In addition to teaching English to 9th, 10th, and 11th graders, I have been working with the second grade teacher to teach her students an English song. I choose “5 Green and Speckled Frogs” which is always a crowd pleaser even if you can’t speak English. Here is me teaching…
The students learning….
And us as a very puppety group. They are some tiny 2nd graders!
Every year the town of Khankhongor puts on a concert for and by its citizens. This is how it works.
Everyone who works for the government in some capacity is strongly “requested” to participate in the concerts in groups. This includes anyone who works in the town government offices, at the school, and at the hospital. Where you work dictates which group you are in, which means I am in the school group.
Next, each group is given a list of the different numbers they must perform at the concert, and the best team wins some fabulous prize (I am hoping it is a new dung collecting basket). There are about 8 different numbers that each group is required to perform which range from a skit, a traditional Mongolian song, a dance, a poetry reading, and an orchestra number.
Nine years ago when I was a volunteer I somehow got roped into doing the dance number which was absolutely horrifying since 1. I can’t dance and 2. I was partnered with my boss, the school director. Fortunately for everyone I was not asked to dance this year, and the school director is out of town for the weekend.
So what exciting thing do I get to do in this year’s concert? I get to play the shantz in the school orchestra! Wow-you are thinking to yourself-I didn’t know Sadie could play the shantz. Well, neither did I! (You are also probably thinking to yourself-I actually don’t know what a shantz is. Well, here is a picture of two.)
I have been practicing the shantz for all of a week now, and can play an itty bitty song. As much as I would love to say that I am a shantz savant, I can’t. Let’s just hope the rest of the orchestra is better than me.
After concert update
There are a few things to report about the concert.
Here is a picture of me getting ready to play…
And me “playing”
Watching the morin khuur player who was keeping the beat
Hopefully after we return from America I can continue my lessons. I had forgotten how much fun it can be to learn a new instrument.
I submitted the final version of my thesis to my committee on November 28th with much stress and relief. Stress because the power was out most of the time and the internet painfully slow. In the end, Brian used his giant brain to upload my thesis to his computer in Wisconsin when the power was on at 2 in the morning, and then I attached it to an email sent from that computer. I have no idea how it all actually worked except for the fact that it did work. A lot of work to email a 500kb document!
Update-after my defense I had a few edits to do, but since by then we had the internet antenna installed on Darkhuu’s roof the emailing process was much smoother. I am not going to miss getting stressed about emailing anymore!
Today was “Би Монгол Хүн,” or “I am a Mongolian,” day at school. Students and teachers were instructed to wear traditional Mongolian clothes, and because all my dels are in America, I borrowed a very pretty one from Darkhuu. In some grades only a few kids wore outfits, but in the 11th grade most kids did, and they looked wonderful. Here I am with my very tall students.
Most of the teachers also wore dels, and there was lots of joking in the teachers room about how their dels seemed to get smaller each year. When one teacher was demonstrating how hers was pined in the front to keep her top shut, I reminded them that one year, for a reason I can’t remember, I had to wear a Mongolian outfit that was so small on the top that my friend Ulambayar had to sew the front shut with me in it. They all laughed but kindly said that I wasn’t that big on top- one friend even checked for herself by giving my boobs a nice big squeeze! The tata squeezer didn’t get away without some ribbing of her own, though, because she was one of the people whose dels had mysteriously gotten smaller over the years. Not only was her belt on the very last hole but someone said that next year we will have to scotch tape her dell shut. I love my co-workers and their totally inappropriate senses’ of humor. 
A few weeks ago while walking across town with some fifth grade friends of mine, one of them just out of the blue told me that she knew what my dog’s name was.
Me: Really? What is her name?
Tulai: SANTI-NO!
Augh. That’s my Santi. Always in trouble.
I am now in the final thralls of thesis editing where I write something, my amazingly hardworking advisor reads it, marks it up and down with track changes, sends it back to me, and then I write it all over again. I am always amazed how after each edit it is so much better, but I am still very anxious to finish. Then it won’t nearly matter as much to me that the power plant in Dalanzadgad is a big hunk of junk and that we only have power now from 7-9 a.m. and 6-10 p.m. It will also mean that I can finally get to Christmas crafting. I wonder what kind of crafts I can make out of dung…
Since moving back to Hanhongor I have discovered a new true love. I love collecting dung. Camel dung. Horse dung. Any plant based dung really. I love it.
Think about it. You get to walk around the beautiful Gobi desert on a treasure hunt that in the end produces “treasure” that you can cook your food with and keeps you warm. After a long day of thesis writing and teaching I find it to be the best mindless activity out there.
Since you may not have ever collected dung I thought I would give you a little guide. Keep in mind I am just starting my career as a dung collector and still have lots to learn.
1. Some dung in the Gobi desert sadly does not get collected in time and turns into dust. Sometimes bits of this are collectable if you are desperate but in general it is best left where it lies.
Old dung
2. Likewise some camel dung is a bit more of a splat than a clump and is not worth picking up. In general you want to avoid dung that might be mixed with urine since it can be stinky when you burn it.
Camel splat
3. Now this horse dung will be absolutely lovely some day but like a fine wine it needs to age first. I have found the best way to test for doneness is to give it a sniff test (cured dung should be almost scentless) and to step on it-if there is any give it is not ready.
Not quite ready for burning horse dung.
4. Here I am collecting some perfect horse dung. It may be smaller than camel dung but it can get hot really fast which is great when you are burning coal.
Practicing my new hobby.
5. Once you bring it home it is best to let it cure a bit more outside until you are ready to burn it. On the top of the pile in the middle is a lovely piece of camel dung. They can be even bigger than the opening in your stove sometimes.
The dung depository.
6. Lastly when you build your fire make sure you have a nice layer of dung before you add your coal. You are guaranteed to have a nice fire!
Brian preparing a fire.
Today as I was uploading and labeling some student photos I got to wondering if I had taken pictures of my current students over the past 10 years without realizing it. I went back through my Peace Corps photos (2002-2004) as well as photos I took during my visits in 2006-2009 and found pictures of some tiny yet very familiar children who are now in some cases taller than me. The kids are still cute but some definitely have more attitude now then they did when they were in kindergarten.
Chuluunbat on the far left in 2008
Chuluunbat now in 9th grade
Shijermaa on the right in 2004
Shijermaa now in 9th grade
Back in 2004 Ulziikhand and Ulziibat were two meek kids who visited my ger.
Ulziibat now in 10th grade
Uziikhand now in 9th grade
Stories have it that if you had stepped on a ger door stoop in Chinggis’ day you would have been put to death. While the punishment is not quite that severe these days it is still not encouraged. But I can’t help but love this picture.
Welcome!
After several furious weeks of writing I have sent off a full draft of my thesis to my advisor. For the most part I very much enjoyed the writing process and am proud of my results–I just hope my advisor agrees with me. The next steps are to get feedback from her, make changes, and then send it off to my committee. The last step before graduation is to defend it before my committee on December 14th. Wish me luck!
Writing my thesis.
