And a month later ...

... I'm back. It's been busy, so while I do finally have Internet close by, I have only managed to make it here 5 times since I've been here. But I'll be making a point to schedule a little Internet and up-date time.

For now, though, I am only going to attempt to post my address. Thank you, Sharyn, for making a TIFF. Hopefully it will show up in my profile. And, I think, it should be at the top of this post.

Hope all is well. Let me know how you all are. And, I promise, soon I'll update this site on all the happenings here in Uliastai.

My new home

So I’ve been at site for two weeks now and I haven’t posted anything to this site, nor have I taken many pictures here. I think I’ve only taken two since moving to this new town. The reason, I think, is that the end of summer and training felt like the end of a vacation. Now, work and responsibility begin. And what fun is that to write and read about? But, yes, I know, that’s where the good stuff is. So from now on I’ll try to write regularly and keep you updated on this not-so-carefree but much-more-important phase of my adventure.

The setting
Uliastai is a beautiful city. There are mountains surrounding the town and a river runs through the center. I’m told one of the mountains is used for skiing during the winter. The center of town vaguely resembles small-town America. But most of the residents live in gers. There are stores in every nook and cranny. Most are grocery stores, all of which sell the same products with one or two specialties to each. Yesterday we found some cheese -- a treasure here. Apparently a German veterinarian worked here for a couple years and convinced the store owner to bring the cheese from UB. A 20- to- 30-hour trip by jeep to UB is how all the store owners get supplies. So, for those willing to haul your requests back, it’s just a matter of promising to buy special supplies when they return. Other than grocery stores, there are salons at every turn.

There are also tons of huge dogs running around -- everywhere. For the most part, they ignore people and just attack each other. Interesting story (possibly a rumor) -- We’ve been told by multiple sources that every spring and fall small-time prisoners from the jail are given guns to shoot all the strays. But I see a problem with this story -- if they kill all the dogs in the fall, where does the next batch come from? I don’t think many puppies could survive the winters. Seriously, if you’re going to start a rumor, make it believable.

My ger is very nice, and pretty cozy. It’s a smaller ger, but that means it’s easier to heat. I have a non-functioning TV and a refrigerator -- so it’s pretty fancy.

The characters
I live in a hashaa (yard) with a woman who works at my school, her 29-year-old daughter and the daughter’s 3-year-old son. They also have a hashaa dog, who one day held me hostage in my ger. But I have since fed him some nice, juicy fat from the meat I bought, so now he’s my friend ... acquaintance, anyway.

I have 6 counterparts -- the English teachers I work with. Some are very good at English. A couple struggle to communicate with me. But they’re all eager to learn. They’re all, also, beautiful. I was joking that I’ve joined the cast of Mongolia’s “Sex and the City.” Four of them are married with children. They are all under 30. Three of them are my age, 24.

There are four other volunteers in my town. All guys (lucky me, right?). Two are teacher-trainers, one is TEFL (like me) and one is a health volunteer. One of the teacher-trainers is an M-15, so he gives us the lowdown on life here in Uliastai. For instance, he informed us that during the winter we will likely only have four hours of electricity a day. Hmmm ... thanks for the warning. One of these guys is from L.A. and another lived in L.A. for four years. This is a source of endless enjoyment for me, as they both face the oncoming winter with fear. The other M-16 is from Michigan. So while both of us will also soon be out of our element, at least we get a good laugh during the fall.

My role
Of course, I’m still trying to figure this out. So far, the list includes:
- English teacher for high school students
- English tutor for English teachers
- Teaching methodology trainer for English teachers
- English Club adviser

In town, I’m just one of the Americans. To my neighbors, I’m an extra responsibility and a personal home tutor. To the college students in town, I’m a novelty.

What’s interesting to me is that my image here is different. In Mongolia, I:
- am tall
- look my age -- most Americans look old to Mongolians.
- am beautiful -- This isn’t a self-deprication thing. In America, I’m average-looking. But here, I look like every blonde-haired, blue-eyed model/movie star/pop start they’ve ever seen on TV or in magazines. On my first day of school, a student asked me if I was in a movie. During training, my language instructor saw a drawing of Heidi Klum and asked if it was me. Of course, I said yes.

P.S. I dated it for the day I began this post. But for the record, and to clarify later posts, it wasn't actually on the site until Oct.31.