Close of Service Conference- The Beginning of the end of PC service

Last week we PCV's had our Close of Service Conference.  A chance to get together with friends we don't see often, and an opportunity to begin thinking about our transition.  

CYD rocks!!!L- Nate, Crystal, me, Brittany, Sharayah, Pete, Justin

redo of our original training group photo 

lunch at our fave place...American Burgers & Fries in UB

I cannot believe how close I feel to all my fellow CYD'ers...and how much I love this bunch!  Community Youth Development is one of the small sectors in Mongolia.


 Throughout our two years of service we have been in touch, some of us more closely than others.  Though I love the guys, it's the girls and I who have forged close relationships.  


Before I leave the country, I'll travel again to Brittany's site to help her celebrate her birthday and go way up north to see Crystal.

Crystal, me, Brittany, Sharayah

After our service, I'll be travelling with Brittany and Sharayah to Thailand and Cambodia.  We've loosely planned our journey to be very relaxed and slow, with lots of beach time to rest!

Girls of Ger 13

 Crystal won't be joining us on this trip as she and her boyfriend, Erka,(an adorable Mongolian man) are planning to return to the US together; he on a fiancee visa.  


This was probably the last time all 7 of us will spend time together as a group.  Hard to believe it's been almost 2 years since we all started on this amazing PC journey together.

Here we are during COS, right after the slide show.  Peace Corps has been an amazing ride which is now slowing down.  I must wait until the ride comes to a complete stop before disembarking; though now I am already mentally transitioning to the next phase.


I'm glad to have the next few months for reflection and the garden project I will get started before I leave.

Things I will miss about Mongolia

ah, the blue sky!

When pondering my time here and thinking about leaving Mongolia, there are many things I will miss. The students I've worked with, the friends I've made, the blue sky, Jalam Har beer, the quiet emptiness of the countryside.

The Journey Continues...aka the Fork in the Road

Life is filled with choices, options, decisions and forks in the road.  I am at one of those forks in the road again.  It seems that my 3rd year extension with Peace Corps to stay in Mongolia was denied.


I got this news days ago and have been "processing" it ever since.  The news was relayed through a phone call from the Country Director who was very gracious.  When I inquired about any possible appeal or reconsideration, the answer was no. I thanked her and hung up.


My head swirled with thoughts and emotions.  My initial reaction was one of anger and betrayal... how dare they (PC) not see the importance of these children I work with and find me worthy of staying another year?! Can't they see that my love and devotion to these kids, their school, this country is so important.....i kept thinking... It's not fair, blah, blah, blah...ad naseum.


Wallowing in self pity can only last so long, though I like to hold onto my self righteous anger. . . And so i did for a few days at least, until I was just sick of myself and my feeling wronged.
Honestly, remove the emotions from the situation and it can be seen for exactly what it is... a job applied for that was not offered to me.


PC has a limited budget, with only so many slots available for extensions.  According to PCM, this year there were a record busting number of applicants who wished to stay here and continue their work.  Of course several of my friends were accepted, and I have received many conciliatory calls and texts, and though still feeling a little miffed, I am happy for those who will be staying.


This whole situation also encouraged me to examine my own motivations and reasons for wanting to stay.  After all, a large part of my PC journey has been for me to learn and grow.  Disappointments and difficulties are opportunities to learn and grow and I need to go with the flow and see this event as such.


I really love and adore the students I've worked with, but whose to say that I wouldn't love and adore any and all students I will work with in the future?  I am comfortable living here in my town, in this country and perhaps was resistant to having to make a decision, to accept change again.  One thing I have learned about myself is that when I am comfortable though antsy for change at the same time, I need a nudge to forge ahead.  This is my nudge:)


The fork in the road can be seen up ahead in the distance.  August to be precise.  At that time I will have finished up my PC service.  I have some exciting plans to travel with Sharayah and Brittany to SE Asia for a few weeks, then to travel "home" to Ohio for a month long visit.  After that, I will be on to my next adventure.  For now I'm exploring the seemingly endless possibilities of where to go next.  There are many places abroad to teach English and I am leaning toward Eastern Europe; a totally different culture, landscape, people.  The world is my oyster, and I'm gonna need to take that fork.

Spring Fever....

can't wait for these to ripen!

nothin' like fresh salad!

Spring fever..... Many commonalities with the same antsyness I've experienced in the USA, but some differences too!  We know that technically Spring begins on the date of the Spring Equinox, usually 20th or 21st of March.  Here in Mongolia, we say Spring has arrived, not because of the equinox, or the arrival of crocus or snowdrops, but because the infamous "9 9's" of winter are over!!!!
The sun seems brighter, the hours of daylight longer, the air a little less nippy, though still freezing.  It's all a matter of perspective, isn't it?  No buds here for a long time however, as the ground is frozen still.  The arrival of Spring in my town is welcomed with snow!  Being in the Gobi we don't get much precipitation at all here, though we've enjoyed snow twice so far this month!  It almost feels warm and reminds me of Ohio, with a light snow falling and a moistness in the air that is usually lacking here!
I yearn to be outside more working in the soil, but that's impossible for now.... and I'm still rather lazy in my winter time hibernation mode!  Back in Ohio, I'd be readying to plant some sweet peas this weekend (St. Patrick's Day is perfect for this according to Martha Stewart:)  but here not till May I think!  I have started some flowers inside and still have my salad plants and herbs to tend to...though I really want to start some veggies for the garden now, though I think I"m still too early.  I dream of a green house that I still need to write the grant for....ugh....back to finishing the grant for the dorm windows, which is almost ready, though now I'm having trouble tracking down my letters of recommendation! 

 Collage is what I've been doing as a way of relaxing and not getting crazy cabin fever.... I tried quilting, knitting, drawing and nothing was quite what I wanted. I tried to get my Arts and Crafts Club kids excited about collage, but not so much.  I then realized I wanted to play with collage so this is my result...Kind of my spiritual journey since I've been in Mongolia.  The longer I'm here and the more things I learn about Buddhism, the more I still feel like a Unitarian Universalist with strong Buddhist leanings..

the whole collage

Some of my antsy feeling may be stemming from the current waiting game...I have applied for a 3rd year here in Mongolia and should know by Friday if I'm accepted, and I am nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs (as the old saying goes).  I am also hoping to be a trainer for the new class of volunteers coming to Mongolia in June.... Lots of irons in the fire, just want to know where I'm heading..... A new beginning elsewhere, or a new year beginning here.  As for this feeling of being antsy, this too shall pass.

me and Pete a few years ago:)

Speaking of new beginnings, if you know this cute guy (my eldest son Pete) tell him congratulations....he and his lovely lady Nicole, are expecting a baby in late Summer.

White Month is almost over....

White Month is more commonly known as Tsagaan Sar.  Since ancient times, Mongolia and other eastern and central Asian countries have followed the Lunar Calendar and the twelve year animal cycle.  The Lunar calendar was invented by Central Asian nomadic tribes.
This year is the Year of the Dragon and the prediction is that it will be a rainy year and floods may occur.  Extra rain sounds good, though I certainly don't want my garden to wash out!  I will definitely keep track of this prediction.

Soyombo and his lovely family!

Conan and Laura's first Tsagaan Sar!

traditional celebration with all the fixin's
that's Me on left

White symbolizes happiness, purity and an abundance of milk products.  If only I really liked these milk products, which are not at all like those I know and love at home.  The Tsagaan Sar celebration is to make everything new... starting a new year with a clean home, greeting elders, paying debts, making amends.  Sounds like New Year's all over again.... Oh wait..it is 




So this year I also tried my hand at making a non-traditional version of buuz, the famous holiday dumpling staple.....traditionally they are filled with mutton, but mine were teeming with veggies and soy meat...lots of garlic, carrot, onion, potato, turnip, cabbage green and red peppers all shredded and mixed together... We foreigners quite enjoyed them served with a little soy sauce sprinkled on top.

steamer on back on stove used to cook the buuz

filling dough pockets...

it's a time consuming process....

once you roll the dough, fill it, then crimp it together

my finished tasty pockets of veggies....

My friends and I ate some of the buuz at a party I hosted, though I made over 100 and still have some left in the freezer!  Unless you steam them right away, they must be frozen, then you steam them straight out of the freezer.

us girls posing with Marty's hockey stick... him and his hockey were the reason we went to the lake

but the best part was the goat turds I found!!!!

White month also included playing on a frozen "lake" and the almost 7 mile hike back from said lake one day.. There were six of us, bored and willing to spend the freezing day on an adventure...We found two cabs to drive us out there, setting us each back around $4.25.... told them we'd walk back.. I thought my legs would not make it, and fortunately for me, at the edge of town, when Conan reported we'd walked 6.6 miles, my friend Chuka and her kids saw us, waved me over and drove me home:)  Yep, I didn't care that the rest of my friends had to walk the remaining bit home....(Btw,My legs recovered nicely and weren't achey or sore later..:)

Valentine's Day comes to Mongolia...

having a good time!

 Here Valentine's Day is called Couples Day... I always say that you don't have to be part of a couple to celebrate!  Friends should be each other's valentine and enjoy the day!
A party at the dorm was just the thing:)
Games including a bean bag toss, tic tac toe marathon, musical chairs and guess the number of jelly beans in the glass jar added to the fun.
I love hanging out with these kids and they are all my valentines!

bean bag toss was a hit...

musical chairs

Altai with two of the musical chairs winners, they won these masks

me giving out my home made valentine's cards...

waiting in line to guess the number of jelly beans

Happy Valentine's Day!!

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