June 11, 2007
. I am about an hour north of Darkhaan and a few kilometers down a dirt road. Mine is the only training site without internet so posts will be less frequent this summer.
It was rainy and cold the morning we left Darkaan. PC hired a couple of Micers (Russian Vans) to take us north and the trip was pretty uneventful. We stopped a couple of times for unknown reasons and once at a pyramid of stones with flags stuck in the top. These are pretty common in Mongolia. We all walked around it three times for luck and moved on. Half an hour later we arrived at site. The host families met us all at the school where we each took a sip of hot milk from a communal bowl (again for luck). Then we loaded all of my gear into a car and went to their house.
My family is as about as nice as they could be. There are about six people in the immediate family but different relatives seem to drift in and out pretty freely. Family is a big deal in Mongolia and families tend to be pretty close. My brother is 15 and I have two sisters. One is 23 and works in UB as a teacher; another is about 17 and pretty shy. The other is little (8?) and is a pistol. She is constantly yapping about something and running around. We live on a little farm with chickens, pigs, two cows and an enormous vegetable garden. My room is clean and is much better than what I had in Darkhaan.
Mongolians are really big on dairy. I am not much of a milk drinker but I have recently become one. They make this milk tea which is absolutely increadible. From what I have been able to figure out thus far it is made from rice, milk, sugar, and salt. I am not really sure. Every night we have a bowl of hot fresh whole milk. To many Americans out there this may sound like an artery clogger. However, when you live here it is just part of the game. The stuff is delicious and I am rapidly growing a dependency on it.
Tomorrow I head back for my first round of TEFL presentations. I have a two strong activities planned and I am pretty excited to present.
Mongolian is still really hard.
Cheers
J.Stasz
. I am about an hour north of Darkhaan and a few kilometers down a dirt road. Mine is the only training site without internet so posts will be less frequent this summer.
It was rainy and cold the morning we left Darkaan. PC hired a couple of Micers (Russian Vans) to take us north and the trip was pretty uneventful. We stopped a couple of times for unknown reasons and once at a pyramid of stones with flags stuck in the top. These are pretty common in Mongolia. We all walked around it three times for luck and moved on. Half an hour later we arrived at site. The host families met us all at the school where we each took a sip of hot milk from a communal bowl (again for luck). Then we loaded all of my gear into a car and went to their house.
My family is as about as nice as they could be. There are about six people in the immediate family but different relatives seem to drift in and out pretty freely. Family is a big deal in Mongolia and families tend to be pretty close. My brother is 15 and I have two sisters. One is 23 and works in UB as a teacher; another is about 17 and pretty shy. The other is little (8?) and is a pistol. She is constantly yapping about something and running around. We live on a little farm with chickens, pigs, two cows and an enormous vegetable garden. My room is clean and is much better than what I had in Darkhaan.
Mongolians are really big on dairy. I am not much of a milk drinker but I have recently become one. They make this milk tea which is absolutely increadible. From what I have been able to figure out thus far it is made from rice, milk, sugar, and salt. I am not really sure. Every night we have a bowl of hot fresh whole milk. To many Americans out there this may sound like an artery clogger. However, when you live here it is just part of the game. The stuff is delicious and I am rapidly growing a dependency on it.
Tomorrow I head back for my first round of TEFL presentations. I have a two strong activities planned and I am pretty excited to present.
Mongolian is still really hard.
Cheers
J.Stasz
2 comments:
Hi Jeff.. sounds amazing. try to send a letter now and again.. we have some on the way to you.. bbs.
Hi Jeff,
Sorry I missed the graduation festivities and seeing you at Brown where you feel so at home.
Love your description of the sky in Mongolia - you have a gift of description.
Also love your gut instincts. Seems like it serves you well. And, therefore my belief is that it will generally serve others well if it truly comes from the gut (another name for intelligence from the universe). Oh well, enough of that.
I am still self employed. Have 3 main contracts - each customer service training which is always fun and often entertaining, work with Duke Energy on hydropower relicensing - we're in process of implementing some great stuff, and work with the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee, which is always challenging and intersting. All going well, best wishes, Bunny
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