Blast from the Past.

Tales from a distant land. For those of you who remember this report from a different time:

Things I've Learned About Politics/Econimics/Media in Mongolia:
(lecturers include the editor of the first free newspaper in Mongolia, the Sec. General of the MPRP--the former Communist and current dominant party and others)

-Despite Mongolia being the classic American example of "Look! Democracy can work anywhere!" The Mongolian government is actually quite corrupt. They also seem to have a chronic problem with governments (or the dominant parliament party) resigning party-way through their 4 year stint.

-The Media is terrible. If tv and radio stations and newspapers aren't owned by a political party, then they're private companies which just then succumb to "envelope journalism" (i.e. the practice of printing anything if one pays for it).

-The Democratic Party can't get it together. Other opposition is seriously crazy.

-Mining is the biggest issue in Mongolia today.

Things I've Learned About Religion in Mongolia"
(lectures on Buddhism, Shamanism, Christianity and Catholicism)

-Similar to Christmas Catholics in the US, most Mongolians are Border-line Buddhists.

-Although devastating (as far as religious persecution) the removal of religion during the Socialist period has now bred an era of religious tolerance that is rarely seen in the world today.

-Suffering from Mental Illness? Become a Shaman and all your symptoms will disappear! (other than the bit about hearing voices, but don't worry, that's "normal")

-Mormon missionaries wear suits and ride bicycles, even in Mongolia.

-Mining is the biggest issue in Mongolia today.

Things I've Learned About Environment in Mongolia:
(lecturers weren't worth mentioning)

-The number one cause of desertification in Mongolia is overgrazing (Mrs. Will was right!)

-I don't know much about science.

-The more pixels you want, the more expensive the satellite photo is. (possibly the worst lecture in the whole lot)

-Mining is the biggest issue in Mongolia today.

You might (might not) be interested in the following article
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/01/02/welcome_to_minegolia

Way Out.

In case you were looking for one.

Joining the Ranks.

Thats right folks, you've heard correctly. Its finally happened. After months of anticipation, I have finally been selected to join the ranks of a society so elite only a few non-Peace Corps Volunteers can claim membership. Based solely on merit, luck, and, of course, location, location, location, I have been deemed worthy.

(No, Lonely Planet has not yet commissioned me to write The Pessimist's Guide to World Travel.)

I have now earned the right to stand up in whatever middle-class first-world neighborhood I'll spend the majority of my life and say "Yes, I have been to darkest Africa and, yes, I have the disease to prove it!

I have Malaria and in case you didn't know I'm from America so this is a big fucking deal.

White People With Malaria (WPWM, pronounced 'Whip Wem')
Meetings Thursdays 6pm at your local Anglican Church.

At least its probably malaria. Called the silent killer for good reason (a malaria-carrying mosquito has no whine and leaves no mark when it bites) apparently the malaria parasite can also "hide" in the blood during testing leaving one with only Death Flu-like symptoms for diagnosis. Of course, considering the rash and low white blood cell count, it could also be Typhoid Fever.

But, as the doctor said,"Probably not. Maybe typhoid fever. Maybe not today. Thank you."

A Few Highlights.

The line for government subsidized fertilizer.



End of Term Awards Ceremony.


Home from the Water Hole.

I'm getting started on the curriculum.

Which is ridiculous.

Let me give you an example:

Unit 14: The Cholera Outbreak (how quaint, this is relevant-learning English)

Activity 14.1: Reading a Story.
Steps:
1. Prepare yourself to read a story.
2. Write the following words on the chalkboard: chief, trousers, widespread panic, bowels, neighborhood.
3. Erase the words from the chalkboard.
4. Read the story out loud to the learners (also known as students)

Activities 14.2, 14.3, and 14.4 are Listening to a Radio Broadcast (I teach in a shed so it alarms me that the government thinks I have a radio), Identifying Plants (obviously sequential) and Matching Phrasal Verbs, respectively.

I will have to admit that when I first thought about teaching I had big ideas about teaching IDEAS (read: IDEALS read: MY IDEALS) and instead I'm teaching Phrasal Verbs and How the Body Changes. Although perhaps in some ways its a blessing considering that the most frustrating thing about my students here is their inability to think independently. A "What do you think..." question gets blank stairs and downcast eyes. My favorite lesson so far:

Activity 13.2: Identifying Fact and Opinion
The examples my students gave me:
Nanthomba School has 18 teachers. Fact.
Nanthomba School has 1 teacher. Opinion.

No, actually, that would be a lie.

School Days.

Don't even get me started on the curriculum.

Pangono Pangono (little by little)

Little by little I find myself adjusting to life here. I would say I'm on the upswing, but as we all know about swing-sets, the upswing is followed quickly by a plunging backwards downswing.

Things that make me feel like I'm really succeeding here:
- Recreationally spraying clouds of mosquitoes with Doom while sitting safely inside my mosquito net

- Being able to recognize most of my students usually sometimes out of the crowds of youth in school uniforms all with the same haircut

- Finally having the urge to vomit overcome debilitating fear of creepy-crawlies in the outside drop toilet at night (yes, Hannah Sickness is alive and well!)

-Realizing the flour used for frying onions is infested with bugs. Eating onions anyway.

Things that make me want to jump the next flight home:
- Being constantly covered in a layer of chalk dust, charcoal, and flies.

- Heroically carrying all the water for the household on my head (feeling very cultural) only to have my skirt blown off by a rogue wind gust. Thanks to the ever-present swarm of over-eager children who chased the escapist down and captured it.

- Being lulled into the familiar feeling of Hannah Sickness only to learn of a pending Cholera outbreak in the next village.

Ah well, The Universe Seeks Balance. [Also possibly the explanation as to why Republicans have overtaken Congress.]

Hitchhiking for the Holidays