The Jungle Blog: March 2012

Hello everybody! I hope you are all wintering well. After Malaysia, Mongolia was a bit of shock, to say the least:

This was the temperature in my ger the first morning after I got back. My fire makin skills were apparently a little rusty. Since then, I've been prepping students for the English Olympics and making hundreds upon hundred of buutz for Tsaagan Sar.

It is also the point in my service where people have stopped asking how long I will stay and how many more months until I leave. It's quite frightening, but also very exciting. It's 4 by the way. 4. More. Months. eek. As of now, my after service plans include a month long paddling trip into Russia and a lengthy (months-long) excursion into South East Asia. Fund willing, I will extend that trip to include Eastern Europe as well. I may not wind up back in the States for another (sorry!) year.

So, that's that at this point. To Pictures!


Teacher's Day this year was out of control. Recently our recovering alcoholics (sadly) have fallen off the bandwagon and have become viscous enablers. Add that to the fact that all those prego ladies from last year have not only had their children, but are back to work already and were real excited for a chance to drink again. We danced until the sun rose. Seriously. Oh, and this is Zolaa, my beautiful counterpart.


First, the awkward circle dance. This is about 2-3 shots of vodka in. When the music starts playing at an given party in Mongolia, everyone forms a huge circle so that everyone can watch everyone else dance real awkwardly. As the vodka increases, the circle dance tends to disintegrate.

My countrepart and her family.

On to Tsaagan Sar, one of the biggest holidays in Mongolia. You wear dels and go to your loved ones houses and get very very drunk. Zolaa and her son Atzaa. He is adorable.