Barack Obama: A 5 Paragraph Essay

(On the left) Jessica and (on the right) Dana

This semester, my students were to write 2 5 paragraph essays. One was about a famous person. There other was about a country of the world. I am proud of all of my students because they gave a good effort and because they are learning how to compose an essay.

My favorite quote from the essays is from Jessica who drew a comparison of an aspect of her own culture to that of Italian culture: "Just like Mongolian airag, Italian wine is rated as a traditional and unique drink."

The best of the essays is below. I highlight this for two reasons: 1) the content and 2) the quality of her writing. Dana, the author, received a perfect score. I think you'll agree, she should be very proud of her work.


Name: Dana
Class: Grammar and Vocabulary English, ES306
Date: 05.Decemeber.2008
Assignment: About Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Great change is coming to America. Barack Hussien Obama overcame very difficult life when he was a child. Obama candidate Presidential election of the United States because he was honest and responsibility person. He elected 44th President of the US. He came in the world to change all Americans.

Barack Obama’s childhood was difficult. Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. When he was two years old, his parents divorced. His father died in an automobile accident. His mother died of ovarian cancer. Because of that he used marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol when he was high school. He obtained a lot of experiences when he studied in famous universities.

Using his abilities, he decided to candidate Presidential election of the United States. He stressed the issues such as ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence and providing universal health care. His campaign held successfully. Supporter of Obama was still increasing. How did he find confident of supporter? That was incredible. Of course, his family helped him a lot. Soon, it was become evident that he absolutely win.

Barack Obama won Presidential election of the US. Obama became first black President. All Americans voted for their 44th President. He will live White House officially on 20, Jan, 2009. His victory will bring change for all Americans. They hope that he never repeat Bush’s mistakes again. That’s why all American voted for him.

Now he need to prove he can change all America. Although his childhood was a difficult, he overcame his life problems. His election campaign became successfully. President of America is Barack Hussien Obama. If somebody has true mind and ability, maybe, you can reach your great purposes and change the world.

Works cited: Newsweek.com Jan, 14, 2008
Rollingstone.com July 10-24. 2008
www.google.com
www.america.gov

Meet Cady's Counterparts! (Old and New!)

It's time to put some faces with the stories you hear-- and I thought you might enjoy seeing who I spend a majority of my time with here in Mongolia, my counterparts! My agency has undergone a lot of transition in the time I've been here, starting as CHF's GER Initiative, moving into a local NGO, Development Solutions (still implementing the GER Initiative), and in April, they'll start a NEW Mongolian Agrobusiness Support Program (MASP).

These are the friends and Mongolians who have made my work here so enjoyable and rewarding.


My current supervisor, Suvdjamts (Sugi) and I celebrating the beginning of the new Development Solutions NGO.


Peter with Bagana, my first supervisor in Darkhan, now the Deputy Director of the program and still my really good friend.


All the wonderful women I get to work with everyday enjoying some cold weather at our all staff meeting in October! Mooni, Aidya and Zolbo are three of my newest female counterparts.


My counterpart Ataraa, who along with Sugi, keeps us in stiches. He and I are always laughing, speaking MongLish.


Khulan, our current Administrative Officer and Translator, who makes sure I always understand what's happening and helps me with everything. I couldn't survive here without her!


Gereltzam, a former business advisor just left our office to start a new job. It's not the same without her!


Ulzii, our former Administrative Officer has also left recently to start a new job. She was amazing to work with, and Peter and I were very lucky to have her handle all of our housing and settling in! I miss her!


Amaraa, who left recently to study abroad was wonderful to work with! (We're making the standard Mongolian photo pose with the Peace sign!)


It's a great office, so much energy, motivated and hardworking! I know I'm a very lucky PCV!

Ninja Halloween

I’m generally not a fan of holidays, especially when I’m required to dress up, but this year I really did enjoy Halloween with my students. My 28th Halloween was their first.

The day before the class as a whole was sure they’d be unable to get costumes. They explained they’d never done Halloween before and that outside of the capital there simply weren’t any costumes for the finding. In their minds, a costume was a purchased item. Calming their fears, I told them they’d need only to be creative and paint their faces, use clothing from home. It’s more fun, I explained, when you’ve created your costume.

The next day, I showed up to class to discover a room full of pirates and mummies and gangsters and superheroes and masked ghouls and women of devilish dispositions. Faces were hidden behind paint, masks and ear to ear smiles. As I entered the classroom, they swarmed me, yelling: “Boo!” and “Wa ha ha!” I doubled over in laughter.

Not yet disguised, partly in dread fear of my own humiliation, they asked: “You do not wear costume, Mr. Gerlach! Why?”

“It’s okay. It’s okay. I have a costume. It’s in the teacher’s room next door, but I won’t wear it until later.”

You’d think I’d just told them that Chinggis Khan was Chinese. “NO! NO!” they roared. “NOW! YOU MUST PUT ON NOW!”

Caving in to peer pressure, I went across the hall and changed. When I re-entered, I was greeted by a roomful of uncontrolled laughter and flashing phone cameras. “What are you?” one student asked.

“I’m a ninja” I said, as I let fly my tinfoil-clad cardboard sword. Somehow I don’t think it was my weapon that caught their attention. It might rather have been the black, almost skin-tight long underwear get up covering me from head to toe.

I had to go with it. I got into character and attacked the pirates. The students loved it.

“Now what should we do?”

“We scare other classes!”

And with that, our dark army entered the hallway. We gathered and readied ourselves and then charged into a nearby classroom taught by one of my counterparts. Lightly pushing each other, we screamed them into confusion. I, on the other hand, knowing that if this was a one time deal, was going to make the most of it. As the students’ scares softened, I ran about the room swinging my sword, calling out: “Hee yah! Hee yah!” I went after sitting students. I chopped down my counterpart.

On our way out, we parted with: “Happy Halloween!”

That attack plan repeated until we’d scared all of the classes on the third floor. I couldn’t stop laughing.

Next was apple-bobbing. Seventeen of us, students and teachers alike, put our faces into the cold water to retrieve the apples. The event brought to their faces a genuine, childlike joy, a Halloween innocence that I’ll never take for granted again. I stood back and thought: now this is a great Peace Corps moment. I might have an undependable memory, but those smiles are going to be hard to forget.

After exchanging a little candy, we cleaned up the party and I went back to my office.

Twenty minutes later, as I was chatting with my counterpart about Halloween, there came a rap on the door. It was the students, sans costumes. “What’s up, everybody?” I asked. Instead of a reply, they all looked at each other and giggled. I lowered my head and continued whatever I was working on. I heard camera clicks. I looked up and gave a perplexed smiled. Arms extended, half of them were clicking away. I felt like a celebrity. Then, a few stood behind me. Cameras flashed again. Finally, they collectively gathered round me and asked Suvda, my counterpart, to take a group shot. I gave her my camera too.

To this day, the students haven’t explained to me the post-party photo shoot. Whatever their reasons, that picture is one of my favorites of me with them. I’m really going to miss them when I go back to America.

A World to Admire

At last I have finished the world map. A project I expected would take 4 days when we started, took a little over 40 hours in 6 days to complete. Due to the scale of the map and my own perfectionism, I grew quite familiar with that wall, spending days of 9, and even 11, straight hours drawing, painting and fixing mistakes. I look at it now and think about all the time and effort we put into it.

It stands 6.43 feet in height and stretches 12.86 feet in length along a well-chosen hallway in my school. It is in a spot where students pass by each day.

As far as I know, 3 other PCVs have done a similar map project in their former schools. Some are bigger, some smaller. Some are more accurate, others not so much. On over all aesthetic appeal, ours is hard to beat.

I, and the student and faculty general population, owe a lot to those who helped me with this project. 19 people, in a variety of roles, worked to complete what is now a beautiful and well-used map of the world, a gift to our school for students to use for decades to come.

Each of the four corners gives a little something extra to the map. In the top left, the school’s logo, and in the top right, the Peace Corps logo. In the bottom left we put a compass and in the bottom right the signatures of those who participated in the creation.

When it was all finished, I had a small opening ceremony. I gave my thanks to those who worked on the project, talking about the many stages and the long hours. Next, each person who helped me (including the cleaning ladies who put the first coat of light blue down and the security guard who helped edge the perimeter in black) signed the map. Finally, I played a slide show on my computer of the 50 plus pictures taken over the last 6 days set to R. Kelly’s “The World’s Greatest.” Sure, it’s Kraft cheesy, but everyone seemed to enjoy it.

I often stand at a distance and watch students point to countries in all corners of the planet. Each time I stop by, it’s a different group of students whose faces read the gamete of expressions: excitement, confusion and pride. Its accessibility and easy-to-use nature makes the educational value more than apparent. Yeah, I’d say the 20 bucks and week’s work was well worth it.

A Countryside Wedding

As I walked home after work, I thought about what I might be getting myself into. Only weeks earlier had I told my counterparts that I really wanted to see a real Mongolian wedding, a countryside affair. Jokingly, I had told the only single female of the group, Uyangaa that she has only 10 months to wed before time was up, before I’d be on my way back to America. Now one of my students was getting married. What luck! And Khugjmaa, a sort of surrogate mother figure to me, made, on my behalf, unbeknownst to me, a request for invitation to the nuptials. How fortuitous! I could not help but wonder, though, what does a traditional countryside Mongolian wedding look like? What part would I take in it? I knew that many Mongolians were now getting married at wedding palaces, either in Darkhan, or, more likely, in Ulaanbaatar (UB). That, however, was an option generally reserved for those with money and an interest in celebrating in a more “western” style, an option I guessed Dulamsuren’s (Allie’s) family never once considered. The only thing that I was sure of was that the wedding I would be attending tomorrow morning would likely be nothing like my own and that my living in Mongolia only opened the limitlessness of possibilities. As for the rest, I’d just have to wait and see.

Click here to read more!

Healthy and Happy!

Cady and Peter at Empire!

(This one's for the moms!)

Cady working at the 2008 Darkhan Harvest Trade Fair

Peter teaching General English students

The First 3 Weeks

The first 3 weeks of this semester have been…a familiar sort of strange. I am no longer surprised at each turn like I was a year ago. Sure, I still often pause in disbelief. I still question the logic of…well, too many things to list. I’m just thankful it’s now and not a year ago. In many ways, Mongolia, Darkhan, my school, is more “normal” than what I imagine America being like.

So far, it has gone like this:

My school again declared that the first day of classes would be one week before the generally accepted day of the opening of all Mongolian schools, 1 September.

The opening day ceremony was held one week after classes were supposed to start. I gave a speech in Mongolian. Of the 2,000 students our school has, 100 or so came.

I taught my first class 2 weeks after classes were supposed to start. Half of the students were there.

Many students have not shown up for classes, citing various reasons for their absence. Even more have not finished registering for their classes, citing various reasons for their indolence.

My teaching schedule has changed 5 times.

We have 3 new English teachers this semester. One is Malaysian. She is part-time. She started last week. One is Mongolian. She is part-time. She started last week. One is Russian. She is full-time. She hasn’t come yet.

I am now team teaching. This is new for us all. I am teaching 3 different classes with my 3 main counterparts: Technical English with Khugjmaa, Grammar and Vocabulary with Suvda, and General English with Uyangaa. The first 2 are with the above-mentioned seniors. The 3rd class is one section of (dare I say) upper level general English students. The planning sessions were great. The actual teaching together has been great.

I am learning how to teach English to an entire class of very beginner English students. Surprisingly, I haven’t had to do that yet. It’s like being back at host site during training. It’s been a lot of fun.

After one week of classes, all the 4th course (senior) Interpreter Engineering students (the group of 15 that I taught the most last year), are now on a two-week break. With no preparation, they are doing Teaching Practice. They will be teaching English to various schools around Darkhan. 1 student has very limited teaching experience. The others...well...

I put a new sign on the door above which reads: “please knock on the door before you enter” on our English office. I also switched desks with one of my counterparts. I was getting really annoyed by all the students opening our office door, peeking in for no apparent reason and closing the door again. How many times can a person say “khaalag togshoroi” (please knock on the door)? It’s one of the few things I still haven’t gotten used to. The project has had mixed results.

I have found a new way to commute to school. It’s a great 15 minute trek. While I walk, I read and listen to music. With the way some Mongolians look at me, you’d think I’d just stepped out of a space ship. He’s not looking ahead while he’s walking. He’s reading…a book. Crazy white man.

I have been “interviewing” students starting for an English club that will begin on 1 October. The club will be for good speakers looking for an outlet to improve their abilities. About half of the interested students have been stumped by: “Please talk about yourself for 1 minute.” Many, though, have been rather impressive.

I met a new and fascinating Mongolian. His name is Buren Scharaw. He lives and works in Germany. He has been there for the last 34 years. He speaks amazing English (and Mongolian and German)…with a thick German accent. Many Mongolians I talked to think he is very un-Mongolian. He manages a water supply and treatment project in the UB/Darkhan area. He comes to Mongolia every month or 2. On his next visit to Darkhan, in mid-November, he has promised to bring bratwurst and perhaps even sauerkraut for a grill-out at our place. Pardon me as I drool.

I am an English teacher in Mongolia. By my calculations, since school “began” 22 (well, 16, if you don’t count weekends) days ago, I have taught 10 classes. I “should have” taught 33 by now.

I wonder what the next 3 weeks will (or won’t) bring. Hmm…

Thankfully Some Things Don’t Change

Brett Favre may not be our quarterback anymore, but round 2 of Peace Corps/Mongolia Green Bay Packers football is definitely on! I knew it was back because last Tuesday for the first time in months I was back at it, in my Darkhan office glued to the computer watching little moving green and yellow and purple and yellow lines moving back and forth across the screen. Monday Night Football. Packers. Vikings. Lambeau Field. Last second victory. Rodgers, the hero. 24-19. Relief.

Last night I went to bed with that familiar nervous itch. This morning I woke to the I-just-gotta-knows. I had set my alarm for 8 a.m., but at 7:14 I decided I could wait no more. I got up, got dressed and got myself to a computer. Another familiar feeling: the all too long computer loading process. Logging in. Typing nfl.com. Loading nfl.com. Waiting. Nervousness. Scanning the scores. Jubilation. Packers 48. Lions 25. But, of course. Rodgers is the hero once again.

It amuses me to think that this is the most “normal” thing I will experience in my office or at my school all day long. Thank God for the Packers.

I Hate Mosquitoes

It all began when I was a trainee. I had this funny thing about flies. I hated them. I invested time, effort and even money to kill as many as I could. And, I didn’t have to go out of my way to find them. They found me. Mongolia, and my host family’s house, has more than its fair share of the winged fiends. Even as I write now (I am in my office at my university) there are 3 buzzing about making this entry all the more appropriate. Anyway, every night last summer I had a ritual. I would encircle the room, swatter in hand and vengeance in my heart, looking for the next opportunity to strike! I circled the room dozens of times for up to an hour each night before lying down for bed. For keeping me up and waking me early in the morning all too regularly, I learned to kill with precision and with what is probably an unhealthy sense of excitement and satisfaction. It kept me going, kept me bloodthirsty. I had the time and I certainly had plenty of motivation. Over the course of the summer I got quite good at it…and talking about it. My site mates recall numerous days and one particular evening when I carried on with a drunken diatribe about flies, how they knew what they were doing, that they enjoyed messing with me and how my battles with them were nothing short of epic. To this day, I get somewhat regular text messages from people sharing their own displeasure for and encounters with flies. I console them and give advice. You might say I’m somewhat of an authority on the subject. Sadly…and amusingly…flies are one of the things I remember most about my time as a trainee.

Moving forward...

Since moving to our new apartment I’ve found a new foe. Sure, there are still flies, but their numbers hail in comparison and they don’t keep me from sleeping. I see it like this: the game is the same, the opponent has changed. I still encircle the room but now I am looking for mosquitoes. They’re smaller. They hide better. They bite. And when struck they sometimes explode (can you see the smile spread wide across my face?).

The other night, I had a particularly epic battle with the skeeters in our bedroom. I was a man obsessed, spending countless hours staring at walls and ceilings in hopes of finding those vampiric little freaks. I was now well beyond a before bed ritual. I was now well beyond hoping for colder weather that would kill them all. I had now been woken from my sleep several times, thinking each time that I had assassinated the last one. It was as if they had either risen from the dead, popping off the walls and ceilings, or they were waiting in line, the next one waiting 15 minutes until I’d turned the light off again and gone back to bed to make his strike. More likely, of course, there was an entry point I had since left unaccounted. When I first turned off the light and laid down it was 11:00 p.m. I’d spent a half hour making sure the room was clear of mosquitoes. In the last 2 hours, then, the stats were as follows:
30 minutes of bad sleep
90 minutes of trying to calm down and fall back asleep
4 times getting up, turning the lights on and clearing the room
11 dead mosquitoes
1 pissed off insomniac.

I’d had enough.

You might be asking, Why did he let it get so bad? Why didn’t he get up sooner and figure out a better plan? Well, in previous nights it has sometimes taken 2-3 rousing to extinguish the threat. And, in my delirium, I didn’t know what time it was or how long I’d been at this.

In 2 and half hours I was over the double digit mark. 11. That’s just too damn many in one night, in one room.

I killed 2 more. 1 on the wall behind the bed. 1 on the ceiling near the door.

At 1:30 Custer made his last stand and decided to change history. I opened the bedroom door (moving the stool that is there at night to keep the door closed…yup, ah huh) and retrieved a roll of scotch tape and a scissors. I came back in, returned the stool to its post and threw open the curtains. I proceeded to tape up the windows, taping every conceivable entry point. As I taped I could see my reflection the window. A dark smirk stared back.

Just then 3 mosquitoes swarmed me. The jig is up! I’ve never seen mosquitoes move like that (I exaggerate not…well, a tiny bit, but it was crazy how they encircled and swooped around me). My training in the fly wars came back to me. I retaliated. I located my holstered swatter, unsheathed it and took to combat. 1 down! 2 down! Ha, ha, take that! 3 down!

I finished up the taping, double and triple checking my work. The perimeter was secure.

Next, I checked every wall and the whole ceiling for more access points. Nothing.

By 1:58 a.m. the bleeding had stopped.

I went back to my side of the bed (oh, Cady was asleep in the living room...we both had colds and didn't want to make the other sicker...I probably should have mentioned that earlier...anyway), placed the tape and scissors on the end table and the swatter just beside the bed on the floor (its nightly locale…always at the quick and ready). I sat down and looked at my pillow. To my chagrin, but more so to my satisfaction, there was a bloodstain on my pillowcase. I thought back, smiling, Yeah, I remember killing that one.

I took out a pad of paper and a mechanical pencil (they’re the only ones I’ll use…just a side note). Before I would forget the night’s events I sat down and wrote a few details. I’m definitely writing a blog about this.

I looked at my alarm clock. It read 2:18. I got up, turned off the light and climbed back into bed.

I slept soundly for the remainder of the night…dreaming of conquest, I’m sure.

Home, Sweet NEW Home

We have moved to...the other side of town...

Actually, we are really rather pleased with our new home. In a way it's as if we've earned an upgrade. And, this place is an upgrade:

- A real entryway
- A kitchen with lots of cupboards (at last, storage space)
- A kitchen sink with an additional water filter tapper
- Real wood floor hallways
- A nook large enough for a small office space
- A 2nd bedroom (which is now our gym equipped with bench, weights and Gazelle)
- A real toilet with push-button flushing action and a real 2-part toilet seat
- A real sink that has its own faucet
- A bad ass shower with a high-power shower head
- A better location:
3 minutes from the post office
2-5 minutes from Darkhan's best restaurants
Peter is now 15 minutes from school, not 50 (Cady still gets driven to work in the CHF jeep)
1-10 minutes from Darkhan's best grocery stores
- Out of an apartment owned by the craziest Mongolian we have ever met

There's only one thing we really miss from our old home: the comfy furniture. Well, there's also our wonderful local delguur (store) owner and the great neighborhood kids. They will be missed.

A little history/info.: this apartment was used by Peace Corps programmers this last summer during training. Knowing that our landlord was only going to give us 1 month to vacate, we visited this apartment the night we checked out all the soon-to-be available apartments we knew of in Darkhan. It wasn't even our plan to stop by, but it was recommended to us along the way by a Mongolian friend. What luck. We found out that this apartment was owned by the director of the nicest bank in Darkhan, a man with quite a bit of social clout.

We are both very happy to have a fresh start for year 2 and we are excited to finally be in our new home. After a month of waiting, we are finally moved in and almost ready to take photos to share with all of you.

And I'm back...

The PCMO (Peace Corps Medical Officer) gave me a whole lot of stripable free weights from his personal gym this past weekend. I'm working out at home now, but I'm back in business...

Gym No More

Today is a sad, sad day. I was told that I can no longer go to my gym. The owner came into gym 15 minutes into my session and notified me that the lease has run out on the woman who runs the gym. I didn't even ask if the gym would be re-opened with him as manager or someone else because he made it very clear that I should not return. What can you say to that?

The most difficult part of all this is that going to that gym has been my mental health outlet. I have really relied on that gym.

The other difficult part is that I thought that the woman who ran the gym (one of Cady's clients) and I were friends. We had such a good relationship. She came into the gym a week ago with another man who was clearly a potential buyer looking at the equipment. She told me that everything was fine and that I shouldn't worry. My guess is that she could not afford the gym anymore. She recently took out a very large loan and I don't think that her regular clients were really paying regularly. It was business venture that was just too large and complicated for her. I wish she would have told me this herself.

I've spoken with our medical officer here and he is going to give me some dumbells to use at home. Coupled with a home work out dvd I hope to be getting from America, I think that I will be just fine. The sessions will be different, but that's okay. I will just have to be a little more creative now.

The Thrill of the Chase

I recently learned a very valuable lesson about life in the Mongolian countryside.

It was the last day of English Language Vacuum Training #2 (see previous Vacuum Training #1 blog entry if unfamiliar) and my PCV cohort, Brody, and I decided to go on a hike with the participants. Well, the teachers (as many Mongolians do) preferred to stroll out a bit, find a nice spot, sit down and relax with a little alcohol and some food. Brody and I, however, were up for a little more challenge. So, with our summit looking right at us in the distance, he and I went on ahead.

We were having a good time, talking about previous hikes we'd been on. We were making good time. We went quite a ways away from the others, making our way down a deep gully, then up again and then across a wide valley and onto a worn path to the top of a ridge. At the base of the ridge, on the other side, I honed in on two things: the base of the mountain where we would begin our ascent and a pretty well-developed ger and hashaa. Brody turned the other direction to gaze out on where we had come from and to see where the other teachers had stopped on the distant, first tall hill we'd crossed 45 minutes before. I was about to go for my camera when I saw imminent danger.

"Hey, Brody, turn around for second. Look down there."

"What?"

"Those dogs are coming for us...and fast!"

"Oh, sh*@!"

With the speed of a Mongol horde, 4 large dogs were racing from the hashaa, across the valley and up the ridge we had been standing on. Immediately Brody and I took off running. We could see that we could not match their speed and that within seconds they would be on top of us. We were running for our lives, frantically looking for sticks and rocks. There weren't any. We continually looked back to check their progress. We braced ourselves for the worst.

In the time that we ran 50 yards, the dogs had probably covered a distance of about 400 yards. They were big, fast and had a single thought on their minds: attack.

As we fled down the long ridge slope we continually looked at each other with equal dread fear and inextinguishable excitement. There are few times in my life when I thought I was going to die. This was one of them.

Just as we discovered a few frail sticks we noticed that the herder, riding on his horse, had topped the ridge. He'd called off the hunt.

Now safe, Brody and I could not help but laugh at our good fortune. How close we had come. It was terrifying. It was exhilarating. It was even...fun?

Whatever it was, it was intense and it has opened my eyes to how life really is on the steppe.

One YEAR!

Well, we made it! It's been a year (TODAY!), and we're so happy to share with all of you that we are happy, healthy, and time has been flying by! It's hard to believe that only one year ago we knew very little about our future home, spoke no Mongolian, and were flying by the seat of our pants. Today, we speak a little more Mongolian, know more about our current home of Mongolia, although we're still flying by the seat of our pants!

Trafficking In Persons

One secondary project I spend a lot of my time on is "Trafficking in Persons," or "TIP", related issues. I sit on the TIP committee for Peace Corps Mongolia, put together training materials for other PCVs to use, give trainings around town to different groups, and work with Mongolian NGOs focused on TIP issues to improve PCV collaboration.

In March, another PCV, our Mongolian counterpart, and I had a hugely successful event-- over 600 high school students attended a training at the local theater, sponsored by the Darkhan Student Union and Women's Union. There was the traditional Mongolian pomp and circumstance, many speeches preceeding our training, a giant sign with logos, and all the traditional Mongolian "event" makings. It was fantastic to see such a large audience reached and awesome to think about making that many people aware of the topic and increasing their awareness of TIP, travelling abroad, and making smart decisions about work/study abroad opportunities.


One of the many speeches preeceding our training

But today, on a smaller, but possibly more effective scale, today I gave a training to 50 college students studying to be social workers. There was no stage, no bright lights, and certainly no speeches by the aimag governor. But these social workers will be the people placed in local government houses, local schools, and hospitals. These women and men will be the ones who can have a direct and real impact on the people and communities they will serve. They were engaged, interested, and feverishly taking notes. They will be the people who can identify vulnerable and at-risk youth, and now armed with the information about TIP issues in Mongolia, hopefully they can make a difference.

It's times like today when I realize scale isn't important-- it's the quality and capacity for development and improvement of those involved.

A "Rocky" Moment

Usually when I run to the gym I am met with wide eyes and dropped jaws. I may as well have green skin and 3 heads. Some people pivot their heads and watch me run passed. Some stop and watch in awe or bewilderment. Some, usually those in front of me, clear far out of the way. Most of the amazed and confused are older people, though the ages really range.

Generally, I waive to the children as I run passed. Usually, I get a smile and a waive back. The young people are the ones who are entertained and/or genuinely interested/intrigued by the large, white running man.

Yesterday, I had a "Rocky" moment. You remember from the original what happens when Rocky Balboa is full into his training and running through the streets of Philadelphia? That's right. Kids excitedly ran alongside and behind him. Now, I didn't have a mob, but I did have two boys, middle school-aged, who, when they saw me, picked up their pace and ran with me all the way to the gym. This is a good 10-minute run, some of it downhill and some uphill. A couple times in the past I've had kids run with me before, but never for this long.

Occasionally I even see others running for recreation. Hmm.

Cady tells me that every once and a while clients entering her office mention that they saw the large, white running man running by and isn't that her husband?

Yup, jog fever appears to be catching on!

Watching Mongolia Go By

After running home from the gym or coming back from a long run in the hills, I like to sit on the steps leading up to the doorway of our apartment building. Listening to my iPod, I take at least 15 minutes just to watch Mongolia go by.

Whether cold enough to see my breath or warm enough to strip layers, I look forward to getting home, to cooling down and taking in those few stolen minutes out of the day when I can think about anything and nothing.

It gives me an opportunity to “stop and smell the roses.” Or, the smoke from a dozen or so fires set to remove the weeds around the nearby school. I can relax and enjoy the sun and cool breeze. Or, I can nervously anticipate which kid will plummet to his/her death climbing and jumping from one tattered building top to another. I can enjoy my music in peace. Or, the incessant horn-honking as one car impatiently awaits someone who doesn’t seem to be coming can rattle my cage. I never really know what’s going to happen.

I waive to the kids, smile at the young people who pass by and say “Sain bain uu, ta?” to the older folks approaching the doorway.

I gaze out, passed the many apartment buildings, on the mountains in the distance. In the other direction, looking west, I can watch as the sun sets behind the towering white Buddha.

And in my little corner of Mongolia, early morning, mid-afternoon or night, this really is one of my favorite places to be, one of my favorite times of the day.

Student Compositions (#2)

These are some more homework responses from my students. Enjoy!




Why is Mongolia a special country? What is good about Mongolia? What is bad about Mongolia?

Allie – 31 Mar

I lived in Mongolia. Mongolian is the pride of my. The Gobi Desert occupies almost 30 percent of our country vast terriotory. The Mongolian Gobi has high mountain, cold springs, evergreen forest gold sands, Suhkbaatar square is one the beautiful place in UB. The national holidays are celebrated Sukhbaatar. Bad – Mongolian is no grape, appicot, plum



If you could travel back in time to 1597 in England (When Romeo and Juliet was written), what would you ask William Shakespeare? Why?

Ashley – 8 April

I would ask Why are you killed Romeo and Juliet at the ending of the movie William Shakespeare. Because its question very important for me. I watch a very much this movie on TV. I like Romeo and Juliet.

Rachel – 7 Apr

I would ask William Shakespeare why did you kill the Romeo and Juliet in play. I think that they must live. Because their death is stupid.

Dana – 8 April

First, I would see him very carefully. I would introduce myself and mention about Mongolia. I am lucky one. Because god gave me a chance to meet you. I am very glad that. And then I would ask him “Why were you write play which is call Romeo and Juliet?” “Why?” “Was it your love story or not…?” “Why were you decide to die main characters?” “Was Juliet beautiful woman appeared like movie?” Was it real story or not…?”

Jessica – 8 April

I’d say William Shakespeare that you are the greatest writer of all period and I’d want to become his apprentice. After I’d talk to him about his famous plays. I’d be together with him during his writing period. But I won’t disturb him. Because I want to know about his writing style and inspiration.

Emily – 8 Apr

I would say William Shakespeare, you are an very talented author and I appreciate you. So, I would say to ask write about my life. Because I work together with him. After study from him lots of knowledge, I expect that would become the famous author. I wish people read the plays, written by myself.

Anni – 8 April

Shakespeare is very famouse not only in Europea but also all around the world people knows about Shakespeare. If I meet with him it will be golden chance for me. I will ask from he. Why do you know about other places? you never been there. Are you real or not? Do you write by your self or somebody help you? Why Rome and Juliet should die? Why they don’t need to live long together?



Why is telling the truth and being real difficult?

Emily – 1 Apr

It is very difficult to lie someone because I don’t want to suffer my parents heart. I can’t tell lie because of afraid from someone. I like tell truly to people anything. Never! Don’t be lie.



Why is slavery good?

Dana – 8 Apr

I think it is false/wrong question. Because slavery is very bad word. Slavery is very bad thing. It violates of human and person’s right. It is an oppression to someone labour. I heard it before from American Early life/maybe latin America. Some slave is almost black people. I read about the book, called “Half-caste woman.” Slaves lived bad environment and do many difficult works. At the end, I want to tell again, slavery is not good thing.



What is your worst nightmare?

Alicia – 19 Apr

My worst nightmare is about die. I was walking desert ground. However I suddenly to fall in hole. Just when have a dangerous and terrible me. How awful!

Vacuum Anyone?

Last Sunday, I came back from a week in the countryside.

A couple months ago, my director asked me if I would lead a week-long English language training for the teachers of my school. She explained that 12 teachers would attend, two from each department. She also explained that this seminar would be called “Vacuum Training.”

Being that this seminar was seven days long, I decided to enlist the help of two other PCVs. The first, Rachel, came for Monday and Tuesday. Chris came later in the week, staying from Thursday until Saturday midday. Needless to say, I am more than thankful that I got a little help from my friends.

When we arrived at the site, Zulzaga, I thought I had just landed at a vacation spot. Forest. Hills. Trails. Sunshine. A cool breeze. And then we went inside. After seeing what I had seen many times before (the lobby and the cafeteria), I saw what I’ve never seen in Mongolia. The manager had led me to the computer lab, a room of 21 brand new computers each equipped with speakers and Windows Vista 2007. Additionally, the room had a projector hanging from the ceiling and a large screen set along the front wall. In the middle of know where, I had at my disposal the perfect set of classrooms, indoors and out. Ooh, buddy!

We watched American movies, we played games, and we went for lots and lots of walks. We talked about family, education, controversial issues, nature, politics, international relations, health, genocide and culture. We covered listening, writing, reading and most importantly, speaking and thinking. We spoke formally, but more often, informally. We learned words like “nuh uh,” “virgin” and “euthanasia.” We even had a gen-u-wine Mongolian birthday party fit with circle dancing and “Peter’s cocktail,” a new brand of Mongolian alcoholic beverage I’d shown them consisting of vodka…with juice. Who knew? We gave the teachers the most unorthodox training they’d probably ever experienced.

In their free time, teachers spoke mostly English. In their free time, teachers asked for more grammar instruction. In their free time, teachers studied and practiced the previous day’s lessons.

In my free time, I took naps. I went for runs through the forest. I watched half of the first season of “The Wire” on the 22nd of the new 2007 Dells, the one in my room.

By the end of the week, we were all exhausted and ready to go home.

On the ride back to Darkhan, teachers weren’t only speaking in English, but they were laughing in English.

Since we got back, I’ve had several people asking to be put on the list for the next Vacuum Training. One teacher even said she would pay her own way.

Yesterday, my third course students asked me if they too could have a Vacuum Training…during their summer vacation.



English is high demand these days.

It's like playing a game of Oregon Trail...

Remember Oregon Trail? The old Apple IIE game, where you got to be a pioneer on the Oregon Trail? Hunting for your food, fording the Mississippi with your oxen? The funniest part of the game was how along the way (it never failed) you would inevitably lose some of your traveling party to diseases we had never even heard of, or thought were only back in the 1800s... like Cholera, the Plague, Dysentary, and other countless odd diseases. We'd laugh and laugh, "Oh Jennifer, you got Dystentary!! Haha!" Little did I know that one day I would be living this game.



I've decided living in Mongolia is like playing a game of Oregon Trail. We still have diseases like Cholera, Bacillary and Amoebic Dystentary, Giardia, Tuberculosis, and the Bubonic Plague here-- we have to "hunt" for our food in delgors (try making dinner out of Russian cookies, onions, and white rice!) and traveling to UB, it wouldn't suprise me if we had to ford the Xaraa River in our mikr bus.

For the last two weeks, I've been out of commission-- got a really bad bout of food poisoning that turned into a bacterial infection bordering on Dysentary. I never thought in my lifetime I would ever see these diseases, but unfortunately, in Mongolia, I have. I know multiple PCVs that have had Giardia MORE than one time, people that have had Dystentary and Cholera. It's literally like playing a game of Oregon Trail here, where you slowly lose members of your travel party to odd diseases. Fortunately, I'm not one of them! I'm on some good antbiotics now, and it seems to be on it's way out. Slowly, but surely. It's always an adventure here.