Teachers Day

Teachers Day is celebrated here in Mongolia the first weekend in February and around the world at various times.  There is also World Teachers Day, October 5th.
Teachers are such hard working individuals and deserve recognition and fun from their daily busy, and sometimes very grueling schedule!  Some folks say this profession has it easy, (with plenty of vacations) but think of all the long hours spent outside of the classroom, lesson planning, grading, etc.!
My school invites all the employees, director, teachers, cleaners, jejurs, plumber, cooks, etc.... everyone joins in the festivities!  An awards ceremony is held, with various prizes, plaques, medals etc. being given out.  These awards are very revered here and those winning them are held in very high esteem.  
There is a lighter side to awards as well, with student voted awards for best image, funniest, most talented, best young teacher etc..  Most teachers trade their teaching duties for one day with a student and the kids have loads of fun with this assignment!
As a Community Youth Development volunteer, I am not exactly a teacher, though I do co-teach several classes weekly with English teachers.  I have an easy gig, as I work on conversational skills and pronunciation with the students; thus miss out on the lesson planning, the teaching of grammar, grading of tests, taking attendance and all the other major responsibilities that go along with being a teacher.  However, I do get referred to as Jo teacher and respected by the students.
Hats off to teachers everywhere!

Me and Happy (Oyun)

Hajidma (dorm teacher), Otgon (school director) and two of school staff

Altai (dorm teacher) with school electrician

Foreign Language Dept. of my school

...and you think your job stinks?

Really I wanted to title this post "Take this job and shove it"....after the old time country song, which then goes on to say "I ain't workin' here no more"!  Nope, not talking about PC, this job is cool... but I'm sure some of you reading this have had jobs that drove you crazy, had you dying for pay day, or just plain old dreading getting out of bed in the morning!  I know I've had a few!
People here in this struggling democracy do many jobs that I just cannot fathom!   The photos for this piece were taken in UB in winter.  I was cold just walking around outside, wearing long johns top and bottom, heavy jeans, wool sweater, 2 pair of smart wool socks, fuzzy lined boots, fuzzy lined hat, plus hood, scarf and heavy mittens.  The bitter cold wind chilled me to the core!  I cannot imagine having to tolerate the cold and work in those conditions just to eek out a living!

these women have chopped up the ice and snow from this patio and are moving it

road snow removal crews

changing billboard in daytime... 

ice and snow is chipped away

men in trees hanging holiday lights

ice and snow removal in progress

Ice and snow removal is a big job here, a long and arduous process.... no such things as snow shovels, snow blowers, snow plows.  People are the snow removal machines.  As the woman above are shown, chipping away at the frozen mess, it's then scooped onto a tarp and moved.  Streets are eventually cleared much the same way, with people wearing orange vests.
More crappy jobs here abound... I witnessed men changing billboards at night, when the temperature was at least 20 degrees colder than daytime, police officers standing in busy intersections directing traffic day and night, crews laying cable at night in the bitter cold, women and men on the sidewalks hawking their wares, ie. phone units, candy, cigarettes, sweaters etc., and the folks who work on the buses and trolley cars, collecting fares. 
So the next time you are feeling unhappy with your work, look on the bright side; you could have a job doing snow removal in Mongolia! 

Winter time is for dreaming....

Winter is the perfect time for staying inside, dreaming, planning and reflecting.  I personally like winter for that very reason!  Snuggled up in the warmth and comfort of home, with a good book,  puzzle, knitting, movie, coffee; perfect for dreaming and reflecting about one's life.


Recently the birth of Carter, my "surrogate grandson", has inspired lots of reflection for me.  Since my daughter Vicki passed away over 5 years ago, her best friend Courtney became my "surrogate daughter".  Now, there are a couple other best friend,s Heaven and Joanna, that I keep in touch with, though not closely.


Courtney and I have helped each other heal from Vicki's absence as much as one can help another in such circumstances. We have hung out together and built a close and caring friendship.  One that has helped me through many tough times when I've been missing Vicki.   I served as the maid of honor in her wedding to Cody, whom Vicki knew and definitely approved of, in Vicki's stead.  It was an honor for me to be part of their ceremony and now more than two years later, to meet (via pictures on facebook for now) of their little offspring!


Being across the world in Mongolia, I will meet Carter on Skype sometime soon.  As my eldest son Pete tells me, we are just like the Jetsons (awesome cartoon) now, where we can see each other on the phone!!


My reflection occasionally brings me sadness and mournful feelings.  Vicki loved children, and though I don't know if she would have had any kids by now..... I know that I will never get that experience of knowing my daughters children.  She would've been a great mother, as Courtney will!  Like Vicki, Courtney is very caring, giving, loving and kind.  The exact traits I admired in my daughter.  


The universe has it's own rhythm, and life goes on no matter what..... I am very happy to have Courtney (and Cody, Brutus the adorable dog).. and now Carter in my life!

Happy New Year!

me taunting one of the jejurs who always teases me! at school  shin jil party!

me in the middle with my amazing dorm teacher counterparts!

cool fireworks in Suukbaatar Square

the fireworks extravaganza reminded me of July 4th at home

Mongolian President wishing the country a happy and prosperous new year

Since New Year's is the big holiday celebrated here in Mongolia, parties and celebrations abound!  I personally have attended more gatherings and festivities here than my usual at home.
This holiday season I attended the dorm students Shin Jil party, where the girls looked like prom goers and the boys very dapper!  It was rather low key this year; held at the dorm, in the dining hall.
Then was the teachers party which likewise, is extremely formal and quite a good time!  For New Year's Eve I came to the big city where many places are closed, as many families stay home and celebrate.  The gang of PCV's I hung out with managed to find an Irish Pub open, where I enjoyed pork and sauerkraut for dinner!
Fireworks and a televised speech by the Mongolian President were the highlights on the square in Ulaanbaatar at midnight.  Though there were mostly foreigners there, quite a few locals were also present.  

Father Winter at dorm party!

dorm girls having fun!

two of my favorite dorm boys, holding the new year's cards i gave all the students

along with Father Winter are the Snow Princesses and the Mini Santas

even the boys are all dressed up!

I don't usually make resolutions for the New Year, but I'd like to think that I'll continue to attempt to learn more about myself, work on my spirituality and make the world a better place however I can.  My new years wish for everyone is love and happiness, wherever and whenever you can find it.  Give love and it'll come right back to you.  Welcome 2012, Year of the Dragon.

Winter has arrived! the nine nines...

Winter has finally arrived along with the solstice.  Though it has seemed to me that the days are very short in terms of sunlight already, today is the shortest day of the year.  It doesn't get light until well after 8 a.m. now and is dark around 5:20 p.m.  I've already begun wearing long underwear (albeit light weight ones) for several weeks, as well as my wool sweaters.  This is a change from last year, when I thought my apartment was too warm, the wool sweaters too hot, and long johns uncalled for most of the time.  Is it true our bodies acclimate to the climate we live in?  If this is any indication, I'm going to be needing all that heavy long underwear I've kept!


In Mongolia the winter is one of the harshest.  This landlocked country, bounded on the south by the Himalayas and west the Siberian High, affects the winter weather and contributes to Mongolia having the highest atmospheric pressure during the winter.


Siberian High, also known as Russo-Siberian High/Anticyclone is a massive collection of cold and/or very cold dry air that accumulates and reaches it's greatest size and strength during winter.  The center of this high pressure cell or anticyclone is often lower than -40C (which is also equal to -40F).  This Siberian High is responsible for the severe winter cold, as well as the dryness (very little snow) in Mongolia.


The temperatures are pretty extreme, with winter weather below freezing for most of the country, from as early as mid October to as late as mid May.  Usually the months of October and April are hovering around the freezing mark.


Stats list that more than half of this country is covered by permafrost; soil temperature which is at or below the freezing point of water (0C 32F) for two or more years!  This permafrost can make building roads, construction and other infrastructure projects extremely difficult.  Wow...


Mongolians talk about the nine 9's of winter.  This measure of winter was originated hundreds of years ago when herders did not have modern methods of telling dates and is based on the lunar calendar.  It is said winter starts at the solstice (shortest day of sunlight annually) and is measured as 81 days total, 9 groups of 9 days, aka the 9 9's.  Back in the day herders could monitor the days by the following, very practical,  forms of measurement:


1st 9:    milk vodka congeals and freezes
2nd 9:   vodka congeals and freezes
3rd 9:    tail of a 3 year old ox freezes
4th 9:    horns of a 4 year old ox freezes
5th 9:    boiled rice no longer congeals
6th 9:    roads become visible
7th 9:    hilltops appear
8th 9:    ground becomes damp
9th 9:    warmer days set in


The 3rd and 4th 9's are said to be the coldest, so this is just the beginning.  I do recall being told last year that after Tsgan Tsar (the Lunar or White Moon celebration) the weather breaks and it's not as cold.  I found that to be true.  I have heard that Tsgan Tsar this year will start on the 24th of February.  The celebration runs for 3 days, ending on February 26th, which happens to be the last day of the 9 9's.

the kids hard at work on their tree...

the tree was in 3 parts that they colored..

hard at work cutting out paper decorations

placing of the ornaments was a painstaking process

look at our tree!!!

wow, that's some gorgeous tree!

 During this, my second "holiday season" in Mongolia, I realized the dorm students did not have a tree to enjoy last year.  Since I've come to know that this season of merriment is a special time of year, even in a predominately Buddhist country, I decided the dorm kids must have a tree of their own!

With limited resources to purchase a tree, it dawned on me that our arts and crafts club, (sponsored by World Vision) would make a lovely tree out of paper!  Thursday at our weekly session, the kids did just that!  They had lots of fun and now have a tree to admire and wish upon, as children everywhere do.


Many holiday traditions are similar here in addition to having a tree.  Greeting cards are common as are small gifts for children.  I have already made over 100 simple "Happy New Year" cards to give to my students this year; I can't wait!  There is  general feeling of goodwill and friendliness that always warms my heart.  Shopping for decorations, gifts, cards and fancy clothes for parties is in full swing now, as I just witnessed in the local market place this afternoon.   


School children usually have as well as a performance, a party at school, where they dance and get dressed up.  Last year I attended the dorm party, which was lots of fun, as well as the teachers party, which was a wild and crazy event!
I'm looking forward to sharing in those celebrations again, and even here across the world, I enjoy the festive atmosphere.  Wishing all of you warm greetings of the season, and the best in the new year......

Where does the time go?

How can it be December already?  And only one post last month.... where does the time go?  Much has happened during this stretch, including a broken camera, which is now repaired, thank goodness.  However, now I am in the city again for dental without my computer so no photo postings till I return back home.

Some highlights of the month include a dorm room competition which my friends were kind enough to judge.  The notice had been posted 3 weeks and of course the entrants were very last minute.  The kids had fun and the top 3 places won gifts from me.  A fun hand made award certificate, suitable for hanging in their dorm room. The biggest reserved for 1st place, smaller ones for second and third.  

First place also won an Uno deck of cards, a small dictionary and some cookies and jello packs.  (the jello come in a bag and have little individual jello shots in plastic containers...kids love em!)

Second place got their certificate, as well as food items and a deck of birds of america playing cards.  Third place winners got the food and certificate.  Most of the kids sang, some danced, recited poetry, a couple of gymnastics feats and a magic trick!  It was a good time!

Cooking club this month was making salads.  We used carrots and cabbage and made variations of slaws, including a carrot raisin salad with mayo which was a big hit.  Kudoos for vegetables!  Gotta start somewhere!

I enjoyed a huge Thanksgiving celebration with my PC family here in Ulaanbaatar.  PC made many turkeys and volunteers brought sides....yummy leftovers were enjoyed as well as the fun and fellowship of the day!

Here in the city for my ongoing dental saga, which is going surprisingly well.  Thank goodness for the staff at Perfect Dental, who are trained in Europe and very kind and very good at their trade!

It's difficult to explain to my director why I am in the city so long, why they are working so hard on my teeth.  Cultural differences.  

World Aids Day was celebrated here in UB with PCV's doing a great job putting together a program involving university students.  Most of the volunteers in the city teach at local university's and the kids were interested and involved.  Yea, since I was not at site to do something on a local level.  I may still attempt to do an AIDS lesson upon my return and maybe a poster contest.