Who Is That Adorable Person?

It's Kyra! Yep, my darling sister came to visit me, and for bonus points it was over my birthday!

She flew into Ulaanbaatar (U.B.) and we were able to witness the one day a year there is no driving from 10-5. Here's a pic from when we were strolling down the busiest street in U.B.

We spent Easter in the Terejl National Park just outside U.B. visiting the largest statue of Chinggis Khan and riding a horse.

We went to the Mongolian National Museum and then to dinner with my friends. On April 4th we started our Gobi Tour to Omnogobi a.k.a. South Gobi.

Our Russian Chariot

Cooking lunch in the van because it was so cold outside.

We stopped to help the truck that carried these cows out of the mud.

Flaming Cliffs in Bayanzag. Where dinosaur fossils and eggs were.

More Flaming Cliffs

Mongolian 2 humped Bactrian Camel herd

Our two amigos, Kyra, me, and our guide.

Part of the Khongor Sand Dunes

Khongor Sand Dunes

Khongor Sand Dunes

Eagle Valley
When it's not iced over, there is a giant waterfall right there.

Eagle Valley was cold.

Morning kisses
The herders rounded up the babies and the mamas stayed nearby. 

Looks a bit like home doesn't it?
I can't remember the name of this.

Herd of horse on the way back to Ulaanbaatar

We returned to U.B. on April 10th and took the overnight train to my town. We spent the day there and took the night train to Beijing, China.

A few pictures from Beijing, China.

A little country side from the train.

View of Beijing from the Drum Tower.

The Drum Tower
(there is also a Bell Tower)

Confucius statue and me at the Confucius Temple

Confucius Temple

Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
at The Temple of Heaven Park

Inside the Forbidden Palace Museum.

One of many ornate throne rooms in the Forbidden Palace

Dagoba in Beihai Park. 

Also Beihai Park Dagoba

Great Wall of China
Mutianyu Section

Great Wall of China
Mutianyu Section

The East entrance of the Summer Palace
looks like somewhere else I've been ... 

Tower of Buddhist Incense
at the Summer Palace

And then Kyra and I parted ways. I am SO glad she came!

International Women's Day

As most international holidays in America, I thought this was just printed letters on the calendar. No sirree-bob. Women's Day is a national holiday in Mongolia with the day off work. It also called for some celebration.

When I arrive at work, I was slightly confused as to why my lady counter part was dressed in a spiffy outfit with a fancy face and hair, I thought maybe it's a self-esteem day, and started my day. Then, around lunch time, a line started to form in the hallway outside my door. All female, and all spiffy and fancy. Coincidence? No, these particular ladies are conspirators. And they were motioning me to join them ... why thank.

As I was lovingly shoved into the correct position in line in order to properly spoon the lady in front of me (normal queuing in Mongolia), I got all excited because I could see ... presents! Yes presents. What a delightful sight. The men folk were dressed in their, um, Sunday (?) best; full suits, dress shirts and ties. Oh they looked so handsome. They were greeting all the women as they filed into the room with mugs, roses, and smiles. There was a banquet table with a bountiful spread. Lunch was delicious and they even had a cake. Luckily I was sitting by the cake, so I actually got some. Always positions yourself next to the cake and the fruit, and shamelessly move the bowl of chocolates closer to you. Very important.

Now I have a beautiful mug that, basically, says Happy Women's Day. Z.U.N.E Men. ZUNE is an acronym for Zamiin-Uud First Hospital.

It was a very nice day followed by a three day weekend.    

Цагаан Сар

Happy Цагаан Сар (Tsagaan Sar)!

Tsagaan Sar is the Mongolian (& Chinese) Lunar New Year. Tsagann Sar means White Moon. It is now the year of the Snake. According to the handout on Tsagaan Sar the Peace Corps gave me, The Year of the Snake brings many disruptions and worries. So, it's a great year to be a PC Volunteer. He he.

The Mongolians clean their houses and offices the days before so everything is clean for the new year, and they also prepare buuz (pronounced "boats"). Hundreds to thousands of buuz. Buuz are little pieces of ground meat wrapped in a dough and steamed. Some of the volunteers participate in a buuz eating contest. The winner of the buuz eating contest this year, in a 24 hour period (because Tsagaan Sar is 3 days long, & come on 3 days is for sissies), ate 106 buuz. The record is 136 (I believe). I ate 1 and 1/2. Needless to say, me no likey.

On the first day of Tsagaan Sar you celebrate with you family. I went to my hashaa family's ger and celebrated with them. They have very traditional foods, think thanksgiving. The serve a whole sheep, cut and served in a ceremonial style, Fruit, candy, fermented mare's milk, dried milk, and vodka. You also where traditional clothing called deels. I will say, the U.S. was cheated on the traditional clothing category. They are pretty neat.

The next two days you visit friends and coworkers homes and eat and drink all of the above mentioned item. When you leave, the host gives you a present. These are not specific, so it's fun to see what you get.

My hospital held a Buddhist service and the monks came from the monastery. I don't know much about Buddhism, so I'm not sure if it was a ceremony or a blessing. They chanted for a while, then blessed some rice. I was told to keep the rice in my wallet and it will make me wealthy. This, of course, makes me sad because I forgot to bring a wallet.

Here are some pictures from Tsagaan Sar 2013 (February 10-13)

The head table with the elders and directors.
(and the deputy director's daughter)

My counter part, Shagai's daughter, Эгшиглэн (Egshiglen), in her traditional deel and head dress.

This is to see the medals on his deel and see the ladies deels

Me and my deel. My host family make this for me for my swearing in ceremony.
If you don't know any better, then you won't know I'm wearing a summer deel, not a winter deel.

The head table again. In the bucket is the fermented mare's milk.The tower looking thing is the dried milk pieces. And the sheep is too far away to see. Sorry.

The monks doing some of the ceremony
If you look at the yellow-ish white thing on the right side on the table, that's the back fat from the sheep. Yes they do eat it.

More fun deels

The monks wishing everyone a happy new year 

Everyone wishing everyone a happy new year.

My Mongolians are very mellow compared to what Peace Corps geared me up for. I went to a few houses and then went home.

I think it was a successful New Year. Now back to work, until March 8th which is Women's Day.

Christmas & New Year's

Sorry, it's been awhile.

I went to UB to visit my friends and they were nice enough to show me around. We went to a mall and there was an Ice Village. Here are some pictures.

Random Mongolian children having fun

 

Santa and me in his ice sleigh.

 

This was so slippery, I kept sliding away from the sculpture

Christmas is not celebrated in Mongolia. I was able to skype with my sister and my site mate and I went to lunch and went back to work. That night I was invited to my counterpart's house for dinner. While I was there she decorated her New Year's tree. I had to ask what it was for. She asked if Americans had New Year's trees and I told her no, we had Christmas trees. I tried to explain what Christmas was, but she didn't understand. Mongolians use Santa and gift giving for New Year's.

New Year's Eve was fun. I went to my site mate's ger to watch the fireworks and party. The fireworks were amazing. So many houses were shooting the off. Some were even horizontal instead of vertical. Unfortunately, I was too mesmerized to remember to take any photos. I'll have to remember next year.

On the work front, my counter part and I have made a Work Plan for the year, and had it officially stamped by the director. They like to "officially stamp" things here. We have also talked about planting a root vegetable garden in the spring and making fun parties for nurse's and doctor's day. Both are national holidays. I'm sure they are in the U.S. as well. That's all we got planned so far.
I was asked to help with a seminar in a different soum, but that's not 'til May. I am excited about though.