Ploofle

This is the starting of the home stretch, the long haul, the nailbiting nights. In short, the end of host site-based training. Monday I have my language test, Wednesday is our community picnic, and Thursday morning at 8am we haul ass outta Dodge to go to a larger city with all trainees. There we find out our sites and continue to have administrative and technical sessions as well as orientation until the 19th or so in the capital.

Today, however, has been an interesting day. First off, it’s the first day post-antibiotics for my stomach woes (which are now entering Day 7). I woke up feeling better than I have in a long time - no gurgles, no cramps, nothing weird at all. It was odd, how free I felt, when not feeling ill. I suspect I’ll be a crabby chronic illness kind of person.

Secondly, today was our community project - we held a sports and games day/morning at the local school. I got to help out with the kid’s games and it was quite a refresher. We played things like duck duck goose, red rover, freeze tag, red light/green light, and my personal favorite, tug of war! With a close second of the Mongolian introduction to the carribbean (passion!) pasttime of limbo.

Tug of war was awesome because I got to shout things loudly in Mongolian, and when you did boy versus girl teams, the girls would all squeal as they began tugging. The highlight was the last round, when the rope snapped. It sounded something like this: “snap! thumpthumpthumpthumpthump” as 2 dozen kids, mostly under the age of 10, fell over in unison. I couldn’t stop laughing - it was great! I don’t think anyone else found it as funny as I did, though. But man…even now, imagining them all falling over…it makes me very amused.

Perhaps I shall eat (or drink, as they say here) yogurt tonight…

Next post will be post-site announcements, so stay tuned. I’ll also be posting new contact info as that’ll be happening too.

Tags: fun, funny, games, mongolia

continuing the theme… http://sparklepony.blogspot.com/ - I think I recommend it.

Tags: funny, random

(melissa’s version)

So, after wandering around on the Ave and getting sandwiches and $2 margaritas, Amy and I met with Jordan, our de facto driver
Not knowing where to go, Melissa and I threw ourselves at the mercy of Amy and Jordan to find a place - any place - as long as it was acceptable. We ended up in Wallingford at an Irish Pub (who knew that The Postal Service was irish?? And the waitresses were all tall and blond and vaguely intimidating…) Drinking ensues, I avoid the fireplace to prevent smoking, and we’re in nice comfy chairs. Melissa has a long island iced tea.
…
time passes…
…
Then an odd-looking man stands just outside our circle of chairs and stares hard - somewhere within the circle. I glance at him occasionally but mostly ignore him. By this time, people had unfortunately shifted so that only 3 chairs of the 4 were occupied. He takes the advantage and sits down, and asks, “Is this copper?” (mumbled responses) “I *love* copper….” (as he begins to lovingly stroke it). I am without a doubt slightly creeped out. He’s a tad scrawny with skinny legs (wearing shorts, for some unknown reason), so I’m sure I can take him down if necessary with my mad skizillz. Jordan attempts to make him go away, but….

Melissa, being one past a long island iced tea and now nursing a screwdriver, unexplicably actually engages him in conversation. I tune out and ignore this, as this is odd, then try to continue to talk to Amy and Jordan, but it just bugs me too much. So I ask Amy and Jordan if they’d like to go out to smoke. Dumbfounded looks: “You *smoke*?” Me: “No. Now, do you want to go out to smoke?”

I am scolded for attempting to leave Melissa behind, tho it is more to get away to strategize. By this point, the man is parabolically (hyberbolically? elliptically?) hitting on Melissa in my opinion, having somehow worked in priase for the Chinese’s aqueducts and mentioned the word “oriental” several times. Amy rescues by saying “oh, we girls, have to go to restrooms together in packs. Wanna go?”

We all jump up and flee. Melissa laughs hysterically in the bathroom whilst Amy pees and I scold We try to figure out a game plan but figure we can get Jordan to be mean man to man grrrr things. Amy leaves first to check out the situation, then returns to say Jordan’s chased him off while we were gone by saying we were having a private conversation. Weird man says, “Sure, if you want me to blaze, I’ll blaze…” and it’s all over…we then troop back over giggling.

Weird situation, but weirder, I think, that it ended up being the guy chasing away the other guy. Rather silly…

Tags: food, funny, party