Lunar New Year
I had to fly early on Sunday. The previous night I had stopped by coworkers for fried dumplings. I went home with a heavy stomach and tried not to think. Ended up at the airport early enough to greet the airline workers as they arrived. First my plane arrived from Ulaanbaatar to drop off visitors, then it took six of us west to Gobi-Altay. Five people got off the plane there, and then two new men from Gobi-Altay joined me on the flight back to Ulaanbaatar. I spent the rest of the day watching a little Olympics and relaxing with some magazines at my friend’s place. In the evening we visited some friends and played Pictionary, and then took a cab to the airport to greet my sister. I gave her chocolate, which apparently got us off to a good start. And somehow skis can fit inside a taxi after all.
It was going to be a warm week in Mongolia, which was fortunate. I can’t say that it was less dry than usual, but it did snow a few times. It was revealed that neither of us had brought a great deal of money, and the taxis had already begun to erode my reserves. The museums were closed, not least because it was a Monday. So after reorganizing at the Peace Corps Office we wandered over to the Gandan Buddhist monastery, which was mostly open except for the largest building at the end which houses a massive golden statue. As it was we fed the pigeons, spun the prayer wheels, and reflected on our existence. Eventually we ate pizza and watched more Olympics.
On Tuesday, I put on my festive дээл/dehl/ and boots and headed for the door with everything I hoped to use for the next three days. We met some other volunteers at the bus stop and headed down the valley to Nalaik, where I had spent the summer learning Mongolian. We visited two Mongolian Language instructors, as well as our respective host families, and at every stop of the way there was potato salad, chocolate, milk tea, mutton, бууз (buuz dumplings), along with possibilities of kimchee, carrot salad, seabuckthorn, and of course vodka. You’ll have to ask my sister about that one. We greeted our host with EXTREME (амар!) good wishes, blue scarves, and upraised palms. And then they sniffed our cheeks. My host sisters were very busy and never really had time to say hello, but the younger members of my host family gave us lots of attention. We played шагай (shagai /anklebones) both as a horse-racing game and the flicking matching pairs version that I prefer. Eventually I got tired and we went next door to visit my friend Anna’s host family since she had been unable to make it. And that’s where we slept that night.
It was going to be a warm week in Mongolia, which was fortunate. I can’t say that it was less dry than usual, but it did snow a few times. It was revealed that neither of us had brought a great deal of money, and the taxis had already begun to erode my reserves. The museums were closed, not least because it was a Monday. So after reorganizing at the Peace Corps Office we wandered over to the Gandan Buddhist monastery, which was mostly open except for the largest building at the end which houses a massive golden statue. As it was we fed the pigeons, spun the prayer wheels, and reflected on our existence. Eventually we ate pizza and watched more Olympics.
On Tuesday, I put on my festive дээл/dehl/ and boots and headed for the door with everything I hoped to use for the next three days. We met some other volunteers at the bus stop and headed down the valley to Nalaik, where I had spent the summer learning Mongolian. We visited two Mongolian Language instructors, as well as our respective host families, and at every stop of the way there was potato salad, chocolate, milk tea, mutton, бууз (buuz dumplings), along with possibilities of kimchee, carrot salad, seabuckthorn, and of course vodka. You’ll have to ask my sister about that one. We greeted our host with EXTREME (амар!) good wishes, blue scarves, and upraised palms. And then they sniffed our cheeks. My host sisters were very busy and never really had time to say hello, but the younger members of my host family gave us lots of attention. We played шагай (shagai /anklebones) both as a horse-racing game and the flicking matching pairs version that I prefer. Eventually I got tired and we went next door to visit my friend Anna’s host family since she had been unable to make it. And that’s where we slept that night.