Due to a weather related delay leaving Mongolia we had got to spend a night in Korea in a lovely hotel near the airport. The floors were heated, the babimbob was filled with fresh vegetables, hot water came out of the shower heads, and we slept in a real bed for the first time in over four months. It was true heaven.
We made it to Madison on a Tuesday night, and I defended my thesis the next day. Overall it was a very enjoyable experience, and I got to answer all sorts of questions about my research. It is hard to believe that that was the last time I would be at UW as a student, and now that I have gotten final approval from my adviser (January 10th) I am no longer in school. As much as I enjoyed grad school, there is something even more enjoyable about being free from homework, aside from that which I assign to students!
Graduation was on December 18th and held at the Kohl Center, the basketball arena on campus.
I was very fortunate that my dad and his partner Libby, my mom and her partner Frank, and Brian were all able to attend the ceremony.
My wonderful cousins who graciously put us up while we were in Wisconsin, were incredibly kind and threw me a graduation party. Some of the guests even dressed up for the occasion!
I got a yummy cake
and got to see my wonderful friend Anne
and our super friends David, La, and Chris.
Having spent enough time in cold slow vans and buses in Mongolia to last our entire lives, we decided to fly to Ulaanbaatar from Dalanzadgad. There is a very nice airline that serves countryside locations in Mongolia, but no matter how good their inflight snacks are Mongolian weather still is a wildcard. We were supposed to leave at 9 A.M. but didn’t leave until around noon. (One exciting discovery that we made when we were delayed was that there was high speed wireless internet at the airport!) About half way through our 1 hour 20 minute flight an announcement came over the intercom that made it sound like we were landing in Khentii, the province east of Ulaanbaatar, instead of Ulaanbaatar. Brian had been asleep during the announcement and didn’t believe me until our plane banked to the right. We landed on a dirt, snow, and ice runway at one of the least inspiring airports in the world-here: Here is our cute little plane: 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… 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.
Travels to America
After an hour in the drafty and entirely unsecured airport, (people were walking freely in and out of the airport and the airline never did a second security check when we got back on) we re-boarded and flew over beautiful snow covered hillsThe Frog Song
The students learning….And us as a very puppety group. They are some tiny 2nd graders!The Hanhongor Community Concert
