What a week!

This week hasn't been as slow as the past 2 weeks.  The three main events of the week are:

1. My site mates and I decided we would go camping...except it decided to snow on Saturday.  Thus, we decided to "camp" in a ger (not mine, but my other site mate's).  We watched movies, built a fort, ate food, and played night crawlers (for those of you who don't watch "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia", like me, it's a game where you get into your sleeping bag...with your face in the bottom...and crawl around like worms.  It was quite intense.  Here are some pictures of the snow and the indoor camping ventures.



Getting ready for night crawlers





The Fort!





The Mountains covered in snow...from my hashaa





More snow pics





last one


2. Next was the wedding!  One of the teachers at my school had a wedding and all of my coworkers and I went on Sunday.  I asked my hashaa mom what to wear and she told me to wear my deel.  When we met at school, I was the only one in a deel (everyone else wore jeans or other casual clothes...they told me that deels are supposed to be worn, but they chose warmth instead...lol).  When we got to the wedding, it was nothing like I thought it would be!  I learned that weddings here are 3 days long (Day 1 for Family, Day 2 for Coworkers, and day 3 for Friends) and there was no official ceremony.  Instead, it was a get together in the home where the guests along with the bride and groom enjoy food and chatter.  I was told that weddings typically have 3 rounds of dishes (vegetable soup, flour soup, and buuz...this one had vegetable soup and a chicken and rice dish), fruits, vegetable, cookies, and candy.  And of course, what celebration is complete without airag (and the "Mongolian vodka", and bottled vodka"...this time they added cherry wine)?  There is also always sheep's back served at weddings. After the eating and a few rounds of airag, the toasts began.  Everyone was offered the golden bowl of airag and had to sing a song.  I almost got away with not having to sing a Mongolian song (they told me to sing "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion....and for everyone who knows me, you know I hate public singing!  I was so embarrassed!) until the people who knew of the one Mongolian song I partially knew asked me to sing it.  So 2 songs...for the girl who hates singing in public.  Thank goodness that most singing events in Mongolia turns into sing alongs!!  It was a great night.





The groom!





The school's training manager with the golden airag bowl!





The passing of the vodka!





The bride (after her change) sharing Mongolian vodka to pass.





3 of my coworkers!





The bride and groom looking at each other.





The bride changed back so that her and the groom match!





And again





The sheep's back


3. But then the next day, I woke up feeling awful!  I felt weak and nauseous and decided to go to work anyway.  I ended up getting to work and being sent home because I felt so awful.  I spent the day not eating or drinking and just staying in bed (until later that evening of course....because I was too stubborn to not do Insanity...I did take it slow though).  And although I felt much better the next day, my stomach continued to be a little funky until today.
4. The final thing happened today.  Nothing too big, but as I was walking around town, a group of teenage boys called out to me by saying "What's up nigga".  Although that should of been a teachable moment, I was so shocked that I turned around and gave them a death glare accompanied by a head shake.

This week has been pretty great overall.  I have been spending a lot of time alone, but loving it.  I started listening to podcasts (NFL...to catch up on what I've missed so far this season and The Read by Kid Fury...because I need to catch up on the shade I've been missing from not having youtube) and it's made everything so much funnier.  

Well that's it!  I'm getting ready to go play volleyball with the teachers at my school.  Bye ya'll!!!