Worth Talking To

Some of my most frustrating and, alternatively, rewarding moments in Mongolia, have occurred in supermarket check-out lines. Many of them at the same supermarket, come to think of it. For a little while, I was so frustrated and embarrassed from repeatedly having less tugruks on hand than the total my groceries rang up to, that I avoided the store altogether, even though it is the most convenient one near my home. However, there was also the time in Erdenet, back in the early days, when I had a mini “conversation” with a little girl in line ahead of me. She was staring at me and making faces back was better than trying not to notice. I asked her age in my own version of sign language, and she happened to speak the same language and showed me on her fingers. I had communicated and a Mongolian had understood and responded.

This evening brought a rewarding moment. One of those men with a single bottle of vodka, and the smell of alcohol in their pores came up next to me in line. These guys are always impatient, addicts feeling the first withdrawal symptoms, and they usually try to push ahead of me. This guy was starting to edge forward, so I started to edge in too, to give him less opportunity to shove past me. But his foot was sticking out, and I kicked it as I shifted. Mongolian law states that if you kick someone’s foot you have to shake their hand, or at the very least, touch their arm sympathetically, to indicate you meant no harm. I made an apologetic sound (that’s MY culture) and touched his elbow, and he promptly, and seriously shook my hand. The cashier was still wrapping up the last customer’s credit card payment, and this fellow was getting really ancy. But instead of pushing ahead of me, his attitude had changed after I demonstrated a basic understanding of human decency. He now went into an elaborate, silent pantomime indicating he would like to pay for his single bottle of alcohol ahead of my pile of groceries. I told him I understood in Mongolian, and let him go ahead. By now the cashier was finished, and as he moved ahead of me, he continued his pantomime, perhaps to reinforce the practicality of his request or to indicate he meant no rudeness. Then, I guess he paid and was gone, but he left so quickly I hardly noticed as I shifted my groceries along on the conveyor belt that wasn’t made to convey anything. It was sad, but I felt much better, (and better able to appreciate his sadness) than in the past when irritation usually overwhelms pity.

Lady of the House

One of my favorite "pastimes" here, has been visiting and hosting visitors; besides catching up on lesson plans (since being a bit under the weather), I got to do both again this week. Hospitality is one of the most important cultural values here and Mongolians are very good at it! I enjoy practicing at hostessing too- my guests have been gracious and I've enjoyed getting to know each of them a little better. Since I live right across the street from school, it's easy for students to come over for lunch or tea and they're enthusiastic about speaking English in a more personal setting. This week, my former language tutor and her daughter came to dinner, and this afternoon, one of my students and her co-worker came for lunch. I look forward to more experiences hosting and being hosted as my time here goes on!

I'm Alive!

Hey all! Sorry I've been neglecting the blog. I know there's a pile of you out there, impatiently awaiting the next update from Монгол. :)

First, let me explain the photos I've included here, from a trip outside the city one Saturday. It turns out that there's an old military base about 30 minutes away from UB. Although the military still uses the grounds for training occasionally, it's mostly deserted. Now, there's a business operating to rent old Soviet-era weapons to visitors who want to test them out on their shooting range. I went with a group and we all chipped in to shoot a few rounds on an old sniper rifle. (It was a hard choice between that and the AK-47...)

So anyway, more about what makes up the substance of my life here. This last month has been a full one. In the early weeks of March, I had a couple of speaking opportunities. I was the guest speaker at an English language worship service, and then the next week, I got to speak to my fellow teachers, giving a workshop on my "Intensive Teaching Method." Both were stretching and unique experiences. The English Worship Service is a small group of good people, and it was a joy to talk there briefly about the Psalms. Then, the following week, I talked with my fellow teachers about giving students speaking practice and helping them to use the language they spend so much time reading and translating. My friend Sylvia Leftin, an accomplished teacher and wise encourager, gave me some good ideas for that. The majority of the teachers in the English department are a young, intelligent bunch of people who I've really enjoyed working with this past month-and-a-half.

Classes are going well. A couple of us were discussing how all ESL teachers need to be part artist, part actor. I'm certainly using all my resources to make myself understood in class- much to the amusement of the students at times! I'm teaching four classes of English Translator majors. I meet with each twice a week, for an hour-and-a-half, so I have a good bit of time with each group. Classes have an average of about 16 students, although sometimes many less than that actually attend class.

Attendance is sporadic here, to the dismay of all teachers; I've tried to stem the tide by grading heavily based on attendance, but sometimes I feel it has little effect! Some aspects of the school as an organization are different as well, and can be quite frustrating, depending on my patience level at the moment! Despite all of this, I really appreciate the friendliness of some of the students who are eager to practice and hang out, and their creativity. It's funny to hear Mongolians talk about themselves; they asess themselves as being smart, but lazy. Many foreigners are struck by a general sense of creativity and musicality in their students. All in all, this has been a deeply rewarding and interesting adventure.

After the first busy weeks, I ran into a bit of a roadblock. I came down with a fever at the end of one week, and found myself mostly in bed for the next week and weekend following. I've never felt so much like an invalid! :( I was diagnosed, vaguely, by an American doctor here, as having a lung problem and given a prescription. I just hung out, waiting to feel better and missing out on a busy, interesting week at school. The next week I went back to work, but kept "extracurriculars" to a minimum. Finally, this past week, I'm happy to report I felt normal again.

Between feeling sick and various other things (my camera was stolen, the power was out at least half the time for a week, greatly limiting my cooking ability) sometimes the small challenges of life here felt overwhelming. However, I realized what a good community I have; one fellow teacher subbed for some of my classes, another texted me updates every day, fellow JCSers called each day to check in and offer help, and even students texted get-well wishes! However, I'm happy to be back on the "well" side of things.