Another year has come and gone here in Mongolia. You back in North America have another 8 or 9 hours to go, so Happy New Year to you all! I spent the evening quietly, just watching movies and enjoying the new coffee press I found today at the UB Mart. Plus, all the exquisite tea there is to be had here! I discovered this amazing Korean tea that is ginger (my favourite!) and for some reason has peanuts added to it. I initially thought them to be bits of ginger but after drinking quite a few cups and crunching on them discovered I was wrong. Who puts peanuts in tea? Koreans, I guess. Never would have thought of that.

There was the usual display of independent fireworks here. Randomly going off and any given time. I had a man behind me this afternoon at the checkout who was so impatient to get past me and while I was walking out with my bags of lemons and apple juice he was pouring out some of his apple Fanta and pouring in some vodka. No wonder he was so impatient! That's one of the major reasons I have decided to stay home today. Those vodka drinkers can get, well...I guess I should know. That's why I have a self imposed ban on myself in regards to vodka!

I caught a ride home with an unlicensed taxi. Those guys are nice. The only issue is if they try to ask me for my phone number and then I just pretend I have no clue as to what they are talking about. We usually just give up talking at all as most have little to no English. I know enough to give myself directions home. I can't spell the words proplerly, this is phonetically speaking, but chiggora is straight, barrone is left, and zoon is right. At least I can tell them if they're going the wrong way. And, I think NO is a universal word. Still, when people ask me if it's okay I automatically resort to French, then for some reason Spanish. Then, I just shake my head and say "za".

I'm a little disappointed because what I thought was going to be a town made of ice is actually an ice skating rink with a few clear brick of ice to mark the parking lot. Rats! It was labeld in English "Ice Town". There are quite a few sculptures around town though and you know they will stay! I can't remember the last time it got above -20! I still have to wear two pairs of pants and sorely wish I had some boots, decent boots to keep my feet warm.

My house keeper today was asking me about how in North America people really hate people who wear fur? I said yes, but they have never lived in a climate like this and could never understand how necessary it is to stay warm. My down filled jacket is frozen all the time! When I walk it sounds like the snow crunching under your feet. That can't be right. It's actually kind of tough to stay warm because you're cold, you get on the bus and you get hot due to all your clothes, and a bit sweaty because there are so many people around. Then you get off the bus, and are kind of wet, so you are freezing because while the sunlight is there, it's fleeting during your walk to your destination. Then you get to where you're going and you're boiling! You end up kind of stinky at the end of the day, no matter what you do.

The people here do have a distinct smell. I can't say it's bad because I am, or used to be, one of those earthy types, and to me it smells like the outside here. The people from the country side do have a more pungent aroma than the people from the city, but that also depends on what they do here. You also can smell the difference between families that use dung for fuel or coal. That depends on where they live. If they live near a coal mine, they all use coal. Otherwise, it's dung. The thing I don't get is the whole tooth decay thing. Most people's breath, well, I can't lie, it's bad. It seems the parents wait for the young teeth to fall out before they make any efforts towards oral hygiene.

I have begun to hate and love this place. Did you know that on every sidewalk here there is one strip dedicated solely to "skating" on? People here are so ingenuous and hearty. Nothing gets them down. There's always an answer to everything and they are always smiling no matter what the weather. While I can get a bit irritated due to the space issue, everyone is here to help.

Happy New Years! Have a fun night and try to manage to keep those resolutions this time!

I was robbed! For my first time here in Mongolia I got robbed. I had had a very strenuous day. I missed my bus stop and then got stuck in a traffic jam. I got off that bus and boarded one heading the other way. We were still stuck in traffic in an area I have never been before. The bus soon turned into a travelling sardine can again and I decided to just get off and walk, no matter where I was. As it turned out I got off at the correct stop and made my way toward the State Department Store.

I had to head to the Happy Shop to return a movie that was marked as other than what it was. They exchanged it for me and I got some more to tide over my evenings here. I then headed to the department store. I had a few errands to run which of course took me to many different floors. I thought I was done and headed to the grocery store there. After waiting in line for what seemed an hour (everyone is stocking up for New Years) to purchase four items I remembered I needed something back up on the third floor. I found what I was looking for (an extension cord) and went to pay. When I went looking for my wallet it was gone! I frantically searched high and low on my person and in my bags for it. It was no where. I decided to head back down to the grocery store to see if I left it at the cashier. As I was heading my way back downstairs something was lobbed through the air, down the stairs and laned at my feet. It was my wallet! I grabbed it and looked inside. All the money was missing (over 250,000TK, about $300) but my VISA and Canadian driver's license was there. No doubt the jerks were watching me look for my wallet and were waiting for the opportune moment to return it to me. I feel a bit grateful to have it back with my credit card but still. I was robbed!

I was forced to take a second trip to the bank machine in order to pay for my cord and decided I'd had enough and it was time to go home. After one quick stop at the Korean store I flagged down a driver and headed home where I was safe and sound. I have now decided to keep my wallet not in my purse, but my jacket pocket with a zip. It astounds me that I didn't feel a thing and wonder if I'd been cased. It is always busy in the store and people are constantly bumping into you. My camera was safe though!

Cat, or rather Miss M, has taken to refering to herself in the third person. I have a new found respect for my mother and the work she does. I have been crying for four day due to the death of my puppy. I can't imagine the life of women who do the work my mother does, dealing with death in such a profound and real way every day. I haven't touched or felt a real dead body until Gobi. I'd always been sheltered from it. Wow. Bless all you who deal with that on a daily basis. You truly do so much for us. Love you!

I had a puppy for a whole of two weeks before she died. Today was our two week anniversary and I had to take her to the vet, again. It was discovered she had distemper and needed to be put down. I never would have thought that after only two weeks I could be so upset but I guess I really enjoyed her presence. I can't imagine having to say good bye to Farley if I cried this much over a dog I'd had for little amount of time. So, I had to say goodbye to Gobi today.

I did have a wonderful man help me today though. I had lost the list of taxi phone numbers that Enkhee had given me so I went to the store to try to call one. This wonderful man took us there, came in with me to the vets, helped the veterinarian put her down and made me leave the room. I, of course, was in tears. After she was put down they put her in a box and told me that it is Mongolian custom to take the pets to Zai San. I thought they meant the agricultural college near my place to be disposed of in a hygenic manner. No, you have to hike up the mountain and just put them there. We made her a little bed and put her to rest on the hillside. The nice man came with me and hiked up with me. He went above and beyond what any person would or should have to do. Especially for a stranger. I gave him 10,000 TK for all his trouble. He didn't want to take it but I forced him to. He just thought he was driving some white girl to the vet and ended up doing so much more. Mongolians are such a helpful people. If I were in Toronto, no perfect stranger would have helped me like that, well, at least I don't think so.

I looked up distemper on the internet and she definately had all the classic signs. The coughing, the infected looking eyes. It said that they run a temperature but it's usually gone unnoticed because it spikes. All the other times she'd been to the vet they said her temperature was normal. Today, it was through the roof. I also learned that as long as humans are vaccinated from the measles, they are immune. Distemper and the measles are similar viruses.

Albeit, I had to cancel my vacation plans due to Gobi's illness but there are lots of things going on around here. Plus, I can get caught up on personal errands. There is an ice town being built near my place that looks really neat. Ice sculptures are springing up all over town. They will most definately last here! It's quite cold. It's so dry here, even the snow is dry!

Last night we had a farewell dinner for the principal, Mr. Mark. He has resigned and will be leaving next week when Christmas vacation begins. I will miss him. He's a really great guy. I brought my camera to the occasion and forgot to take pictures, of course. He's headed back to Canada and for that, I am jealous. However, I have one week left until I leave for Bali, so it's not so bad!

I have lost another student. Edward went back to the U.S. with his father so now my class is holding at 24. Mr. Mark has developed an attachment for my class and they have too. They really respect him. Hopefully the new principal will be as revered. When my class learned of my upcoming trip to Bali they somehow decided that I was leaving and never coming back. I have planned a field trip in January to reassure them that I will be returning. We will be going to the International Intellectual Museum. It's a short trip but I have heard well worth it. They have these brain teaser toys. It should be good and all the students are excited about it, and apparently the parents are too due to it's scholastic value.

It is dark and cold here. It's dark still at 7 am. I mean, pitch black. I have noticed that the school is starting to get a little sleepier in the mornings. Things are just a little slower moving. On average, it is -22 celsius in the mornings and get's up to about -16 during the day. Due to the fact it is a dry cold, it's not as bad as you'd think. I still worry about coming months.

There is one thing about these Mongolians that I can't figure out. Why their fly's are always undone! I have a hunch it's due to the layers they wear under their pants, but I've given up telling them. As soon as they do it up, it falls back down.

The school has turned the soccer field into an ice rink. It's awesome but only a few of my students have ice skates. Ice skates are yet another investment I am unsure about making. I do so fondly remember making trips as a child to the local skate rink and it would be nice to be able to use it for gym class some days.

I have been diagnosed here with severe dry eye syndrome. It is due to the climate and apparently many people here suffer from it. I have to put this gel in my eyes to keep them lubricated. Initially I was putting it in at night and I was told to keep my eyes closed for an hour. I would kind of go into a bit of a panic. I am not the best sleeper in the world, well I'm good at sleeping but just not good at falling asleep, and the thought of having to keep my eyes closed like that makes my insomnia worse. So, I just put a bit in at a time throughout the day instead. While my eyes are still irritated looking they don't feel like there's tiny shards of glass in them anymore.

There is one week left of school and the winter talent show is on Wednesday. My student's play is coming along nicely. I had a short panic mode thing as I had no Santa suit for my Santa! One of the parents pulled through though and bought one for us. I was so relieved! All our props are ready and I have been forcing the students to leave their costumes at school so they don't forget them. Trust me, this trip to Bali will be well deserved!

I had quite the experience on the bus last night. Apparently in Mongolia there is no maximum capacity and we were packed in beyond what sardines must feel like. I elbowed some poor guy in the head and was pushed by other's elbows and bodies. It got so hot and felt like I would be crushed. I felt a panic then too. My arm and stomach hurts from the experience. My feet were not on solidly on the floor and felt out of control. I did not like it. Add in the crazy bus driver and it was an excrutiating experience.

What a week it's been so far, and it's only Wednesday! Mr. Mark is leaving as of next week. Our new principal will be coming, most likely while we're all away on holidays. It will be interesting to see what we all come home to. Plus, we all know that means another staff meeting. I confessed to Mark yesterday how much I hate them and he said he hated them too, so I didn't feel so bad.

Four of my boy students very nearly got suspended today and also have been requested to undergo mediation with some girls in the fourth grade due to some play ground shinanigans. This week has been hectic. I had the boys go to the principal's office and saw Mark in action. He was quite the thing to see! He was so into the discipline that I actually, on some level, found it a bit comical. I do appreciate him being the heavy and scaring the pants off the kids, but watching it made me want to laugh a bit too. The kids all lined up against his office wall, cowering and in tears. Him, a large tall presence, standing over them asking them if they liked to fight. "You! You like to fight?" "Yes, sir." "Well, then, why dont' you fight me? Come on then. What's wrong?" The thought of my 8 year old student trying to wrestle with what must have seemed like a sumo to them, well, you get the picture. I hope he knocked some sense into them. I also had to devote some class time to the whole idea that if someone else is doing it you don't have to, and the old idiom that two wrongs don't make a right. One of the other teachers thinks they're all squirrely because they know they are leaving school and are upset by the idea of three weeks vacation. My kids said to me one day "You're leaving, on a plane?" I had to say "Yes, I'm going to Bali for Christmas vacation." They responded "You're leaving and never coming back! Hey everyone, Miss M is leaving and not coming back!" The pure panic was upsetting. I promised I would return.

We also have the winter talent show coming up and are deep into rehearsals. My kid's show is shaping up, but the main character has changed three times! Finally a girl stepped forward to take the part when I told them that we couldn't do the play otherwise. Plus, I can't find a Santa suit for my Santa and we still have to make the moon and the sleigh out of crappy card board boxes.

On the plus side, my eyes were finally looked at this week by an eye doctor and apparently I suffer from severe dry eye syndrome. They said it's common among women and well, older women. Plus, the climate change. It is very dry, cold, windy and dusty here. I now have special drops as the over the counter ones were doing nothing for me and this goop I have to put in my eyes at bedtime. Blessed be the relief of eye gel! It's only been one day so far and I haven't seen or felt any amazing improvement, but soon. As I taught my kids, cross your fingers and knock on wood for me!

As with the holidays, come the holiday festivities. The staff is attending a farewell dinner for Mark this Friday at a nice restaurant I initally went to with Mark and Colin. It was good. Then, we have a fancy staff party the following Friday to kick off the holidays and celebrate the new year. The invitation states formal attire. Yeah, like I have anything like that to wear! It should be fun though. It's being held at a restaurant fairly close to the school and one I've always wanted to eat at.

I'm much looking forward to my time in Bali. I will wear nothing but my bathing suit for 2 weeks!

It is so cold here already! This morning when I took the temperature it was -18 Celsius! That was at about 8:30. I walk less than 2 minutes from my apartment to the school and I get the nose crystals that we get in January/February. Ganaa, my cleaning lady, has been teaching me about how to get through the Mongolian winter. While the beaver fur mittens my mom sent me are good, she says I will need to wear a pair of gloves in addition to them when it REALLY turns winter here. I will also have to wear two hats. She looked at my touques and said that they are knitted and need an extra layer. She also told me you eventually won't see anyone's face as the clothes get closer and closer to their eyes.

My students and I are steadily practicing the play we are going to perform for the Winter Festival. This is a (fuzzy) photo Oko took of us during rehearsal in the gym. That's Doogie and I in the background, if you couldn't tell. And yes, that's all my 25 students. Actually, Chandmani was not there that day, so only 24. I think because I had rehearsal first thing this morning I feel as though I've been running around screaming all day, so home is a nice place to be.

My eyes are still terribly sore all the time. I have an opthomolagist (did I spell that right?)appointment next week. I will have to miss a bit of school, but it will be when ESL is conducted so Doogie will only have to deal with about 8 students. I feel weird about having to miss school for something that I had hoped could be scheduled around my class day, but Oko has assured me there is no other time. She said "I know Doogie can handle it." I wasn't worried about that, I just felt strange missing school for a personal reason.

This is a picture of the Harvest Moon I saw on Sunday night. And, that is my breath that has managed to fog up the view, it was that cold! I didn't even realize I was ruining the picture. Some of the other teachers went back in to put on more layers. I'm not sure how prepared we are for this. We say, "Oh, yeah, were Canadians, eh?" I've never really experienced cold like this, even in Leadville, CO.

I just experienced the craziest and scariest bus ride, ever. The driver was obviously in some sort of hurry because he was most definately speeding. At one stop he basically slowed down long enough for people to get off but closed the door on those struggling to get in. He was driving away with people half-in, half-out of the bus. They were desperately running alongside the bus. Three small boys managed to make it on but the rest were left to the wayside. When I got off at my stop, another bus was heading into town. It, again, slowed down enough to let a few people off but took off quickly. It left a trail of disappointed passengers running along behind. It makes me wonder who on earth gave these people licence's to drive? I've had some pretty strange bus rides here, but that one has to take the cake.

Another day I was just sitting in my seat, minding my own business when this woman came and sat on my shoulder. I pushed her off and she moved away, but I've never seen anyone do that before to someone they did not know. I also have had to get used to random people pushing me. Now, I push back. Them pushing me off the bus and causing me to stumble does not get anyone off any faster. One woman noticed I was beginning to get up and literally hauled me out of the seat by my leg.

My class today gave me a headache. They were unusually noisy and kept interrupting me to tell me stories. I think they had a lot of stuff to tell me after those two half days and the long weekend. I had to yell at them a bit today, which they know I hate having to do, but they weren't listening! I explained the math lesson three or four times and they still were coming up asking the same things over and over again. I had to stop the entire class and finally get them to stop talking so they could hear the instructions. One of the students told me everyone had ants in their pants. I had to agree!

The dust and construction around my apartment are really taking their toll on my eyes. They are red and hurt all the time. It would appear that no amount of eyedrops will help. I wake up every morning with red, swollen eyes and a crust around them indicating the work being done while I sleep. Oko, the school manager, has recommended an eye doctor for me to see. Apparently there was a teacher here last year who had the same problem and going to the doctor helped. I feel like I need an emergency eye wash station at my personal disposal. Last night Terry helped me get some things out of them with a Q-tip. There is a coating of dust all over my apartment and the water here has too many chemicals in it to help any. In fact, it makes them worse.

I finally agreed to go out to dinner with everyone tonight. We'll see how it goes. I've been somewhat in hibernation mode, feeling a little out of sorts with my friendships and dynamics. I'm not bored or lonely. Quite the opposite in fact. Well, maybe a bit lonely. I miss real tv and real food, mostly. Sometimes I dream about food, good food, like calamari and seafood, a nice steak done on the barbeque. Those types of things.

Tomorrow is Mongolian independence day and a day off from school for us. I plan on going to buy movies, getting a massage, and eating a Caesar salad. Big plans!

I finished my parent-teacher interviews. Wow, such questions! Can we change the hours of the school day? Can we do this? Can I not send the children home with their text book but photocopies instead? I am grateful for the insight into some of my students, but some parents seemed truly disappointed. It hurts, really. Those of you who are teachers and have seen them struggling know what I'm saying. There really is no sugar coating it. I did my best to make recommendations, but when it comes to listening and focusing in class, that's up to them. I can only prod them so much. I also have expressed my discomfort with the "home teacher" as they tend to do the work for the student and when it comes to test time they have no real comprehension of what's been happening.

I've been undergoing alot of deep thinking lately. I have realized that I dont need anyone to tell me about stuff that happened over a year and a half ago. I know. While others put their success into other's hands, I tend to take it in my own. Belive me, I have more than beat myself up over things that have happened and I wish I could take back. I think I've punished myself enough. I have hurt myself more than anyone could even imagine. So, if you think of me, think of the girl who fought for Mongolia. I may have left, but nothing has left me. While you are all sleeping soundly, know that my demons haunt me.

I had my first ever parent-teacher conferences today. Apparently, today was easy, the tough ones are tomorrow. I have to admit that I was surprised at how many parents did want to come. I tackled 10 today and I think more tomorrow. You get so tired! They only last about 10-15 minutes but all that talking about such important things, compared to the gibber-jabber I do all the rest of the day, is exhausting. Thus far, most of the parents have been able to speak English well enough. I still get bored and a bit jealous when Doogie talks so much and I have no clue as to what they are discussing. I have been doing my best to maintain my professionalism, but that's not what the parents actually want. They want me to be real and honest. I began to loosen up a bit after the first few and we managed to have a few laughs too. I got to tell Tergelbold's grandmother how all the girls in the class want to marry him. I also got to give some insider information to some parents, which I made promise they did not divulge. If I'm not a safe haven in the port of life, as I've often heard classrooms and teachers refered to, then I'm not doing my job properly.

I have been having many discussions lately about me, and who I am. It would seem my self view is a bit skewed. What I perceive is not what others see. This is disheartening, and I'm feeling disillusioned. I have had people lash out in anger at me and have actually grown accustomed to it. I never manage to live up to whatever ideal others have set for me. Heck, I barely manage to meet my own. I'm beginning to wonder what really counts in life. Is it my own reflection I see back in the mirror and can live with or it is how others see me? I realize I have made probably more than my fair share of mistakes, but haven't we all? I guess I never realized how my growing pains had such an effect on others. I was so hell bent on learning and discovering for myself, I felt that was the only way! Perhaps I have tried so hard in my way to be free, that I have made aliens of those who would truly be mine. Then I think about all the friends I have made over the course of my life. Am I disillusional? Once again, I dunno. I have been described as passionate, spontanieous, and lively. But do any of these people really know me?

It is official, Mr. Mark is resigned and a new principal is going to join us in the new year. I had already decided to stay another year, loving my job as I do, however with the new principal I will have to see. He is Canadian and from British Columbia, which bodes well, I hope. Like I taught my kids, knock on wood and keep your fingers crossed.

Apparently the staff here wants to hold a Christmas fest here before we all leave for our prospective vacations. I was a little annoyed to hear that many are hoping for a "hall party" and my floor is one that has been nominated for such an occurance. I'm sorry, am I still in University? Is this an official Floor Crawl? I want to be able to go to bed at will, and we are already much aware of how things in the hallway are easily transmitted through to apartments. Plus, what if I'm one of the ones keeping others up? It's a no win situation as far as I can see. Am I the only one that this strikes as absurd?

I am still hibernating and watching nothing but National Geographic, but a bit of the "B" movie channel. I see people I know sometimes, it's fun. The joy of going to a school that had a good film department.

As for my dreams, they are still strange. I think I may be worried about forgetting something, as I continually dream about searching for things I have lost. I have no clear idea about what I am looking for, but during my search I find other things I have misplaced and soon discover I cannot carry all the things I refound. Then I get angry at others around who will not help me in what I truly am looking for, though I don't know exactly myself. I only know that when I see it, that's it. I have variations on this dream, sometimes I have to get on a ski lift to meet the person who has my things and I refuse. Other times, one of my students has it and won't admit to taking it. I also have been begining to sense the first stages to teeth grinding on me. I sit with teeth clenched. Am I destined to be unable to deal, or tell others my unhappiness, that I have to grind my teeth? Who grinds their teeth, really? Does it have to do with something that's uncontrollable but you still wish you could control? I can tell you my jaw is clenched most of the time I'm not working. Am I working through things and what is unfinished visits me in my dreams? I have not had an unfitful bout of sleep for over two weeks. My teaching partner, Doogie, blames it on personal experiences, food, and the elevation.

The weeks just seem to fly by now! I have taught the kids all about "hump day" and TGIF! I also have taught them something my mom used to say when I was a child. I often have hands raised up to answer questions. When called upon I quite frequently get the response "I forgot." So, I told them, after hearing it from mom so many times, that it must have been a lie. We talked about some riddles today, like what's black and white and read all over? In this riddle we have discovered a new homophone! Read and red.

I successfully got out my first ever report cards. While they were somewhat repetitive, they were also tactful, honest and true. I now have to hurdle parent-teacher conferences on Thursday and Friday. The students will all be let out early those days and I will run the gauntlet! I'm not worried, as I have suggestions for those who are not doing well. It does break your heart to see such good kids struggle.

I must officially be going crazy! I went shopping yesterday and lost an entire bag of groceries! Plus, I slept badly Saturday night and decided to have a nap on Sunday. I woke up a few times and looked at the clock. I thought to myself that I still had plenty of time to make it for my weekly massage, but wondered why it was so dark out all the time. Finally, when the clock read 1:30 and it was pitch black I looked at my very expensive alarm clock (my cell phone) and saw it was now officially Monday morning. I was so confused. How did this happen? Where did Sunday go? I told some of the other teachers I was hibernating right now, but I didn't mean literally!

We have the Winter Festival coming up and my students have decided they would like to put on a play. After much consideration we have decided to put on the production titled "Spiderman and Santa Clause Rescue Christmas!" I wrote the play and had to make a few short cuts. I needed to have a narrator to cut down on the amount of lines the actors had to memorize and explain things. I also am going to have to scrimp on time, so it's very to the point. Tomorrow will be out first dry run, we'll see how it goes!

On the plus side, due to the fact the principal has officially resigned, I have requested a letter of reference. He came today to observe me and my class. I was nervous, but he had nothing but glowing things to say. I was so very pleased! He liked my methods and even stated I managed to make Grammar fun! How nice! He also noticed a book on Doogie's desk, "What to Expect When You're Expecing." All he said to her was, "Interesting choice of books, Doogie." She's been keeping it a secret for now but the school nurse, Mrs. Konopaski, is not. She mentioned to me how all the kids are so excited for her. I mentioned how the kids have renewed their quest for me to get married and have a baby in my tummy. Initally, they wanted me to marry Mr. Carr, but I had to explain that he was married to Mrs. Carr. Then they moved on to Mr. Mark, the 70 year old principal. Luckily, he is married as well. Now, apparently, I'm destined to marry Mr. Wheeler, the 24 year old science teacher. The student's constantly ask my age, even though I've told them many times, and tell me I'd better hurry up! I tell them there's no rush. Discussion like this though has made me ponder my marriagability. Maybe I just don't share very well, maybe I am too independent. I keep hearing that some wonderful man is going to come along and sweep me off my feet. Do I want to be "taken down?" I dunno.

As I haven't been feeling up to snuff as of late, I decided to have a pamper day. I went to "Charming Beauty" for some waxing. I went in only for an underarm and eyebrow and came out with a half-leg and bikini too. The girl did a great job, unlike the last time I went. She was pretty into the bikini and was waxing, trimming and plucking for quite some time. After she was done she took a hand mirror out and showed me! I murmured it was fine. One thing I have gotten used to here is the fact that most people are probably going to see me naked before I leave.

Then I hightailed it to "UB Massage" and had a half hour body scrub and an hour massage. The scrub was incredible. Again, I'm standing there fully naked and they throw bowls of hot water all over you. They scrub you three times each side and scrub your hair and scalp too. I am definately exfoliated! The massage is the same as I had before. The girl comes in and covers you with hot towels to relax your muscles. Then, she walks on your back, arms, legs, and feet. She uses hot oil to massage you. It is very relaxing. Well, for me it is. Some people prefer the kind of massage where you can barely feel it but I like it rough! The girls whack and thump you. I have some "rug burn" on my elbow from the exfoliation, but it's worth it. In total today I spent about $60 on myself. Not bad for all that, I think.

Of course, the discourse turns to school. We have report cards coming up this week, so I'll be a bit more busy but I don't anticipate it being too much of a headache. My primary grades use levels rather than grades and comments. Plus, it's only the first term reports.

I am still cloistered with my tv channels. I get two. One is National Geographic, which I don't mind but they repeat shows every four hours. The second is this terrible movie channel that shows only 'B' movies with too many commercial interruptions. I don't mind that they are in a different language. I'm used to being surrounded by Mongolian, and the sound of it has become actually quite comforting to me. It's the fact that they are so much louder than the movie! They blare on with their crazy going ons and really startle you.

It's getting colder and colder at night. The days are actually quite nice. I liken it to Colorado where it is sunny all day and cheerful. It's the night times that get you. It is dark and very cold. It is snowing a bit tonight. I also have to get used to the idea that you back home are now 13 hours time difference. Mongolia does not observe daylight savings so when you fell back, we stayed the same.

The children in the countryside are either sent away to relatives to go to school or they go to school is shifts. One family we stayed with had a boisterous son who tried so hard to stay up with us. He showed off all his school work and ribbons. Turns out he was a prized ballroom dancer! It feels good to know that education is still important even if you will only be a herdsman. Teachers are revered here.

The funniest thing to me was the high school uniforms. The girls have to wear this French maid costume! It is a black dress with a white pinnafore. Ruffels and all. I told our guide the girls looked like they should be cleaning rather than studying, but that is the custom.

Also, funerals are never black dress attire. You wear blue or white. We also were introduced to the snuff bottle. There is a specific manner is which you pass it. We, of course, were oblivious, but Nora taught us. I passed. My sinuses were already bad due to the sand and wind and such. I am not used to so many allergens introduced to me at once. My eyes are red all the time no matter what sleep I get and I am constantly blowing my nose. I have many flashbacks to the Okanagen. I now understand why some, well, maybe most, people wear the surgical masks. The sight driving back in to Ulaanbaatar was not a pretty one. Though not as bad as crossing the bridge from Burlington to Hamilton, there are Simpsonesque towers billowing out smoke. That is only one of the three power companies in the town. Apparently, from the country side they get most of their gas and power still from Russia. Also, the small towns only have power for a certain amount of time. Say, from 7 until 11. You could set your watch by it. I am unsure if they have it during the day at any time but they don't really need it then.

Many families in gers use battery power for light and some have solar panels. There is much sun during the day. It is like Colorado where the sun is up all shiny and warm but come night time, it's definately cold. Some families use dung to heat their places and others use coal. The ones who use coal are near the coal mines. There is a coal mine close to Ulaanbaatar, maybe a couple of hours drive. With even the families who use dung to heat their ger it is wrong to throw anything bodily of nature in.

I drank erikh (no idea if I spelled it right) for the first time on this trip. It is basically fermented milk that has gone sour and turned alcoholic. Not too savoury. I had a sip and felt that was enough. It smelled and tasted like sour cream gone bad. We helped a van at the side of the road (well, if you call it a road). They were out of gas and in return they gave us some curded camel milk, well, along with some money I presume. It seems to be so popular here! My students are always giving me this sweet, hard milk as a treat. I am simply not a sweets person. I suppose sweet toothes skip a generation, but Nora was very pleased with the contribution. One family we stayed with had just returned from Tibet. They brought the inscence from the juniper bush back with them. They gave some to Nora. She was happy and said it was a nice gift to give her mother. It's a smell that reminds you of childhood and those long summer days where you could fill them as you chose.

There was one day a countryside doctor on the back of a motorcycle. It had no headlight, at all. We drove behind to ensure they could see but they had to keep stopping due to electrial problems. There was nothing we could do other than give them light. I couldn't help but wonder where she was coming from and what kind of help she really gave. Colin got a bad burn our second to last day. The bottom gave out on the thermos we used and spilled all over his ankle. I felt there must be some kind of special Gobi salve they use, you know, made of camel fat or something to that effect. Nope. And, the company who took us did not even bring a first aid kit! I purposely left all my bandages and such at home as I felt they would have something. It was a good thing Maureen brought her items as Colin would have been worse off than he was. Funny how trivial something seems but it gains importance.

I did forget to mention the amazing Gobi fire. The wood is so hard that it burns forever. We put only 3 logs on the first night and they burned for hours. That was all we needed the entire night.

I have grown to love the way Mongolians speak English. They speak so softly and with such cute mannerisms. Dabaa said once, "Pinish, the road." They substitute F's for P's and V's for W's. They also pronounce each and every letter in the word. Instead of saying "finished" they would say "finish-ed." In their alphabet the R is a P.

It did snow the last day. Not much, but enough. The flakes were so small I thought it was some kind of magical fairy dust or something. They glinted and sparkled through the air while we hiked the granite paint-by-number looking mountains. I never occured to me that it was snow. I thought it was just dust, hair, or something floating around the air. It managed to make the last day so marvelous for me. Also, we saw so many groups of gazelles. Initially when we saw them we were told that as close as we got was going to be about it. The final day, we saw three herds of them! They run and jump so gracefully it is incredible to watch.

On the final day I managed to conquer some of my fear of heights. The granite mountain was so steep but I made it all the way up. It took me three attempts from different routes and some coaching from the boys above, but I made it. My legs shook and I tried never to look down. For most people I suppose it would have been not that big a deal, but to me it was something that made be sweat! I forced Colin to take a photo to commemorate my accomplishment.

I am sad the trip is over, as that means I have to go back to work on Monday! Not that I don't love it, I just enjoy travelling too. I still have my trip to Bali to look forward to, however the months after could prove to be long.

The Gobi was beautiful, ugly, magical and bleak all at the same time. We had an amazing guide and driver so it was a fantastic trip. I'm sore and still tired, but thankful for the experience. True to my word, here is a picture of me on a camel. I named him Roger. He kept me warm while out on the sandy dunes. The camels have a stick that has been driven through their nose in order to steer them. I was assured it did not hurt them. Later in the trip I had the opportunity to buy a pair of camel wool knit gloves. Camels are just like cows, they just do as you say, however, they seem to have more personality than you'd think! In a sense they are like horses. They are a formidable animal though and so alien, much like the Gobi. Our guide that day had the right idea. He had these specialized goggles he wore.

Our tour guide was named Nora and the driver, Dabaa. He was quite the prankster and hid Colin's camera one morning in a cracker box and hid his bag in his tent another. Colin was asking, "Has anyone seen my camera? I left it right here!" The next morning he was asking Nora, "What happened to my bag?" I still don't know if she was playing along with Dabaa or not, but she feigned concern, "Oh my, where is your bag?" She asked Dabaa and he said he had no idea. Next thing you know, he's smiling at you and producing the item in question. He pulled a fast one on me, too. I had found this amazing horse skull and had planned on showing it to my students. He told me he left it behind and I said that was okay as I had forgotten about it and still feel that if you can't keep track of your things you don't deserve to have them. He let me go for hours truly disappointed in the fact that I had left this amazing specimen behind. Then, he turned to Nora and had her ask me if I was still upset about the skull. I, of course said no, and he said "Good, because I've had it all along." I had to say I'd belive it when I saw it, but true to his word it was there. He had an interesting abnormality. Usually when you see people with extra fingers they are beside the pinkie. His was on his thumb. He also got into a bit of a fender bender on the way home but true to Mongolian form, no one stopped or even cared it had occured.

Dabaa drove us around in this Russian van. It was very much so all-terrain. He enjoyed scaring us at the Flamming Cliffs. He would pretend to nearly drive off the cliff and then just stop. We stayed there for a bit, walking around and looking at the merchandise for sale. A man there had petrified wood, dinasour bones where if you stick your tongue to, it sticks, and traditional Mongolian games. I bought a crystal for 1,000 TG in memory of Michael. When I picked it up, it just felt right.

The craziest part of that day was this. We were perched periously close to the edge of the cliff, victim's of Dabaa's joking again. I was heard to say while he started the van, "Don't roll forward, please don't roll forward." The van reminded me much of my first VW van and knew that if you weren't careful, it would roll forward during starting. The next thing we knew, we were driving over the cliff! We were all in shock and couldn't believe what was happening. In the end, Dabaa has forged a new road and we camped at the base of the amazing Flamming Cliffs. It was beautiful. On another day he just jumped out of the car while it was still driving, giving us a bit of a scare but we also realized that there was nothing anywhere to hit or even see.

Nora was so sweet and thoughtful. She understood early into the trip that some things I ate were not good for me and asked what I could and couldn't eat. Then, she took special care and I felt badly as she had so much work to do otherwise. It was difficult to explain that no matter what I ate, I probably would still be experiencing the same issues. She is 31 and unmarried. An anomoly by Mongolian standards to be sure. She was very knowledgeable and informed us if our behavior was disrespectful. I learned so much about the culture from her. The first thing she taught us was the fact that gers are divided up into sections based on the directions north, south, east and west. South is always where the door faces. East is the wife's section and that is where the kitchen supplies are to be found (though still no can openers!). North is the section for the husband and children and west is saved for the guests. The family will go to a monk to discern, in a Feng Shui manner, where their sacred part it. It is usually either north-east, or -west. It is considered extremely rude to point your feet in this direction. Also, in the ger, there are two posts in the centre. They represent the husband and wife. You never cross them, ever.

Nora also taught me about the fire. Mongolians worship the sky and fire. It was apparently rude of me to put my snotty tissue into the fire. I thought I was saving garbage but it was, again, disrespectful. They have five colours they use for the ovo's. Blue represents the sky, white is purity, yellow is the colour of the Lamas and religion, red is fire and green signifies nature. During the Soviet regime many monastaries were destroyed. People still hold faith though and that is heartening. We had to be careful though to not make any faux pas. Andrew learned by accidentally pointing his feet toward the sacred place in the ger (you must always point your head that way. They also believe that if you keep your head pointed north while you slept it was good for your mind) and I learned by the whole kleenex thing.

We saw many wild animals. Initally we were so excited to see horses, goats and camels but toward the end of the trip we had seen so many. In order to water their animals the herdsmen have to bring them to a watering hole. It is a well with troughs where water must be drawn up. A cold job in the winter. We encountered many different types of terrains. Here are more of the granite mountains and valleys. There was also this amazing sand dune that was about 100 to 125km long and about 25km width wise. It may not look like much but Maureen and I, both being afraid of heights, did not make it up to the top. It was very steep and tough going. Also, it did not help we were walking in the trails of Colin and Andrew. Once the integrity of the sand was broken that make it much more difficult. I saw 3 spiders, and those of you who know me, that was more than enough. One was a baby and inside the tent one morning. Thankfully, Maureen got it for me. We were lucky enough that it was a full moon during our trip. It was also beautiful. I tried to take a picture but my camera did not do it justice, I feel.

One night I was out by myself. Nora and Dabaa both came to collect me. I told them that like we need to charge our iPods and such, I was recharging by the moonlight. They informed me there were wolves out that night and I had to come in. I figured I was singing so loudly and poorly that no wolf would be bothered with me, but in I went to make them more comfortable.

It was not such a difficult journey as we had most of the comforts of home, save for beds, heat, and bathrooms. I definately have started to feel my age, especially in my knees. Colin and Andrew are still in their mid-twenties, but considering the life I've led I think I managed pretty well. I am sore, I believe due to sitting in the van and then just getting out and hiking. I wound up going on strike from the back seat as my knee got so bad. I sat back there quietly for most of the trip but toward the end I just couldn't take it. I felt badly as poor Maureen ended up back there for the last of the trip simply because she has shorter legs than us. Nora has the smallest though and Moe was pleased that she was actually taller than someone her age, finally. She said one of her students is taller than her. I have a massage on the slate for today, along with a body scrub. No matter how many times I cleaned my hands with my wet nap type things, there was always more dirt. I took a hot bath last night and there was a sand pit at the bottom of the tub when I had finished. My iPod was a much appreciated ammenity (thanks Mom!) as there was much driving and little talking.

This is one of my favourite pics I took. I have little memory space compared to my other travellers so when I took something I tried to make it worth while. Definately an amazing trip and I am very glad I decided to go. Doogie warned me not to return more tired than I was before I left, but I think after a restful day today I should be in ship-shape form. Those of you who are on Facebook can see all my photos. It is long and difficult to post them here. Why, I don't know, however, if you're interested the rest are there.

Off to the Gobi tomorrow. Eight days! I'm not sure how I'll handle the close quarters and all, but I think we have a good group of us going and it will be lots of fun. I'm looking forward to the time off but am worried I will return more tired than I already am. I'm exhausted! My trip to Bali is basically booked but it's costing a bit more than I had anticipated. I won't have much spending money but I hear it's really cheap there and a girl like me can live fairly well for 2 and a half weeks.

It was really sad to say goodbye to my kids todayknowing I won't see them for over a week. They all hugged me and told me they loved me. I told them I would miss them, and really, I will.

I realize my blog has been kind of boring lately with no photos and all, but after the Gobi you will see me riding a camel, I hope! Take care everyone. Miss and love you all.

Two more days until the Gobi. We went last night after school to pay, finalize our numbers (4 of us) and drop off our water and other supplies. Most things are supplied for us. It's incredible how cheap an 8 day trip with driver, guide, food, and sleeping arrangements is. It's costing us $338 American. In Mongolian it's about 400,000 tg.

I finally started sleeping in the bed. At first it was too hard and there was no difference to me if I slept there or on the floor. I was sleeping on the couch but my feet hung off it and I slept fetal style. Also, never very well. Now, I'm back to my sprawling in a double bed days. It's nice. The bed still feels like a wooden board, but I'm sure it's good for my back. Those of you who know me know that over the past year I have suffered from some back problems. This could be a good thing!

My Bali trip is booked. Oko made the arrangements for me. Well, she books the flight and I take care of the rest. Everyone keeps asking me how much the flight was and I can't say as I can't open the file she sent me with all the info on it! I'll ask her today to print it out for me.

There is to be a new teacher joining us after the break. We really needed another grade one teacher as Maureen has over 30 kids and they are all crazy. I see them in the halls and seriously don't know how she deals with them all day, every day. After the break she'll be down to 18, a much more manageable number. I"m holding steady at 25 but Khulan B is still off sick with Hep A. Perhaps after the break he'll be back. My new boy, Battulga, is a bit of a trouble maker and he and Tugulder like to cause havoc on the playground. Boys, boys, boys!

By the way! If anyone would like to make my long, cold Mongolian nights here any better I may have a suggestion. I would much love more Sex and the City DVD's and Grey's Anatomy. Just putting that out there!

I finally got some of my boxes that I had assumed would be here two months ago. It was almost like Christmas! The only downer is that three of the four boxes I sent arrived. I have heard that in the past not all or even none of the things shipped arrive so I'm not going to hold my breath. It is nice to have my books and movies, especially my "Sex and the City" tapes!

Today was sort of a stressful day. I have been having to mediate a lot lately between students and forcing them to apologize. When I say "Okay, now apologize" they say "what's apologize?" When I explain it means to say you're sorry they grudgingly do so. One poor girl yesterday fell off the monkey bars. She cried a bit but said she was okay. That has happened many times since school has started. You know how kids are, one minute they're dying and the next playing with friends again. I didn't think much of it as she went the rest of the day without saying anything. I asked her a few times if she was okay and she said "yes." I found out today that she had been bleeding and actually needed stitches! I was so distraught! Why didn't she say anything? I watched her today and she was playing and having fun as usual, so she's alright. I just don't understand why she left it until she got home. If she felt she couldn't explain it to me properly, she could have showed me, or at least told Doogie.

I have asked Oko to look into booking my flights to Bali. I also have the Gobi coming up. I must admit, I'm a bit worried about being even more tired upon my return from Gobi than my departure. R&R is much needed right now!

It's all booked. I'm going to the Gobi next week for the vacation we have coming. It's going to be nice not to think about school for once for at least a few days. I woke up this morning thinking I had to get ready for school and then it finally dawned on me that it was Saturday!

Everyone is also thinking about what to do at Christmas. I have decided, thanks to some help from some other teachers, to go to Bali. I will put out the invite to anyone who wants to join me there over Christmas, come! It's inexpensive and really fun! I am planning on going for 2 and a half of the 3 weeks I have off then. That is just seriously too much time to spend alone here and the cost to fly home is, guess, outrageous.

Everyone is having their potluck Thanksgiving. I was invited but chose not to go. Just wanted to give a shout out to all my friends and family a Happy Thanksgiving. For art today the kids all made turkeys out of construction paper. They seemed to like it. They are also excited because swimming starts on Thursday for them. I am excited too, as I don't have to teach those periods anymore! Yeah!

I had numerous parents come to visit me today. One was in regards to this girl in my class. The grandmother wanted to know how she was doing. I informed her that this particular girl was struggling in the classes to stay focused and was experiencing issued on the playground with her aggressive behaviour. They would like for her to be tested for a learning disability as if she had problems learning they will take her out of the school and place her in another that is not expensive. I actually have a few in my class who seem a bit unreachable.

Tomorrow is the meeting with BG's parents, the principal and the grade 4 teacher, Laurie. We will discuss the chance for BG to move up to 4th grade. I know he, and his parents are all for it, as am I. Though Chandmani is on vacation and Khulan B is in the hopsital, it still is a full classroom. I'd like for it to be one, maybe even two less. If Animaa tests poorly she may get moved out. She scored 0 on the science test. Edward says his family is going to America at Christmas and may not come back. It's just that in the 4th grade there are only 14 students while the rest of the primary grades are packed to the hilt!

I did get a chance to show the kids my photos of Terelj. They liked them. They are always trying to correct my pronounciation and I just can't get it. It's all horking and gutteral sounds.

I got a bit frightened today as I was coming out of the local store near my house and one man was pummelling another. I hightailed it out of there! It's so sad to me because it's easy to see this is an aggressive culture. I see it everywhere, even on the playground. We are hypothesizing about it and first thing is the parents are not around. The kids are pretty much left to raise themselves. They are also left in the charge of a sibling not much older than them. There are many who have moved from the countryside have this same aggressive attitude. Countryside living is tough and the kids have to get roughed up to become men.

It is also sad to see the amount of drunk people here, usually men. On Sunday Doogie and I went shopping and one man was lying right in the middle of the sidewalk, sleeeping and had peed his pants. She said that they can not afford to eat so they buy this cheap liquor especially manufactured for them. It is very inexpensive. She said they drink until they die. Some people have said it's an Asian thing where they cannot hold their liquor, but it also is a poverty issue. So far no one has troubled me. If I see a street kid I give him my leftovers but I wonder what the growing cold and winter will bring.

It has gotten cold here very fast. I woke up Saturday to see snow and though it is still sunny, it's very chilly. Everyday the kids and I take the temperature in the morning and after lunch. This morning it was the coldest yet, 18 degrees!

I finally did laundry again as I was out of socks. The washers here are kind of screwy and sometimes it looks like their working, then when you come back they have an error or just didn't wash. I can't tell you how many times the cycle says it's done and won't open the door! The tried and trusted way of all women to fix things, by banging on them, works everytime though! I also got spoken to by the principal as I wore flip-flops on Friday (because it was a Friday) and was informed my dress was too informal. If the kids get to have dress down day, why can't the teachers too? I apologized. He told me some nice things though too and I like working for him. For a brief instant I thought he was going to fire me. Why, I didn't know, but he said "No, no, no!" He says he sees me with the kids and knows how they love me, and I them. Phew! That's me though, always expecting the worse. Here I thought I was getting fired for some unknown reason and it was all due to the fact I wore flip-flops!

I apparently am not getting much sleep tonight. It would seem the staff is getting together tomorrow night to have a Thanksgiving dinner. I feel I have nothing to bring. The food situation here is difficult for me and it is hard for me to cook. I was kind of asked to bring some sort of dessert, but were on earth do I find pumpkin pie in a place like this?
When I say a place like this, I mean a country struggling to it's feet. It was very common during the Russian reign to have their thoughts and go to their schools. Now, it seems America is rearing its head here now too. There are two schools here that are English and we seem to be in competition with one another, though I have no idea why. The other school really looks down on us.
I have to admit, I am really beginning to miss Canada. Just for the convience of it all. Today I went shopping with Doogie and on the sidewalk was a man who was too drunk too get up and had actually peed his pants. She told me that it was because he was so poor he couldn't afford food. The only thing he could buy was cheap booze and that's what he takes until he dies. I asked if he could not save the money he spent on vodka and buy food and she told me that they produce such products especially for people like him and this is his fate. It is very, very sad to me. I am glad that Doogie says she has a good job, though her husband does not have one. She keeps inviting me over to her house and I keep saying no. I am afraid to really see. She is a very smart woman and really misses living in Sweden.
We were looking for footwear for me and she said it was better to order it from some where else, as here it is of poor quality. I said once you factor in all the exchange rates and shipping, it was easier for me to just buy it here. I found a pair that I loved and were so beautiful, but she wouldn't let me buy them because she said they were too small for me. It is difficult to find sizes that fit for me. Mongolians have small feet and small everything else. I definately stand out. Small children stare at me as I am so alien looking to them.
Just the other day I had asked if Doogie's daughter could go back to the school to get something from my classroom and she was too afraid, due to the children in the neighbourhood. While they are very pleastant with me, saying hello all the time, they apparently can get quite mean to people who they deem have it better than them. I was surprised but don't blame her. I get nervous sometimes too. Also, some one in one of the ger's feels the sidewalk is the perfect place to do #2. It is so obvious that it is a human and it's really gross. I have to walk past it everyday, practically. I don't know if it's because they don't know any better or if it's some sort of protest against the school. Due to the fact the school is now there, the neighbourhood is growing, in what may be to many in a good way. There is a huge difference between here and the"countryside". As you may well know, more than half the population of Mongolia resides in Ulaanbaatar, leaving the rest of the country the "countryside". It would seem the parents don't raise their own children and leave it up to the grandparents, or else there is just no one at home for them. So differnt from North America where kids aren't to be left alone until they're 12 or some age closer to that. Here, they're in grade 2 and deemed able to fend for themselves.

It has snowed, already! At least I know we'll definately have a white Christmas!

My classroom and the cafeteria have been disinfected. It's a bit smelly but worth it. We still have concerns about the Hep A getting around. One of my students came in today and he did not look well. I was obviously worried as he sat next to Khulan B. and immediately sent him to the nurse's room. Turns out a bunch of them got their flu vaccinations last night. Poor Tuguler, he's such a small boy and struggles as it is. He told me the needle hit his bone and almost broke it, I'm still not sure if that's possible but wonders never cease here in Mongolia. He ended up going home.
I now have my full 26 students though Khulan is off sick (obviously) and Chandmani is on vacation. I have a parent meeting with BG's (Tserendorj's) parents on Tuesday to discuss his moving up to the 4th grade. I have a funny feeling I'm going to meet some resistance from the 4th grade teacher but I know both he and his parents are ready for the change. It's been going around that in America they do not move students as they feel it is detrimental to their mental health. I do recall in Canada, as a child, students being moved around. I will be sad to lose him as he is a great student and an asset in my classroom, but he his bored and needs to be challenged. The teacher who may get him has only 14 students at this time and did say she could take more, however I feel she is hesitant and worry she may have some reservations. The princpal says it's a majority rules sort of situation and he will probably go. His mother came to see me on curriculum night and said they were for it.
I finally got to hang out with Doogie and we did not speak about our class, for once! It was nice. We had fun. Her daughter came to meet us as she is a student at the school in grade 7 and now I understand why my mom used to make me so bored while talking to friends. You don't get a chance otherwise! She is going to take me shopping on Sunday as all Mongolians have this fabulous footwear and I've never found a pair of boots that actually fit me. She also wants to take me grocery shopping to show me what is good food to buy and what is not. That I definatley appreciate as I cannot read any of the labels anyway.
It would seem that people here are quite the matchmakers! One of my student's mom wants to take me away to the new hotel in Terelj that opened up recently because she has an English speaking man to keep me company. She wanted me to write a note in her ESL journal saying if I would come or not but I told her it was too short of notice. Apparently this is the norm in Mongolia as they seem to really hold teachers in esteem here. Also, my TP, Doogie, wants me to meet her brother. Geez!
It is unusual to me that teachers are so revered here as back in Canada it seems if the child does no learn it is the teacher's fault. Doogie and I spoke about that tonight and she wanted to know what we do in Canada when the child is slower. I told her we usually define them as ADHD and give them pills. I am grateful for her help in the classroom now. We have a small handfull of students who just never seem to get it, no matter what language we speak. She said "I don't know what language to tell them in as they don't seem to understand in English or Mongolian." On the advice of a very wise teacher who contacted me though a friend, David Cuthill, I will make a new seating arrangement where the students are in groups with varied abilities. They help each other. I have already seen it where I'm talking to a student and if they don't understand, another explains it to them.
I seem to have lost Chinzorig's science test. He told me he put it on my desk, but it is nowhere to be found. The kids tell me it's because my desk is too messy, but it's an ordered mess! I know where everything is and I dont' really look forward to the addition of a new computer to the contents of my desktop. It would be nice though as my laptop never seems to get internet at school. At home it's okay, but the computer tech needs to come and set it up every time and I have just given up. It is a bit frustrating as the VP keeps telling me about emails I got but haven't had a chance to look at yet. It's also unnerving that they can tell if I've read my emails or no. Big brother!
The weather here is starting to get cold. I have gratefully asked my mom to send me some extra clothes. I knew it was going to get cold, but it's tough to pack for what you don't know. I'd like to send out a warm thanks to my mom for putting together a care package for me and shopping randomly for me. She hates buying me clothes as I never like what she buys, but trust me, I will wear it this time mom!
I'd also like to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving! If you count back the months, I think it was around this time I was conceived. Cinnamon and nutmeg, such aphrodesiacs! It's so strange here because most of my studens are born in Oct, Nov, and Dec while where I'm from we mostly are summer babies. I have informed my mother that though I planned on calling the family at my aunt's place, it will be Tuesday morning for me when they are actually sitting down to dinner and will be a hard call for me to make. I send my warmest Thanksgiving wishes and hope that Michael will be rememberd in the grace!

I had a bit of a shock today. One of my students had been ill and we discovered today that he has Hepatitis A. We are looking into it, especially when it comes to the cafeteria. The food there has been less than desirable and we are concerned one of the employees may have it. The school nurse contacted the board of health and due to the fact it is only one student thus far there really isn't much they can do. My classroom and the cafeteria are being sterilized tonight and the employees tested. I should know by tomorrow if one of them has it too.

The poor kid, Khulan B., he went home on Tuesday with a fever and returned for the second half of school yesterday. He was falling asleep at his desk and we sent him to the nurses to lie down. Today we got the news. It sent Doogie and I into a bit of a tizzy but thank heavens we found out so quickly and the proper steps have been taken.

I had to send a newsletter home to the parents because they have been calling Doogie saying they asked their child what they learned today at school and the kids say "I don't know." They find it really easy to say that they don't understand due to the language barrier. I gently reminded the parents that this is an English speaking school and outlined what steps I have been taking to enforce new vocabulary and language skills. I also gave them some steps they can take at home to assist in their child learning English. It is just so frustrating as these students are all returning and have had one entire year of Enlish instruction already. It is also frustrating as everyone wants their kids to sit in the front. I have some I need to sit there due to bad eyesight as apparently in Mongolia no one goes to the eye doctor. There are also some who are smaller and those I need to keep my eye on. In a class of 26, all the parents want their child to sit at the front!

On the upside, some of the teaching staff took a trip to the countryside last weekend. It was a place called Terelj and it was beautiful. We rode horses, visited "Turtle Rock" and hiked up to a monastery. It was great to get out of Ulaanbaatar, even if it was just for one night.

The ger camp we stayed at was very nice indeed. Clean and welcoming. It was nice weather but got very cold at night. The wood burning stove did it's job too well! We were boiling at some points during the night. We stopped at a place on the way to Terelj where 100 monks hid in this stone cave. If you climbed to the top you were said to have good luck, as they were never caught. My immediate response at seeing the stone formation was to climb it. Once I got up there my fear of heights kicked in and needed help down. The rock has been climbed by hundreds of thousands of people and had become quite smooth. Pair that with bus loads of kids all clamoring around you with their "barger's brigade" attitude and I got very nervous. There also was a suspension bridge at the monastery that was quite shaky. It also made my stomach flutter! On day two I rode a horse whom I named Eeyore. He had the same attitude and kept giving me sideways glances that said "Leave me alone, woman!" The Mongolians just name the horses by their colour and the first one I rode was called "brown horse". In Mongolian is sounded similar to Chester to me so that then became his name. The horses are funny because they don't stop walking to poo but they stop if they have to pee. It's quite the mini version of Niagara Falls when that happens! We laughed and laughed the first time it happened.

On another plus side, we finally have hot water, well, what passes for hot water here. That also means our heat is on. No more freezing mornings!

I have to admit, I am very proud today. I think one of my students will be moved into the 4th grade. Not that I really have anything to do with his abilities, but I am proud of him. He scored extremely high on the aptitude test the school gave him and they feel he could go up. I will miss him in the classroom but would rather he be challenged than bored all year.
Many people have been asking me about the food here. There are many restaurants to choose from, mostly "American", Italian, and Korean type places. The Mongolians also like to serve a lot of mutton. Funny, initially when I got here I was planning on staying vegetarian, but have found myself craving meat. It gets quite cold here nights and my TA, Doogie, said in the winter I will have to eat meat. I have tried some and it is good quality. There is a little roadside, outdoor restaurant called "The Green Pub" where they serve these amazing skewers of lamb. That is where the picture is from. Fish is pretty rare to come by and if it is on the menu it is really bony. Also, mushrooms are very difficult to find, at least fresh ones anyway. The climate here is not good for growing them. There definately is no sushi to be found!
Shopping can be a bit of a pain here as the stock is constantly fluctuating. Plus, you have to go to more than one shop to get all you need. It is not so simple as just going to Sobey's. It is not unusual to go to three different stores to get all you need. I find it a little tiring. In addition, people are very pushy. An elderly woman once just cut in front of me at the supermarket checkout. I was in shock! There are no lines here. People just crowd around the cashier and tell them what they want. I think this is why it has been so difficult to teach the kids to line up. Everyone wants to be at the front! Also, Mongolians get very irritated when they have to wait. Many will change lines if the person in front is taking too long.
Another issue is how aggressive the kids can be. One of my classroom rules is "no pushing or shoving". I had to have another big talk with the class in regards to being respectful to one another. There has been a lot of infighting with the girls and I had to tell them if you can't play nicely with one another than just don't play together. I also told them that they had to be friends with everyone. They said "Even the boys?" and I said yes, yes you do. They have gotten better since the pep talk. I decided to do this so I wouldn't have to act as mediator all the time to all their little spats. I'm glad it seems to be working.
We were supposed to have class pictures taken today but no one came round to get us. Maybe tomorrow? Who knows? I had to actually yell at my class today and they noticed that when I get upset my face gets red. That's when they know I'm serious! I rarely yell, and told them I don't like to. I do tell them all the time they make me crazy or are giving me a headache. It's actually now a running class joke that we all are crazy. I did get a bit irritated as I pose a question to the class and see all these hands up and when I call on them they want to borrow my ruler or go to the bathroom. I had to tell them to focus! They get sidetracked so easily. We were talking about math and the next thing I know they want to tell me stories about animals or a movie they watched last night. They are just way too cute to stay mad at though. They draw me pictures, make me things, and tell me they love me all the time. One called me "Mommy" though and I had to nip that in the bud.
As an aside from Mongolia, my favouritest person in the world, Tasha MacQueen, had her baby! It's a girl! Little Harper joined us early Saturday morning and both mother and child are doing well. She is a healthy 8lbs, 7oz. Congrats to the MacQueens!
Still no hot water, which also means no heat. We are waiting! The humidifier I bought at the Black market already broke and needs replacing. My nose is very dry and has cracked. It is sore. Nosebleeds are a daily occurance. Today at lunch it was so windy we had indoor recess as there was so much dust and debris flying around.
I have begun to notice that I refer to myself in the third person. I'll be looking for something and think "Where did Miss M. leave it?" My co-workers think I'm crazy, but I have to be in my class!

This morning I came into school to a rather rude awakening. My classroom was torn apart, again! Half the desks were out in the hall, half were inside pushed against the wall as was my desk too. They were covered in a plastic tarp and there was dirt and dust everywhere. I was fairly annoyed. I immediately went to the principal's office to ask "Have you seen my classroom this morning?" He was definately irritated and wondered why on earth the maintenance personnel did not wait until the weekend to do such a big job. We frantically tried to reorganize and managed to pull the room back together before classes started. My students were complaining about the smell and upset about the second new seating plan in as many days. I don't blame them. I got a headache too due to the fumes. Hopefully tomorrow things will be as I left them tonight.
I was also concerned because my students did not perform as well on their Language Arts test as I had hoped. Many did well, most passed, but clearly there are some who haven't been paying any attention at all. This is disturbing. There is only so much you can blame on the language barrier. I took all the questions straight out of their homework and even included prompts I did not want to, just to make it a bit easier for them. It is clear we have much review to do over the next week. I'm not sure if because the format was not the same they were used to, but I went through each and every question and even provided examples. Mrs. Doogie also translated the test into Mongolian. I understand a few not listening and thus, not understanding what was asked of them, but it seemed most were unclear about what the question was asking of them. I have my work cut out for me!
On the one plus side, they say maybe the hot water will come back on tomorrow. I'm not holding my breath but it sure would be nice to actually use my bathtub again. I hate having to go down to the first floor to shower. I sure would like to have a bath!

Here are my students showing off the lentil plants we germinated and grew. They are very proud! I told my class they were now going to be famous in Canada as I was going to publish these photos on my blog. My class is very good, though a bit noisy. We are having our first test tomorrow in Language Arts. I think soon a math test will be in order as well. There has been a bit of cat fighting going on between some of the girls but I make them apologize and tell them it's done and over with. I forget how serious it felt when you were that age if someone was mean to you. I can remember my parents saying "Just ignore it" but that is very tough advice to follow. I just hate to see them cry! I also forget that at that age they move on quickly too. One minute they are crying and the world seems it's going to end, and the next they are running, laughing and playing. Ah, to be 8 again!

We were informed the hot water would be back on as of yesterday and still nothing. It is getting quite cold in the mornings and washing up with cold water just aggravates the situation. I have heard most likely the 1st of October instead. The kids are really disappointed as they don't get swimming until the hot water is back on. The one thing about Mongolia is that if one person has no hot water or no lights, no one does. So, we're all in the same boat.

Things here are running along smoothly. I am actually looking forward to going back to school tomorrow. I will post a new photo soon of my class and the plants we are growing for science class. Who would have thought that lentils I bought at the grocery store would actually grow?

I actually had a bit of an emotional weekend as a dear friend of mine sent me some photos from home to show my class. I was definately not expecting him to go to my house and get photos of my mom and dog, Farley. It was an extremely sweet gesture and I hadn't realized how much I missed them until I saw the pictures. I may have had a "moment" with some of the other teachers simply because there was no bank machine for me. Silly, but it happens. One thing I really miss is being able to read the menu! The language here is so foreign to me I feel completely clueless. Some of the teachers are doing quite well with mastering new words and phrases, but I am unfortunately not one of them. I know how to give directions to someone who picks me up driving but that's about it.

The only real marker for my weekend was a talk I had with the principal, Mr. Mark (whom my students have identified as a homophone. Yes, I was proud). I have discovered that after only one week they are cutting one of my ESL classes and I feel it is premature and unreasonable. That's all. So, I told him that ordinarily I wouldn't say anything and just go along with the flow, but it upset me and decided to speak up. Mr. Mark is a great listener. He's got everyone's best interest in mind and that is tough, considering the size of the staff and student body.

Well, here's to week three! I am giving my first test on Tuesday and hope my students do well!

Well, I'm gearing up for another action packed week at school. Thank heavens for teacher books! Though apparently the stuff I teach that is an aside is more interesting. I'm excited because I tried an experiment with my lentils for science class and they actually started to germinate. Tomorrow the kids and I are going to plant our germinating seeds and watch what happens. I remember doing things like this in school and how excited I was about it. I'm glad I can make it, or try to, as fun as possible. The thing is, it's fun for me too!

Aside from that it's been a fairly quiet weekend after the "welcoming party". We all had fun together that night and I think it was a great idea to get to know one another out of the school setting. The teachers all live and play together, but we rarely get to talk to our teaching partners in a social setting. My partner, Doogie, said she'd like to have me over for dinner sometime. I thought that was pretty nice. Last night a few of us got together and watched a movie over in Dan and Tina's room. Tonight was just quiet. It's so funny here because when you're out in the hall you can hear what's going on in everyone's room but once inside, it's so quiet!

I did laundry for the first time since being here (sorry mom!) and had to get Maureen, another teacher, to show me how to work the machines. They are the small, front-loading ones and I've never seen them before. I thought I could figure them out, being the worldly woman I am, but alas, I had to request help. I miss dryers! The truth of the matter is, I've actually been avoiding it due to the lack of dryers. My clothes are all over the building! Hanging in the laundry room, hanging in my bathtub, hanging off doors and the like. Luckily, I have lots of work clothes but was nearly out of socks.

Just as an aside from Mongolia, I have become an aunt again for the second time! I am very excited for my brother and his wife, Marty and Jenn, but am sad to not be around to see her. Her name is Sarah and she looks beautiful from the photos I've seen. Everyone is fine and they happily welcome the new addition. I trust my other neice, Lauren, is going to be the best sister around!

Last night Dan, Tina, Andrew, Maureen, Colin and I all treked to this little outside bar called "Green Pub". We drank a beer and the boys ordered some food. I think it was lamb. It came on this huge skewer and smelled wonderful. You could tell the quality of the meat was excellent. I did try a bit and thought it to be quite good.

There is a running joke amongst us teachers about the punching here. Dan had posted on his blog a running dialogue in regards to the incident I mentioned earlier about the man touching the eagle and a fight breaking out. It goes as follows:
"Hey, don't touch my eagle!" punch punch
"Hey, don't punch me!" punch punch

We now have a new one. There are many drivers and pedestrians in Ulaanbaatar. The drivers use their horns quite heavily.
"Hey, get out of my way!" honk honk
"Hey, don't honk at me!" honk honk
"I haven't used my horn lately!" honk honk
"My hand is free!" honk honk

This is just one of the ways we amuse ourselves here.

I just finished my last day of my first week of school. I am very pleased with how things are going so far. Though I am concerned with the math and science aspect of my job I think I have been doing a good job so far of keeping the kids interested. They always yell "Yaaahhh!" when I say we are starting spelling or math. It is encouraging.

Tonight after work my teaching assistant and the computer tech personell decided to have a little get together for all us first year teachers. It was a lot of fun. I got to talk to Doogie outside of the classroom and I feel we will be a good team. She feels the same from what she's told me.

Apparently my night is not over yet as it is still only 9:30 here and of course a Friday. More later!

Well, the first week of school is almost over and things are going better than I could have expected. My class is very well behaved and for some reason they love me. I am having to get used to teaching such young children still, but Doogie is helpful with her translating. I do have to keep reminding the children that class is English only. I found out on the second day that one of my students was crying at home because she has little English and was frustrated. We explained that though it may be tough at first, the more you practice the better you get. ESL classes hopefully will start on Monday.

I also am having trouble getting used to the idea that these kids want to hug me and hold my hand. Mongolians are a very family oriented society and often live with all the family in a small space. I'm used to North Americans who keep their distance. Not these kids! I have told them much about my life back in Canada and have been teaching them some of our idioms like "TGIF" and "knock on wood". I have even shown them photos of my love, Farley, and they say he is a good dog.

One of the main things I have noticed about myself is my English is becoming more broken in order to get my main point across. For some reason as well, I have started speaking with a French accent. I guess it goes back to my tree planting days in Northern Quebec when I picked up their accent and spoke in much the same manner.

My students are at such different levels in regard to ESL, sometimes it is frustrating for me as well. When you tell a joke and only 4 people laugh (well, that probably would happen to me anyway!) or I just see a lot of blank eyes looking at me when I say "Okay? Everyone understand?" At the store I can just point and use my fingers to say how many I want but in my classroom I need to know that they understand.

It is tiring dealing with so many young children. I am beat! They are always clamoring for my attention. "Miss M! Miss M! Look at me!" Not that I mind, it's nice to have people want your approving eye, but it is fatiguing. I also have had to explain that it will take me some time to learn their names and how to pronounce them properly. The language here is just so foreign sounding to me. They have names like "Yumchigmaa" and "Unkhbaya" (both girls names). I have one Edward and his was admitedly the first name I learned in the class.

Another unexpected turn is that the children love to learn! They are always shouting "Yah!" when I tell them we are now moving to Science or Math. They want more homework! Who would have thought! I think it is going to be a great year. Like I taught the kids, knock on wood for me and keep your fingers crossed!