MLK day appliance sale only at Sears....

..Don't miss the MLK day appliance sale only at Sears... so said the commercial on the internet when Babs (friend and site mate) and I were attempting to check out the Peace Corps story that had aired on ABC's 20/20 Friday evening in the US...

I started giggling and said to Babs, doesn't that just make you laugh? Isn't that some funny stuff? Appliances!!!! He agreed that appliances seem like a very silly thing to get excited about here in Mongolia.

It's a whole different perspective when you're living in a developing country. Babs like most Mongolians, hand washes his clothes. Literally, hand washes clothing in a tub scrubbing the fabric together while squatting over it. Then rinsing an item takes time, along with wringing it out enough to lay it out or hang it out to dry... A clothes dryer here is the rack you hang the freshly laundered clothing from.

Above are pictured my favorite appliances here in Mongolia. On the left is my toaster oven, gratefully received from my friend and site mate Caitlin when she went home. On the right is my amazing washing machine. Though not the same as a washer in the US, it is a wonderful, time saving device! In spite of the fact that you have to fill it up with water one bucket at a time and after it's done soaking and washing, you have to drain the tub one bucket at a time (there is an attached hose for this) it is great! On the right side of it is the spinner compartment. After you wring out the clothing, you put it in to spin and it comes out halfway dry! The iron pictured there is also the nicest and newest iron I've owned in years!

Not shown are my water distiller and my water heater. Both of these are used to purify water before drinking and major necessities here! They are used constantly!

So back to MLK Day... Is an appliance sale really what our national holiday intended to inspire in our citizens? I think not. I think Dr. Martin Luther King was one of the greatest Americans in our history. An inspirational speaker and a natural leader, he still today sparks idealism in many. I am one of the many inspired by Dr. King. Just thinking of the phrase "I have a dream" and Dr. King saying it, gives me goosebumps.

He was a man who left a legacy of love and hope. My dream is that each and every person can come to realize that each and every one of us have our own legacy of love; to share, to inspire others, and to leave behind when we are gone from this place.

Christmas in Arvikheer

I know we are past Christmas, New Years and the holiday season in general, but I still have many photos to share. Here are some of the actual holiday where we had a party at my house. Top left is my pal Ihab, with the purple scarf I got in the white elephant gift exchange, but that he ended up with...a group photo later in the day wishing you all happyholidays...then up left.baatmaa (VSO translator) and her husband Toogge, Right the boys learning how to use chopsticks. Left is the girls, me, Leah (VSO from Austrailia), Erin and Joyce. On right, me with my "harem" of boys...Ihab (VSO from England, Terrence, Babs, Jack (VSO from Kenya) and Andrew (hubby of Leah)..

A good time was had by all... later several of us wanted to go out for a drink (it was about 10 pm) and nothing was open to the public, because everywhere was reserved for and hosting private sheen jeel parties. This is the same difficulty I experienced with friends in mid December in UB...

my school teachers party

Me and "B" a young homeroom teacher, cheesing it up..and on right I'm dancing with the smooth PE teacher (it was his house warming from an earlier post)
these young men are guards at the dormitory, surrounding my counterpart Chokeu, an English and Russian teacherc
Oyun himeg English teacher and the physics teacher
lovely young English teachers
So one of the cultural snippets of information given to us PCV's during training, was that holiday teacher parties are lots of fun. I can now say that is certainly true from my limited experience. We were also advised that due to cultural differences, we may find some games that are played during such parties to be embarassing. I can say fortunately at my school shindig, the most embarassing thing was the dancing and drinking (perhaps just on my part!!)

I did arrive at the appointed time, 6 p.m., though hardly anyone was there yet. So I parked myself in the social workers office (to which I have a key but hardly use)...This led to me being taken to the director's office by one of my teacher counterparts to participate in some holiday toasts. Yes, those would be holiday shots of vodka. I continued to sip in spite of the heckling that was good naturedly directed at me!

Following a couple rounds, another teacher came and got me and we returned to the social workers office. At this point several other counterparts had arrived and two of us got our nails painted while we waited!

Soon I was led back to the director's office for another round by another counterpart.... Oh my and the party had not even started. Add to the drinking the fact that I was wearing "dressy shoes" though low heels I just can hardly walk in anything other than flats or wedges anymore... Or so I thought... I managed to dance for hours in those shoes, even though I did take them off two or three different times, but when I did a counterpart usually fussed at me, telling me my feet would get cold and I should put my shoes back on.

I finally went home at 3:30 a.m., and there were still teachers there having a good time. phew...

more holiday dorm fun photos

Dormitory holiday fun!!

Ah, the amazing dormitory students! I was invited, through formal

invitation to attend their party/performance. It was held December 26th and slated to begin at 5 pm. As is common here, the event actually started about 45 minutes late..... my patience is expanded through my living here.

The Santa boys, or Father Winter, as he's also known as, had some fun with sparklers while waiting for things to begin. For their performance, they did an entertaining coreographed dance to the tune of Jingle Bells.

The event was scripted and kept on track by the emcee's, an older boy and girl who live in the dorm. Many of the students were dressed in their finery, with dresses/gowns reminiscent of a formal dance or prom, boys in suits. I was seriously undressed, but they are mostly accepting of such faux pauxs from me as the American volunteer.

Dancing, singing and the excitement of the children made for a very enjoyable evening! The kids are so sweet, they even gave me a gift of a lovely chess set, complete with felted case and board! I was surprised, humbled and thrilled and it reinforces my ability to make a little difference here!

After the program, we danced (yes, I danced with the kids and had so much fun!)! I twirled around to the Mongolian waltz with a few of the boys, and one of their dad's that was in attendance), and hip hopped it around with all the kids. Many of them are great dancers, and the techno stuff they do is mesmerizing to watch! (guess that's why it's called trance).

More photos of this event to follow, my computer is having trouble uploading,

Happy Christmas- the holiday spirit is here

Happy Christmas is what the British say, and so it is in Mongolia. Most of the English text books here are actually British. Spelling, grammar and English language here in general reflect the British influence. Though as I've said before, here Christmas is not actually celebrated, it's hard to distinguish at times because of the decorations and themes seen around this time of year.

One afternoon I ventured into the market place looking for glitter and garland. Here such places are called "black markets", though not all with the same connotation that it invokes in Americans' minds. Our market place in Arvikheer, is called a "Container market", because many of the little shops are actual "containers" that would be hauled on the back of a semi truck. Though there are some actual stores, much of the buying and selling takes place at the various containers and stands, which are located mostly outside in the elements. I know I don't have the stamina to attempt to eek out a living in the elements!

Though this day was not so cold by Mongolian standards, about 15 above zero F, it didn't stop the vendors, nor the shoppers. I found the glitter and flashy garland for the dorm kids to use in their happy new year coloring posters that I'd copied for the arts and crafts time that evening

The masks and fireworks in the upper right picture are mostly used by children at Sheen Jeel.

These little girls pictured above followed me around the market for awhile, saying hello and giggling. Perhaps one day I will tire of being stalked by the "hi monsters" as some other volunteers affectionately refer to such little ones; but I appreciate and enjoy their curiosity and friendliness. Eventually I may meet all the children in town, but considering that there are four schools, plus countless kindergartens, maybe not.

Shown above left are some of the completed happy new year signs the dorm kids made, though the amount of glitter on them is difficult to see here, there was lots and lots of it!

Happy Sheen Jiil continued

Happy Sheen Jiil, still! What a lapse in posting lately I've had. However, I attended no less than three school performances for new year so this is the highlights of the first. (In addition to the big teachers party, and a new years eve performance and fireworks outside...yes, in the negative 20 air)

Literally and figuratively speaking, this performance was put on by and at 1st 12 year secondary school, my host country agency. This show was on Christmas Eve and was lots of fun! Controlled chaos would be an accurate description for the children in the audience!

The gym was very festively decorated and there were so many talented and cute children, both performing and in the audience, that I had great difficulty choosing only a few photos.