7/15 Schedule: The clean foot syndrome

7:30 Wake up:  Shower

8:00 Eat Breakfast

8:30 Wash your feet and put your shoes on

9: class/ feet got sandy, wipe your feet off

10:20 Break/snack time.

10:30 Class, take your shoes off to get the sand out

1:00 Lunchtime, do your homework

2:30 Class, take your shoes off to get the sand out

4:00 Break

5:30 done with classes walk home

6:15 Home

6:20 Get the sand out of your shoes and wash your feet

7:00 eat dinner

7:30 walk around/visit mini nads (friends)

9:30 get ready for bed: wash your feet.

7/13 Boo-WHAT?!

Today was an interesting day. I went out of my Ger (house), walked to the cooking hut and observed a meat filled goatskin being held up by it’s backend (legs cut off), and burning hot rocks being shoved into the goat through what would be the buttocks if it was there.  Then, Pec, Jake, and Mok sewed and tied off the back end to keep the rocks, and meat in.  Finally, they took a blow torch and burned the skin to a crisp (making sure all the hair was off). My sister tells me it is customary for Mongolian’s to kill a goat for Nadaam.  The goat had been killed and cleaned the night before and it took about an hour for them to cook the goat inside and out! This type of Mongolian dish is called Boodog. It is really interesting to watch and pretty tasty as well, at least the insides are. The meat ends up being rather tough but is left with a smoky taste from the rocks. The skin itself is edible. On one side the skin is really tough, and on the other side, there is layer of fat. I was not a huge fan of this part because of how tough it was and how fatty it was.  Before eating the goat, it is customary to take out the rocks and flip them around in your hands. The belief is that the hot rocks will give you energy. Some of the family members put the rocks to their ears as well flipping them from hand to hand.  When the rock cools off, you put it down.  

NaaDam! 7/10/2013

Naddam was fun! I dressed up and not so surprisingly all of the older people were thumbs-uping me and giving me high fives. It was pretty amusing.  We made it in time to watch the opening ceremonies. There was some major dancing going on. I loved it! Some people were dressed in Delle’s, and other people were not. There were some gorgeous delle’s that people had made. I figure I can do that in the near future as well. There was so much going on at Naddaam.  There was archery, horseracing, and dancing while we were there. Ger’s were set up as restaurants and you could order a variety of foods (hoosier, a vegetable and sometimes meat stuffed bread seemed to be rather popular). They also had fermented mare milk and arrow (a type of hard cheese also made out of mar milk). It was interesting but not something that I would go out of my way to buy. It is very tart. Sadly, Shammar CYD PCV’s as well as the Health PCV’s had to leave around 1:30 or 2 because we had afternoon class at 2:30 back in Shammar. On the way home, I was taken to Salink, the opposite way of class. It was a confusing and frustrating moment; especially since I arrived 45 minutes late to class; however, the Peace Corps teachers completely understood because at one time or another they have also been kidnapped by their families. It was a hard lesson for me, because I really value control over situations and at that moment, I had absolutely no control. It is a great lesson to learn early since time is not as important in the Mongolian culture, as it is in the American culture.

LOUD NOISES and the DElL tHat BRokE the TimmEe's (camel's) back!

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!)

Mid-center day RefLECtIOnS In DarKhan, at the DARKHAN HotEl! ! 7/4/2013

MID CENTER DAYS! By the way the PCV’s were acting, you would think the hotel was a five star resort, not an old, funky hotel! Wireless internet, running water, REAL FLUSHING toilets! Everyone was stoked to get into their rooms and take a hot shower (not me so much, as I can have a hot shower daily, if I so choose). The only problem was….NO HOT WATER. Apparently the pipes were being worked on so, for the time we were in Darkhan we took freezing, ice cold showers. All in all however, Darkhan was a good time. I got to room with the ever so beautiful Kaitlynn! We of course had trainings during our days, but we made the best of our remaining time with shopped at the black market, playing games with PCV’s in room parties and dancing our bums off at a club. It was a nice to have so many things to entertain ourselves with! Now, the main purpose of mid center days is to check in on how the PCV’s are doing. The last day we were there we all had interviews to test our knowledge of the language and also to test our knowledge of our job field. Or so we thought! During our time in Darkhan, we all decided we would study. True to form, I waited until the last minute, surprisingly so did a great deal of people. The night before everyone decided to crack a cold one (PEV/Beer) and cram for our interviews. Many of the PCV’s met on the second floor to study for our dreaded tests. Tefl, CYD and Health mixed to study for Language and then broke off into their corresponding groups for the program specific interviews. In my study group, Jake, Tara, Tori, Angela, Shane and I focused on questions pertainent to CYD (Child and Youth Development), as well as security questions they could potentially ask. For example if there is an emergency, your Jijur (security officer) places you on Alert, then you get Stand Fast which means a higher alert and be ready, then consolidation (get your backpack together), evacuation (self explanatory), and finally all clear when the situation has rectified itself and you can go home again. CYD specific questions pertained to THe four D’s of development, which I still cannot remember, Design, Develop,, The meaning of Positive youth development, and other very specific, CYD information. While I was not a 100% sure I was ready for the testing sessions the following day, I eventually put down the books and joined in a game of crimes against humanity in one of the PCV’s rooms. It was a successful and still, very fun night! The next day, I woke up, got ready for my interviews and had a quick breakfast. The first interview was CYD specific. I got to the classroom I was supposed to interview in and had to wait a bit. I was extremely nervous but it became clear pretty quickly that this interview was more of a conversation then CYD specific. It went extremely well. The program director had a lot of positive things to say and didn’t state that I needed to work on anything specific. It was an almost euphoric feelings to have it go so well. My language proficiency test was next. The room was very noisy from construction that seemed to be going on outside the window and I found it very distracting. I also did not know some of the questions. I found out later that I am where I need to be with language however, so that made it better. Looking back, I wish I had studied more for the language and less for the CYD specific interview!