Training: Sukhbaatar Bagh 5

This past summer was an amazing one. It was like a cross between summer camp and Spanish class, throw in a little bit of AmeriCorps and a lotta bit of something I have never experienced before. It was radically different from how life is now. It was perfect.

What follows is the most authentic voice from those days, some journal excerpts:

6 June 2007, 7:15 a.m., Wednesday (my very first entry)

I do not know how often I will make entries to this journal, perhaps only when it feels right will I do so. This morning marks such a time, the first time. Much has happened, too much to fully recount. In brief, however, we’ve thus far been on a constant move. From Denver to Atlanta to Seoul to Ulaanbaatar to a ger camp (“ger”) to where we are now, Darkhan. To say that I am tired of hauling luggage around is somewhat of an understatement. Our accommodations, with each new location, have grown less comfortable (though none bad – far from it actually) – the Atlanta Hilton = American comfort at its finest and the Darkhan Hotel = Mongolian comfort. There is quite a difference.

Mongolia. This is such a beautiful country. It is also a country very much in need. The current PCVs see this place through an already time-colored lens. They see Mongolia, its people, its good and its bad for what it is – Mongolia. The ger camp, as pictures show, had all the comforts of the good life. We arrived there late in the night, a night as dark as dark can be. The stars were stunning and the excitement from all of us, my class of 48, readily apparent. We are finally here. We’ve seen these people we’ve waited so long to meet.

A morning hike. Deodorant. No enough sleep. Hite beer. Water. Blue sky. Mountains. Poverty. Change. Formal Clothing. Ambassador Minton. Sunlight at 4:30. Heat. Sweat. Sain bain uu. Mutton. Uncertainty. Relaxation. Hope. Inspiration. Questions. Fewer real answers. Planes. Buses. Walking. Exploration. Beginning. Sadness. Happiness. One day at a time.

10 June 2007, 6:20 p.m., Sunday

Today has been one of those momentous days – today I moved in with my host family.

The day began like several before it. I woke up in my single bed across the room from Cady. I took a shower and got ready. After breakfast we all packed our things, loaded them into Meekers (mini buses) and headed North to Sukhbaatar (10 mi. from the Russian border). Again, the sites were breath-taking. The mountains were beautiful in the morning rain and mist. Including our driver, the 8 of us (Julie, James, Cassandra, Allie, Chris and I) passed gers, horses (wild and otherwise), sheep, goats. What a magnificent morning drive.

When we arrived in Sukhbaatar Bagh 5, our host families were awaiting us. At the school where we will attend daily language, culture and job technical classes, in a small classroom, we aw for the first time the family members with whom we are to live for the summer. A sign above our heads read, “welcome to our school” in English. Now joined with the other half of our group, we all sat along a bench looking excitedly at a group of parents, siblings and grandparents.

First, one by one, we stood and took, from a young girl, a sip of milk tea (tsai) in a traditional metallic cup. We each sat after we sipped. When done, one of our language teachers called our names one by one to stand and meet our “family.” Now, with our families, we went back outside, unloaded the meekers, gathered our own things, said goodbye to one another for now and droves off to our “homes.”


Peter and his host mom


12 June 2007, 10:12 p.m., Tuesday

I’ve been told not to climb the highest peak in Sukhbaatar. Jacob and I will make our assent Saturday! Supposedly there are bears and wolves. How this is possible from looking out at it is beyond me. On the other side is Russia. I’ve also been instructed not to take photos of Russia as there may be soldiers there. Now that I believe. Bears and wolves? Not so much. Saturday!

14 June 2007, 9:45 p.m., Thursday

CADY STOPPED BY LAST NIGHT!!!

15 June 2007, 8:01 p.m., Friday

I think I am really fortunate to have gotten the group that I have here in SB5. Today after class a bunch of us (Dwan, Jacob, James, Rachel, Philip, Cassandra and Allie) went to a del guur (store) and got some liquor and beer and sat out on some stone slabs in a field behind a haasha (fence/family property) and talked. It was great to hang out. We certainly didn’t have much to drink and not everyone drank, but it was cool to hang out and celebrate the completion of our first week at our training site. …

3 July 2007, 6:42 p.m., Tuesday

Well, here we are, going back to Darkhan again. That hotel used to seem run down and a bit disgusting. Now all I think about is SHOWER, SLEEPING WITHOUT FLIES (p.s. just killed 2 in one swat!!), NO FAMILY RULES. Ahh, the little things.

Things to legitimately piss and moan about just because: 1) the holes in the screen in my window letting in countless dive-bombing flies (particularly irksome during the wee morning hours. 2) the inability to power (or charge) my beard trimmer and hair clippers. 3) Forgetting the rechargeable batteries and re-charger in the winter baggage.

30 July 2007, 1:50 p.m., Monday

The heat has been oppressive and debilitating. It’s been two weeks of this. There just hasn’t been much to say. The heat and humidity cloud all else. I’m told this is a hotter than usual summer. Lucky us.

29 August 2007, 10:16 a.m., Wednesday

This is truly the end of the magical mystery training tour. Time with friends is now limited. For that reason the tours [of UB] are more fun than might ordinarily be. In a matter of days we will part ways, spreading across the vastness of Monglia. Jacob and Dwan both to the Govi, different areas, of course. This ride has been a great one.

People begin to leave. We stay. More leave. We remain. Cady works. I hang out. I read. I eat. I walk. I eat. I watch movies. Internet. Cady works. I don’t.

Home. Wow. … This place is great. And compared to the other, really nice, too. We meet our landlords. … We get the tour, some family background. The father, living in the huudo (where the mother will live as the 17-year old daughter moves to UB for college) is a wolf hunter. They say we are welcome to visit them, that I can join in on a hunt. Ooh, buddie! This just gets better and better!