i've completed my second week of teaching at the humanities college, and i must say that i feel a bit frustrated with how things are going. i have 9 different groups of students that i only see once per week. so even though i've already been teaching for 2 weeks, i've only seen each group of students twice. normally i feel like we can begin to have some routine together after about 3 classes, and normally this happens within the first week of teaching.
instead i'm beginning week 3 of classes and still feeling somewhat disorganized. today (friday) is my only completely free day per week, so i'm hoping to get some rest and to get a few things more organized for teaching. please ask that i can soon feel more settled and that i can build relationships with my more than 200 students.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
horhog with the duffer family
on monday my team and i had our weekly meeting in a special location. the duffer family has bought some land on the outskirts of ub, and they are in the process of building a house there. some friends of theirs are living a ger on the property right now and serving as the "manach" which basically means security guard. we went to the duffers' place and this lovely couple made "horhog" for us for dinner. horhog is kind of the equivalent of real mongolian barbeque.
the first step for making horhog is gathering several large river rocks and making sure they are clean. next put the rocks in a stove until they get really hot. this step can be a little dangerous because the rocks can explode if they get too hot. two of the rocks actually did this on monday. thankfully they were inside a sturdy metal stove when it happened and no one was nearby.
once the rocks are sufficiently hot, they go into a large metal jug and then comes the meat and maybe some vegetables. the jug is sealed tightly and the meat is cooked by the heat from the rocks and the pressure in the jug. i've been told that sometimes the pressure becomes so high that the lid on the jug can explode. thankfully this did NOT happen on monday. :)
i'm not sure just how long the meat needs to cook in the jug, but my guess is at least an hour or so. once it's done, the lid is carefully opened and the cook tastes some of the juices that have cooked out of the meat. on monday, the cook decided that is wasn't salty enough, so she added a big handful of salt to the jug and resealed it. then came a sort of tricky part. two guys had to grab the hot jug by the handles and try to shake it up and down to get the salt distributed through everything. once this was done, it was time for us to all drink some of the broth from the meat.
everyone got a small bowl of broth and drank it before we dove into the meat. horhog is definitely a hands on meal. mongolians say that before you actually eat the meat you should first take one of the hot rocks and toss it back and forth in your hands. this is said to be good for your kidneys. i find that it's just too hard on my hands, and i've never managed to actually do it without dropping the rock and just waiting for it to cool off. monday was no exception. :)
after attempting to toss the hot rock, it's time to eat the meat. monday's horhog was a bit unusual because it was a mixture of beef and mutton. i definitely prefer beef, and i was able to get several chunks of beef and no chunks of mutton. every time i eat horhog i sort of feel like a cavewoman. the meat is usually still on the bone or full of fatty chunks that i have to somehow separate from the parts that i want to eat. i end up sort of gnawing on it and ripping at it with my very greasy hands. it's not something i'd want to do for every meal, but it's fun every now and then. (although i still can't bring myself to eat those huge turkey legs they sell at fairs and amusement parks in the states. hehe)
i think horhog is the kind of meal that could potentially last a long time. people usually sit around and eat chunk after chunk of meat until an entire sheep has been consumed. unfortunately for me, i had to rush away on monday because i had to teach a class in the evening. it was fun to get away from the city for the afternoon and have a bit of a real countryside experience with my team.
the first step for making horhog is gathering several large river rocks and making sure they are clean. next put the rocks in a stove until they get really hot. this step can be a little dangerous because the rocks can explode if they get too hot. two of the rocks actually did this on monday. thankfully they were inside a sturdy metal stove when it happened and no one was nearby.
once the rocks are sufficiently hot, they go into a large metal jug and then comes the meat and maybe some vegetables. the jug is sealed tightly and the meat is cooked by the heat from the rocks and the pressure in the jug. i've been told that sometimes the pressure becomes so high that the lid on the jug can explode. thankfully this did NOT happen on monday. :)
i'm not sure just how long the meat needs to cook in the jug, but my guess is at least an hour or so. once it's done, the lid is carefully opened and the cook tastes some of the juices that have cooked out of the meat. on monday, the cook decided that is wasn't salty enough, so she added a big handful of salt to the jug and resealed it. then came a sort of tricky part. two guys had to grab the hot jug by the handles and try to shake it up and down to get the salt distributed through everything. once this was done, it was time for us to all drink some of the broth from the meat.
everyone got a small bowl of broth and drank it before we dove into the meat. horhog is definitely a hands on meal. mongolians say that before you actually eat the meat you should first take one of the hot rocks and toss it back and forth in your hands. this is said to be good for your kidneys. i find that it's just too hard on my hands, and i've never managed to actually do it without dropping the rock and just waiting for it to cool off. monday was no exception. :)
after attempting to toss the hot rock, it's time to eat the meat. monday's horhog was a bit unusual because it was a mixture of beef and mutton. i definitely prefer beef, and i was able to get several chunks of beef and no chunks of mutton. every time i eat horhog i sort of feel like a cavewoman. the meat is usually still on the bone or full of fatty chunks that i have to somehow separate from the parts that i want to eat. i end up sort of gnawing on it and ripping at it with my very greasy hands. it's not something i'd want to do for every meal, but it's fun every now and then. (although i still can't bring myself to eat those huge turkey legs they sell at fairs and amusement parks in the states. hehe)
i think horhog is the kind of meal that could potentially last a long time. people usually sit around and eat chunk after chunk of meat until an entire sheep has been consumed. unfortunately for me, i had to rush away on monday because i had to teach a class in the evening. it was fun to get away from the city for the afternoon and have a bit of a real countryside experience with my team.
Monday, September 22, 2008
muji cuteness
muji has a little chute that he likes to play in, and it was next to his water bowl. i came into the living room to see this. hehe
Monday, September 15, 2008
teaching begins
saturday marked my first day as a teacher at the humanities college. i had 3 classes and felt both wiped out and invigorated by the end of the day. i really, really, really love teaching english and am so incredibly blessed to be doing what i love in a country i have grown to love.
here's a few thoughts about what my life is looking like these days:
* i don't have any classes that begin before 4pm. i am not really a morning person, so it's awesome to be able to have a few hours to wake up. when i have time to linger over breakfast and coffee it feels luxurious no matter what the rest of the day holds.
*i've met 4 of my 9 classes, and so far it seems like they will be a great bunch of students. when it's all said and done, i'll probably have around 250 students.
*the other teachers at the school seem nice and good to work with. i'm most impressed by their level of english speaking ability. it's a comforting thought to me that the students are learning from these very skilled women.
*it will take a little while for my feet to get used to wearing heels again. i think i'll leave my heels at the school and do my actual walking back and forth in my comfy maryjanes.
*i'm noticing a significant increase in my mental energy level this year. being able to come back to a familiar place instead of having to completely start over again has done wonders for my mental and emotional well-being.
*things on sundays are going well. it's awesome to see how the Father has brought healing and new life to our fellowship. i'm excited to see what he has in store for us.
here's a few thoughts about what my life is looking like these days:
* i don't have any classes that begin before 4pm. i am not really a morning person, so it's awesome to be able to have a few hours to wake up. when i have time to linger over breakfast and coffee it feels luxurious no matter what the rest of the day holds.
*i've met 4 of my 9 classes, and so far it seems like they will be a great bunch of students. when it's all said and done, i'll probably have around 250 students.
*the other teachers at the school seem nice and good to work with. i'm most impressed by their level of english speaking ability. it's a comforting thought to me that the students are learning from these very skilled women.
*it will take a little while for my feet to get used to wearing heels again. i think i'll leave my heels at the school and do my actual walking back and forth in my comfy maryjanes.
*i'm noticing a significant increase in my mental energy level this year. being able to come back to a familiar place instead of having to completely start over again has done wonders for my mental and emotional well-being.
*things on sundays are going well. it's awesome to see how the Father has brought healing and new life to our fellowship. i'm excited to see what he has in store for us.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
things that make life good
earlier this week i think i had a little bit of food poisoning. even though it was miserable to have to run to the bathroom all night, i kept thinking about how thankful i am that i live in a great apartment and didn't have to run to an outhouse all night. being thankful for my bathroom, led me to think of other things i'm thankful for this week.
muji is the sweetest cat ever. he follows me everywhere and purrs contentedly whenever i pet him. how can i resist this cute face?
mongolian hair and my white american hair are two very different textures. finding a hairdresser who knows what to do with my slightly curly, thin, fine hair is a challenge. thankfully i've met the answer to that challenge in the person of batmonkh. he's cut my hair twice now and both times it's been just what i wanted. this isn't the greatest picture but you get the idea.
this morning i discovered this lovely pink flower growing from one of my plants. if that's not enough to make me smile, i don't know what is. :)
muji is the sweetest cat ever. he follows me everywhere and purrs contentedly whenever i pet him. how can i resist this cute face?
mongolian hair and my white american hair are two very different textures. finding a hairdresser who knows what to do with my slightly curly, thin, fine hair is a challenge. thankfully i've met the answer to that challenge in the person of batmonkh. he's cut my hair twice now and both times it's been just what i wanted. this isn't the greatest picture but you get the idea.
this morning i discovered this lovely pink flower growing from one of my plants. if that's not enough to make me smile, i don't know what is. :)
Sunday, September 7, 2008
yummy
i've visited korea a few times and always love the custard filled little corn shaped cakes that are sold at bus stops and in the subway. i admit that sometimes i even dream about eating them here in mongolia.
today my dream came true! a korean department store here now has a little stand that makes the warm, delicious, cream-filled goodies. yum, yum!
today my dream came true! a korean department store here now has a little stand that makes the warm, delicious, cream-filled goodies. yum, yum!
saturday
yesterday my team and i went to a place called "gachuurt" to visit the gravesite of aleta's mom. her mom, lola, spent the last year here in mongolia and passed away this summer. aleta brought her here to be cared for because she had dementia and was not being well cared for in the states. it was inspiring to be here and see how lola's life touched so many people even when she often had no idea what was going on. she is one of the few foreigners, if not the only, buried in this cemetery. her tombstone really stands out for two reasons. the first is obviously her name, written in english among a crowd of mongolian names. what makes her tombstone the most unique, however, is what is below her name, written in mongolian:
J said, i am the resurrection and the life. whoever believes in me will not die but have eternal life. from the bible.
the majority of the mongolians who visit the cemetery have never read this verse and may not even know who J is or what the Bible is. however, i imagine that their curiosity over lola's grave must pique their interest. i didn't know lola before she came to mongolia, but aleta has told many stories of how her mom lived her whole life in love with J. even in her death, she continues to proclaim his glory. she is an inspiration to me, and i hope to you, too!
J said, i am the resurrection and the life. whoever believes in me will not die but have eternal life. from the bible.
the majority of the mongolians who visit the cemetery have never read this verse and may not even know who J is or what the Bible is. however, i imagine that their curiosity over lola's grave must pique their interest. i didn't know lola before she came to mongolia, but aleta has told many stories of how her mom lived her whole life in love with J. even in her death, she continues to proclaim his glory. she is an inspiration to me, and i hope to you, too!
Friday, September 5, 2008
teaching schedule
yesterday i got my teaching schedule for this first semester. i had been told that i would just teach on tuesday, thursday, and saturday, but i had a feeling that was too good to be true......i was right.
here's my schedule:
monday: 7:20-8:50pm
tuesday: 4-5:30pm
wednesday: 4-5:30pm
thursday: 4-5:30, 5:40-7:10, 7:20-8:50 all pm
friday: off
saturday: 10-11:30am, 2-3:30pm, 3:40-5:10pm
it's a really good thing that the school is within 10 minutes walking distance, so those days when i have only one class won't be too bad. it will be good for me to have to get out of the house almost every day, because in the winter it would be easy to become like a hermit instead. hehe
here's my schedule:
monday: 7:20-8:50pm
tuesday: 4-5:30pm
wednesday: 4-5:30pm
thursday: 4-5:30, 5:40-7:10, 7:20-8:50 all pm
friday: off
saturday: 10-11:30am, 2-3:30pm, 3:40-5:10pm
it's a really good thing that the school is within 10 minutes walking distance, so those days when i have only one class won't be too bad. it will be good for me to have to get out of the house almost every day, because in the winter it would be easy to become like a hermit instead. hehe
Thursday, September 4, 2008
things that have been making me smile
i'm borrowing a great idea from my friend melanie. she often lists things that make her smile, and i have a lot to smile about in the last few days. here goes what is hopefully the first of many such lists. :)
1. skype video chats
2. waking up to the sight of muji outside my window
3. letting muji in and hearing his contended purrs when i pet him
4. spontaneous dinners with brownies for dessert
5. a new curtain rod installed last night
6. my own version of "bircher muesli" for breakfast
7. catching the hot water just in time for a shower
8. knowing my first day of teaching is september 13
9. 4 fluffy pillows on my bed
10. 2 new plants bought from ladies selling them on the side of the street
and just for fun, here's a picture of muji
1. skype video chats
2. waking up to the sight of muji outside my window
3. letting muji in and hearing his contended purrs when i pet him
4. spontaneous dinners with brownies for dessert
5. a new curtain rod installed last night
6. my own version of "bircher muesli" for breakfast
7. catching the hot water just in time for a shower
8. knowing my first day of teaching is september 13
9. 4 fluffy pillows on my bed
10. 2 new plants bought from ladies selling them on the side of the street
and just for fun, here's a picture of muji
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
back in mongolia
i'm back in my apartment with the internet finally connected again. it's funny to think that i have better internet access in mongolia than i did in the states this summer!
here's a few picture highlights from the past couple of months.
i went to a great concert in chicago. i love live music and miss being able to go to concerts here in mongolia.
i got to visit my best friend from college. it was great to meet her sweet daughter.
i got to spend time with friends i made while in graduate school at wheaton. i love being able to pick up as if we saw each other last week.
my family is building a cabin in colorado. i got to take a road trip out there with them and enjoy a mountain hike.
for the first time since i turned 18, i had the chance to be with my family on my birthday. my mom had this cake made for me the day before when i shared about mongolia at their church.
here's a few picture highlights from the past couple of months.
i went to a great concert in chicago. i love live music and miss being able to go to concerts here in mongolia.
i got to visit my best friend from college. it was great to meet her sweet daughter.
i got to spend time with friends i made while in graduate school at wheaton. i love being able to pick up as if we saw each other last week.
my family is building a cabin in colorado. i got to take a road trip out there with them and enjoy a mountain hike.
for the first time since i turned 18, i had the chance to be with my family on my birthday. my mom had this cake made for me the day before when i shared about mongolia at their church.
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