Ploofle

So, it’s crazy hot here now - something like expected high to be 100-115 or so tomorrow, and it certainly was so today. It’s a dry hot, and I find myself constantly thirsty and drinking but it’s not satisfying - maybe because it isn’t cold? Maybe because I’m dehydrated? I’m not sure. That and there’s been a major run on ice cream throughout the province I would say anecdotally. It’s supposed to be like this for a week then…I don’t know - that was all the news I was given. There isn’t really A/C here, as I suspect it’d be silly to have that for the 2 months of the year that you *really* need it. Heating, however, is mostly everywhere.

Coinciding with this heat of course is a spate of physical activity that I get to enjoy. We’re taking family photos and I with the camera and puter am in charge of the technical bits. This meant yesterday a 4-hour walk. The upshot was lots of treats from various families though, as well as some “pineapple” juice. Then I chopped some wood.

Today was kind of similar, and…now I’ve decided this computer is too hot to be on my lap here - it must be at least 85 in my room currently…and my house is one of the cooler ones, I think, as it has foot-thick walls as opposed to some of the more log cabin-style I’ve seen…

Is it possible to get a workout just from sweating? Because I suspect I’m on it here…woo!

Tags: mongolia, treats, weather

At the end of last weekend a circus (the first in at least the past 2 years, according to one of the PCV’s who lives here) came to town. I was hoping to go to it, but it was 6000 a person and when my sister came she didn’t have enough for her and her son (9000) so we got the cheap show by just watching em set up and seeing the animals caged up outside. It was a little sketchy, particularly after I saw the tiger - we were behind a pretty rickety chain link fence and the only thing that would’ve saved me in the case of a rampage would be all the delicious child-sized appetizers, and they run fast. So I would’ve been one of the first to go…

Otherwise, it’s been a pretty uneventful week. We’ve started basic Mongolian dances during our class breaks because we’re supposed to do them with our host family members during parent appreciation day. One is waltz-like, and the other two are more like line dancing than anything else. DDR-like mentality is coming in handy here, so if I can get my confidence up, maybe I’ll go dancing more with Bonnie. Mostly though I tend to get dizzy - waltzing is very rotation-intense stuff.

Oh, and the cousins tried to lock me in the pointy outhouse - I was more perturbed by their disturbing me every 30 seconds or so than by the actual attempt; I think they were trying to get me to hurry up so that the joke could run its course. I just reached over and moved the little wood piece though so I hope they were disappointed…

Shinay breaks out the checkers every so often and thus far I’ve been quite a bit better than her. Finally something that I’m better at than her…

Wood-chopping continues apace, and at this point I’m mostly just trying to keep on the same path. It’s only 2 1/2 more weeks of training, and all of us here have to behave just for a bit longer and keep it all together…

It’s already cooling down a bit here. I’ve been told that this is a bit unseasonable - that it should be hotter - so this may be a warning for a pretty long and cold winter. I’m often wearing shorts during the day, but often wake up quite cold and put on a pullover when the sun goes down. That and the burrs are getting evil lately - I track them into the house with my shoes, then they attack me when I’m barefoot in an ouchy way. Hope I have more news for you all soon…

Tags: circus, mongolia, weather

Well, due to issues in internet-land I didn’t get to post anything but a few pictures this week; next week expect a bumper crop of random news…

The power’s been going out quite a bit lately - supposedly scheduled, but the last one - which was at the internet place - was quite irritating as I was writing out posts in notepad at the time. Woo for no autosave…

Today my host mom was making winter boots for my host brother. There were felt insoles or bottoms about half an inch thick, and she was burning the edges to seal it, I guess. It made for good pictures, so I hung around to take some, but now I smell like burnt hair.

We also randomly went to the Mother Tree (ээж мот) this past afternoon with a bunch of items for offerings. The Mother Tree from what I’ve heard is a (Buddhist?) holy spot due to the unusually large size of the tree. I didn’t take pictures of the site itself as it didn’t feel right, but it’s a small complex of tree and fallen tree bits covered with offerings - ropes of special silk scarves used for formal occasions, cookies and candies, matchsticks, and a small wall of tea “bricks” still in their packaging, plus a few car steering wheel wraps and clothing bits. My host mom had me throw some candy, and they left some of the jam she’s been making and threw milk at the the tree/air. There was a collection thingy, so I put some money in. It generally was a hushed place with people quietly doing their thing then circling the tree varying numbers of times. It felt good to do something vaguely Buddhist - maybe I’ve gotten used to doing something ever since my grandmother’s funeral, as that was so Buddhist-heavy.

I also ate a very tasty ice cream from Russia today - I don’t know what flavor, and the price was rather crazy for ice cream here, but man if it wasn’t tasty…

It’s kind of silly when personal cleanliness becomes a typical conversation topic. It tends to go something like this:

“My, your hair looks awfully shiny and health today. Did you get a chance to wash it?”
“Why yes I did. I’m glad you noticed - it’s been 1 week/2 weeks/way too long since I last managed to get a bucket shower/baby wipe/spot cleaning opportunity.”
“It must’ve been nice.”

It happened to me to today. As bucket/towel bath day always coincides with laundry day, I’m pretty well off this week.

Also, today my host brother threw the padlock to the small outdoor kitchen at the neighbor boy he was playing with, who justifiably proceeded to howl. This padlock is about the size of my fist and weighs maybe 5 pounds. The gash is about an inch long and just above his eyebrow - thank god it didn’t hit his eye, as that would’ve been disasterous-er I think. As it was it’s probably going to scar, I think - luckily in my last package my aunt sent a small first aid kit which includes butterfly bandages, so I put one on there to sort of hope it comes together and closes without stitches. My host mom sent the whole procession back over with my host sister and a bottle of milk.

Tags: internet, mongolia

…the vast majority to which I have not yet adopted as *my* personal holiday foods:

Aarul - Dried curd. Smells like old feta cheese.
Airag - Fermented mare’s milk. Reminds me of how goat cheese would taste if it was a drink…The clear version is ok, though. Here’s Wikipedia on it.
Gedes - Guts, intestines, etc., put in all sorts of things like empanada-like items called huushur, or boiled on their own.
Oruum - The skimmed milkfat off of boiled fresh milk - my host family uses it like butter on toast.

Wow, Wikipedia’s section on “Mongolian Cuisine” is remarkably thin. Perhaps I can help remedy that…a project!! Bwahaha!

Tags: food, mongolia

…or so says the back of a White Castle box our friend from GATech Tom brought in (and Bon sent me pictures of) says - I *think* that may have been grammatical, but you get the picture.

As far as other things that are and are not here, I figured I’d do a little US education on the matter. US in that I am not making anything up and I hope to inspire you to dissent, or something…

Apparently there is 1 - and only 1 - chain restaurant in the country, and it is in UB. AND, it is a Mongolian BBQ place. The irony…so yes, there IS Mongolian BBQ in Mongolia, but from the US, and take that as you may, I’m sure the Mongolian BBQ in Sapporo is far tastier.

Other things that do and do not exist here:

Tags: mongolia