Teaching tomorrow

Training is flying by. We only have a month left. Tomorrow begins practice teaching. I’ll teach my first lesson to 15 or so students from my town. It’s their summer vacation, so it’s a voluntary class. But in my tiny town there were more than 60 students who registered. And for the following two days, mothers and fathers randomly came into our classroom (while we were learning Mongolian) and asked if we had room for their students. Our Mongolian teacher was visited at her home by her boss, asking if four other students could sign up. It’s nice to know they’re excited to learn. Although, we’re told that by the fourth week, we’ll be lucky to have 5 students. Eventually they realize there are more exciting things to do during the summer.

How’s the weather? ... Hot! During the past week, it’s been in the mid-90s. The sun is intense, and there’s no shade ... anywhere. Honestly, I have a better tan now than I ever had in Costa Rica. Although, I admit, that could be an exaggeration. The fact that I only take one or two showers a week confuses things. It’s hard to tell what’s tan and what’s dirt.

Interesting experiences:
~ I saw my first sandstorm.
~ I saw host mother throw milk into the sky, a daily ritual for her.
~ My host sister threw milk at me as I was leaving for UB. I’m pretty sure it was for good luck and not in hopes that I stay away.
~ My host mom’s back was hurting. To help ease the pain, the older daughter took 20 grains of wheat and moved each grain individually around her lower back, hovering above the skin. I think she was pinching the flour out of the grains.

What my host family is confused about:
Every Mongolian meal is steaming hot. Even lunch, when it’s 95 degrees, I’m eating incredibly hot food and drinks. So my nose is constantly running whenever I’m eating. At least once a week, my family asks me if I’m sick. I always say no, the food is hot. They nod their heads as if they understand. But they still ask. I can’t wait until I can speak better Mongolian and can explain these situations. I know they think I don’t understand or am making up answers. It’ll be nice to let them know I’m not crazy.