Sept. 25th: Field trips

 What's a soybean?

 This can't be beans!!

 The hat is cool.  Where are the beans?

 No way I'm arm wrestling either of these two.

 What, these are beans too?

My smile says I know this will quiet them down.  

 What language is this?

 Is it art?

 We're off!  Just don't look up.

 Thank God we're now on flat ground!

 I think it's this way.  Are there any volunteers that want to check it out?

 I'll wait here until the ibuprofen starts to work.

This is a Shaman prayer pile.  We added a lot a rocks to make sure we had a good trip.  Pam needed to add a few more rocks.

This has been a busy week full of field trips that culminated in an overnight backpacking trip with my after school activity (ASA), the YACs (Young Adventurers Club).  It seems I've become a popular chaperone for field trips.  The trips have been great for a number of reasons; one being I get to spend time with kids from different grades and get to know their teachers a bit better.  Two, I'm also getting to see places in UB that I'd never think of seeing or probably never be able to find.  The 2nd grade class visited a soybean factory.  We all got to see the processes to producing soy milk, soy meat, soy flour and other soy products that I'm sure I've forgotten.  Talk about labor intensive, we watched 2 women chopping up a soy product that was going to be turned into soy meat or soy tofu.  They chop for hours.  The best part of the tour was the opportunity to try stir fry and pastries made from soybeans.  Absolutely delicious!  On our way to the factory, as our driver fought the continuous battle to gain a few millimeters of blacktop, we came to a roundabout.  At this spot I stared in amazement at a Mongolian on horseback trying to find a momentary opportunity to get his horse into the flow of traffic to get to some destination.  As our bus dodged the multitude of other dodging cars and trucks I saw the horseman join the flow of traffic with a look of confidence that he must have developed long ago when he learned how to ride as a young boy.  No wonder the Mongolians are considered some of the best horse people in the world.  The next trip had me escorting 7th graders to a wall outside of the train station to take photos of local graffiti artists that the students were then going to analyze and determine if the work was art or defacement of property.  Then on Sat. Pam, Dave, from England, myself and 13 students began a long steep climb up to a ridge with various forms of backpacks that had sleeping bags, pads, food, snacks and clothing hanging from them.  As we unloaded the van to begin the ascent and feeling the weight that some of the kids were caring I was sure this was going to be like one of those car rides that every parent hates.  WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE?  I'M TIRED.  I'M HUNGRY.  HOW MUCH LONGER?  I was truly amazed.  These kids are tough.  No complaining, they were in pretty good shape, asked questions and completed the hike to where we spent the night in a pine forest.  No, these kids are not aliens as some demonstrated at the campsite by jumping over stoves as people were trying to cook or not attaching the gas bottle correctly resulting in a near bonfire.  Pam loved getting out of UB even though she had a crash and burn moment that we're keeping on eye on to make sure we don't have to go the the health center for X-rays later this week.  The weather cooperated with two beautiful warm days and a cool night that required down jackets.  Fall has arrived turning the larch and white birch into a painter's pallet of various hues of yellows, golds and browns.  From our vantage point we could see the brownish haze of UB that may also indicate fall is here with an increase in heat producing smoke coming from the stacks of the various power plants in the city.  What a contrast in such a short distance.  As we headed back to where the bus was going to pick us up it was apparent that the distance is getting shorter as we witnessed numerous construction sites on the edge of the mountains.   In addition to the trips Friday found us with a group of friends in a local karaoke joint.  Here you get a private room for so much an hour with a playlist that includes Korean, Chinese, British and American songs, disco lights, two microphones and couches all around.  You can order drinks from the bar that doubles as a welcome desk or you can bring in your own booze and snacks.  What a hoot!  We just discovered that this past week our cable provider, I'm not sure I should refer to them as a provider it's more like an attempter, now has ESPN HD as well as ESPN standard and ESPN News.  Pam and I watched Saturday's Red Sox/Yankees game which, for us Boston fans, was painful.  Eat your hearts out you HCC gym rats!  That's it from Shangri La.  I hope anyone who is reading this is realizing that Mongolia is a unique country that deserves consideration for a visit.  Cheers!!          

Sept. 18, 2011

                                 

 This was a traditional dance staged at our apartment complex to celebrate something???  We heard that it was the 5th anniversary of the apartment complex.

 The excitement was contagious.

I thought I had that light pointing in the right direction.

  Life here is starting to get cold.  Yesterday it was 0 degrees C.  There was a fall festival at school, and it was a bit chilly, but when the sun finally came out things were tolerable.  There were 2 performances during the festival.  One was a native North American dance done by an Inuit from Canada who was on a cultural exchange.  Our director is from Canada so I suspect that he has some pull with the Canadian Embassy to get this guy to come to the school and perform.  The other was a local Mongolian group playing contemporary music with traditional instruments and doing some throat singing.  Amazing!  School is going well.  The atmosphere is so positive, the kids work hard for the most part and, for once, I feel appreciated by the admin and staff for the services I'm providing.  Talk about knowing how to treat the staff,  starting last Wednesday there are 2 massage therapists who come to the school and offer 20 min. massages for 8000 Toogrig (about $6.50) to staff during the lunch periods.  Last week I was occupied but I'm clearing my schedule for this Wed.  Pam has been struggling because the school had to take the other ESL teacher and move her to 1st grade when that teacher suddenly left.  Pam's responsible for providing services to students from 1st to 5th grade and the numbers are LARGE.  She did get word last week that the school just hired another ESL teacher from Chicago, so she should be arriving in country in the next 3 weeks if the visa process goes alright.  I'm headed into the mountains for an overnight with a group of kids this weekend.  There is a club called the YACS (Young Adventurers Club) that an English guy and I are running.  Thankfully my winter sleeping bag just arrived because the weather is changing fast here.  On that note, we've been told to get out of town over the 3 week holiday break beginning in December, so we took people's advice and are going to Bali to meet up with a friend of Pam's who lives in India.  We did initially consider heading to Japan to do some skiing, but we have free lodging in Bali for part of the time plus the opportunity to see Pam's friend tipped the scales.  The weekends here are spent usually hanging out with other staff from school eating, drinking and sharing stories from all parts of the world.  The experience is so stimulating, and we're meeting all sorts of people working in the mines, the embassies and NGO's.  There is a lot to learn from all these other cultures that could definitely benefit life back home.  In a pinch, if there is nothing scheduled, there is always one of many Irish pubs to head to for a Guinness or a Chinggis.  The new turf is being laid at school this week so it will be nice to have the soccer team practice on something other than blacktop. If you want to see what UB looks like go to Google Earth and you can see our apartment complex (Bayan Mongol) and the school and well as many of the other points of interest.  Cheers to one and all!  

Sept. 10, 2011

Hi everyone,  It's been 2 weeks since my last post and a lot has happened.  The posted pictures are from last week's camp that comprised of 60+ kids doing everything from technical rock climbing to dismantling and reconstructing a ger to playing team-building games and hikes, both day and night.  Yes, there are still places in the world where one doesn't have to deal with light and noise pollution.  The night sky is simply amazing when not drowned out by other lights.  As I looked at the brightness of the Ursas and a "milky" Milky Way I was struck by how minute we are in the universe.  Being in this predominantly undeveloped land has an effect that is causing me to reexamine priorities and question values that we are influenced by the media back in the States.  This camp was a great way to start off the year.  Despite kids of many different nationalities, athletic abilities, languages and incomes there seems to be a mutual respect and acceptance that replaces the cliques and the haves and have nots that often accompanies schools back home.  I'm not saying that there are no cliques here but they are not adversarial.  We've just completed our 3rd week at school.  For some a routine is being established, however, Pam and I are not a part of that.  Our jobs have us going in many different directions and attempting to put some order, policies and procedures in place so that the students can get the support services they need as quickly as possible.  I'm not sure whether it is the size of the school (about 300 students), the administration, the faculty or all of the mentioned,  but the school has a very positive vibe coming from it.  There are lots of activities for staff put on by the social committee.  For example on Fridays 4 people sign up to provide breakfast for other staff who also signed up to do a breakfast.  There was a reception for the new teachers last night by the school board with plenty of food and drink.  Many students at ISU have a great work ethic but it isn't 100%.  I've been working with many students that need organizational skills, math and language help, behavior plans and the occasional call home to the parents to inform them that their students are not completing assignments.  The administration is fairly quick to respond to teacher needs and are receptive to teacher ideas on ways to make improvements at the school.  There is also very good communication.  It is not perfect but there is an awareness that it is a foundation that makes the school environment better and there seems to be an effort on the staff's part to improve it.  The weather's been fluctuating quite a bit lately.  Today it's like Indian Summer.  Earlier in the week we saw frost in the surrounding mountain trees and some snow near the tops which are not that higher than we are.  And the talk continues about the winter cold.  Can't wait to experience the -40 C.  We had the first football (soccer) get together today.  I have been designated the boys coach.  There is some talent and the boys appear that they want to learn and improve.  Right now we are playing on blacktop as we wait for a new turf field to be laid.  Talk about fast play!!!  Enough from my side.  Pam's turn when she returns from yoga with a woman from Mexico City that she met yesterday.    

6th - 8th grade 3 day camp in Terelj

 Orientation:  6th-8th graders welcome to Heaven's Envoy Ger Camp

 Ger Sweet Ger

 Technical Climbing was done on granite like this.

 ISU staff moment

 The temps dropped quickly so we were glad to have this stove in the ger.  A ger camp employee stopped in at about 6am to fire this up so we'd get out of bed in a warm ger.  

 No movement as the sun starts to light up the area. 

 Off on a 3+ hour hike.

 Kids are the same all over

 This is the area where the hike was.

 This fire felt great.

Keeping eye on the "wild animals" during a game of "predator/prey".