tomorrow to add an internet connection to my room. The living room houses a large flat-screen and comfortable couches and chairs. The kitchen has a sink, stove, refrigerator, freezer, microwave and ... my favorite thing about my host father so far ... 9 large fish tanks.
It's been explained to me as his hobby, but I wonder if he doesn't actually sell the fish once they get big. When I told my host mother, "Bi Durtay" or 'I like' she said, "My husband...LOVES" (The sweetest broken Mongolian/English exchange so far). He has angel fish, along with others I have not yet identified. Right now there are about 20 baby angel fish in one tank and 6 or so larger ones in others. In addition to being a fish lover, my host father is an electrical engineer. My mother is a University Teacher and my sister is at University studying financial administration.
My sister and I cooked dinner, which was ready by the time her mother came home. After dinner, my host mom and I had a very long and very patient conversation. From it I understand the following: I have free internet, I have free laundry facilities, I am not to cook after dinner but I can eat any of the food already prepared, I will be driven to my brother's school in the morning where I will then catch the No. 27 bus to school, I have complete freedom but I am to call her if I will not be home by seven, and I am not to feel obligated to stay up with them if I am tired. When I pointed to the word for 'chores' in the dictionary, she laughed and looked proud of me. She said 'no'. Then we did the dishes together.
They hosted a student two years ago, which explains why she fought through the language barrier to tell me all of those things. After the conversation, she told me I spoke more Mongolian than the last student. She said, "Sara bad, Grace good." So, basically I'm feeling pretty good about myself right now, not to mention about to study Mongolian even more than I originally planned.
After today - I'm ready to live in this city.
And that's a good thing since I am the farthest away from my school. I also was placed in a very remote rural homestay home, so when briefing us on our new families they joked, "Grace, since we know how much you love being isolated, you're living here." I couldn't get a straight answer on how long of a bus ride to school it will be - people just laughed when I asked if I would have any problems with traffic. Regardless, being this far away has introduced me to a new side of the city. Just driving around near my apartment, I can clearly see a difference between the types of places I have been so far, and the places where people who live here actually go.
My family consists of a mother (42), father (42), sister (18), brother (8) and four, relatively large rooms, plus a bathroom (the city has hot water again!). We live in Apartment #4 (a good omen for me), and as I entered the home, "Sanchin" (my brother) quickly pulled me through the door and showed me to his sister's room. He pointed to a fold out bed to indicate where I would be sleeping. Sanchin sleeps on his parents floor (normal for most children). Their room appears to also be someone's office. They have a flat-screen computer and internet. Apparently someone is coming tomorrow to add an internet connection to my room. The living room houses a large flat-screen and comfortable couches and chairs. The kitchen has a sink, stove, refrigerator, freezer, microwave and ... my favorite thing about my host father so far ... 9 large fish tanks.
It's been explained to me as his hobby, but I wonder if he doesn't actually sell the fish once they get big. When I told my host mother, "Bi Durtay" or 'I like' she said, "My husband...LOVES" (The sweetest broken Mongolian/English exchange so far). He has angel fish, along with others I have not yet identified. Right now there are about 20 baby angel fish in one tank and 6 or so larger ones in others. In addition to being a fish lover, my host father is an electrical engineer. My mother is a University Teacher and my sister is at University studying financial administration.
My sister and I cooked dinner, which was ready by the time her mother came home. After dinner, my host mom and I had a very long and very patient conversation. From it I understand the following: I have free internet, I have free laundry facilities, I am not to cook after dinner but I can eat any of the food already prepared, I will be driven to my brother's school in the morning where I will then catch the No. 27 bus to school, I have complete freedom but I am to call her if I will not be home by seven, and I am not to feel obligated to stay up with them if I am tired. When I pointed to the word for 'chores' in the dictionary, she laughed and looked proud of me. She said 'no'. Then we did the dishes together.
They hosted a student two years ago, which explains why she fought through the language barrier to tell me all of those things. After the conversation, she told me I spoke more Mongolian than the last student. She said, "Sara bad, Grace good." So, basically I'm feeling pretty good about myself right now, not to mention about to study Mongolian even more than I originally planned.
Friday, September 17, 2010
The Food
I have finished my first Rural Homestay. For the past 12 days, I have been living in Delgerkhaan Soum, Hentii Aimag, which is a bumpy five hour drive away from Ulaanbaatar. Mongolia is divided into 21 Aimags, or proviences, which are then divided into Soums. Since there is so much I want to share about this experience, I thought it best to break it down into topical categories, rather than try to make a chronological account of the past two weeks.
The Food:
Fat is considered the best part of the animal. Even after achieving my personal goal of eating everything put infront of me (except for the intestines...more on that later), I still do not understand why this is. I figure it's the same reason I love snack foods in all of their saturated-fat glory. One thing is for sure - they use every part of the animal - and that's something anyone can respect (however few could imagine what lal that means you have to eat).
Mornings I am served either last nights left overs, reheated by pouring hot tea over it, making a soup, or my favorite - these little dry buscit-like dough balls, sprinkled with surgar and moistened with hot tea. When my host mom makes white tea (tea with about a coup of goat milk), it is a lot like eating cereal.
There is not much difference between lunch and dinner. My favorite meal involves noodles - hommade noodles rolled out of flower and water. For the past several days, we have had a plethera of cabbage, onions, and potatoes mixed into the noodles and the constant bits of meat (and fat). My family gets the veggies from relatives living in the soum who have a garden. I realize this meal is my favorite because it's fried dough and salty potatoes, but I do not appologize for this pleasure. Sometimes, as to not get in the way of my indulgence, I choose to swallow the fatty meat pieces whole, rather than attempt to chew them or worse, offend my family by not eating them at all.
This brings a question I have struggled with in regards to food: Is it worse to consume what disgusts me but is considered the best, thus depriving those who would actually enjoy it? Or to openly reject taht which is valued and prized as not suitable for this American?
I choose the latter as the greater evil - but I welcome any advise.
Although, no advise could prepare me for the meals that would follow the slaughter of a sheep. Not to mention the slaughter of the sheep itself. But that deserves it's own post...