Christmas!!

Hey Guys!!

I'm a little late for Christmas, but Merry Christmas anyway!!  This past week has been filled with Christmas celebration.  My site mates and I have spent everyday since last friday together just watching Christmas movies.  It's been great!!  Although it isn't the same as being home, it's still good to have people to celebrate Christmas with (especially in a country that doesn't recognize Christmas Day as a holiday since they think Christmas is wrapped into New Year's celebrations).  We've taken all sorts of pictures since last week in preparation for Christmas.  In terms of the actual day,  I spent the entire night before awake and baking for my hashaa family and my teachers (I'm still in the apt, so it made it pretty easy).  The next day I woke up and delivered the cinnamon rolls I made to my family then went back to doll up to go to school (Since I had to make Christmas fun on my own, I decided to put on make up, straighten my hair, wear heels, wear a santa hat, and wear a christmas dress to help me along...everyone was shocked).  I brought in cookies, which disappeared.  Later on in the day,  my site mates and I continued our Christmas movie marathon and opened the stockings that one of my site mates' mom got for us.  It was awesome!!  Now here I am as everything is somewhat going back to normal.  Our school will be having a шинэ жил (Shine jil means new year) party on Saturday.  That will be the next exciting event.  Well, that's all for now!  I'll talk to you guys next week!

Because I brought 4 onesies to Mongolia (because why not?), we all had a onesie for a Christmas PJ photoshoot. 

More onesie madness!!

Pyramid!!

Our "formal" Christmas shot. Gotta love the props!

The cinnamon rolls I made for my hashaa family!!

I gave them the pretty middle pieces from the roll...these are the end pieces.

The 2 kinds of sugar cookies I brought to school for my teachers.  I made about 70 cookies (chocolate dipped and then i used a cinnamon sugar frosting with Christmas sprinkles on the other kind)!! 

Yum!

My school gave all the teachers gift bags like this one.  Super exciting!

Ahh Mongolia

So I don't have much for you guys this week either.  While in the big city I bought several goodies (Coconut oil....like a huge container, a new tie die winter coat....gorgeous, mozzarella cheese...because I need cheese in my life, coconut milk....because what is curry/most jamaican dishes without it, dried chili pepper....yay to pepper, a hair straightener....zelda is due for a trim, and my beloved christmas dress...fuzzy with reindeer on it), thus spending way more than I ever imagined I would while there. lol.    I got back to site at about 10 pm on Sunday to a frozen get (literally things I didn't think could freeze were frozen!!!).  When I got home, I was relieved but missed the convenience of city life (aka showering daily....like real showers, internet everywhere, not making fires, and, of course, the variety of food) and also the other volunteers.  It's still a little strange being back to site (between the rising prices, crazy students, and immense smog), but hey.  So it goes.  This week I switched with one of my site mates.  So I'm in an apartment this week.  Thats about it.  Talk to you guys later!!

Some of my Sukh 4 (Training Site) people.  Love them so much!!

Crashing the photo...because I can.

Some of the Sukhbaatar (Summer time people again) girls in the midst of a huge snowball fight during IST.  So much fun!!!

IST Fun Times

Since the last time we spoke, a lot and nothing at all happened.  I know that makes NO sense.  But it's the truth.  I spent the week (since Monday) in and out of training.  I did get to know my counterpart better, went swimming, and had a great snowball fight though.  I also got to see the other volunteers again (which is always great....especially since we won't see each other again until August).  That's basically been my entire week.  This is a super short post and I'm really sorry.  Now that I'm back in the city, I will do some minor shopping (I found a big ol bottle of coconut oil here that I need to buy!) then head back to site.  That's about it!  Talk to you all next week!!


PS:  Mangas had to be let go in the city because there was nowhere for her to stay (super sad huh?).  I'm pretty sad about that.  But there isn't much I can do because she's now gone (and I guess I don't have too much of a right to be sad since she wasn't my dog and I'm sure her owner is hurting too).  So that's one update, although a sad one.

Thanksgiving and Some

Hey Guys!

So I hope your Thanksgiving was PHENOMENAL!  I had quite an interesting Thanksgiving weekend.  After I last wrote, I went to school to play volleyball (started out as volleyball and then became basketball...but still very fun).  Then on Saturday, we had a culture showcase (lots of dancing and singing...had to leave early to do some tutoring) and later on in the day, my site mates and I had a Thanksgiving celebration.  It was great (pictures to follow)!!! My Sunday continued with more tutoring and Thanksgiving leftovers (one can never have too much mashed potatoes!!).  This week is practically whizzing on by.  I had classes as usual on Monday and Tuesday, then on Wednesday a teacher didn't show up so I had to teach a class other than the one I usually taught (which means I taught 1 hour instead of 2...maybe I was a little happier than I should've been) and then the entire school went out to the mountains for a fun day/exercise time.  After that, I went home to eat lunch then went back to school for my second class.  What did I find?  A mostly empty school!!!  All the teachers were gone and the halls were quiet!!  I didn't even have a warning!  So I went home and packed.  For what, you ask?  To go to UB!  In Service Training (IST) starts on Monday (but I had to come in earlier) so here I am preparing to see everyone after 3 months (and to learn, of course....)!!!!!  After an 8 hour bus ride, I arrived and then spent the next forever trying to find the guest house I'm to stay in (maybe it wasn't that long...but it felt much longer with my luggage).  When I got to the guest house, I met a nice French couple who were touring around Mongolia (and will be going to my aimag next!! woo hoo).  We had dinner and later on I went to watch a movie in town.  The movie was also a get together for people around the world who like to travel (and it was a chance to meet people they could possibly stay with if they went to their country).  It was a wonderful evening spent talking about Mongolian language, jobs, and teaching.  So I began my days in UB phenomenally.  Well, that's been it this week.  I'll be back next week with more info!  Enjoy the pictures and Happy December!

The little ones at the culture show.  Aren't they adorbs???

More little ones doing a traditional Mongolian dance

Cutest little waltz to "Once Upon a December"

Little pop stars in training (from young to old students...they all do this dance.  I have to figure out this song)

Cute little Salsa number (the poor girl later had a Janet Jackson Superbowl moment...twice.  Felt so bad for her!)

One of my little 5th graders singing!

More pop star dancing. Can't have too much of it, eh?

The ladies of our site (including little miss Mangas)

I somehow managed to burn myself on the stove pipe while checking on the gravy...here I am "nursing" my wound.

Our Thanksgiving dinner!  We had lemon garlic chicken, carrots, mashed potatoes, pumpkin bread, a huge salad (missing), garlic bread, stuffing, and gravy.  It was soooo good!!

The day after Thanksgiving.  Mangas ate everything in sight and got sick.  So she got a bath.  Look at those big, beautiful brown eyes!!  If only she was as sweet and innocent as she looks!