**queue mystical solemn background music**

Well now, I guess it's about that time. I "finished" Peace Corps four months ago it and it has taken a while to come to terms with the reality of it all. Being back in the hustle and bustle hasn't seemed real, especially since I haven't had a job to go to or a routine to keep. I've woken up each day still feeling as if I'm in a dream. Is this my bed? Do I have something to do today? Are there really no goats outside? Is that actual cheese in the refrigerator?

Well ok, maybe not that uncanny but still a little crazy.

Anyway...the dream slowly became real and I find myself now realizing the heavy truth: the Mongolian adventure is done and it's time to end the blog. It's not all over, of course. Mongolia will always be with me in my dreams and memories and dirty idiosyncrasies. But since I'm not actually in the country anymore I am running out of clever updates for this medium.

I'd like to try and sum it all up -- provide a neat conclusion for the whole thing that would let every reader know right away what the essence of it was. But what in life is that tidy, that free of loose ends?

All I can say is I loved it and hated it. Mongolia took me apart and laid me out for my own eyes to see and put me back together all askew. I'll never be able to think of it without thinking of the times I danced ridiculously and alone in my ger for happiness over some small breakthrough, or the times I sat brooding and smoking West cigarettes and cursing into the fire about some small inconvenience. Light and darkness, Yin and Yang.

A lot of people have asked questions since I got home, and they tend to follow a pattern. So maybe I could answer some of them here as part of this rambling synopsis:

1) Was it what you expected? I don't remember exactly what I expected but I know I could never have anticipated what I found. I think when I joined Peace Corps I had a picture in my mind of a volunteer meandering down the street with a smile on her face, holding a basket of fruit and being trailed by 20 jolly kids. All posterlike. I certainly could not have expected stalking down the street with a scowl on my face because 20 jolly kids were following me. But things like that happened. Some days you just want to blend in and, if you're a foreigner, you can't. You're homesick and tired and just not in the mood for so many happy munchkins. Other days, though, I laughed because the people in the store were so interested in the toilet paper I was buying.

In short, I expected it to be different and difficult but I didn't expect the contrast between light and dark, happy and angry, manic and depressive to be so incredibly sharp.

2) Was it worth it? Damnright. Peace Corps made me angrier and sadder and lonelier and crazier than any other thing I've done in my life. It made me question my sanity sometimes in the mirror. And if someone somehow backed the whole thing up with a remote control and gave me free reign I'd do it all over again. The only way to learn is through experience. There's no way to say it without it coming out as a cliche but it is true.

As for the work...well it's true you don't save the world all by yourself. You don't do half the things you maybe hoped to do. You don't eradicate AIDS or turn a small illiterate village into an English speaking thinktank. If you're looking to do Big Things and rewrite history...it probably won't happen in Peace Corps. But you'll do something for someone. Someone will take your picture and keep it in their prized album for their whole life long and they will tell people you were their teacher, their friend, their neighbor. They'll remember you and they'll keep you in your heart just the same as you will always carry them with you in yours. They will remember that you cared and they will care about you. Their only picture of where you come from won't be from the television. So yes, it was worth it.

3) What will you do next? The road goes on forever and the party never ends. I have a new job in a new world. For those of you who don't yet know, I've taken a position as group leader at a therapeutic wilderness camp. Now, instead of living alone in a felt ger in the middle of the Mongolian steppe, I will live with 10 or 12 emotionally, behaviorally and/or criminally challenged young ladies in a wood frame tent with plastic tarps in the middle of the deciduous forests of Virginia.

Piece of cake, no?

I am excited. I've found a new challenge -- something entirely different than anything I've done before and someplace where I feel I can do something worthwhile.

My hope is I can use the experience and peace I found in Mongolia to inspire confidence and healing in the girls I work with in Virginia. One student already told me, the day I interviewed at the camp, she hoped I might come work there so I could tell her about Peace Corps.

"I wanted to do it and my teacher told me I should research it. So this must be a sign," she told me.

Maybe it is. All I know is these kids are amazing and I want to know them better.

In closing, I just have to tell you all that I am thankful in my soul for the support and interest you showed me while I was in Mongolia. Thank you for reading and thank you for standing with me. I could not have lasted two years away from home if I did not know you kept me with you in some way and you would be here when I got home. I love you and I am confident our paths will continue to mingle in beautiful ways.

Should you for some reason experience withdrawal from reading this blog and need more ramblings, it is possible I will post notes from the wilderness here:

http://www.myspace.com/pcmarmot

But that will be a different adventure altogether.

So endeth the "Mongolia Blog" and peace to everyone!

Carrie

"Stand in awe and sin not. Commune with your own heart, and in your chamber and be still. Selah." Psalm 4:4

Well it's late and I can't sleep so I thought I'd hit you with some more thoughts on readjustment.

It's such a strange feeling...not easly to explain. There's a constant lowlevel weirdness about everything...not intense but just there.

Waking up in my own house and getting coffee in the kitchen is strange. Taking baths is strange. Being in the same room as family members or friends is strange. Looking for work is really strange.

The hardest part so far is visiting. Everyone wants me to do it, and so do I, but the timing is difficult. For the first time in years I'm having to think and plan weeks in advance.

This week I'll go to Lynchburg. Next week Fredericksburg. Maybe I'll swing up to DC while I'm there. My sister wants me to visit in September and I'm going to the Grand Canyon in the last part of that month. And when will I get a job again?

The visiting itself is exciting and great but the sad truth is there's no way to fit all the moments I want into these short trips, and then I'm stuck wondering when the next trip will be and what I'll get to say then. I never say what I want to. Either there isn't enough time or the words aren't there. Tough break after two years of thinking I knew everything I would say and when.

Ultimately I know there is time for everything and that time will stretch out over weeks and months and years. I know I don't have to worry...should ride the waves out and enjoy them as I go.

These first ones are rough ones though, and increasingly I'm feeling sand in my mouth.

OK it's been so long since I've posted I don't even know if anyone is reading this anymore...

But here I am at home in Virginia and I feel like I should probably find a way to wrap up this here web journal. Who knows who will read it in months and years to come as they think about going to Mongolia or learning about it...I'd hate for them to think I posted twice from China and then dropped off the face of the earth on my way home.

So like I said, I'm here. My travels through China and Spain were interesting and relaxing (but tiring at the same time!). The meandering route proved to be a great way to wind down between finishing up Peace Corps and arriving back in the thick of American culture. I hiked the Great Wall and slept in the grass outside ancient walls. I wandered the narrow residential streets of Barcelona and popped into espresso shops for afternoon coffee. I ate quiche in Placa de John Lennon very near my friend Margaret's apartment in Barcelona and I stretched out by the Mediterranean at Sitges.

And finally I found myself on a plane bound for Virginia. Before that actually it was a plane to Chicago and then a transfer to a standby flight to Dulles. That turned out to be interesting because I ran into my old college friend Rebecca at the gate and we ended up sitting next to each other for this final stretch of my journey home.

I can tell you there are few feelings in the world better than finding you have an old friend to catch up with during the final two hours of a 2 year absence from home.

There is so much to write and not all of it will come out tonight...I suspect I might post a few more times yet on this blog about readjustment and reverse culture shock and the idiosyncrasies of trying to fit in again in one's own life.

But for now let me just say I am happy to be home and I feel warmed in my heart when in the presence of my friends and family. Of course I miss Mongolia and it is with me in my thoughts always.

I look forward to sharing the stories in the coming months.

Another post from China. I can't really see what I've posted before because the site doesn't always come up right. But I hope it's making sense. =)

I'm in Datong now after having seen the hanging monastery caves of Youngang yesterday. Both amazing places! The caves have more than 51,000 Buddhist carvings in them...absolutely stunning to see.

I can't really describe all these things on the spot over internet. Once I collect my thoughts and have more time you will see more.

For now let me stick to the subject that has so entertained me for two years. Transportation!

We left Xi'an the other night on a sleeper bus to Pingyao. I didn't sleep much because it was crowded and I was concerned about pickpockets. Had heard they are common on the buses. It smelled and there were people all around my bed. Laura had the worst deal...her bed was in the middle of the bus. At least I had a wall. But the other passengers were pretty nice and there were no problems. The best part was when Laura woke me up at 4 am and said 'we're here.'

I got off the bus and said:

'But this is a toll booth.'

The porter was taking our luggage off the bus and we were a little confused and tried to tell him the guitar wasn't ours. That's when two New Zealanders came off and all was explained. They asked if town was close and the guy said 'kindof' i gather and pointed. They spoke a little Mandarin. So we treked a couple k until we saw the city walls of this ancient Ming town rise up in the mist. Stopped on a street corner to eat breakfast and Jeremy, a New Zealander, played guitar and we gathered another crowd of curious Chinese people. When it got light we went into town and found a hotel to stow our bags for the day (we weren't staying the night) and had tea and then wandered around.

Spent the day in Pingyao and headed out in the evening for Datong by what we thought was sleeper train. Get on and discover no no...we got standing only tickets. The train was otherwise sold out. Soooo....there we are in the hardseats section with a million Chinese around us sitting and laughing as we walk the length of the train once or twice trying to find the odd open seat. For a minute we found some space between two cars that I would have been happy to stay in. At least I had good view of all my bags and something to rest my back against.

As it turns out Chinese people are amazingly kind and must have thought the foreigners would never survive this way. Some teens gave up their seats for us. Jeremy had no problems assimilating into the train culture...he squeezed in w/ some passengers and serenaded them w/ his guitar. They erupted into applause when he pulled it out. Laura and Alex and I sat around a table w/ some other Chinese...one of whom was a younger girl..maybe early 20s who spoke some English. I took her picture w/ her boyfriend...big guy I could have mistaken for Mongolian but nice all the same. I took soem photos of the train car to try and capture the crowdedness. A stranger came and wanted his photo taken w/ me w/ his friend's cell phone camera. I was happy to take it but it didn't turn out so well because he had no flash. He ended up chasing me down outside the station when we got off in the morning and taking another in the light.

Anyway it was one of the most uncomfortable rides I've had anywhere including Mngolia b/c I didnt' have anywhere to lean my head. So i slept for maybe an hour or two and crashed in the hotel room once we got to Datong. Still...despite the lack of comfort it was full of character and an experience I will never forget!

I'll share the rest when I get home but I just wanted to let you know. The transportation fun doesn't end in Mongolia!

Today I had my first full day in Beijing. Woke up and headed for Tianemen Square and the Forbidden City, two places I have heard you can spend the day perusing.

Unfortunately, almost everything in Beijing is being renovated right now. Nearly every building of significance is covered in green screens and scaffolding...all in preparation for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Much like Sukhbaatar Square in UB being covered in the same materials while they renovate for the 800 year anniversary of the Great Mongolian State. Only Difference: China prepared early. The 800th anniversary is upon us but the screens have not come down in Mongolia.

So...Laura and I saw the square and the many vendors offering lovely watches with Mao on them and his hand ticking off the seconds. Also Chairman Mao's greatest quotes compiled into a book with German, Russian, French and English translations. Or just pictures of Mao or such like.

Forbidden City was beautiful despite the renovation...so open and so many beautiful pagodas, etc. We went through it and north to Beihai Park...a lake and park surrounded by nice places to eat and things to see. Had lunch at a place known for budget Peking Duck. Must say it was delicious. And it cost 3.75 for a large plate of Duck. In fact I discovered I spent all of 15 dollars today...maybe 20 if you include lodging.

The park was beautiful...it was thunderstorming but we could see rowboats and peddle boats on the lake and gardens all around it. Tried to get into the Round City...which holds the last remaining evidence of the first Yuan ruler (Khublai Khan) ...a Jade jar. Of course the circular city is closed for renovations.

Left the river park and walked back to the hostel. Ate famous Beijing pancake with spring onions and other stuff inside it and a rolled up vegetable bean sprout tortilla thingy for dinner...all of which cost just over a dollar.

Tomorrow we plan to see the Temple of Heaven park and some other places. We will take an overnight train to Xi'an, spending two days there. There we will see the Terracotta Warriors and the city walls and other things. On the way back we will stop in Pinyao and Datong...Pinyao is one of the only remaining walled cities and i supposed to be really interesting. Don't remember much about Datong but Laura told me it will be cool and we should spend two days there.

We will come back to Beijing and do the Great Wall tour and mink Tombs perhaps in the same day. Also planning a trip to the shalom Monk king Fe theater, maybe the Summer Palace of the emperors and Chinese Acrobatics.

All in all it has been a great first day and I am excited about the rest of the trip. One thing I've noticed..This city is clean! All the major roads have wide underplayed that pedestrians use and sidewalks are huge. I guess when you have forced labor such things as public works are easy. It isn't as crowded as Bangkok though I have to say Bangkok had more character and less pollution. There is a constant haze here.

I think I would be culture shocked if I hadn't lived in Mongolia for two years and seen Bangkok already. Babies walk around with pants slit open in the back to avoid the need for diapers. Men are shortlist as Mongolians are or wrap their shirts around their upper bodies. Don't blame them it is really hot.

I personally have been enjoying the sensation of humidity. My skin seems to be drinking every drop of perspiration back into my body and wondering what the heck it is after the arid Mongolian semidesert.

Have been drinking lots of water to compensate for lost perspiration. And a few Tsingtao beers to require more water later. Tsingtao is a chinese beer developed in a German enclave of China. Thus it tastes good unlike most Chinese beer.

Anyway...am loving China. Have had no problems avoiding tourist trap vendors or large American chains..except for Starbucks where I enjoyed a tall rasberry frap today. McDonalds no longer calls to me.

Will write more later. Hope all is well at home.

It is 5:41 a.m. here and I just saw Sheila off to the airport from the PC Office. Her flight to Beijing is at 7:30, we hope. Several of my friends have met with flight delays -- one missed her connecting flight to India in Beijing and had to buy a new ticket at her own expense. Air China apparently isn't so accommodating with such things.

Anyway we had a pretty good last 10 days. Sheila and I have lived near each other for our two years and so, for better or worse, have spent a lot of time together. We decided to tie it all together with a trip out west and so we organized a tour through the UB Guesthouse.

So from June 4 - 12 we were traveling through Khar Khorin, White Lake, Hovsgol and other beautiful places in the western mountains of Mongolia. The scenery was so beautiful and so different from the eastern flatlands that I have come to know so well.

White Lake especially was amazing. We stayed in a ger camp there with an incredibly hospitable family. We asked if it would be possible to cook Khorhok (traditional Mongolian pot o' meat) and this is how it went down:

We arrived at the lake at 8 p.m. and settled in, immediately asking about the meat. Our host said he'd be more than happy to make Khorhok but wait...it was Monday night. Can't kill animals on Tuesdays because it is an important day in Buddhism/shamanism. However, if you're game we can go buy the goat now and kill and clean it tonight.

So Sheila and I jumped in the car, bringing our Swiss volunteer friend who has been in Mongolia 6 months, and Matilda, our British friend who traveled through Mongolia once and returned recently to work because she missed it so much. We left the other three members of our party behind -- two travelers and one freelancer who has been here for a bit as well.

We drove along the edge of the lake until we found a herder's camp and we pulled in to visit and buy a goat. The herders were more than happy to provide us with a big fat lady goat for about $40. Split amongst us all that would make for a nicely priced gourmet meal.

We brought the poor goat back in the car and our hosts made short work of it -- the slaughtering process here is quick and clean. They stun the goat quickly, make an incision in the underbelly, reach in and with one deft movement shut off the heart. Our worthy animal barely made a sound.

It took about an hour or a little more to skin the goat and wash the insides, so the camp hosts did not retire until well after midnight. But everyone involved was excited about the next day when we would prepare the picnic.

So we started the cooking around 11 Tuesday morning. The children collected rocks while the men built a fire and the women prepared the intestines. The rocks went on the fire to heat and then in a large pot with the meat, more rocks and some potatoes, turnips, onions and carrots. They filled the pot with water and sealed it tight. 45 minutes later the meal was ready.

All this may sound strange to you but it is delicious. It's one of the few occassions in Mongolia when food has taste. The meat simmers in its own fatty juices and comes out rich and ready. Everyone in our party seemed to enjoy it, though the tourists were a bit surprised at the gusto with which Sheila and I ate/drank the fat. Bridgitte, our Swiss friend, asked me this:

"Did you just eat that slab of fat?"

I looked at the bone in my hand, at Sheila, and shrugged. She was gnawing on hers as heartily as I on mine. Maybe we have been here a long time...

Anyway the meal was tasty and we all gave thanks to the goat who gave it to us.

Even after two years, Sheila and I were more than happy to relinquish the intestine soup to the host family as payment for all their assistance. Even as we were enjoying our meal we could hear them laughing and savouring their own. To a Mongolian, the glory is in the guts.

There are many other enchanting tales from our trip but I will save those for when I see you.

For now have a look at the photos!

http://carrieinmongolia.shutterfly.com

password is Mongolia

Take care everyone!

:-/

They punched a hole in my Peace Corps ID today...signalling a definite end to my 2 years of service.

I've spent today visiting programers and doctors and administrators -- getting all the necessary signatures to officially close everything out.

For the past week I have felt exhausted, mostly I think because all the weight of this thing is starting to hit me...I am done. It hasn't seemed real and now it's becoming so.

Well ok I have been out late a lot too but I don't think that's the only reason.

We're all tired and we're all wondering what it's going to be like once we step on the train or plane or whatever machine takes us out of Mongolia toward home.

First, for sure, I'll have a wonderful trip through China and to Barcelona. Then I'll head home for real and the "readjustment" will begin.

What will seem strange? Produce departments? Big green trees? Swimming pools? Who knows...I am sure every day will be a surprise.

For now though I am officially a tourist...PC extended my visa long enough for me to head west and that I am ready to do. Sunday morning I'll set out with two friends and some other travelers and we will live it up. I hear there may be good fishing..will have to see.

For now everyone take care and I will see you soon.

My time in the Mongolian countryside as drawn to a close.

I came in from Bayanmunkh two nights ago -- took the overnight jeep ride for the last time in a long time.

The ride was as interesting as ever...11 hours and we stopped to sleep even though we had two drivers. But given that it was my last time I wasn't so frustrated. Instead I looked at the stars over the steppe at 2 am and noticed the smoky color of the rolling mountains at 5 o'clock dawn.

...

Saying goodbye was difficult, but not so much as I expected. My neighbors helped me enjoy my final days to the fullest extent and we spent hours eating and talking like we always do, and speculating about when I might come again and who I might bring (as every Mongol knows , I will be needing a husband and babies directly upon return to the states).

I went outside of town to the ger homesteads and watched my neighbor administer shots to a herd of goats and got a ton of photos for my collection. I ate some more. I went to the outhouse every five minutes to relieve myself of the copious amounts of milk tea I had been drinking.

When the time finally came to get in the jeep I expected prolonged tears and a difficult goodbye. My neighbors, nomads always, simply said goodbye and told me to get in the car. "It's fine...you'll be back," they said.

I was only allowed to sniff one cheek each upon goodbye (the traditional greeting) because I was told I would sniff the other next time we meet.

And I was off.

All in all I feel I had the quality time I needed with my family to remember my last days in the Mongolian countryside as good ones and I know none of us will be forgetting each other any time soon.

...

So now I'm in the city preparing for a week of paperwork before I officially close service and trek out to the western lake Khovsgol. I am excited about this upcoming trip and I know it will bring a perfect close to two years in Mongolia. I will see some of the most famous places in the country -- the Erdene Zuu buddhist monastery, Mongolia's ancient capitol Kharhorin, the lake.

I am so excited about seeing all of you again in July...I hope the month or so in between brings happiness and health.

Announcement: One returning Peace Corps Volunteer in need (that's me folks).

Hi everybody...I have a question for you. Does anyone know anyone who knows anyone who lives in LA? If so, are any of these people nice enough to help me out if I need some somewhat troublesome assistance?

Here's the issue: I'm trying to ship a Mongolian trunk home from here, along with some other souveniers. One way to do this is to send it by container to LA (a friend here is sending a big ole container and has offered to let us poor folk include our stuff in it). But if I do this I need someone on the ground in LA to pick it up and FedEx/UPS/DHL it to Va or DC so I can pick it up. This would probably be in August.

I can research the rates for west to east coast but the main thing is knowing someone who can take the thing from point a to point b for me in LA.

Anyone who has any ideas please email me at cswallinger@gmail.com. I won't be around email for two weeks so don't expect a reply until then.

Thanks a lot!

Carrie

Whoa now sorry everyone...just realized I haven't posted since getting back from Thailand.

The truth is I haven't been into UB since then, and in my province center this site doesn't work properly. So here I am again and I have some good news.

I'm comin home!

So I came in for Close of Service conference and finalized my plans to finish on June 3. Don't get too excited though because I won't leave Mongolia until June 25 and even after that I have some plans.

I'm going out west to Hovsgol, a large and beautiful lake. Then, when I do leave Mongolia I am going to Beijing and through that part of China for 10 days. Then I'm going to Barcelona to hang out with Margaret for a week or so.

All of this leads to me arriving in Virginia on July 13 or so. Then, let the games begin. =)

In the meantime, I have two weeks left in Bayanmunkh to say my goodbyes and ready myself for the journey home. This seems daunting and I know it will be very difficult to say goodbye to the people who have become my family over the past two years. I plan on taking many pictures and spending a lot of time drinking milk tea, etc.

I don't know how to say goodbye to Mongolia. But I guess I will always have it with me and herders never say goodbye anyway. Never know when I might wander back.

While it is difficult to think of leaving I am also so excited to be headed home to see all of you. Please keep me in mind and don't be surprised when I show up on your doorstep to hang out.

Lots of Love,

Carrie

Paradise Lost:

I flew out of Bangkok at 1:30 a.m. Friday morning. It was in the 80s there.

At 11:30 a.m. I stepped off the plane in Ulaanbaatar, where it was snowing. On the taxi ride to the city I saw a store by the side of the road that read "fruits, vegetables."

They don't even know.

For almost two weeks I ate and drank pinapple, mango, papaya, coconut, watermelon and star fruit at every opportunity. Here I can get apples and oranges sometimes.

I won't put Mongolia down further...it is a fine country. It's just more pleasant in summer time.

I had a wonderful vacation, actually. One that has recharged my batteries and made me smile a lot. The ocean was wonderful, the sun was painful but wonderful, the people were amazing. I recommend Thailand to anyone, any day.

Now I am headed back to site where I will try to be a good teacher for the next three and a half months. I miss my neighbors and counterpart.

I'll catch up with you all in a month or two!

Love,

Carrie

Even paradise has its price, as it turns out.Have scorched self despite repeated application of 30 spf water resistant sunblock. Mostly happened while snorkeling off the coast of Koh Tao (Turtle Island) in the Gulf of Thailand. I guess Thailand is a bit closer to the equator than other beaches. Also my extreme whiteness from Mongolia probably didn't help.Anyway...had a lovely couple of days on Koh Tao before returning overnight to Bangkok by train. On the island I snorkeled, walked around, swam and drank many, many fruit shakes. Will always have memories of a place called Sunshine resort and the Eazy Bar where you could lounge on small mats on a platform overlooking the ocean. Above all I will remember smiling faces. I have never seen a people more willing to laugh and smile as these Thai folk.The lady smiled as she gave me a Thai massage...and told me she was so happy that day she was going to give me free oil. Mostly I think that was on account of my sunburn though.The taxi drivers smiled as they loaded our stuff into trucks to transport us to and from the pier.Our longtail boat driver smiled as he tooled us around the island to snorkel...and caught little fish in his bare hands.The beachside cooks smiled as they smoked grass and grilled fresh fish for us. As my ferry floated into port at Chumphon on the mainland we passed dozens of fishing boats full of fishermen who all waved and hooted and laughed and smiled at the "farang" (gringos) on the boat. They must do it 20 times a day. It was a wonderful experience.Today I plan to see some more of Bangkok's finest sites and to fit in a few more mango and pineapple shakes.Catch you on the flipside, when I return to the Mongolian spring!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

That is a big sigh of relief and relaxation, in case you didn't know.

All day today my friends and I have been walking the streets of Bangkok and smiling at people who smile back and say with real joy in their voices, "Sawat di ka," hello.

Everyone here is nice, and everyone laughs. And everyone sells you fruit. So far today I have had mango, star fruit and pineapple, not to mention ice cream.

I love Thailand. I might not go back to Mongolia at least until May. Do you think Peace Corps would mind? I wonder if I could talk a PC Thailand volunteer into trading places for a while...

Anyway the Thai travel agent we talked to this morning may think we are a little off. We were reluctant to book seats on a bus that will take us south to the islands overnight tomorrow. We wondered aloud if the seats would be comfortable for such a trip. When we explained that Mongolian buses are a tad bit crowded (at least double the number of people for seats) he shook his head and showed us a picture of a first class bus w/ inside toilet. We refrained from explaining the toilet situation in Mongolia and just booked the seats.

As for all of you experiencing snow days and such...it's 90 degrees and sunny here. =) I guess everything has its season though and from what I hear snow has been scant in the states this year. Mongolia too, though that hasn't stopped temperatures from dropping to 30 below zero. Did I mention it's 90 here?

So you could say this is the best idea I've ever had...to "fly south for the winter" in Mongolia and go to Thailand. I'm a genius.

=)

I have but one thing to say just now...

...

WooHoo!!!! I'm in Thailand. WooHoo!!!!

The forecast was for snow in UB as I flew away from it yesterday. But now I am sitting in an open air cafe run by a Thai guesthouse having just had a great breakfast and orange juice.

My plane landed at 12:10 last night and I made my way directly to Taewez Guesthouse, a place I had heard puts a lot of Peace Corps Thailand volunteers up. As I arrived I found a table of them at the bar.

I dropped my stuff in my room and we all trekked off to Khao San Road where we sat on a carpet outside a store and drank beer with other people. I had my first ride in a Tuk Tuk...the little golf-cart type thingies they have all over the place.

We got back to the guesthouse around 3:30....what was professed to be an early night for some of the soon-to-be-finished Peace Corps volunteers here. The guesthouse is nice...I have a private room with a fan. The volunteers are all friendly and helpful. Some have already offered to host me at their sites if I want to visit.

The overwhelming response to my admission that I am a PC Mongolia volunteer was this:

"What??"

Then...once I tell people I have no fruit or vegetables for the most part:

"How do you live?"

Some of them were surprised to hear me praise the selection at the local 7-eleven as bountiful.

There is a volunteer here recently medevaced from Turkmenistan...he seems to have some idea what it's all about as he also subsists on meat and potatoes. But as some of the local volunteers ambled down the street with fresh Pad Thai in their hands I had to be a little jealous.

All is well...I love my little subzero corner of the world and I can gorge myself on fruit for the next two weeks while I'm on vacation.

More later from Paradise!!

It is stunning how quickly the time has passed between now and when i wrote my last post.

December 27 to February 9.

At this point it looks like I have 4 months left in Mongolia. School will most likely be finished by June 9 and I do not plan on sticking around much after that. I may travel with some fellow PCVs to China or somewhere for a bit, and then I will be headed home.

All of this is exciting and all, but there's something else on the very near horizon I'm much more focused upon just now. In 3 short days I will be on a plane to Bangkok!

That's right everyone, I'm going to Thailand. For two weeks. I plan to go to the beach, eat fruit, go to the historic sites, eat fruit, look at elephants, eat fruit and also, from time to time, eat fruit.

Notice none of the above goals are to be like Clare Danes or Kate Beckinsale and end up in a Thai prison for the rest of my life because I met a cute drug dealer.

Anyway I checked the weather report. At the moment it is 90 degrees Ferenheit warmer in Bangkok than it is in Ulaanbaatar. Do you think my body will be able to handle this change?

So my friends left for Beijing on a train this morning. I am meeting them in Bangkok, as I am flying. I didn't have enough out of country days after my trip to the states last summer to go to China too. But that is ok. I have plenty for Thailand.

Next time I post I will tell you all about the beaches and sun and beauty of Asia's southern coast.

Until then, take care and be well!

Much love,

Carrie

Merry Christmas everyone!

It's December 27 now (Dad is officially old today) and I'm getting ready to go back to site.

It's been a good week and a half here...I got to see some people I haven't seen since March and I got to meet some people I hadn't met before.

I also made plans to visit Thailand in February...something that will greatly improve the quality of my winter. Provided I get my leave approved I will be going for about 10 days in Feb. to soak in the sun and eat a lot of fruit.

I decided buying a plane ticket is better than injuring myself for the free medevac.

So now it's almost the new year and I have other plans to make.

When I get back to site I will celebrate the holiday with friends at site, probably setting off fireworks and singing songs. Then I will start making buuz (mongolian dumplings) and freezing them. I plan to make several hundred in preparation for Tsagaan Sar, the lunar new year, which begins January 29.

This will be my first and only Tsagaan Sar at site, as I was laid up in UB with an injured thumb at that time last year. It is the craziest holiday of the year for Mongolians and involves mass consumption of buuz, milk tea and vodka and a lot of singing and visiting of family. It lasts for a month in the countryside. Tsagaan Sar means "white month."

So I am going to make lots of buuz and clean up my ger and do the other traditional things.

More will be reported. =)

I hope all of you enjoy your new year celebrations and I will talk to you later. By the time I do it will be 2006, the year I come home.

Much love,

Carrie

It's hard to believe I am approaching my second Christmas in Mongolia. 18 months finished and 6 to go.

Lately my host family has started asking if I will look for work in Ulaanbaatar when my Peace Corps term is up, as the guy that served in Bayanmunkh before me did. I told them my family might take issue with me staying away from home for so much longer...and besides I miss them too much for it. But I know I will be leaving a lot behind here as well and that knowledge is staying with me a lot these days.

In the meantime at least three of the remaining six months will be spent in a lot of darkness and cold. Currently, night temperatures are 30 below zero and getting colder. It is dark by 5 :15.

Solstice is just a few days away and I plan on celebrating that, as the days won't get any shorter from there. At the same time, it marks the beginning of the solemn "nines," nine sets of nine days...each nine has a different character of coldness. The fourth and fifth nines are the worst, or so I have heard.

The good news is my ger is warm and toasty and so is my school building. Temperatures have been relatively mild this year and everyone is remarking on how unseasonal it is. Yay global warming. Actually, the herders are having a difficult time as they need snow for their herds to get water. We haven't much.

I'm going to be cat sitting for an M16 this week while he is at IST and thus I will get some free lodging. I am also teaching 2 sessions during IST though they can't afford to put me up for it because of budgetary issues this year. No M15s invited unless we are teaching 3 or more full sessions. I'm ok with this...just happy to be in UB for Christmas.

On Christmas Eve I'll be going to the doctor's house for his annual party, which was a lot of fun last year. It's so nice of him and his wife to host it...they serve great homemade and catered food and we exchange cheap gifts.

Anyway I will probably post again before the week is out. A Merry Christmas to you all and I hope the new year brings everyone health and blessings.

Wow I never knew my blog got so many readers. =) Thanks to everyone for your responses to the Bush visit post.

I should note Presidents Enkhbayar and Bush mentioned Peace Corps in their joint statement about continuing good relations between our countries. It was recently published in the Mongol Messenger and I read it this week. Actually the reason I would have liked to see Peace Corps or another like org. mentioned in the speech wasn't to flout our contributions as volunteers so much as to give some attention to the more everyday relationships two countries can share in a peaceful way. The host country agencies...Mongolian schools and organizations that request volunteers, deserve some recognition for the quite difficult work involved in hosting a foreigner for two years at a time and willingness to listen to their ideas and help them with their efforts. So also do the hundreds of Mongolian citizens who offer their support, kindness and love for no other reason than because they are good, kind and loving people.

The point of Bush's speech was to highlight cooperation between two countries, not to brag about his country's contribution. However, cooperation involves partnership between two entities and what I was saying is that groups such as Peace Corps (certainly not Peace Corps only or even most notably Peace Corps) are an excellent example of such partnership. Lastly I certainly never suggested the President praise Peace Corps instead of Mongolian peacekeepers who have done noble work. The president had 40 minutes alloted to him and he used 13; there was room for both.

Thanks, Yan, for the correction...July 11 (when Naadam is celebrated) is the National holiday for greater distance between China and Monglia while Nov. 26 marks the foundation of the Mongolian People's Republic.

Oh by the way... =)

I am sure many of you are waiting to hear my impressions of President Bush's most recent visit to Mongolia.

For those of you who haven't heard...he did come here on Nov. 21 as part of his tour of Asia. He went to Korea and China and so decided to stop in Mongolia for about 4 or 5 hours.

The best part of all of this was, of course, my invitation to see his speech. About 10 of us were, and some thers were invited to follow the press corps around all day.

Here are some news articles if you are interested:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4455478.stm

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/22/international/asia/22notebook.html (this one quotes my friend Brett).

So what did I think? Well...it was a really interesting day. There were police and marines everywhere, I saw three black helicopters circling the city the day before and I was saluted three times on my way to the government house (by Mongolian police officers).

Once in the government house I realized just how different UB is from the rest of Mongolia. The state house is red carpeted all the way with a huge cloak room and big fancy chandeliers. We were ushered into a big posh room with a balcony, where we were seated. The stage was set up w/ a Mongolian and an American flag in the background. These flags were also positioned all over the city to welcome the "third neighbor," not being from China or Russia. Every cushioned chair was outfitted w/ a headset and remote for listening to the speech in either Mongolian or English.

We cracked up as they were testing the system, because the tester was an American and all he kept saying was "Mongoliamongoliai'mspeakingmongolian...stillspeakingmongolian...

mongoliamongoliamongolianchannel."

We sat for about four hours waiting for the speech to begin and watched MPs and VIPs file in. The balcony across from me was filled mostly with soldiers...and one Buddhist lama.

At long last the music started up and in walked Laura Bush and Condoleezza Rice and a bunch of other members of the entourage. Another minute then W. and Enkhbayar (the Mongolian president).

Enkhbayar thanked Bush for coming and proving that "small countries matter." His English was good.

Bush's Mongolian was not so good...but I can't really criticize that as my own was not in the first hours of my being in the country. He did greet people in Mongolian.

The speech itself was 13 minutes and not one word of it was unexpected. I'm sure all of you can guess the theme, as Mongolia sends rotations of 160 troops a year to Iraq.

The highlight was definitely the president thanking the Mongolian people and government for contributing more than $50,000 to Hurricane Katrina recovery. This support bowled me over and I had hoped the president would relay our nation's thanks.

He also thanked two soldiers for stopping the suicide bombing of a coalition mess tent in Iraq.

From there, the speech was regrettably downhill.

The one thing I learned from it all I never knew before. "Islamic radicalism is just like communism...they kill innocent people, just like communism, they oppose free people just like communism, and like communism, they are destined to fall."

I guess no one clued him into the upcoming Independence Day holiday. Nov. 26 marks the end of Chinese rule in Mongolia and the beginning of...you guessed it...good relations with Communist Russia. Ask a Mongolian what it was like living under the shadow of the USSR and they will likely tell you how they prospered.

Of course, Mongolians are proud to be living in a democratic society now and their continuing relationship with their neighbor to the north has evolved as that government has also evolved. They could also tell you some unprosperous stories about Stalinism. But there are some marked differences I think most Mongolians could come up with between communist activities in the last century and Islamic radicalism today.

The rest of the speech was dedicated to praising Mongolia for their participation in Iraq and declaring our two countries brothers. I thought it was interesting that in all the talk of cooperation between our great nations, no mention was made of the Peace Corps or any organization like it. To me, what better example could you come up with of cooperation and friendship between countries than the roughly 100 volunteers teaching English, health, business and youth development with the help of the same number of host country agencies? That, to me, seems a much greater example of cooperation than the number of troops involved in a war. At least a good supplement. But, alas, Mr. Bush's mind was on one thing only.

Mongolia will soon receive $11 million from the US Government, by the way, as thanks for its support of the Iraq "effort." It's called the "solidarity initiative." All the nations in the Coalition of the Willing will get something.

There's cooperation for you.

Anyway...you could say I was proud to be invited to the speech and happy to be a part of the first sitting American president's visit to this country. It was a big deal and it had an effect on the Mongolian people, who for the most part have been honored by the visit. Still...I couldn't help wishing, when all was over and done and the planes had taken off...why couldn't it have been a different president?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The holiday season has arrived, and along with it a mix of emotions. I had a great Turkey Day, up in Erdenet (north of here) with some friends. We cooked fried chicken, mashed potatoes, philipino egg rolls, salad, pie, etc. and had a generally good time. Then we came back to UB and are having another shindig tonight. I will go back to site tomorrow.

On my most recent trip in from site, we drove around the countryside outside town for 2.5 hours looking for gers. This was so we could pack the car w/ meat and pick up some herders to take with us to UB. We were lost, and so we flashed our lights and honked until someone came out of their ger and held a flashlight to the sky. The light worked as well as a flare..we found the ger promptly. But it was the wrong ger. So the guy gave us directions to another one and we headed off only to get lost again. Then we stopped to listen and look across the steppe for more gers. Then I discovered the best tool of navigation in Mongolia yet. The driver's wife asked him,

"Do you hear any dogs barking?"

He didn't, which meant we weren't too close to the ger. But we found it eventually and got to UB at dawn.

Anyhow...with the holidays here I am planning on decorating my ger and listening to lots of Christmas music. But I will miss all of you intensely. Luckily, I am planning a trip to UB so I'll be here at Christmas, celebrating with friends again.

More news then, but until then enjoy your holiday season!

Much Love,

Carrie

Hello Everyone!

Allow me to relate the typical emotional cycle involved in a jeep ride from my site to Ulaanbaatar:

Preliminary Stages: minor agitation/nervousness at likelihood of finding reliable ride to city when necessary, followed by great elation -- the driver you think is "best" is going the same day you want to go AND says he's not going late...He's leaving in the evening.

4 p.m. day of departure: packed and ready...calm and content. Should be leaving any time now.

8 p.m. day of departure: anxiety, anger, aggression...concern. Has he forgotten to come get me or is he just late?

9 p.m.: ah here he is...funny...didn't he say he wasn't leaving late?

10 p.m. joy and happiness...well on our way to the city...wait...why are we leaving the road and driving in circles flashing our lights?

10:30 p.m. Ah...we found the random ger we were looking for....must spend another half hour packing meat into the wagon...and then must pack four new people into the car (bringing total passengers up to 11).

11:00 p.m. No matter...again on our way. Should be arriving in the city by at least 2 a.m. Will get good bed at guesthouse. Feeling relaxed.

12:30 a.m. Nooooooooooo. Woe and Despair. The driver stopped to sleep. Feet hurt, crowded in back of car while driver comfortably snoozing in front.

1:15 a.m. Ah good....wife of driver has hassled driver into waking up. On the road again. Joking with driver about how he may soon lose 'best driver' status with foreigner if he keeps sleeping.

3:00 a.m. Sleeping again. Great. How is it a trip that should take 6 hours at most involves two sleeping stops?

4:15 a.m. Bit of a power trip...have convinced driver to wake up and get moving by self. I am properly assertive.

6:00 a.m. Can see city lights. Yes!! NOOOO!! sleeping AGAIN. Can't get on driver's back as he is dozing off at the wheel. Could this possibly be remedied in future by driver not leaving at 9 p.m. from home site?

7:00 a.m. Have arrived at meat trading place. How long will it take to sell stock from back and head to city again?

8:00 a.m. Tired, smell bad, annoyed. However all is well because I have at long last secured a cab to the guesthouse where I will soon take a shower.

9:15 a.m. - Life is so much better now than it was. Took shower, washed hair. Clean clothes.

The school year is almost upon me.

I just returned from a two-week speaking camp in the Gobi. My friend Laura and I worked with one Mongolian teacher on improving 16 Mongolian English teachers' speaking skills.

It required a lot of effort (something I'm not so used to lately), but was a lot of fun.

Tomorrow I'm going up to Yeroo to visit my old host family. Haven't seen them in a year so I'm excited. Then I'll come back here Sunday and look for rides to Bayanmunkh. School starts in a week.

The Gobi trip was fun, in that I got to see a lot of cool sites. We went to this area that has a lot of rock formations, and we got to see a little hideaway where some Buddhist lamas used to live. It was really beautiful.

The Gobi is much different than I had expected...dry, but grassy. No sand until you get further south. There were lakes in the northern part.

I'm bummed I missed the swearing-in ceremony for the M-16 group. 51 trainees became volunteers on Sunday afternoon. Enkhbayar, the president of Mongolia, showed up to support them.

I'm told everyone was really happy and the group showed off a lot of talent. Lots of people played musical instruments and sang Mongolian songs.

There are two new volunteers in my province...both will live in Ondorhaan. That means there are now three people in my province center! I'm excited and hoping I will be able to visit them from time to time.

Anyway that's it for now. More later!

Carrie

And just like that it's over.

I have just returned to Korea (it's becoming a familiar airport...I even found the in-house internet) from my beautiful month in Virginia.

It was at once exciting and, in a way, difficult. Thanks to my sister's wedding, I got to see most of my family. Then I tooled around the Virginia Interstate Highway system visiting various friends from church, work, college and even high school. Amherst, Lynchburg, Virginia Beach, Fredericksburg. Exhausting but worth every moment. And there were moments to remember.

In some ways it felt short, and in others I am amazed I fit so much in. My sister got married, I got baptized in the Tye River, My dear friend got a paper written and another got his walls stripped and painted and his bathroom cleaned (a team effort). Jessa became a licensed registered nurse!!! I saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and ate at La Carretta. I visited The Cavalier. Sadly... I missed the Dahlia but there's always something to look forward to next year. I'm sure Hank Jr. will still be on the juke box. =)

I would have gotten some good fishing in had I not read in the paper that 80 percent of the smallmouth bass in both forks of my beloved Shenandoah River are mysteriously dead. That was a low point.

Nonetheless, the trip was mostly full of highs. Virginia is so green and beautiful....I'd forgotten about tall trees. And rivers that make such a soothing sound when their waters run over rocks and form rapids.

I'm thankful for all my friends and family who supported me in my time home and will continue to support me in my final months in Mongolia. It is strange knowing I have less time to go than I've got behind me. I've got to make sure I enjoy it to it's fullest, and don't one day think to myself "where did that go?"

You will all be in my thoughts and prayers. I miss you already.

Much Love,

Carrie

Greetings again from Korea!

I came in this morning at around 4 a.m. to find the hotel I thought was included w/ my ticket wasn't. It was no big deal, though, as I managed to book a room through the Korean Air desk for not too much more money.

I'm staying at Hotel June, one of the hotels in Incheon where we stayed last year. I was in the other one last year so I didn't know how nice this one is. The hotel manager shuttled me for free to the airport and when I got to my room I realized just how different Korea is from Mongolia.

Here's a sampling of what I have in here:

Jacuzzi

Sauna

Flat screen computer w/ high speed Internet

Large TV

Refrigerator

Cup sterilizer

Hot/Cold water dispenser

Cushy double bed (something I've been missing for quite a while now)

dresser w/ combs, hair stuff, soap, etc.

couch

and....here's the kicker:

The toilet has all these weird buttons on it that squirt and air dry. There's a massage button on there too. After a year of using a hole in the ground I find it a little frightening.

The lights are all freaky deaky and energy saving, so when you walk inside you slip your key card in a wall socket and it turns the power on. Some lights are motion sensitive others are controlled by a space age panel on the wall. Also, when you put your key in the slot a voice welcomes you to the room.

I can't believe I was on a plane for under three hours and I'm in such a different world.

Aside from the material things, it's different here in many other ways. I walked around the streets of Incheon this afternoon, retracing some of my steps from last year. I found some neat walking paths and tried again to get to the ocean but there are too many things in the way (such as small mountains).

It feels tropical and the first thing that hit me this morning was how strange it is to feel humidity again. My shirt was soaked when I got back to the hotel but it felt good just to notice moisture. There was fog on the mountains (which just crop up out of nowhere on this tiny island) and lots of places had veggie gardens just placed anywhere. There are a lot of condo style housing districts here...kindof like at the beach I guess. But the streets are laid out beautifully, with nicely designed overpasses and gardens and such.

I regret to say I don't think I'll make it into Seoul this time around...I asked at the desk and it's a long trip in that involves shuttling back to the airport and paying a lot for transit. Seoul-Incheon is a ways out....Seoul-Kimpo is the closer airport I guess. It also feels very strange being without language again. Many people here do speak English and if I got to Seoul I am sure I'd find more. But I feel more comfortable staying in Incheon...there's a lot to see here too. When I travel next year I may end up back here and have someone else to sightsee with, which would be cool.

Anyway...I go to the airport again at 7 tomorrow morning and fly out at 10:50. Not much longer now!

Carrie

Start "Homeward Bound," by Paul Simon.

I'm leaving tomorrow night for Seoul, and from there it's a matter of hours (albeit a lot of hours) before I make to Dulles. Saturday morning 11:30 a.m. eastern time I'll be there.

I'm excited about having a day in Seoul...some of my friends gave me tips on how to get a city tour if I want one, and maybe I'll get to see some cool stuff.

Most of all I'm excited about being home for an entire month. I'm even excited about seeing Karla, who admits to having rejected a late night call from me because the id showed "number unavailable." humph. I'll be coming home happy and healthy, though I am apparently getting over a bout with giardia. My doctor called to tell me my lab results from mid-service medical, and sure enough, there it was. Luckily I didn't feel out of sorts for it and the medicine hopefully worked.

Anyway I'll see most of you pretty soon I hope. Take care and I can't wait to get home. Carrie