My family can be loud! The people
who currently live in the house where I live are Dana, my sister, her husband
Jack (nicknamed Saddaam for his beard), and their child Michelle. Their parents
live on a house that’s on the hasha as well.
Small family right? WRONG. Since
I moved in, the people that have stayed here on a regular bases, are Jack’s
brother Moke, his son Gontollic. Still not bad right? Wrong again. Since I
moved in, here are the people that have come to visit, up to date, and stayed
for the most part in Dana and Jack’s house.
Simultaneously:
Mok’s wife and children, 1 girl, 2
boys.
Jack’s sister Toya
Some cousins from UB- 3 children
Along with Dana, Jack and Michelle,
that is 12 people sleeping on the floor of a kitchen and living room. To make
it awkward, I have the only bedroom (with a bed). Also to be fair, I think Toya slept at her
parents house (Pec and Torga).
This weekend:
Dana has been gone because her
mother broke her leg, also Michelle. Jack came back.
Jack’s other brother Moggie? Is here
from Russia, with his wife and child.
Also Mok is still here with Gontollic
There are old people here too…a
women and two men. I think they slept at Pec and Torga’s house.
The kitchen everyone sits and eats
in is at Dana and Jack’s Ger. The only shower is at Dana and Jack’s Ger. Most importantly, the only TV is in Dana and
Jack’s living room which is right outside me room.
Ok, so you have a vague picture. Now
imagine super thin walls paired with the fact that Mongolian’s (I am not the
only one with this complaint) tends to turn up the tv to 50 or 60 everytime
they turn it on. Now close your eyes and
fall asleep? Even if it is quite, if it is before 12, there is no way in hell
you’re going to sleep. This is why, the moment you drift off, that tv will turn
on, and people will be conjugating outside of your room. The tv is so loud they
have to talk over it. They are visiting with each other and playing games. I
have been jolted awake a number of times drifting off into a state of sleep and
then hearing everyone outside of my room having a good time. It does not matter
that they have to wake up at 6:30 to go milk the cows; Mongolian’s apparently
do not need 8 hours of sleep like many of America’s sleep studies suggest. In
the morning, I am awakened as well to them bustling around the kitchen (to
which I also share and adjoining wall). Now,
there are family members that sleep through this. As I currently write this,
there are people in the kitchen talking up a storm and people sleeping in the
living room. I can only assume it is because growing up, they were raised in
big families with thin walls. I accept
this as a culture and am becoming a walking zombie myself. I am even starting to get used to watching tv
shows or listening to music to tune them out and relax a bit until everyone
goes to bed.
NOW: THe delle debacle
Everyone that is reading this knows
me. I LOVE CLOTHING, SHOES, ACCESSORIES, SCARVES, JACKETS, MAKEUP, pretty much
all the girly things that are available. Upon arriving in Mongolia, we were
told that our host families would be giving us a Dele (the traditional clothing
of Mongolians). A month in as Naddam approached and people were starting to get
their delle, I was getting excited. Some
of the women had lowcut, form fitting delths with crazy patterns. Most everyone’s was tight. I was thinking, this is going to be
great! Torga was super excited to come
to Darkhan to get me mine. I tried it on and it was about 6 sizes too big. It
wouldn’t have fit some of the guys I know. She Zoogar zoogar (ed) me to death
making me think she would fix it back in Shaammar; and it didn’t happen. When I realized this would not be rectified,
I had my LCF teacher come by. She tried to tell me LCF that it was Zoogar
Zoogar (OK, fine, good), and my LCF told her it needs to be taken in. The appointment would be made Saturday or
Sunday. On Sunday, Torga had not said
anything to me, so I called my LCF. Since Toya (her daughter) and Pec (her
husband) were at the zoogies (bee’s) it would not be done till later that
night. At 5, I became nervous that it
would not happen, and I was assured when they got back from the bees, we would
go to Salink to have it fitted.
The fitting:
11:30 that night, we finally made it
to the seamstresses house. Measurements were not taken but rather I was told to
put my arms out and she put a needle and thread through one of my armpits. I knew at that point Torga and I had very
different ideas of what kind of delle I wanted. I got my delle back today, the
DAY OF NADDAM, when we are supposed to wear it. I was super nervous. Now, don’t
get me wrong, it is beautiful, the color that is, and if it was fitted the
entire way down, it would also be beautiful; but it is not. It is still
entirely too big, at least 2 sizes and the only place that it may somewhat fit,
although that is also debatable, are my hips.
I asked for a belt in hopes it would rectify the situation
somewhat. TOrga brought me a slim pink
belt (my delle is blue) that she put around my waste and said zoogar zoogar.
Now, here are my options: 1 refuse to wear it. Or 2: Rock it so I don’t’ hurt
anyone’s feelings.
While it is against all my fashion
foe paws I I will rock it. I have a month left and making it uncomfortable over
a dress may not be the best idea. I figure I can belt it with a slim white belt
I have because it matches the beading in the hat and is closer to the silver
and blue. Plus, since it is long
sleeved, I figure I will say I am hot and change about an hour in. Since it is
super big, I figure I can wear my clothing underneath and won’t even need to
find a tree to change behind! GENIUS! After Naaddaam I will ask my LCF to TAKE
me to Sukbataar and I will pay to have the thing fitted properly (add a zipper
so it can fit perfectly, cut off the long sleeves, and have them shorten the
skirt). I am feeling fairly good about this decision and by swearing in all
will be rectified. It also helps that
the only people who will know me at Naadaam will be my fellow Peace Corps
Volunteers. I will just be perceived as a silly American in Mongolian attire! I
have to go now, as my shower is singing to me (signaling that the water has
heated up) and it woke up my brother, Mok-something-or-other from his nap (It’s
bad but, I am feeling pretty giddy about waking someone else up for once!)
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