Picture this, you wake up, have a good hardy breakfast consisting of a cheeseburger with cucumber, pack your already overly stuffed bags with training books, a water filtration system and sleeping bag that the Peace Corps provided you; and jump on a retro looking van to your homestay training destination with 11 other people. It’s an hour and a half ride with a couple stops along the way to tourist spots that you know nothing about. You can cut the tense excitement with a knife. Will your family like you? Will you like them? What will the living condition be like? Will they like your homestay gift? So many questions are running through your head as you travel from green hills and valley’s to an indigenous forest. This is not the landscape you were in an hour ago. This is new. It is as if you stepped into yet another country. You finally get to your destination and are greeted with a plethora of children and families. You are offered milk, and candy. People start leaving one by one with their families and you and two other people are left wondering when they will get a glimpse of your new family. You turn around right as a short and adorable old man comes up. “Jennifer”, Zahar says, “this is who you will be staying with!”. A short ride back to his house, you meet Pec’s wife Torgo a retired nurse,, daughter in law, Dana who used to be an international tour guide, her husband Suudam (Named for his beard, similar to that of Saadam Husain) who is a farmer, and Michellet their 11 month year old daughter; over warm milk, Johnny, and some other fruit cake. Dana speaks fantastic English so you think, this transition will be easier than initially thought. You meet the pets, two Hasha Dogs (Nahajo), two cats (More), cows (oonay) and some calves and you realize that this is going to be a blast!
So, you have met the family, learned about everyone in the family and have someone you can talk to in English. It’s now time to eat a real meal. A londeon so to speak because it is at 3pm. Outside there is a small wooden round hut with amosquito nets around it. You walk around to the side and through the small doorway. Inside there is a woodstove and a table with chairs and a bench. On top of the table there is a cutting board and various bowels. You notice the top of the stove has a huge metal bowl on top of it and inside are unrecognizable mach (meat). You ask “IN YOU WAY?” What is it pointing at the meat. “Yamaa” Torgo replies. You continue to point around the bowl “In you way, in you way, in you way?” Stomach, intestine, liver, lungs some other indistinguishable part. You look at a red substance on the table…you ask again “In you way?”. “Tsus, or blood” Dana reply’s. You won’t what will be done with the Tsus and you don’t have to wait long because Torga picks it up and with Dana’s help pours it into the small intestines. Well, you think this is the moment of truth! You have to learn to survive from the traditions of the people and you have three months to learn it before you go of on your own.
This is day one of living with a traditional Mongolian family. After about a second of thinking about it, I decide to help. I held the Yamaa intestines while Torga dumped in the tsus and untwisted the intestines so the blood trinkled down. It looked like uncooked sausage. Next, was the stomach. Blood was dumped into this as well. I realized fairly early on that I probably should have taken my bracelets of, but made due by pushing them up my arm with my wrist. I was glad I did because when I got done helping Torga and Dana cook, I looked down at my hands and they were caked in blood. After placing the meat In the boiling water that was in the metal bowl on the woodstove, and a thorough handwashing, it was time to eat. THe meat was placed into another bowl and brought inside. As my family father Pec cut the meat from various parts and placed them on my plate, I wondered how I was going to do with the various bloody parts. I started with the meat I have had before. Liver, then lungs. He cut my off a piece of the intestines and the stomach. Inside, the blood had become solid…a jelly like substance. I threw it into my mouth and started chewing….and it wasn’t that bad. It was rich, but did not taste horrible. I was thrilled. I had survived my first traditional meal, Yamaa and I didn’t get sick or dislike it.
After unpacking and a nap, I took a quick hike up the hills that were behind the house. It was yet another spectacular view. You could see the entire town, and mountains way off in the distance. When I got back home Torga took my across the street to show me the Jimays or Fruit that they were growing. She also grabbed some Mot (wood) for the Gothhh (fire). Since Pec was going to a convention for earth day and would be gone for two days his coworkers came (Environmental officers). I had heard that we would be offered vodka and if we could just take a quick sip instead of drinking the whole thing it would be easier to obtain respect because they would know we were not there to party but we also wouldn’t be turning their offering down so we would also be respectful. I was happy when, after I took a sip they did not pressure me into drinking more. It was perfect! After everyone had drank a bit of the vodka The male of the group who first was offered the vodka did the traditional offering by dipping his fingers in and flicking it up and to the side. It was really neat to see.
By nine I was in bed tonight. It was an exciting but exhausting day! Reflecting back on it, I am glad that I tried everything, and even tried to cook a little. I am looking forward to getting to know this family more and learning the language better in the coming months.
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