Mongolian wrestling- dorm style!

Mongolian wrestling
is similar to boys and mens'wrestling world wide. The outfits are skimpy and I think a little embarassing, just like the little singlets American boys wear in competitions.

My own sons both did a little wrestling, so I have watched it all before. However, here there is a whole little traditional dancing, after a match (eagle dance I believe it's called) and some thigh slapping that goes on before a match. It's all very formulaic and fun, and the dorm boys competition was enjoyable.

Some of the boys wrestled, and several were spotters (don't
know what else to call them....on sidelines, keeping wrestlers from falling on the crowd!!!!).....

There were several rounds of competition and all the guys were great sports!

The event started at 9 pm and concluded at 11:30.... kind of late for a school night...but that's how it goes. I was offered a place of honor at the head table, but opted to sit with some of the kids, both for my comfort level and for a better vantage point for photographing some of the action. As you can see from the photos, only a few of the guys had the costume which is traditionally worn for wrestling, down to the custom made Mongolian boots. I got the honor of giving out the awards; it's great to be a volunteer here!

Boys Can Bake!!! Let them eat Cake!!!

This could also be called Cooks Club, as my counterpart Altai referred to Sunday afternoons' adventure. Originally this was going to be (in my mind) an opportunity for all the dorm boys (around 40) to get in that big kitchen and bake with me supervising. I thought they could bake cookies in teams and the girls would vote for the best cookies and team!

Of course this is not at all how it went..... Instead what happened is Altai picked some boys, 8 or so, to be part of the baking. We went for cake instead, as the boys, when given the choice of cookies, bread or cake, wisely, chose cake. So as promised, I brought the ingredients, 10 kilos each of sugar and flour, 2 dozen eggs and baking powder, soda, vanilla and chocolate bars to melt.

Instead of the dorm kitchen, which I thought we had agreed upon using, we were taken to the school next door (which is my school) to use the kitchen that felt like it didn't have heat (though it did) and sans running water. No big surprise there.

The boys ended up baking two humungous cakes; one vanilla and one chocolate. (we quadrupled each recipe.) Since the recipes were in English, I explained and showed them how much sugar, etc. to put in. They enjoyed the process and I got a huge kick out of "making them" lick the huge stock pot which was our mixing bowl. As far as I know, people here generally do not bake their own goodies so this was their first experience. I attempted to explain to them that licking the bowl and putting your fingers to taste was always my own kids favorite part of helping bake!

I have many fond memories of my own kids in the kitchen and even when they drove me crazy with their "help", it was a great shared experience. My sons both know their way around the kitchen, (as did their sister) and can cook and bake; an important skill for all young adults! Perhaps these boys will now feel confident to do more in the kitchen, and all expressed an interest in learning more. I would like to continue these baking activities at least once monthly and will do what I can, as the school year is quickly flying by.

The pride on their faces when they served the cake at dinner that evening was great! They were all smiles and the kids were amazed at how yummy both cakes tasted! There was enough cake in those two huge pans that each dorm student got a small piece of each. These boys fill my heart and enrich my life. I am very fortunate to be able to share a small slice of their lives.

money, money, money, money...Money

A buck is still a buck and a togrog (pronounced toogrick) is still a togrog; though the value of that buck has declined since my arrival here in June. Back then the exchange rate was around 1,500 T per dollar. Now it's hovering at around 1,150.

The actual money here is quite lovely, and bills only, so no small change clattering around in your pockets. The photos show just how attractive the bills are.....A togrog seems to go a long way sometimes though on a Peace Corps salary not always far enough! Ah, just like back at home, surviving paycheck to paycheck!

Some of my most frequently purchased items (and great bargains) are the big jug of Mongolian yogurt priced at around 3,000 T. A block of wet Mongolian tofu 1,000 T, a pack of delicious green tea is 600 T, coke zero is 650 T, a beer around 1,350 (the one pictured is my favorite, a dark beer pronounced Har Horen and it's a little more than most).

The bag of apples is only 1,500 T though I believe apples and oranges were way more expensive in the summer time. Eggs are sold individually and usually you grab some out of the cooler and the cashier puts them in a small plastic bag for you. I however, like to take the egg crates, thinking I'll use them for some plants later this spring! Oh yes, the price of eggs is 250 T each. My favorite brown bread is made locally and costs 550 T a loaf. The local tub of costs 1,900 T and real butter here is good though always unsalted and comes in big chunks wrapped in plastic and is a little more expensive. Sugar comes in cubes (also available in granulated form and you buy it by the kilo), like those shown for around 1,600 T and this particular one is in the shapes of suits of cards. I recall during our Pre Service training having these at breakfast and thinking oh my all the sugar cubes here are so cute!

Paper products are reasonably priced, with napkins shown going for 700 T and my choice toilet paper is 300 - 400 T. There is much plusher t.p. available but I happen to like this one, though the texture is very similar to crepe paper in the US. I like the fact that here paper products are not used too much. You will get a small napkin in a restaurant, but generally you need to carry your own t.p. (I buy the Mongolian products:) Kleenex can be found in small pocket packs or large boxes, from either Germany or China. Funny how weird that sounds to me, but how I have become accustomed to these changes! Generally t.p. is not flushed here either, and there is a waste can next to the toilet for the paper.

I also buy some imported foods, such as that huge box of Corn Flakes (from Germany) which cost 3,500 T, but worth it; cereal is hard to find here! The peanuts shown are from Germany and sports the offending can with the pull off tab which was the cause of my first stitches in Mongolia (during Pre service training in the summer......) The crackers are from China and a bargain at 1,000 T tasting like Ritz! The big yellow bag is powdered milk, imported from Korea and sells for 6,000 T. Occasionally I buy Mongolian milk which comes in a box on the shelf and the equivalent of half gallon sells for 1, 700 T. The powdered milk is handy for drinking in my morning instant coffee, a jar of which runs 5,000 T.

Fresh produce has been fairly easy to find in my small city, with more types of veggies showing up lately, such as broccoli, leaf lettuce, red cabbage, zuchinni and bok choy! I anticipate having more veggies growing in my own garden this summer, but it is great to find them in the market here.

Since most of my money is spent on food, that's what I've focused on here. However for a quick comparison sake, one way bus ticket from Arvikheer to Ulaanbaatar costs 14,000 T, as does a small set of computer speakers. You can purchase a warm hat or mittens for 1 - 2,000 T in the market, kids scissors for 300 T, and a glue stick for 500 T, though a ream of paper goes for 9,000 T.

Dormitory Dance Competition

I am always wracking my brain for some new and different activities for the students to get involved with. Especially now that I've been here since August and realize the school year is slipping away and there's much more I want to do before June. . .

There are several regular activities at the dormitory which are ongoing, i.e. English classes, movie night, story time, arts & crafts, life skills (for teens) and occasional other special events. A Valentines day party I organized was not very successful, and frankly a great event was what I needed to redeem my rep and not have them shy away.

The kids all love to dance (well most of them do, a few are too shy or self conscious, but once they see me out there they loosen up....hey ), and competitions are usually exciting, so why not a dance competition?

I asked Altai, my awesome counterpart/dorm teacher who liked the idea... and I offered a Friday night date and it was on! I made a poster (Mongolian and English.....) and a sign up sheet. There was a almost 2 weeks before the event. Altai agreed to be in charge of music, and I said I would find judges not affiliated with the dorm and I'd get awards. (my friends here tell me no wonder I am broke, I spoil my dorm kids...my own kids would laugh hysterically at that, I never spoiled them:) And spoiling them here means I spend some (ok about a fourth to a third monthly) of my meager PC living allowance to buy my own supplies for classes, activities, prizes, candy and treats at random times).

So as it turns out, no one was signing up and though I kept bugging the kids about it, no one would put their name on the sheet. My frustration was growing daily, and finally a couple days prior, I told Altai that if no one was going to sign up, perhaps we should cancel the competition and just have a dance. She assured me that there were 25 acts and she had the names and would give them to me in a couple days.

Suffice it to say the competition was amazing and fun, and the kids had almost as much fun as I and my friends who were the judges did watching them perform! They never cease to amaze me with their enthusiasm and their attitude of gratitude! (something I strive toward myself)

trip to the gobi

Yes, that is the Gobi Desert, just a few hours drive away from my town. The notion of a weekend trip was inspired by our site mate/friend, Erin who was having a birthday on the 18th. She lives in a small soum 2-3 hours south of our aimag center, and had to work all day Friday, her actual birthday.

Some conspiring ensued, and our VSO friends with a Jeep, suggested a surprise trip to see her and continue to the desert and another neighboring soum where their landlord happens to live.

Joyce and I convinced Erin we were coming to get her Saturday morning and whisking her away. We all pulled up around noon, and it was great! She was surprised and our adventure began! Not that riding in a Russian Jeep through the whoodo (countryside with passes and ruts that are roads here) isn't an adventure in and of itself! Thanks to Andrew, our fearless driver for getting us around all weekend. We headed from Gochinos soum to Baron Byan something... soum where we were graciously met by their landlord and a local English teacher.

We enjoyed Mongolian hospitality having dinner at his family's ger. Our accommodations for the night was a room in the school dormitory, which was very comfortable, and after taking our belongings there, joined our hosts to watch Mongolian wrestling in the local school gym. One of the coolest differences we noticed here were the saddled camels tied up outside. Not a sight I have witnessed previously in Mongolia.

Camels are amazing looking animals, with their big eyes and long lashes and now during the cold weather, their hair is full and lovely. Their feet are unbelievably huge, and they tend to snort and sniff. Our hosts took us on Sunday morning to an area a short drive out of town to ride camels. We all got a turn to pose with one, then took turns riding. It was a crazy cool experience to see them up close and personal, and to ride them, even for a short time. Though I felt pretty secure in between those humps, the ride was a little wobbly.

I was reminded of one of my favorite Mongolian movies, The Story of the Weeping Camel; if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it as representative of life as a herder in the Gobi.

the scenery of Arvaikheer.....

...My sister Sue commented to me recently that on my blog she sees plenty of me, my friends, my co-workers, my site mates,my students, but what about the scenery? My town, what I see every day as I walk places....

I have struggled with this and the accompanying photos because to look at this place which has become my home, through my eyes, is not the same at all as looking at these photos. The pictures, taken at face value, seem rather dull, boring, perhaps even a little bleak. I have come to love this place, so as anyone who loves their home, it is comfortable, familiar and even beautiful to me.

Tsagaan Sar, Mongolian Lunar New Year

The lunar new year as celebrated in Mongolia, is similar in some respects to Chinese new year. All of Asia has a lunar new year traditional celebration and my first experience of this holiday was amazing!

The official holiday lasts three days and begins according to the moon, so the dates change each year. This year it was February 3, 4 and 5. Tsagaan sar translates to white moon, or white month.

During this celebration, the first day is generally for family members, with elders being honored. A special greeting is said. "amar bahn yy?", and you embrace with the elders arms over top your outstretched arms, and touch/sniff cheek to cheek. I rather enjoy this greeting as I tend to be a huggy/touchy type person, unlike the cultrual norms here. After using this greeting for 3 days, then going to my school gathering (where all teachers/staff were to attend, though only about 2/3 attended), I was corrected that men and women don't touch cheeks, though I did. Guess my rep as crazy American can withstand a few more cultural mishaps.....

The school gathering was similar to the tradition at someone's home. During a home visit, you are waited on hand and foot. Initially you greet all family members, eldest first. You are offered food, lots and lots of food, salads, candies, milk tea (tsute tse), then vodka (3 drinks, though traditionally you are to down the first shot then can sip the next two times), followed by wine, (same), and buuz, the traditional Mongolian Tsagaan sar food.

Buuz are the steamed dumplings, traditionally filled with meat, onion and spices. During my visits to 7 homes I ate buuz made from horse meat (quite tasty) goat, and other unknown meat. I was also given vegetarian fare at 3 of the homes, which was greatly appreciated! Families prepare hundreds and sometimes thousands of buuz for their expected visitors.

Preparation for this holiday reminds me of Christmas time in the US, with folks doing heavy cleaning and preparation for visitors, parties, open houses, only here it is very much confined to 3 days. The guests/visits are scheduled so there are only a few people at any one time, then once all the rituals have been completed, the host gives you a gift (sweets, make up, hand cream, a fortune telling game...) and that's your cue to leave!

Though it is not necessary for a visitor to give a gift, I baked russian tea cookies, and wrapped them in pretty paper and ribbon as thank yous. These were given after receiving gift from host. It was a whirlwind week!

By the time Sunday rolled around I was tired and I didn't even host anyone! Our school gathering was similar, and we met in the big room with men sitting on one side and women the other. Our school director sat at the table with the traditional white food centerpiece, and she was the first person to be greeted. Thankfully for me, there are always some counterparts looking out for me and steering me in the right direction! Following initial greetings, milk tea, then vodka, then meat was passed around then candy and white cheese curd while two llams from the Buddhist temple came and conducted a ceremony for the ocassion. Perhaps next year I will host a Tsagaan sar of my own!