On
Friday we went to camp about five hours away on the train. I awoke around 5:30,
the train left around 7 so Mongolian time states that it is better to be early
in case the train shows up early. The excitement was palpable within my
group. Everyone was extremely excited to
be going to camp and working with the children.
I slept most of the way, or at least tried. I also learned a train etiquette
lesson. Make sure you are in groups of
four or more in each seating area or random people will surround you. Also, it
is better to be on a top bunk than a lower one because if there is the least
bit of room on a bottom bunk, people will sit there; even if the space is the
size of a small book. When we got to
camp we took two Meekers (taxi vans). One was an older, Russian war looking
van. It was interesting. There was a lot of room in the back for luggage but
most of the seating was not actually attached to anything. The people sitting
on those seats really had to hold themselves up over the rough terrain. There were also levers in the van that spun.
I was unable to get the audacity to actually spin them to see what they did but
man were they tempting. I felt like a child wanting to play with all the
elevator buttons. When we arrived and
entered WOHXOP (Shokher) camp, we immediately saw brightly colored
buildings. We had half expected to see Ger’s and wooden houses, so this was a
nice surprise. The pathway was trimmed
with Disney signs and flowers on the right side and on the left were colorful little
two bedroom houses that were shaped like triangles. It was extremely child
friendly. The camp itself is owned
privately by a military family. Since at least the 80s, it has been used as a
children’s camp. During the tour, it became clear that the camp is very
military-esque. In the learning center of the camp, there is a room with big
toy tanks, fake missiles and a bust of Sukkbaatar, a famous military hero. Another room has a big table in the middle of
the room, flags on one side of the room, pictures of trainings and
plaques. There are also two game rooms,
a computer room, a music room and what appears to be an environmental center
with pictures of Mongolian countryside and Mongolian animals. There are also separate buildings for a
theatre, and the cafeteria. This week, they are videotaping at the camp, and
perhaps even doing a reenactment. When
we were introduced initially to some of the campers as well as the staff, some
of them were dressed in military attire carrying wooden rifles. It was slightly intimidating. The camp itself is very lax. Time and
schedule are very obscure. At 7:30 or 8
the campers have morning workout which consists of running and a dance, and
then around 8:30 breakfast. Yesterday we
planned our life-skills sessions with our Mongolian counterparts around 10. At 11 our counterparts taught the life-skills
class. I was pleased that Shane and my
life-skills class turned out at successful as it did because we only had about
20 minutes to plan with our counterpart.
She was an incredibly enthusiastic teacher, and the children definitely
fed off of her energy. Our lesson plan was
on emotion management. It was incredibly to see the children
participating. After, there was a
basketball tournament. It was a LOT of fun, and lasted a couple of hours. I did manage to jam my finger, so my pinky is
rather swollen and useless today. After
lunch at 1, we were able to take naps. It is incredible how tired you get when
playing with little kids all day. Around
3 there was another basketball game, and then around 4 our group broke off and
Jake, Angela, Shane and I taught English. Thinking that we needed to teach from
scratch, we started by modeling the basics. Hi, how are you, how old are you,
where are you from? Most of the kids already knew these questions and it became
apparent that we would need to break the kids into groups the next day when an
older girl asked if we would teach past, present and future tense! We were able
to teach clothing items through a game, as well as animals so at least it
wasn’t completely a bust. After our
English class, we had hot cyy (milk).
Mongolians usually have tea breaks twice a day; around 11, and later in
the evening around 5 or 6. After tea time, the kids usually will free play till
dinner at 8:30. After dinner there is
also usually an activity. The first night there was a choreographed dance, the
second they had a going away ceremony for the campers that would be leaving the
next day. Staff performed and then campers had a 30 minute dance. It was a lot of fun.
There
are five consistent times that I see the campers’ line up, count off, and have
phrases and chants that they participate in; in the morning for exercise, then
for every meal, and at nighttime before the evening activity. Beyond that, they will line up for learning
activities (such as our English class and social skills building class), and
sometimes for tea times. A whistle is
blown and eventually when all the kids are in line, they count off. We have
been able to participate in this during our time at camp and I have really
enjoyed it. The kids are very interested
in learning about us and practicing their English. They really get into the
games that we have been teaching them and treat us as one of them at times.
There was a group of little girls that followed Angela and I around the first
night, putting flowers in our hair and dragging us from one activity to the
next. It was a lot of fun, and made me feel like I was back at Beaver
Camp! By the end of the night I was slap
happy. I also received a Mongolian name
the first night I was here; Cerena (which means Rose).
Today
it is rainy and cold, there is no electricity, and no heat. Brr. Tonight, I have to teach English to the
advanced English speakers within my class. It should be interesting since I
will be teaching alone, but it will also be more consistent with how it will be
when I start my position. Camp has been
great in that I have been able to interact with so many children. Mogie, a program
manager, and Kitaho PCV trainer have been assessing our classes and giving
feedback, which I find is great because that feedback won’t be as easily
accessible when we get to site. 21 days and counting!
No comments:
Post a Comment