Happy New Year!
I hope all of you brought in your New Year with your loved
ones! For those of you that celebrated New Years alone, I hope this year brings
you all the happiness and aspirations you plan to accomplish. I brought in my
New Year in the South Gobi aimag of Mongolia. I’ve also been in Mongolia for 8
months! Wow! Time feels like its slipping out of my hands.
Not much
has occurred since I last blogged. I’m still forging ahead while combatting
winter in one of the coldest countries in the world. The temperature has
dropped tremendously since October. Although Mongolians claim that this is one
of the warmest winter in years, there have been days when the high in my town
has been 0 degrees Fahrenheit. The lowest temperature thus far has been -17
degrees Fahrenheit. Nothing can describe the feeling of the bitter cold air
greeting you as soon as you step outside. After walking for about 15 minutes, I
feel as though 1,000 daggers have sliced my delicate face. My nose hairs freeze
and icicles form on my eyelashes. I’m usually walking with an upbeat speed
because I want to get to my destinations as quickly as possible, resisting
frostbite.
Besides the
cold weather being a pain at times, it is the holiday season! Tsagaan Sar
(Buddhist New Year) is around the corner and I am looking forward to that. I
intend on visiting my host family from the summer in Selenge aimag. I have not
seen the bulk of my Mongolian family since the summer and I miss them dearly. I
know that it will be a time of celebration including a lot of buuz (which are Mongolian
dumplings), gifts, and lots of alcohol. I am going try my best to sustain from
drinking as much as possible because I do not enjoy drinking vodka.
Aside from
that, life has been the same. I am still teaching and living my day-to-day life
as an American in Mongolia. I have improved in the language and I am still
eager to learn more. It’s a good feeling
when you can understand conversations and talk to people with somewhat of an
educated response. When I first arrived to my site I was sounding very
primitive and using mainly hand gestures and other form of charades to
communicate my thoughts and feelings. My Mongolian dictionary was also within
my clutch at all times. But anyway, I will stop rambling! I will post pictures
and share experiences about Tsagaan Sar after it has past. You will be hearing
from me soon. Take care friends and family!
