The time has come to say goodbye, as I am no longer a Peace Corps Volunteer. I can hardly believe that it has been over 2 years already. The time went by so fast, especially these past few months (in which I blogged nothing because nothing really happened). So looking back what did I get out of it all? Was it worth it? I'd have to say yes. I have this weird habit of writing letters to myself at various time marks in the future, and I wrote on shortly after swearing in as a volunteer to read at COS (close of service). Here is an excerpt of the 2 page letter:

"How are you doing my lovely? This chapter of your life is now over and I hope I made it a good one for you. Has it been two years, or did you extend to three? It's only been three months and already Mongolia has changed me. I am slowly beginning to accept and embrace the woman I am, and am learning that growing up doesn't mean growing old. Instead of my usual assault of questions, this time I shall simply write what I want from life and hope it will ease the sorrow that leaving Mongolia is bound to bring you. … I want to become fully comfortable with my clumsy awkward self. I'm too loud, too crazy, too Cassandra, but I want to love that. … I am 22 now. You are 24, possibly 25 and on the cusp of returning to America. What are you going to do once you get stateside??? I have no real clue, 2 years is such a long way off. …Oh man, you are soooooo old! I hope you don't feel or look it. I am on the brink of this grand adventure and simply can't wait for it to begin. I know it will be difficult at times. I know there will be silly teas, and bitter ones, and heartbreaking ones too. But you made it out alive, which means I will too!! Oh, I want a Mongolia scar, and a collection of hilair and utterly Cassandra stories! You are so lucky, do you know that? I hope you do. Look at all you have come from, all you have been through. … I know you will forgive me for the mistakes I'm bound to make. I know you will never fail to amuse me even in the 'bluest of 3 o'clocks.' I know you are a good, loving, genuine woman of frustrating quality. You did it!"

While the specifics of my hopes for my PC service were not exact, the overall experience was all I was hoping for and more. My Country Director told me that of all the years he has been working as a PC Director (more than 7) that I've been the most difficult to get to COS, but in a good way. May who have been faced with switching sites, family deaths, repeated illnesses, host agency problems, any number of the things that I have faced usually end up early terminating. He apparently heard stellar reports from my 2nd site, and was proud of me. I'm proud of me. I hope that if the Cassandra of the past who wrote that letter would be proud of me.

So this is goodbye. It's been a long journey. I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I will be keeping a personal blog for any who still wish to follow my misadventure, hear my random rants, and whatever else I may post. That blog can be found at: http://cassandra-anu.blogspot.com/

"Happy Father's Day!" ... or rather a belated one, as I spent actual Father's Day at home, washing clothes, reading Pope Joan, and eating gamber (a traditional fried bread type thing).

I know it's been a while since I updated, but very little seems worth updating, as I'm currently living in limbo trapped in UB. (Shuree, my best Mongolian friend got mugged and robbed, so I loaned her money, and till payday don't have any extra traveling around funds...but she is safe and sound which is the more important thing).

I finally turned in round one of the veritable cornucopia of paperwork I need to fill out and hand in before I will be allowed to COS. Its more so busy work than anything else, but still, it took forever for me to finally sit down and just do it! I think it's the fact that I have to trek all the way to the PC office and then type it up and then trek home (okay so 15 minuets of walking is not really a trek, but it seems that way sometimes). I will be happy to get my own computer when I'm done with PC and be able to work from home.

Learning to "live without" these two years has changed my concept on what is really "essential" to life, but now that I have the option, I will be adding some luxury to my life. Though, considering my luck with phones in this country (the screen on my phone died somehow), I think I will stick with the 5000 tugrug (~$3.50) phone I bought to replace it. It calls, sends messages, its kinda cute...but mostly its sturdy and works.

I'm perpetually freaked out a little by the exponential growth of the foreigner population here in UB. Yes it is summer and it is tourist season, and it only makes sense but still, I don't know...it's a bit strange, I feel almost more Mongolian than foreign at times. But, then I get frustrated at my boyfriend, his mom, his friends, my Mongolian friends who come over and leave there nasty chewed up gum where ever they want (hello people!!!! trash cans?!?!?!!?), and know that I'm foreign to the core.

Okay, well that's all for now. Will try to do something exciting so I can write about it for you all.

As my time in Peace Corps draws to an end it almost seems to be speeding up. Nothing new is happening, but the familiar (random visits from my 6 year old "sisters", being followed by the 1-eyed dog, taking naps in the student dorms, etc.) have become ever more precious as soon it will be over and I will no longer be a PCV but rather a RPCV (Return Peace Corps Volunteer)...and life will never be the same.

We had our COS (Close Of Service) Conference last week and it was most mellow. (Though not for everyone as you could definitely smell the partiers the morning after, and I'm pretty sure at one point someone peed on our window). I went to one session about returning to America and the difficulties RPCVs can face. It was nice to be able to give tips and stories having been back to America during my service, and know just how strange things can be (You can flush toilet paper?!? An entire grocery aisle of ketchup?!? They not only have food but actually have all the food listed on the menu?!?) Yet it was really wired since I wont be going back to America for at least another year (having officially signed my contract to be a Primary Teacher). But I know that it will be much different; living in the city, having a salary, having a shower, not being able to text or call my fellow PCVs (aka "family") whenever I want. Its scary. But COS helped to reassure me that while the physical distance may increase, the relationships don't have to decrease.

One bad thing about COS was that I got addicted to this awesome show DEXTER. Most of you know about it probably, but if you don't its about a man named Dexter who is a blood splatter analysis for Miami PD by day and a serial killer by night. However, he only kills other serial killers...so is he the "Bay Harbor Butcher" or "The Dark Defender"? Its highly entertaining, the filmography is stunning, and the forensics of it isn't completely off. So once again my interest in forensics has flared up, and got me thinking about what do I want to be when I grow up. I love teaching. I loved forensics. Maybe I'll chose my future career one of these days...

The conference itself encompassed the essence of Mongolia most excellently. We stayed at a beautiful tourist camp called The Mongolian Secret History Camp, where we stayed in Luxury gers on a hillside field complete with randomly grazing cows. (Sadly after 2 years my fear of cows has not lessen. Calves are cute. Cows are terrifying). The first afternoon was disgustingly hot. I couldn't even nap it was so oppressive. So of course, Mother Nature decides to juxtapose day one with day two and its 5+ inches of snow! There was some worry about being snowed in and not making it back to UB safe, but the third and final day dawned delightfully and soon we found ourselves rocketing down the "paved" road to UB. But since no trip in Mongolia is complete without transportation difficulties, we ended up losing our back tire just inside the city. As I was sitting in the very last row on the side the tire came off I had the perfect view of it popping off, skimming a truck on the side of the road, wildly bouncing and rolling for about 100 yards at which point it meet/demolishes a fence before continuing another 200ish yards. Insane! Props to the driver though for not tipping the bus. Upon finally arriving back to the PC office I took my Mongolian Language Proficiency Interview, in which I scored an Intermediate High. I apparently missed Advanced because I" have good Mongolian and rich vocabulary. But one of the criteria is accuracy of the language." Read: grammar, or rather a lack their of. Whatever, I'm happy with my score and am understood, which is more important in the long run.

As of now I'm pretty much done with my PC work. I've some volunteer projects in my town and will be slowly moving out of my ger and into my apartment in the city. I'm also going to visit my host family in July! I can't believe I only have 2 months left....inconceivable.

So I find myself back in my town. Apparently PC was not fully aware that I was doing the seminar, despite the fact that I was totally open about it and what not. Oh well. What will be will be. The only really sucky part is the fact that I can no longer go on my vacation. I was bummed but then since there was nothing I could do about it I just let it go. So I find myself back in the soum, and I have to say that life is rather boring and slow. I’ve gone from working about 10hour days, to teaching like 3 40minuet classes a day. I have nothing to do. Luckily the weather is gorgeous!!!!! I walk about an hour every day. The other day I found myself finally climbing to the top of the mountain next to my home, and visiting the Buddhist shrine. It was so beautiful up there. I will have to borrow a camera one of these days and take pictures.

We recently had some visitors from Thailand who are going to help our school with a greenhouse project. I served as an informal translator. They seemed so shocked that I lived without running water, and had to bucket bath. This also seemed to shock the one American teacher at the Seminar. They couldn’t quite grasp the concept. So I present to you…

~The Art of the Bucket Bath~

First, buy a bucket. Mine is neon pink and about 50cm in diameter, and 7cm in height. You can go for something in a different color. Unfortunately there are no larger sizes. Next, go to the well and get water. If you are lucky, time the trip to coincide with your 11th grade boys’ trips to the well as the will inevitably offer to carry your water back to your house. If not you will have to roll the giant water canister all the way home, and pull you back out trying to lift it over the door frame into your ger. If you have electricity, the next step is to fill your instant water boiler with water and boil it. (Note: if you don’t have one of these yet, get one. They are glorious!). If there is no electricity, make a fire and heat water on the stove. First you must wash your hair. If you are efficient you can accomplish this with a grand total of 2 cups of water. One to wet your hair, and one to rinse. Then throw out the dirty hair infested water. Next fill your bucket with about two inches of water. Squat next to the bucket (remember you have no table) and wash face, ears, neck, and upper torso. Then sit in the bucket, and wash your lower torso. Finally stand in the bucket and wash your legs and feet. TADAAAAA!!!! That’s it! You are now, more or less, so fresh and so clean clean! Throw out this water, rinse your bucket, and you are completely done.

Once upon a time there were four animal friends walking in the forest. A wolf, a fox, a hedgehog, and a rabbit. Suddenly, they found a bottle of vodka in the middle of the road! However, they thought that the bottle was too small to share amongst the four of them, so they decided that whoever got drunk the quickest would be allowed to drink the entire bottle themself.

"I get drunk after just one taste of vodka," said the wolf.

"I get drunk after just one smell of vodka," said the fox.

"I get drunk after just one look at vodka," said the hedgehog.

"I get drunk after just hearing about vodka," slurred the rabbit.

So the rabbit won and got to drink the entire bottle of vodka by himself. THE END.

Discuss.

Mongolian doctors....seriously....way to give me all that crazy unnecessary stress.

Apparently DC took a look at the images, and snuffed. "Humph, that little thing. It's nothing. 85% of people have such things in their kidneys. The pain was most likely from a low grade urinary tract infection, with some sand in there somewhere. Nothing to fret about, simply keep pushing fluids."

:::faints:::

However, all this worrying has made me reassess all the crazy stressfulness that is my life here in Mongolia. I don't need it. I will have to talk to the seminar people, and if they can't cut back my hours then I'm going back to the soum, or just taking a vacation and visiting Dornod and other friends.

Being healthy is such a nice thing.

Celebrated Gregory's birthday yesterday with my boyfriend. We had surprisingly delicious and cheep cake, instant noodles, and shared a beer. It was nice.

...and apparently neither do the doctors here.

One says blood clot, one says cyst, still another says tumor...is it new, have I had it from before?

I'm tired.

Tomorrow is Gregory's birthday and I miss him.

I'm going back to the countryside tomorrow until we hear from Washington, and there are three possible answers:

1. Nothing to worry about just forget it for now/take such-and-such a medicine/etc.

2. We want to know more go to Bangkok.

3. We want to know more, we are medically separating you from PC and bringing you back to America.

I know being healthy is what is most important, I know this. But I'm just hoping and praying that they at the very least let me finish ... I only got 4 months.

Fingers Crossed.

Typing is difficult. I'm tired from not eating, from the drugs they gave me, from waking up extra early to be on time only to end up waiting for the Mongolians, and from the fact that I'm ready for all this to be over!!!!

I got my CT this morning. It would have been unremarkable if it wasn't for the fact that they exploded my vein. Okay explosion is an exaggeration, but they didn't put the catheter into my arm enough so when they started pumping the meds through the IV it burnt for a second before starting to gush out of my arm and all over the last of my clean shirts!!! (Thank goodness for the free box at Peace Corps, hooray free new shirt!) So I look at it for a minuet..."Hmmmmm, I don't know if this is what should be happening..." and begin frantically waving as this was our prearranged signal for something is wrong. The doctor comes in and asks whats wrong..."Ummmm... this" I say and point to my gushing arm trying not to pass out, and trying not to forget my Mongolian as they didn't know English, and my Mongolian is the same as my "interpreter's" English. So that arm gets de-IVd and swaddled up, and the other arm gets stuck...and immediately starts gushing blood! The nurse called over the doctor, he jiggles it around in my arm for a painful but thankfully brief moment, and voila! Its it...the scan finishes with out a hitch!

However, when it inevitably came time to analyze the image, we were told to come back after noon...O_o...seriously? You guys just exploded my arm..."I know you are not the official doctor but can you tell me what you think." "Well there is a mass, you can see right there" Okay, okay, we are not going to punch out the doctor. "Yes I know, but can you tell me exactly what you think it might be...should I worry?" "I will have the results for you after 12 o'clock" ... "Ooookaaay. See you later than." :::sigh resignedly and weakly shake head:::

But that's okay. Physically I feel much better. I'm on some kinda antibiotics specifically designed for the urinary system. This afternoon I will meet with the Urologist who should be able to give me answers.

Okay, pushing buttons has become too difficult. Will update again later.

Yey! My kidneys, liver, bladder, etc. etc. are working perfectly!

I know this because of the IVP test. Which did not hurt at all!!! This may be because I am just such a beast at taking pain. But most likely its probably because they slipped me some drugs, which knocked me out and uber dilated my eyes for quite a while. In the wait for the results to be processed I was taken out to a restaurant and fed a bacon cheeseburger! Yum! Then we went back to the hospital to find out the news...

Boo! There is a low density mass in my right kidney. Maybe a blood clot??? We are calling it a blood clot, but who knows. No one...hence another trip to the doctors office! I'm actually starting to like it over there. They have these nifty Korean water dispensers that instead of Dixie cups have these flat paper cups that sorta slot open to put water inside...more like a mini envelope than a cup. It really space efficient.

Also a theory has developed as to how I got said "blood clot" in my kidney. I got accidentally knocked into a pile of luggage/boxes about 2 weeks ago. I noticed the bruise on my arm that night, but then had forgotten all about it by the time my killer pains had started the next day. Hm...maybe, maybe. The majority of kidney blood clots come from internal bleeding due to trauma, which will eventually go away by itself. However, it never hurts to double check. So after my CT scan tomorrow I also get to go visit a urologist!!!!

All of this is actually really interesting, and makes me miss my forensic anthropology days. The body is fascinating.

Every week I teach a new group of teachers, and part of my introduction is a mini speech, that is half in English and half Mongolian. It gets us acquainted really quick, bonds us as teachers and foreign language learners, and is funny. So here is my intro speech ^_^.

Hi! My name is Cassandra, but you can call me Cass, Anu, or Teacher. But please, please, please do not call me bagsh (teacher). I am not a bagsh, I am a teacher. You are not bagshnar, you are teachers. If your students call you bagsh they are thinking in ... Mongolian. If they call you "Teacher" then they are thinking in ... English! And that makes the learning process easier. Now, I know and understand Mongolian, but because this is a Speaking and Listening class, we want to use English as much as possible. If you don't know a word, use a different word, or describe what you are talking about. When I first moved into my ger I didn't know the word orts (felt flap that covers the hole in the roof of the ger). So one day it starts raining and water is coming into the hole in my ger, and I run next door and yell "Migaa akhaa, tuslaarai, geriin malgai yaj khaakh ve?" ("Migaa brother, help, how do I close the ger's hat?) :::pause for laughter::: I didn't know the correct word, but by using words I did know he was able to understand me. So lets us as much English as we can. Also, I know that we are all teachers, but we never stop learning. All of you are here because you want to improve your English. And because this is the speaking class it is important that you speak! Don't be shy! Don't be afraid to make mistakes! I make mistakes all the time! Once I was talking with this women, and she had such beautiful eyebrows that I wanted to tell her, so I said, "Egchee ta yamar saikhan tomsogtoi!" ("Sister, you have beautiful testicles") :::pause for laughter::: She looks and me very strangely and asks, "Tomsog gej uu?" ("Did you say testicles?") :::pause again for laughter::: I thought for a second before I realized my mistake. "Ugui, ugui, ugui, tomsog bish! Homsog! Ta yamar saikhan homsogtoi!" ("No, no, no, not testicles! Eyebrows! You have beautiful eyebrows") :::pause yet again for laughter::: So you see, its okay to make mistakes! We can do it! So now instead of me just standing here and introducing myself to you, I want you to ask me questions. What do you want to know about me?

So that's my into speech. Awesome huh? The testicles story is true. I also told a man that I ate a person's head and eyes. This is because the words for sheep and person (hun hoon) are sooooo similar! In fact I hate the Cyrillic vowels: Ү, У, Ө, and О...they are soooo similar. My ear is starting to hear the difference (after 2 years), however my mouth refuses to cooperate. Stupid American mouth.

Went to hospital this morning (note my use of British English :::shakes fist:::). Got an x-ray of my stomach and intestines to make sure that I obeyed directions and didn't eat or drink. There was a little bit of gas in my intestines, and a scary moment when I was told that I would have to get an enema ("Don't worry it will be just like before." "What do you mean before?!?!? I've never had an enema!!!" "Oh really, well get ready for one." ... thanks Doc that's almost as reassuring as when you informed me that the IVP will be extremely painful as I feel the fiery ink drip coursing throughout my entire body over a 30 min period...as if I wasn't nervous before O_o). However, when they redid the x-ray from a lying position I was declared ready to go.

This was when they told us we had to come back at 12:30 because the morning was reserved for walk-ins ... WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?! So needless to say, I'm cranky, having not eaten in over 12hours and not able to eat for another oh 4 or so hours. Also I'm not allowed to drink anything, not even water...so I've become uber cranky. Not to mention that needles freak me out a bit, and I'm nervous about passing out when the IV me. But better to find out.

Also got a call from the director of the training seminar asking if I was ready to be picked up. "Um, I have to go to the hospital, I can't go back today." "Really, Jessica told us that you were tired and just needed a day or two to rest." O_o ... Although I'm not overly surprised that he thought this, as many Mongolians will go to the hospital simply to do that. Rest with out having to worry about their lives for a few days. Sounds kinda nice actually ^_^.

Okay, time to nap if I can. Will update when updatage is possible.

Horray for my 100th entry! To celebrate I'm going to the hospital! Yey...???

Actually I've already been to the hospital today. I just get to go back tomorrow. It seems that the dixie cup of urine, the 2 giant tubes of blood, and the multiple ultrasounds of various internal organs resulted in no conclusive diagnosis. Yes there are quite a few extra white blood cells floating around, traces of blood in my urine, and all the signs of a kidney stone...but no stone. Hm...

So tomorrow I will go back and get an IVP (intravenous pyelogram: an X-ray test that can show the size, shape, and position of the urinary tract, including the kidneys and ureters. During IVP, a dye called contrast material is injected into a vein (intravenous, IV) in your arm. Then, a series of X-ray pictures is taken at timed intervals.) Its supposed to not hurt. But like the gremlins I'm not allowed to eat or drink after midnight.

I feel better that I have in a while. Maybe I passed the stone last night and that is why I hurt so bad for those 4ish hours. Hopefully this is the case.

Also, the "Korean" Hospital I went to was really nice. I've been in a number of hospitals in various parts of Monglia (countryside, town, and city) and while some were okay, many of them scared me a little, though that might have been because of the sovietesq construction. However, this hospital was nice. It almost didn't feel like a hospital (I think it was the rugs instead of tile floors that made it feel so). They staff was very efficient, the prices moderate, the doctors very professional and highly qualified. I really enjoied my time there...well as much as one can enjoy such an experience. I also have a nifty medical card so that in the future they can easily call up information should I need it. It reminds me of a library card, and that makes me happy, I love library cards. Although they spelled my name "Cassandre".

So that is the update. Now to treat myself to some salad and possibly a "smoothie". Will let you know when there is more to be let known.

Before I shower and go eat a kabob, I feel like I should update, because I know that I wont be back online for a while. But what is there to update about??? I feel that much of me has remained the same, while the world moves on. Peace Corps service is almost over, and a good number of the M18s (my group) have already left. While so many are getting ready to return to America, I feel a bit like the odd duck out as I am staying. Yeah there will be a lot of new people coming, but I am out of the Peace Corps world, and I think it would be a bit wierd. Also, I'm lazy.

I was also asked the question last night of "Is Peace Corps really worth it? Is all the work really worth it in the end?" For me the answer is yes. And fully realizing that and knowing that is a nice way to end my Peace Corps service. Okay, well I'm tired and there isn't much else to say...will try to be more through in the future.

Since I will be at the training seminar for the next 4 months or so, and won't be getting out to my site very often (if ever) until its over, I would recomend that any letters, packages, etc. be sent to the following address:

Касандра Вайнэр

Энх Тайвны Корпyс

Тов Шyyдан

Шyyдангийн хайрцаг 1036

Улаанбаатар 13

ΜΟНГОЛ УЛС

Cassandra Weiner, PCV

Post Office Box 1036

Central Post Office

Ulaanbaatar 13

MONGOLIA

This way the packages will go to Peace Corps and when I'm in UB to use the internet and what not it will be very easy to pick up! Thanks!

I'm still alive, still in Mongolia, still working like crazy, but enjoying it as much as ever.

My director gave me permission to stay with the training seminar for the whole 4 months. This is great because the majority of Mongolian English Teachers in the whole country will be attending. Not to mention the connections I'm making. Its hard work, but worth it. Only down side, no hot water (so I still take my bucket baths), and I don't practice Mongolian, always English, English, English. Which would be okay, if it weren't for the fact that I have a Language Proficency Test coming up in May! But who knows, I'm bring my text books with me this time so that I will have something to study!

I find the busy schedule keeps the missing at bay, and that living indoors has improved my health. Though I've been putting on weight because of the delish food prepared for us by Mongolia's master chef.

Okay, will try to write more later...a month in the countryside with no internet or phone service (unless your standing on the mountain of course) has made me impatient about technology.

Love to all ^_^

Ghenghis Khan

Dschinghis Khan

Hu, ha, hu, ha... hu, ha, hu, ha...

Hu, ha, hu, ha... hu, ha, hu, ha...

Hu, ha, hu, ha, hu, ha, hu, ha...

They rode the fastest horses

Left the wind behind

Thousand men

Ha, hu, ha...

And one man led the way

The others followed by:

Genghis Khan

Ha, hu, ha...

They gallopped over mountains and desert-sands

They carried desolation throughout the land

And nothing there could stop them in this world

Hu, ha...

Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan

Hey, rider; ho, rider; go, rider

Let us follow

Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan

Hey, brother; ho, brother; hey, brother

Hear us holler

Who cares where we're going

Ho, ho, ho, ho...

There's no way of knowing

Ha, ha, ha, ha...

And we'll let the Devil take our souls

Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan

Hey, rider; ho, rider; go, rider

Let us follow

Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan

Go, brother; dream, brother; dance, brother

Hear us holler

You can hear his laughter

Ho, ho, ho, ho...

Now and ever-after

Ha, ha, ha, ha...

When he lifts his glass up in the air

He was the greatest lover

And the strongest man

Of his day

Ha, hu, ha...

And we have heard that

All the women fell for him

So they say

Ha, hu, ha...

And he bred seven children in one whole night

He had his girls around him at his very sight

And nothing that could stop him in this world

Hu, ha...

Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan

Hey, rider; ho, rider; go, rider

Let us follow

Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan

Hey, brother; ho, brother; hey, brother

Hear us holler

Who cares where we're going

Ho, ho, ho, ho...

There's no way of knowing

Ha, ha, ha, ha...

And we'll let the Devil take our souls

Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan

Hey, rider; ho, rider; go, rider

Let us follow

Gen... Gen... Genghis Khan

Go, brother; dream, brother; dance, brother

Hear us holler

You can hear his laughter

Ho, ho, ho, ho...

Now and ever-after

Ha, ha, ha, ha...

When he lifts his glass up in the air

Ha... hu, ha, hu...

So my school has a two week break coming up! Exciting right. I was going to relax, help out in the English Olympics, and take a trip to my old haunt in the Cho...but my director, the wonderful man, pimped me out to be an instructor for an Seminar catering to English teachers from the Western Providences (even told me to miss this next week of school so that I could participate in the entire first part). Now, opportunity wise this is going to be great! Its good experience to get under my belt, will look good on applications and what not. On the other hand, its work, a LOT of work...8 hours a day, 6 days a week, for 3 weeks. The other foreign teachers get a lovely $500 for their work. And me...that's right, I'm a Peace Corps Volunteer...I get a lovely pat on the back and thank you for coming. I know that sounds bitter, and sure it is kinda a hard deal to swallow, but then I think about the glorious 3 weeks of living with a hot shower, prepared meals, warm bed...and you know what I get giddy just thinking about it! I can visit the Cho later, really who want to take a 16hour bus ride in this once again cold weather (it has snowed a good 2inches today)? So I will try and "gournal" while I'm at the tourist camp and then type it up when I get back to the big city. We will see.

I've still got the final remains of a cold that just loves me too much to go away, but I think that being in a steadily warm environment will finally kill it!

Happy Birthday to Meredith who is 22 today. Scary. Even scarier is the fact that I will be 24 in about 2 months. Yanna

Back to lesson planing!

I lay peacefully relaxing this morning, my last in UB. The only drawback to my rest was the fact that the room was a bajillion and seven degrees...Celsius, that and my ribs still hurt a bit from the costal condilitis. When suddenly a glorious sound came to my ears...it was ice cream truck music! Surely I must be dreaming...I know Mongolia finally got delivery pizza (I've yet to try it as I hear its rather expensive and not that great), but an Ice Cream truck...in winter? No, no, no, just not possible it must be in my head. Then my friend Shuree came in.

"Cass, get up the truck is here!"

"REALLY?!?!?!?" Now I knew I must be dreaming, maybe a side effect of all the meat and onions I ate right before bed last night.

"Yes, hurry please I have class, can you get the trash?"

... O_o? ... "Trash?"

"Yes, the trash truck is here, can you take the trash out to it, don't forget the front room can."

... O_o? ... "Oookay...?"

"Thanks babe, it will be parked outside, just go right."

... O_o? ... "No problem...?"

So I gathered up all the trash from the training center, the whole time listening the the whimsical childlike music making the situation all the more surreal. The was just no way, maybe this was all a joke, maybe I actually was asleep and would wake with no memory of this strange dream except for an odd craving for ice cream. But sure enough, there it was...a big ol' garbage truck, emitting the dulcet tones that make children's mouths water all over America (or at least used to...are their even Ice Cream trucks anymore?).

It was bizarre, you could see people pouring out of the surrounding apartment buildings, their hands full of trash, all slowly meandering towards the siren call of the garbage truck...the Pied Piper of Grouchland. I got strange looks from both the garbage men and my fellow flockers...I am a gadaad khun ("foreigner"), yet there I was in my Mongolian Deel Jacket and pink house slippers (with no socks :::gasp:::). If only they could read my thoughts their confusion would have reached a whole new level...

"Why does the trash music make the foreigner want ice cream?"

So I wrote a long detailed wonderful entry about my Tsagaan Sar ("White Month" aka Lunar New Year)...it was witty and insightful and lacked any referance to poop or outhouses...thus, inevitably when I went the post it the internet freaked out and POOF ... baikhgui ... gone

So I sighed a massive sigh...and despaired of rewriting it...thus I present you the Cliffnotes version of my glorious entry:

Was supposed to be in my small town and experience first hand a real traditional Mongolian Tsagaan Sar...yey!...Anthropologists dream! ... but I was exausted from being sick forever and decided to "hide" in UB and "skip" Tsagaan Sar :::gasp::: ... did celebrate with Shuree's Family and Ganaa's Family (who gave me a traditional Mongolian Jacket and a watch respectivly...that oddly enough happen to match)...made buuz ("steamed dumplings" traditional Ts.S. food) and ate quite a few of them ... only had 3 shots of vodka the whole week! ... took many showers, made no fires, rested, relaxed, missed Gregory, but was happy overall ... the end!

Sorry its a lame entry I know...but I'm tired and want to nap and then do laundry!

Updated List of "Needs"

AAA Batteries

DVDs

Crystal Light Instant Drink mix pouch thingys

No-Bake Cheesecake

Bite Sized Assorted Candies

Books (for me...the kids have TONS of new books)

Love ^_~

25 Random Facts about Cassandra ... The Mongolia Edition

1. I haven't been online in over a month. Blame my town's internet center that is equipt with all the latest in computer technology (for rural Mongolia), but is located in a spot that doesn't get internet service. Good one.

2. Overflowing toilet...gross. Overflowing outhouse...you don't even want to know.

3. I got a tattoo here in Mongolia. It on my inner left arm, a G serves as a sun setting into the ocean, its about the size of a Sacagawea dollor coin. G=Gregory. The Mongolian tattoo artist studied business in NYC and believes that the end of the world will come in 2012.

4. My Mongolian name is Anu. Translation=USA.

5. I have met BX ("Mongolia's Justin Timberlake") twice. He isn't very impressing.

6. There is a cat that prowls outside my ger every morning. Its meowls sound like a baby crying. It scares me.

7. Velicoraptors come from Mongolia. That scares me even more.

8. I always blush when my 11th graders ask me what is my favorite kind of Boov. I pretend they are talking about the delicious tea time pastries, even though I know they are being evil and talking about "Man Boov" (a weener). Even in Mongolia I can't escape male genetalia jokes.

9. I've a Mongolian boyfriend. His name is Ganaa. Translation=Steel. He has a Mongolian equivilant of a rat-tail. Its not as bad as it sounds. The first English word he ever asked me to teach him..."poop".

10. I enjoy intestines if they are fried in a hot pocketesq dough pastry...aka hooshoor.

11. I can sware in Mongolian. They think its cute. My anger is not taken seriously.

12. The most frequently refilled item in my medkit...chapstick.

13. When getting my new phone number the lady was shocked that I didn't want to personally choose my last four digets. She gave me 0789...its apparently a nice number. I wish I had G-Mobile service so then I could get the phone number: 8867-5309.

14. In the month that I have had my dvd-player in my ger, I have watched all of my 18 dvd's at least twice, and seen most of the commentaries and special features. If you haven't seen the Comedy Central Tv Series: STELLA...do it.

15. When its too cold outside at night I just pee in a bucket and then empty it in the morning.

16. Everyday I steal a bowl of the elementary children's free snack. If I'm lucky its a delicious soup. If I'm unlucky its a delicious bowl of rice in a sweet milkesq substance.

17. I make about minimum wage...for a Mongolian. They find this confusing, funny, and sad. Volunteering is still a strange concept to many of them. They also find it strange that the family didn't get money for Gregory's organs and what not.

18. I've developed amazing squatting muscles, but Marie Windsor's patented "Elevated Clams" and "Fetal Thighs" still cause me pain.

19. I can type faster in Mongolian than many of my Mongolian Counterparts. Unfortunatly this means that I now often type up both the English and Mongolian work. Touche.

20. My towns people are sad that I lost the ice cream and cheese-it weight I put on in America, as I need more insulation against the cold.

21. Drinking cold water made me sick, not germs. I never knew.

22. I taught the 9th graders spin the bottle for a Valentine's Day treat. We only kiss on the cheek but they would get so embarassed, it was cute.

23. I broke in my new credit card by taking the "family" out for pizza, and buying "American" food goods (including a whole chicken, which was less than the small can of JIF Peanut Butter I decided not to buy) to take back to the soum. Time to break the sheep stomach addiction.

24. Mongolian has two words for you...for elders "ta" and for peers and youngers "chi"...most of my students call me "chi"...this makes the teachers mad as its "rude" but I really dont care.

25. I still haven't ridden a horse in Mongolia. They are convinced I will break something. It's sad.

I am sick....again. About 3 weeks ago I got larengitis, and couldn't talk for a week, it was actually kinda funny as they still kinda made me teach. But mostly I just typed up a bunch of curiculum stuff that they then managed to delete. I cried, which was also funny. My voice came back and was replaced by a wicked cough and eternally runny nose...horray chest/sinus infection! The after two weeks of that the docs finally but me on anti biotics...lets hope they work as I've already got costal condolitis (stabbing pains in my ribs where the violent coughing has enflamed the cartalage...fun times). You win again Mongolia...maybe I'm not so sorry for polluting your air with my coal fumes.

Besides the horrific bouts of illness life in the soum has been great. I've gotten my firemaking routein down to an art. I've gotten my schedule cut back to reasonable hours. I've got my students finally respecting me, and by respect I mean they think that what with my cool new professional look (thanks for the wardrobe update Mom!) that they will at least pretend to learn, sometimes. I haven't had to clean or prepare any animal intestines. For Meredith's sake I won't go into the school's outhouse situation :::shudder::: I've lost the excess

Teacher's Holiday was last week. Free food and drink. Dance party with the older students (my Mongolian waltz is getting better, I think). I got an award from the town's Cultural Center. They also gave me a present...checkers, but with sheep ankle bones instead of plastic pieces, not as creepy as it sounds. I gave a speech about how Mongolian teachers should feel lucky because their students love them while in America teachers are often viewed as just another thing in the classroom. Because of my miserably sick state I was allowed to leave at 10pm (after the fireworks show), while the rest of the teachers partied in the library until 6am. That's okay. Gurgi and I had our own party, and by party I mean making it 15 minuets into Lethal Weapon 3 until the tylonol pm kicked in and I passed out.

Tsaagan Sar ("White Month"), aka the Mongolian Lunar New year/biggest holiday of the year, is on February 25th! I have been most busy helping my countryside extended Mongolian family prepare. We made 1000 dumplings this week, and thats just for "Grandpa's" ger. I'm most excited and can't wait for all the delicious food and drink and the random gift socks. This year will be extra special as I get to share Bituun ("Tsaagan Sar Eve") with my "family." I've yet to experience this aspect of Tsaagan Sar as its only for family, and I didn't have that in Dornod.

The weather has been really nice and crisp, windy as all get up but nice. I have been wearing my thin long-johns and only one pair of socks (also the new boots I got...gloriously warm, actually a bit too warm...my feet sweat and now the stench from inside my boots rivals that of an outhouse in summer O_o). But of course for my first trip into the city since coming back to Mongolia it gets cold and snowy again so I freeze anytime I go out, especially since I ride the bus. Honestly, why pay 5,000 tugrugs for a taxi when you can take the bus for 200? Sure it takes you an hour, but you would only spend that extra time on YouTube. I also got frostnip of the ear when I first came back...talk about ouch. At first it was like I had cardboard for ears, and the the week of peeling ear skin. Double layering my hats may look goofy, but its less so that being earless.

Recieved and e-mail from the Country Director...Close of Service is August 18. It seems so far away, and yet I know it will come all too soon. My plan as of now is to stay in Mongolia another year and work with my friend Shuree at her English Center. I'm excited, and it will give me extra time to quit my sheep stomach soup addiction.

That's all for now, the whole interweb thing has overwhelmed me and I haven't even checked my e-mail yet.

I KNOW THERE ARE OTHERS PRESENT TODAY WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE LOSS OF A CHILD, AND MY HEART GOES OUT TO YOU AS I CONTINUE TO WRESTLE WITH MY OWN THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS. YOU HAVE MY UTMOST RESPECT FOR YOUR STRENGTH AND MY SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT.

TO QUOTE AN OTHERWISE CORNY, BUT IN THIS CASE APPLICABLE LINE FROM JERRY MAGUIRE, GREG “MADE OUR FAMILY COMPLETE.” DESTINED TO HAVE A CHALLENGING CHILDHOOD WITH THREE OLDER SISTERS, HE MADE THE MOST AND THE BEST OF IT. LIKE MANY FAMILIES WE ENJOYED DAILY EPISODES OF “WAR AND PEACE” IN THE WEINER HOUSEHOLD, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY WERE ABLE TO CIRCLE THE WAGONS AND MOVE FORWARD AS ONE. AS IS THE CASE WITH MOST MILITARY FAMILIES, WE MOVED FREQUENTLY. BY MY UNOFFICIAL COUNT, GREG LIVED IN 12 DIFFERENT HOMES AND ATTENDED 8 SCHOOLS. HE RARELY COMPLAINED ABOUT MOVING AND WAS MORE INTENT ON MAKING NEW FRIENDS AND ENJOYING LIFE.

GREG WAS AN EXTREMELY BRIGHT AND INQUISITIVE INDIVIDUAL. ANY ACADEMIC CHALLENGES HE ENCOUNTERED WERE USUALLY SELF-INFLICTED. AND WHILE WE WILL NOT BE SHOWCASING HIS FIRST SEMESTER REPORT CARD FROM VIRGINIA TECH UPSTAIRS AT THE RECEPTION, I AM PROUD TO ANNOUNCE HE EARNED A “B” IN CHEMISTRY, BY FAR THE BEST PERFORMANCE IN THIS SUBJECT BY ANYONE IN HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY.

GREG HAD A GREAT AFFINITY FOR THE WATER. THIS FIRST BECAME APPARENT WHEN WE HAD TO PLUCK HIM FROM A FOUNTAIN INSIDE A MALL IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA WHEN HE WAS 4 YEARS OLD. HE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS IN THE POOL, AS A COMPETITIVE SWIMMER AND LIFEGUARD, HE ACQUIRED A PASSION FOR THE SPORT OF WATER POLO AND DEVELOPED VERY SPECIAL AND LASTING BONDS WITH MEMBERS OF THE CUMBERLAND VALLEY, VIRGINIA TECH AND UVA WATER POLO TEAMS – MEN’S AND WOMEN’S. GREG ALSO HAD AN ENDURING LOVE FOR THE OCEAN, AND IT IS ONLY FITTING THAT TODAY’S SERVICE TAKES PLACE ON THE BEACH.

WHILE GREG GENERALLY REPRESENTED WHAT IS GOOD IN PEOPLE AND SOCIETY, WE SHOULD NOT BE TOO QUICK TO ENSHRINE HIM IN THE “MODEL CITIZEN HALL OF FAME.” IN THE SPIRIT OF FULL DISCLOSURE, I WILL SHARE A COUPLE EXAMPLES OF GREG’S SCANDALOUS SIDE, A QUALITY NO DOUBT INHERITED FROM HIS MOTHER. WHEN GREG WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HE WOULD FREQUENTLY RECEIVE YELLOW SHEETS – COPIES OF REPORTS FOR MINOR INFRACTIONS SUCH AS TALKING IN CLASS, BEING LATE OR NOT FOLLOWING SOME ESTABLISHED RULE. KNOWING GREG AS WELL AS WE DID, ALENA AND I WERE NEVER CONVINCED THAT HE WAS SHARING ALL OF HIS YELLOW SHEETS WITH US SINCE IN MOST CASES, SOME FORM OF PUNISHMENT OR REMEDIAL ACTION FOLLOWED. SO WHENEVER A MONTH OR TWO WOULD GO BY WITHOUT SEEING A YELLOW SHEET, WE WOULD RANDOMLY SIT HIM DOWN, STARE AT HIM STERNLY AND ASK, “IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO TELL US FROM SCHOOL?” THINKING WE HAD SOME FORM OF INTELLIGENCE, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT HE WOULD SPILL HIS GUTS AND CONFESS TO SOMETHING HE DID WRONG AT SCHOOL – COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS TO OUR BLUFF.

THERE IS ANOTHER GROUP OF FRIENDS GREG ASSOCIATED WITH ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS – THE VIRGINIA BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT. GREG’S ABILITY TO DO SOME PRETTY BONEHEADED THINGS WAS ONLY SURPASSED BY HIS UNCANNY KNACK TO GET CAUGHT DOING THEM. I HAVE HEARD SOME ATTRIBUTE THIS TO THE APPLE NOT FALLING FAR FROM THE TREE, BUT I WILL NOT COMMENT ON THAT. GREG COULD HAVE BEEN THE POSTER BOY FOR “NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS AFTER MIDNIGHT” OR “AMERICA’S DUMBEST CRIMINALS.” WHEN HE WAS 12 HE DECIDED TO “RUN WITH THE OLDER CROWD” AND ENGAGED IN SOME LATE NIGHT EGG THROWING. HE SEEMED SHOCKED THE NEXT DAY WHEN ONE OF HIS AFOREMENTIONED FRIENDS FROM THE VBPD KNOCKED ON THE DOOR TO TAKE DOWN HIS INFORMATION AND STATEMENT. WHEN ASKED HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY GREG AS ONE OF THE CULPRITS, THE OFFICER SAID, “IT WAS EASY - MOST PARENTS DO NOT SEND THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN TO BUY EGGS AT THE 7-11 AT 12:30 IN THE MORNING AND SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS DON’T LIE.”

ONE THING I ADMIRED ABOUT GREG WHENEVER HE MANAGED TO GET IN TO TROUBLE WAS A WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY AND CONSEQUENCES OF HIS ACTIONS. WHILE THE EGG INCIDENT HAS AN AMUSING ELEMENT TO IT, THERE WAS ALSO A VERY SERIOUS SIDE AS WELL. THE SECTION OF ROAD WHERE THE BOYS WERE THROWING EGGS AT PASSING CARS HAD A VERY DANGEROUS CURVE. THE CAR THAT WAS HIT AND WHICH GENERATED THE POLICE REPORT INVOLVED A GRANDMOTHER AND HER GRANDCHILD. I WOULD LIKE TO A FEW EXCERPT FROM THE LETTER GREG WROTE ON HIS OWN.

“MY NAME IS GREG WEINER AND I AM 12 YEARS OLD. I WAS ONE OF THE KIDS INVOLVED IN THE ACT OF THROWING EGGS AT CARS. EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE OLDER KIDS THERE, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THINKING. NOW THAT I THINK BACK I KNOW WHAT I DID WAS HORRIBLE. I COULD OF CAUSED AN ACCIDENT OR EVEN THE LIVES OF YOU AND YOUR GRANDCHILD. I COULD OF NEVER LIVED WITH THAT ON MY MIND. IF I COULD GO BACK RIGHT NOW, I WOULD NEVER HAVE EVEN CONSIDERED GOING WITH THOSE BOYS AND COMMITTING THAT CRIME.”

HE GOES ON.

“I AM WILLING TO HELP PAY FOR DAMAGE TO YOUR CAR AND WILL EVEN HELP YOU DO CHORES AROUND THE HOUSE TO MAKE UP FOR MY MISTAKE. I HOPE YOU CAN FIND IT IN YOUR HEART TO ACCEPT THIS APOLOGY. AGAIN, I AM TRULY SORRY AND HOPE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WILL GET THROUGH THIS ALRIGHT. SINCERELY, GREG WEINER.”

GREG CELEBRATED HIS 18TH BIRTHDAY BY PURCHASING A LOTTERY TICKET, CIGAR AND ADULT MAGAZINE. WHEN I ASKED HIM WAS IT WORTH THE MONEY HE SAID, “NOT REALLY, MY TICKET DIDN’T WIN, THE CIGAR MADE ME CHOKE AND I COULDN’T BRING THE MAGAZINE HOME.” THIS WAS JUST ONE INDICATOR THAT GREG WAS NOT DESTINED TO BE A GIANT IN THE WORLD OF FINANCE. MONEY HAD A WAY OF BURNING A HOLE IN HIS HAND LIKE NO OTHER. NEVER ONE TO HAVE MORE THAN POCKET CHANGE ON HIS PERSON, HE WAS ALWAYS ENGAGED IN SOME CREATIVE WAY TO MAKING FINANCIAL ENDS MEET. AT VIRGINIA TECH, WHEN HE EXHAUSTED THE FUNDS IN HIS DINING ACCOUNT BEFORE THE END OF THE SEMESTER, HE ENROLLED HIMSELF IN SEVERAL OTHER MEAL PLANS – EMILY’S MEAL PLAN, BRIAN’S MEAL PLAN, JOHN’S MEAL PLAN.

ABOVE ALL ELSE, GREG WAS GOOD AND DECENT PERSON. ANY SHORTCOMINGS HE HAD, INCLUDING THAT AWFUL BEARD HE GREW JUST TO AGITATE ME, WERE DWARFED BY HIS KINDNESS, LOYALTY AND LOVE FOR PEOPLE AND LIFE. TRY AS I WOULD, I COULD NEVER REMAIN ANGRY AT HIM FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT LENGTH OF TIME, AND I WAS ALWAYS ENVIOUS OF HIS ABILITIES AND POTENTIAL.

THERE IS A SAYING THAT “TIME AND TIDE WAIT FOR NO MAN,” AND THE BITTERSWEET REALITY IS THAT OUR LIVES WILL MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT GREG, AND OUR FOCUS WILL SHIFT TO FAMILY, FAITH, FRIENDS, JOBS, SCHOOL, COMMUNITY AND OTHER WORLDLY MATTERS. WHILE GREG’S SPIRIT WILL ALWAYS REMAIN PART OF MY HEART, THE QUESTION AT HAND IS HOW TO DRAW FROM THE MANY POSITIVES IN HIS LIFE, ESTABLISH AND PRESERVE HIS LEGACY, AND MAKE THE WORLD A LITTLE BETTER OFF.

I HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS.

1) IDENTIFY AND SUPPORT A CAUSE. RECOGNIZE AND THANK A “HERO.” THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE I HAVE GAINED A NEW APPRECIATION FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR MEDICAL RESPONSE AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. THEIRS IS NO EASY OR ENVIABLE TASK, AND I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE COMPETENCE, COMPASSION AND CARING THEY PROVIDED GREG AND MY FAMILY.

2) BE INCLUSIVE, KIND AND CARING. I HAVE COME TO REALIZE AFTER READING NOTES AND HEARING MANY STORIES FROM THOSE WHO KNEW AND SPENT TIME WITH GREG JUST HOW IMPORTANT AND EVEN LIFE CHANGING A SMALL ACT OF KINDNESS CAN BE. WE WOULD ALL BE BETTER SERVED TO BE LESS JUDGMENTAL AND MORE TOLERANT OF OTHERS.

3) CONSIDER ORGAN DONATION. AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, GREG WAS AN ORGAN DONOR BY CHOICE. AS HE LAY IN THE OPERATING ROOM ON THE DAY FOLLOWING HIS DEATH, FOUR INDIVIDUALS WERE SIMULTANEOUSLY BEING PREPPED TO RECEIVE HIS HEART, LUNGS, LIVER AND KIDNEYS. TODAY THOSE FOUR PEOPLE – SOMEONE’S FAMILY MEMBER OR FRIEND - AND POTENTIALLY HUNDREDS MORE IN THE FUTURE, WILL LIVE BECAUSE OF GREG’S SELFLESS GIFT. AS MUCH AS THE PHONE CALL FROM THE VIRGINIA TECH POLICE TELLING ME GREG WAS INVOLVED IN A BAD ACCIDENT WILL HAUNT ME FOR A LONG TIME, I TAKE GREAT SOLACE IN KNOWING THERE WERE FOUR PHONE CALLS WHICH BUOYED THE HOPE AND SPIRIT OF OTHERS.

4) BE A BLOOD DONOR. WE ALL EXPECT BLOOD TO BE THERE FOR US, BUT BARELY A FRACTION OF THOSE WHO CAN GIVE DO. YET SOONER OR LATER, VIRTUALLY ALL OF US WILL FACE A TIME OF GREAT VULNERABILITY IN WHICH WE WILL NEED BLOOD. AND THAT TIME IS ALL TOO OFTEN UNEXPECTED. GREG WAS A BLOOD DONOR AND RECIPIENT.

5) FOR EVERYONE, BUT ESPECIALLY THE YOUNGER MEMBERS HERE TODAY, UNDERSTAND THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES FOR EVERY DECISION MADE IN LIFE, AND THAT THESE CONSEQUENCES CAN TOUCH THE LIVES OF OTHERS. BY CHOICE, ALENA AND I ALLOWED OF GREG’S FRIENDS TO VISIT HIM IN THE HOSPITAL. WHILE IT WAS CERTAINLY NOT THE LAST VISUAL IMAGE WE WISHED PEOPLE TO HAVE OF GREG, IT WAS OUR HOPE THAT THIS IMAGE MIGHT VALIDATE JUST HOW FRAGILE THE HUMAN BODY IS WHEN SUBJECTED TO TRAUMATIC INJURIES, ESPECIALLY PREVENTABLE ONES.

6) WEAR A HELMET AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO SO - WHETHER SKATEBOARDING, RIDING A BIKE, SKIING OR SNOWBOARDING. PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS CAN DO THEIR PART BY LAYING DOWN THE LAW FOR YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, AND SHOULD ALSO LEAD BY EXAMPLE. AS MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE, WE ARE ESTABLISHING THE GREGORY WEINER FOUNDATION WHOSE PRIMARY GOAL WILL BE TO INCREASE HELMET SAFETY AWARENESS. IF THIS EFFORT CAN PREVENT EVEN ONE FAMILY FROM GOING THROUGH THIS AWFUL EXPERIENCE, I THINK ALL WOULD AGREE IT IS A WORTHY CAUSE.

7) NEVER TAKE RELATIONSHIPS FOR GRANTED. STAY CONNECTED WITH PEOPLE. IF APPLICABLE, BURY THE HATCHET AND MAKE PEACE WITH LOVED ONES AND FRIENDS. IT MAY TAKE A LITTLE EFFORT, BUT I PROMISE IT IS WORTH IT. WE WERE BLESSED THAT OUR FAMILY WAS CLOSE AND I CANNOT BEGIN TO IMAGINE THE THOUGHTS THAT WOULD BE SWIRLING AROUND MY HEAD WERE THIS NOT THE CASE.

AGAIN MY FAMILY WISHES TO THANK EVERYONE PRESENT IN PERSON AND IN SPIRIT FOR YOUR GENEROSITY, SUPPORT AND WELL-WISHES. WE ARE SO LUCKY TO BE PART OF SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER THAN OURSELVES. GREG’S LIFE WAS TOO SHORT, BUT IT WAS A LIFE I AM PROUD TO HAVE BEEN PART OF. I LOVE YOU SON.

Meredith:

The Weiner children have always been somewhat of a packaged deal. If you want one of us, you’d better be prepared to have us all. Cassandra, Meredith, Erin, and Gregory. Our closeness as siblings really formed due to the fact that we grew up as military brats, moving across the country every two years or so and spending absurd amounts of time in each other’s presence. We experienced a constant flow of change as kids, another new house, another new school, more new friends. The one constant we had to cling to was the fact that we always had each other, no matter what was going on around us. Over the years we spent so much time together, we went through so much together, that an extremely unique bond formed. The four of us were best friends, though none of us would probably ever admit it. I don’t think we ever truly appreciated how special and rare that is. As our friends may be able to attest to, the four of us have so many inside jokes and experiences that we sort of speak in our own language that no one else can understand. We can tell a joke by saying one word, share a story with a quick glance, or provide sympathy with only a fleeting smile. In a sense we are four variations of the same person. Our brother Gregory, the youngest, the lone boy, was an integral part of our sibling package. He was our constant source of entertainment. When he was a baby we loved him because he was so cute. When he was an adolescent we loved him because he got in trouble the most. And when he was a teenager we loved him because he could always make us laugh. He never sat still. Not for a moment. Always had to be doing something. Having fun was his number one priority. And even though pestering his big sisters seemed to be his greatest source of fun, we for some reason never minded it. That was Greg’s greatest gift: you couldn’t really get mad at him. He tricked me into electrocuting myself once, and even thought it hurt, we both just laughed. Another time he ran me over on his bicycle. And even though that REALLY hurt, we still both just laughed. I can’t tell you the number of hot dogs and slurpees I somehow willingly bought him from 7-11. He would treat me to the movies, but I always paid. Some people would say he was a Ratsicle, but really he was just a charmer.

Erin:

That statement could not be anymore true. When Cassandra and Meredith had left for college, it was just me and the boy. On our drives to high school, despite the driver chooses the music rule, Greg and I would routinely argue about what music to listen to. IN the end, like Meredith said, Greg would charm me into listening to his screamo metal music. By the end of my senior year , I made Greg proud, and was able to decipher most of the words.

Like our music battles, Greg and I had countless bickering arguments. When we were little, everything was my fault. Greg’s reason: I was the only kid with blonde hair. Then, as we were mature adults, we would physically fight over who would get the front seat. However, as we grew older, these meaningless fights over shotgun and music slowly disappeared, and a strong admitted friendship blossomed. I cannot begin to say how great this past semester was, having my little brother at Virginia Tech with me. We hung out so much; I saw Gregory at least six days out of the week. We both played water polo, and I even convinced Greg to take a class with me, although it didn’t take much convincing though, I told him the prof. gave us RC Colas and moonpies on our first day, and he was sold.). Much like in high school, Greg and I had a routine. I would call him every morning to wake him up. Then, five minutes later, I would call him again knowing he had gone back to bed. We would meet up for food, and he would comment EVERY DAY, about “It is a good thing we don’t have matching backpacks, or that would be embarrassing” we did. It was.

Greg would stay over at my apartment all the time with the goal of finishing all of our school work but it always ended up with us going of, watching youtube videos for hours, laughing until we were in tears. I even stayed over on his dorm room floor some nights, staying up till who knows when playing super smash brothers with his amazing hall mates. Come to think of it, we never did get much done. Ever.

. Sitting around, not making sense and just goofing off with Greg, were some of the best times I have had at college. Greg was truly one of a kind. A single semester at Tech and I could see how many people he had met and charmed into loving him, they way we have all along.

Cassandra:

When I first found out about Gregory, I wanted him to be my baby…literally, I wanted him to grow up calling me Mom, and while this was absolutely rational for my five year old self, my mom said no. I was mad for a while but then I was content to have this cute little Buddha bellied brother to dress up in tutus, steal ice cream from after convincing him the sprinkles were really ants, and laugh at when he chased our babysitter around, professing his love her, naked. It was good times. But then, one day, I realized that he wasn’t so much a brother as a friend. I think it may have been the countless hours we spent together as “moving buddies” sitting in the back of the little car while my dad would quiz us about sports trivia that made us so like minded. Whether we were driving around in the creaky old van blasting rap, screamo, or techno music, sneaking into Yu-gi-oh and Pokemon movies, or wearing the exact same pair of pants (although his were 2 sizes smaller than mine) I always knew I had someone who would be there with me regardless. When I moved away to Florida, Gregory was there to help me move into my apartment and eat my entire supply of toaster strudels. When I then moved even farther away to Mongolia, he was there to message with me and admit that he too would have tried the sheep brain. Gregory just accepted you as you were, and worked with it. He had “IT,” knew that he had “IT,” and didn’t care. That’s what made him awesome. He had a five minuet online conversation with my Mongolian friend once…5 minuets…and that was it. She absolutely loved him. She was even going to fly him out to visit this summer, that’s how much he impressed her. Gregory and I would talk a lot about the awesome things he was going to do when he grew up, and while much of it was just nonsense and much of it involved Jackie Chan, we both knew that he was gonna do something special. And he did. He lived his life, his way, to the fullest. How many of us wish that we could do just that? And then, even in death, he made an amazing impact on peoples live. I just get so proud of him when I think how happy he made some family this holiday season by giving their kid that big, loving heart of his. Forget Jackie Chan. Gregory, its you who are most epic…our brother, our friend, our hero.

It is a dark and misty night, as a van silently pulls into the darkened culd-a-sac of a peaceful beach side neighborhood. They pull into the driveway of a house set slightly back into the trees. A light is on in the workshop above the garage and through the expansive windows you can see a man at work. The lights of the incoming car distract him momentarily and he disappears out of the room. A young woman, clad in black, exits the back of the van and walks towards the house, one that is not her own, and proceeds to enter. The man by this time has reappeared in his workshop and appears to be on the phone. Does he know this woman has entered his home? In the idling car two more women sit in wait, watching as the scene unfolds. Their accomplice paces back and forth between the kitchen and what appears to be a living room. Just what is she doing? Why doesn't she make the drop, or at least contact the man? Is she snacking on something in the kitchen? What is taking her so long? The two women in the car are incredulous and starting to get frightened. The one in the passengers seat locks the doors, and the driver laughs nervously at her. There is no need to be afraid...is there? Sure this looks like a scene straight out of Halloween or Friday the 13th, but those are just movies....right? A phone goes off in the back seat, its the missing woman's but the other two need something to distract them, so they read the message. Its from the owner of the home. She's messaging to say she is not at home, and will be in touch later. Just then the woman in the house turns and makes to leave. The two in the car quickly return the phone, and greet their returning accomplice. All three of them then drive off into the night.

And you want to know what...this is a true story. Erin was the lady who walked into the house. My mom (the driver) and I (the passenger) were dying laughing, because my sister just walks into this house and just hangs around for more than 20 minuets, far longer than is necessary to drop off pictures and write a note. It was also really creepy and I really did lock to doors to protect me and my mom from and psychos who may have been lurking around hoping to steal my Mom's awesome reading glasses she bought at PetSmart (I kid you not, they are red and say "woof, bark, ruff" on them over and over, its so lame its cool. I must admit I'm a bit jealous about them).

Anyway, its past midnight and I need to sleep. America is pampering me something fierce. I'm a bit afraid to go back to Mongolia, I'll be like a newb all over again.

Dear Family and Friends,

It is with heavy hearts that we open this year’s update. Our son/brother Gregory passed away on December 20th from injuries sustained in a skateboarding accident earlier that week. The accident occurred on the campus of Virginia Tech where Greg was finishing his first semester in the Engineering School. He was transported to a local hospital in Blacksburg and then flown to the Neuro Trauma ICU at Roanoke Memorial Hospital. From the beginning, he received the finest medical care. The outpouring of support, encouragement and prayer from family, friends and strangers was overwhelming, and a source of strength for us all. Greg fought the good fight, but in the end the damage to his brain was just too severe and he never regained consciousness. His family (less Cassandra) was at his side at the end. We plan to hold a modest memorial/remembrance ceremony in Virginia Beach sometime after the New Year. By choice Greg was an organ donor and on Sunday doctors prepared his organs for transplant. We were informed four lives have already been saved after receiving his heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. Medical research and potentially hundreds of lives will benefit from his tissue, nerve, bone and cell donations. We are so proud of his gift of life. Greg was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. Whether he considered it unnecessary, inconvenient or was just exhibiting the invincibility of an 18 year old will never be known. We have decided his legacy must include increasing helmet safety awareness, and are establishing a foundation to do just that. Should you care to donate to this cause, contributions may be sent to:

The Gregory Weiner Foundation

c/o Navy Federal Credit Union

1952 Laskin Road

Suite 513

Virginia Beach, VA 23454

Cassandra is well into her second year as a Peace Corps Volunteer, teaching English in Mongolia. She especially enjoys working with her younger students, as they show a greater willingness to learn and cooperate. Her tour of duty wraps up later next summer and she is undecided on what to do next…a benefit of youth! Meredith is entering her final semester at the University of Virginia (Economics/Math). She is President of the women’s water polo club, lifeguards at the aquatic center, interns in the Athletic Department and volunteers with the Boys/Girls Club. Graduating amidst a faltering economy will make pursuing a career very challenging, but we are confident she will do well. Erin is a sophomore at Virginia Tech (Interdisciplinary Studies). She also plays water polo and is team Treasurer. She has applied for Study Abroad next year, and should find out in January if she has been accepted. Bullet turned 8 last month and is a bundle of energy and affection. Alena works at JCPenney and Dana at COMNAVSURFLANT in Norfolk, VA. The big news is our move to Italy this coming summer where Dana will assume command of the Supply Center in Sigonella (Sicily).

We hope 2008 was a wonderful year for you and yours, and that 2009 will bring additional joy and happiness. Again, we want to thank everyone for your support during our time of grief. Take care and keep in touch.

The Weiner Family

Dana, Alena, Cassandra

Meredith & Erin

Gregory Raymond Weiner

4.16.90 - 12.20.08

Learn more about him here and here.

You will never be truly gone as you live on in all of us.

Hello to all who may read this.

If you don't know, I have an 18year old little brother, who is the absolute love of my life. His name is Gregory. I was 5 when I found out my Mom was going to have a boy. I was so excited and asked if he could be my baby, envisioning in my little 5 year old brain how cool it would be to have some cute little baby call me "Mama!" My mother agreed thinking it was just some childish fancy. But when he was born and I asked for "my baby" she of course set me straight. I was furious and didn't talk to my mom for a long time (in 5year old time...so who knows how long it actually was! LOL!). And for all who know me, and my infinate babbling prowesses, you will realize just how serious of an issue this was for my 5 year old self. I got over it, and became the best oldest sister I knew how to be. When travelling the 2 of us were always "moving buddies" and despite the 5 year age difference he became one of my best friends. We both love kung fu movies, acting like fools in public, techno music, screamo music, parfait (though I never met anybody that didn't like a parfait). Anyone who has been in my company for more than a few hours, will usually end up hearing about him. My Mongolians can never remember my sisters names (Meredith and Erin), but they some how always know Gregory. Like I said I love the kid something fierce.

Last Monday he was in a severe skateboarding accident, suffered major brain trauma, and is in the hospital. He has yet to regain consciousness. While he doesn't seem to be getting any worse, he also doesn't seem to be getting any better. Though I hear that his physical appearance has improved some. Doctors say there is still hope, but to prepare for the worst.

Even if you have never met him, I beg of you to please pray to whatever God, Goddess, animal, plant, mineral, or anything else you may worship, speak to, or believe in to help him get through this and wake up.

I will be leaving Mongolia on Monday, December 22 to fly to America and be with him. (I will be transfering flights in Beijing this time instead of Seoul. My first time in "China" if the airport counts. I have a 7 hour layover, it will be interesting I think.) My parents have let him know that I'm coming, and on Tuesday morning my sisters and I will drive to meet up with my parents so we can all be with him especially for Christmas.

I want to thank everyone who has been praying for him, and sending out good thoughts. I'm very hopeful. He is young and strong and I know he can make it if given the opportunity. I especially want to thank those people in Mongolia who have helped me keep my sanity, given me a shoulder to cry on, and supported me in the most trying days of my life. Julie, Sarah, Shuree, and Ganaa...you are all the loves of my life, I don't know what I would do without you. Not that I don't love the rest of you, you see I'm just bad with names.

Again, please please please send good thoughts twards Roanoke, Virgina for a one amazing Gregory Raymond Weiner. Thank you, and if I've free time I will update about all the goings on in Mongolia, and most importantly, about Gregory.

please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live please let him live

A number of the higher-up in command American Soldiers came back to my soum the other day, and man alive was it ever like Christmas (and not just because Lt. Simmons was decked out as Father Christmas!). They not only came to check on the work they did this summer, but they brought along a ton of books, art, and school supplies for the kids both from the Hawaii and Alaskan folks back home! They may not be contiguous but that doesn't make them any less excellent. Even more amazing was seeing the book Hopscotch, the Tiny Bunny, a book that my 1st grade teacher gave to me, and will always be one of my favorites. Now I get to give it to my students! The students are already getting excited about writing the thank you cards with their new supplies! Yey giving!

We are also preparing for the New Year's celebration (which is a combination of America's Christmas and New Years). Its cute to hear groups of children walking around our snow covered Christmas card town singing Jingle Bells. Not so cute is having to hear the worlds stupidest song ever (thanks Germany) played over and over and over for hours on end as I'm trying to type up lesson plans, and the kids still don't know the words. :::bangs head on table:::

That's about it for now. I don't have anything in my life worth talking about really at the moment. Except to apologize to Mother Nature for my love of coal and its glorious warming prowesses (is that a word?).

Oh yeah now I remember. Americans have a lot of stuff. I occupy the same amount of space that a family of 4 does in Mongolia. Albiet, my ger is much more sparsly filled than theirs is, but one must remember the boxes of stuff I have in storage in America. I find myself asking...why? What is all of it for? It obviously isn't necessary for survival. I don't miss it (well except for my bed, I miss that something fierce sometimes...my books too...and movies...okay so I do miss a lot of my stuff if I give myself the time to think about it being not here). But, its kinda nice knowing that I could fit all I needed in my firetruck red L.L.Bean backpack and mom-worthy purse. Knowing that I don't have to worry about my ger burning down because there is nothing in it that I would lement over (considering I had my packed bag...if it happened now...:::gasp::: GURGI! I would cry).

Also if one were to look at my journal they would think I have some sort of disorder. And I quote..."I absolutly love my 4th grade babies! they are the joys of my life and a pleasure to teach. As for my older kids and the postmaster, I just what to [sic] deck them. I hate that [sic] piece of [sic] song baby!!! What would I do if my family died? Could I go back? How would I survive? If only one person died, I could get over that...but to lose everyone at once o_O that would indeed break me. I LOVE CRAYONS!"

The family's Thanksgiving card is right. I am special.

My dear devoted readers, I'm sure you are feeling most neglected as it has been over a month since my last update, but I have to admit that I'm lazy and a bit boring of late so besides the fact that I'm perpetually on the verge of freezing to death in my sleep and have yet another respiratory infection, nothing much is new.

However, as its snowing right now and I'm inside my friends nice warm apartment, having just showered and eaten a delicious dinner I shall provide an interesting tale from the past month.

~~~~~~~~~~^_^~~~~~~~~~~

Having awoken one particularly chilly morning with a painfully full bladder, I ignored the cold and dashed to the outhouse to relieve myself. I made note of the density of the steam from my pee and the fact that the combined poo of the various inhabitants and visitors to our compound was starting to form a poolagmite (or would it be a poolagtite, I always for get which is which O_o). Winter was finally upon us. One my way back to my windowless ger, thus meaning that the inside temp is only slightly warmer than the outside temp, I noticed that there was a new addition to our compound...a beautiful brick red horse tethered to the fence. He must have arrived some time in the night. How lovely. Then I dressed in record time and was quickly on my way to my heated school. I taught an uneventful day of classes and then when home...

Now because the horse was such a new addition and because I was still half asleep/cold as all get up, its no surprise that I didn't realize it was missing. That was until I walked into my "family's" ger. Come here Cassandra. Come help me clean the horse intestines so we can finish cooking them. It's only logical that the innards of a horse will be much larger than those of a sheep. However, the actualization of this is a bit disturbing. Yet I didn't hesitate to squat down beside my "mom" and hold open one end of the former horse's large intestine so it could be cleaned, filled with blood, tied, and cooked. I don't know what this says about me.

That night around 7pm when I wandered out in the near pitch dark to get more wood to make a fire in a futile attempt to warm my ger, not only was I attacked by Puppy, but I found that when reaching blindly for chopped wood chunks, I actually encountered chopped horse leg chunks. Not to mention jaw chunks. This only freaked me out for a nano second. Again, not quite sure what this says about me.

~~~~~~~~~~^_^~~~~~~~~~~

That is all for now. I will try to be better in updating this month. Maybe make it my New Year's Resolution. Now for sleep!

p.s. horse meat is sooooo delish you should really try

...but only half thawed out.

We have now entered the point in Mongolia where it will continue to get colder and colder and colder. I'm a little nervous about how I will survive the winter in my ger, in the central region (which gets colder than my old place out East). I know I will be fine but still, when I wake up at night because I just had to have those last 4 cups of tea before I went to bed...and I take less then a minuet to pop outside to pee (no need for the outhouse in the dark of night!)...and return shivering and slightly miserable as I try to warm up enough to fall back into raptor haunted sleep...I get nervous. This is nothing. What is -11 when you know -40 is still ahead. My "dad" and "uncle" when out to the...well actually I dont know where they went, but the came back with my winter's supply of wood, and next week "dad" and I are gonna go buy me some coal. I won't freeze to death, but still I was pampered my first winter.

I wear make-up everyday I teach. It is interesting. In America, I rarely wore make-up, and when I did it was usually just mascara or eyeshadow. But here in Mongolia, ugly women just don't get jobs, or respect, regardless of their qualifications. Oh she is the prettiest, lets hire her. As it is I already feel like I giant beast in comparison to my co-wokers, the majority of whom have the figures of 15 year old girls, and my wardrobe, while nice, is hardly the height of fashion in Mongolia. So an extra 5 minuets in the morning to apply a full face of make-up is worth being able to feel at an even level with teachers, and its professional. I haven't quite gotten to the "I look kinda like a retired street walker" level of make-up application that is prefered by many Mongolian woman, but that is probably a good thing. LOL!

Now the big task for this trip to the city: can I find a pair of winter boots that a) I can afford, b) I can fit into, and c) dont have 3 inch heels?????

...and they're having a LOVELY time!

On the road today coming into UB (a sort of protest if you will, in the hopes that my school will finally winterize my ger after procrastinating for about 2 months), we hit a traffic jam. Do you know what it was? Goats. Yes, I had to wait an extra 10minuets in the Microbus with an unplesently full bladder, so that a bunch of goats could be herded across the little bridge into the city. Then in a little cafe where I stopped to pee and eat some breakfast I ran into one of the Mongolian soldiers who had helped repair our dorms! He bought my breakfast, that was nice. Then when I was next to Peace Corps I ran into one of the teachers from my college back in the Cho. We exchanged news, my hands went numb, she gave me a piece of gum (score!), and then we parted ways. I wonder if one day I will be able to reach my Grandfathers level of acquaintances (he runs into someone he knows EVERYWHERE! Its crazy! LOL!)

Next week starts my English Clubs. In Mongolia, English Clubs are actually just additional English lessons for the good kids who need to be challanged more. I will have a 4-5th grade club where the students will learn English songs and poems...I'm going to have fun with this one! Its cool to see how many kiddy songs and what not I still remember, though if you have a good poem shoot it my way I'm a bit low on those. Then next club is 7-9th grade club (remember we have no 6th grade O_o). This will be half songs half actual lessons. Finally is the 10-11th grade club, in which conversation and pronounciation will be our main goal (but I'll prolly end up teaching them songs too ^_^). In addition to the students I will be starting an Adult Class for the older memebers of the community who want to learn/refresh their English. I'm most excited about this one as I always have fun teaching adults, and I don't have to submit any of the evil lesson plans I sooooo hate. We also kinda maybe have internet at my site now, and I will be teaching internet/computer classes on the weekends...maybe. Its a little confusing now but we'll see!

We just had "Old People's Holiday" (don't be offended thats the litteral translation) on Wednesday. There was a concert, food, drink, more food, more drink, even more drink, and then parting gifts for the Elderly of the town. It was so cool to see people celebrating their elders, all of whom were dressed in there traditional Mongolian outfits and looking so cute and old and weatherd by their countryside lives. Then there was a dance for the younger people, that only lasted about 3 songs because the musician decided he didnt want to play anymore, but that made some people mad and because it was a holiday and most folks had been DRINKING a fight broke out, the broke a speaker, and I think the musician's nose, and it was cancelled.

Its been really cold and I keep dreaming about velicoraptors. Its most disturbing.

The following is a true story. Its not exaggerated as my siblings will be wont to claim. No exaggeration could "improve" on this story. But I warn you now if you've a sensitive mind, ext ream love of dogs, or are one of those individuals who like to ignore the fact the excrement (henceforth refers to as poop) is a natural part of life...PLEASE STOP NOW!!!

Okay, for the rest of you still reading...here goes...

I pooped on a dog.

If this is too much for you honestly stop! It only goes downhill from here...

Having spent the previous evening at a fellow teacher's wedding (and subsequently consuming copious amounts of ariag "fermented mare's milk") its not surprising to say that my insides were a little wonky at school the following day. So it came as no surprise to me that in the middle of teaching my 4th and 5th graders "If Your Happy and You Know It" that my bowels began a horrid attempt at contortion ism. Telling the other teacher, "I'll be right back." I started to make my way outside, only to realize I had no toilet paper. With a pee this would be no problem, I've gotten medals for my drip jiggle technique...but for #2, especially the poop attack I could feel coming...no way! I knock on my School Director's door (its in the same building). But no one was home. Blast. Then from across the hall the door to the bank opens and an old man walks out. I dash into the tiny two room bank and approach the manager at her desk. "Hi, I'm sorry but do you have any toilet paper?" She looks confused and I try again. "Toilet paper, outhouse paper?" "What kind of paper?" Curses! Both the word for toilet and outhouse have the Mongolian "L" a letter I can't pronounce for the life of me no matter how frequently I practice. So I'm standing there panicked, trying to breath deeply and make no sudden, potentially fatal move. Finally, I ask, "Poop paper, do you have any poop paper?" "Oh yes here you go." ......... O_o ..... Grabbing the tp I dask back out of the bank. Had this happened in America I'd have died of mortification and never been able to show my face in the Post Bank again. But in Mongolia...hey, everyone poops, its all good.

So I start to head to my Uncle's house on the other side of the school yard. He has the nicest outhouse in town, and I just have to hop his fence to use it instead of:

A) walking the 10 minuets home

B) using the schoolyard's outhouses...which are terrifyingly full of extra holes, with doors that never stay closed, and boards that seem unable to support my weight.

However, the whole accquisistion of "poop paper" used up my fence hopping time. So with no choice I enter the school's outhouse.

STOP NOW THIS IS WHEN THE WORST OF IT GOES DOWN!!!!

Nature takes is course when suddenly I hear a noise from the putrid pit below. I look down and there is a huge dog down there who walks over and begins to lap up my digested and expelled mare's milk and steamed stomach dumplings. Now what does one do in a situation like this I ask you? I couldn't shoo it away...I had nothing to throw at it...and bowels in motion stay in motion...so I pooped on the dog. And did it move??? NO?!?!?!?!?!?! WTF MATE?!?!?

Shocked, disturbed, yet at the same time finding the situation highly hilarious while trying not to laugh, lose my balance, and join Fido in his poopy lair; I made use of my "poop paper," got up and left.

As I was washing my hands with the help of a student (as there is no running water) I lost it. "That did not just happen," I mutter and laugh, utterly unable to even begin an attempt to explain my laughter to the girl.

But it did happen...I kid you not...kinda wish I was, but its all true.

And that's how I came to poop on a dog.

Gmail doesnt work right now....I don't know why, but I can't send emails...I can read them but I cant send them......poop

Life is going most swimmingly in the soum. Classes have been in session for 2 weeks now and after a few 10+ hour days, my schedule has become much more tolerable. I LOVE my little kiddies, they are soooo cute to the max! I have even tought all the 1st 2nd and 3rd graders how to say Hi and Bye-bye so thats how they greet me! It rocks!

At first I was only co-teaching, but then our training manager got sick so the oldest English teacher became training manager, and I took over his 7th and 8th grade classes, so I teach those by myself! YEY! Teaching is rather fun! I like it!

Also right now I have a wonderful part time job of serving as translator for the Hawaiian Army Unit that is currently living in my town and repairing our student dorms! They are a swell bunch of fellows and its nice to have people to speak English with. Also that means that should all building go according to plans we will have running water and SHOWERS!!!!!!!!! And the students will have a warm place to live which I suppose is a good thing too.

They also give me candy, and real coffee, and MRE Milkshakes! Its glorious!

I got really sick for a few days...I think I ate something bad...but I've developed a slight fear of the more "exotic" mongolian foods. And by slight I mean I break into a cold sweat and bolt in the opposite direction. Now I'm pretty much cured of this fear but as I walked in to my familys ger last night, sighted the goats feet waiting for me, I straight up turned around and left. Didn't even say a single word! Now in the city for a few days I will glory in "real" food and resupply on fruits and what not that will hopefully last longer than last time.

I randomly remembered the Goldfish jingle the other day during yet another long teachers meeting. Then I remembered the opposite version I used to sing with the siblings:

I hate the Squidies cuz their so disgusting, gonna go shoping...

I could eat them every night,

But my Dad says, "That's not right!"

I hate the Squidies cuz their so disgusting, gonna go shoping!

I then spent a long time wondering just how we figured that shopping would be roughly equivilant to the opposite of fishing. I don't think I arrived at an answer, but the meeting went very quickly.

It is consolodation day in Mongolia (meaning we all have to go to the nearest city center type place and check in...practice should say China ever invade and we have to evacuate or something), and I have gotten to meet many of the new volunteers. They seem like a rather cool lot, it will be fun meeting new faces.

I'm sure there is more, but I'm hungry and I'm meeting with Shuree later to translate things and celebrate her birthday! So that's all for now!

TUVSHINBAYAR GOE SHVV DEE!!!

"TUVSHINBAYAR IS THE MAN!!!"

The entire city and quite possibly even country broke out into a simultaneous party last night at 8:30pm. The reason: A man by the name of Tuvshinbayar ("Level-Holiday"). Not only did he utterly annihilate his opponent to win the Gold, but it is the first ever Mongolian Gold!!!

Watching him on the podium, gold medal hanging proudly from his neck, his masculinity not even touched by the bouquet of flowers in his arms, singing the Mongolian National Anthem as the Mongolian Flag was raised above all other for this moment of glory, I found myself overwhelmed with joy. I even shed a single tear. It was most excellently glorious!!!

In bed last night I could hear the multitude of voices rising above the sounds of the city joined together singing the Mongolian National Anthem. And while I am now currently feeling my lack of sleep, it was well worth it. I am American, but Mongolia has been a good home to me this past year, and I hope they do well in boxing tonight and get another!!!!

Meredith you lucked out! I had been planning to write about poop and how it has infiltrated all areas of my existence. It could have been more shocking that the sheep intestines. Guess I'll have to save that for another post.

I wish I lived in Ghana so I could name my son Prince Octopus too!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>-/o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyday as I walk from my "relatives" apartment, on my way to wherever I happen to be going on any given day, I pass by a little plot of sunflowers. They are very much like sunflowers in America. They stand at 5+ feet. They are yellow with the big black pistil (or is it stamen???). However, unlike our American sunflowers, Mongolian sunflowers do not adulate the heavenly body they are named for. Rather, they remain immobile only drooping slightly at the hottest times of day. At first this disturbed me, but then I realized that moving flowers are actually most freakadeaky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>-/o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I confuse UB Mongolians. I'm obviously NOT Mongolian. Even if I didn't have the extremely white (and now utterly freckled) skin, "yellow" hair, blue eyes, gex met...I still couldn't pass for Mongolian. My body shape is all wrong, which in turn makes my walk all wrong. Yes I can prepare blow torched sheep's head, but I am without a doubt a gadad khun ("outside person"=foreigner). However, I don't act like a gadad khun should. I ride the bus. I cram into microbus/van thingys. I text on my cell phone while crossing the street. I eat in hole in the wall, cheap, Mongolian restaurants. I wear heels and makeup. Who is this girl??? I can see the question in their eyes. She looks like one of them, but she almost acts like one of us. Maybe this is why I perpetually get confronted by Mongolian men, especially if they've heard me speaking Mongolian (which I am told has improved greatly since my move to the soum). No, I don't want to meet you. No, I can't teach you English. No, I don't need you to walk me home. Drinks? I don't think so! Why? Because I'm on my way to meet my boyfriend. He lives in the city. He's American. He is tall and strong and has a beard. He is very handsome and jealous. No, we are not breaking up. Usually my crisp responses and "boyfriend" do the trick. However, some manage to see through the lie, or insist that its okay. (And by some I mean 4 people) For them I pull out The Picture.

This past Xmas the Fam went up to Mass to vacation. (I know, I know, I should have wrote "vacay" to keep with the whole abbrev. thing I had going but I can't stand that word!!!) Anyway, there is a picture of the entire Nomadic Weiner Crew, myself excluded. Even Bullet is in the picture. Now, I can't see it, but when Mongolians see this picture they assume Meredith is me. Even upon being told its not me, they either think I'm lying or ask if she is my twin. Like I said I don't see it. Sisters yeah, but twins...naw. Next to her stands Gregory. They also assume that Ickle Baby Greggiekins is 27 not 17 (at the time of the picture). With the full beard this is not surprising. Unless told its a picture of my family, they also assume he is not related to us because he doesn't look like us. This is crazy Gregory could have aptly named Dana Jr. but I think they cant get past that beard of his. Anyway, I like the picture, so I carry it around with me. And waahlaa! You have a picture of "Me" with my family on Christmas standing next to my "Boyfriend."

The first time I did this I thought: 1) They are gonna realize its not really me. and 2) Its kinda creepy saying Gregory is my boyfriend. But it worked. Most hilair. Now I just find it funny. Though I'd rather they not talk to me in the first place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>-/o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My little brothers just called. "Azaa cut open his hand, I must come home quickly." The little liar. When will they realize I know all their tricks. I've pulled all their tricks and then some. Its cute. I only wish they would stop punching me in the arm, as hard as they can, when their little shenanigans don't work out as planned.

Did you see the eclipse?

It was a little over a week ago...August 1st, or maybe 2nd...the day was hot. The kind of hot where all other thought is erased except for the thought of it being hot. My ger had turned into an oven, well not really and oven, more like an Easy-Bake oven. Unable to endure the heat and the flies I sought refuge in my Mongolian Grandfathers house, a blissfully cool sanctuary only 20yards away. My sister, her husband, their baby, and my two little brothers (cousins?) were home at the time. Uyanga (sis) was making food so her husband was supposed to be watching little 5month old Ermuun, however he and the rest of my brother are utterly addicted to this Korean Soap Opera "Jumong." So being the only one not occupied I took Ermuun in the little back room and we had a long giggly talk in English. I always talk with him in English. It will be interesting to see if he uses any when he starts talking. Anyway I was in the middle of explaining why Slurpees are better than Slushies when something happened that has never happened before...Ermuun pooped on me O_o. Mongolian babies don't wear diapers as they are too expensive, I've been peed and barfed on many a time, but had avoided the poopage. I was thankfully wearing shorts (that I stole from Erin muahahahaha) so clean up was easy for me, and thankfully Uyanga had finished cooking so she took care of the baby mess. So I joined the Bros in watching "Jumong" when suddenly Tuvshin (yet another brother) walks in and asks if there are any sunglasses he wants to see the blublibiiblabu. I didn't know what he wanted to see but I handed over my shades and watch a bit confused as all my brothers stop watching "Jumong" and go outside. Turns out what ever Tuvshin had said meant eclipse. So it was that I got to see what little of the eclipse that was visible from my part of Mongolia (only about 1/8th of the sun was eclipsed, though out in the far West they had a total eclipse).

So Uncle Mark to answer your question: yes. However being pooped is what stands out most from that day!

Will you have a new list of any school supplies, etc. you might need come Sept???

White board accessories (pens, erasers, that magic erase spray, etc.)

Any old magazines or things with pictures that can be used for teaching props

Kiddy Books

STICKERS and BALLOONS(kids LOVE them and there is not a lot of them here)

America Map

American Flag (these last two I had but left in my old classroom so they would have them if not an American teacher)

I am ever so estatic to be teaching children! As of now I don't know what grades I will be teaching but I'm hoping for 9th grade as that is the grade my 2 favorite brothers will be entering. The one boy Monkhzaya ("Eternal-destiny") is a little poop head. But is so bright and has the cutest one dimpled smile that I can't get mad at him. Its always cute and nice to see him sitting there in the b-ball shorts and jersey he wears most everyday, listing to Mongolian Pop music, and studying English of his own accord. A good number of Altanbulag's children are like this. I think it is because we are soo close to UB that the kids can actually see how English can be useful for them and their future. It will be nice having students who want to learn for a change!

Hey all I am in UB for about 2 weeks...so I will be slowly updating the blog! Anything you want to know...ask and I can answer in full!

Also come September when school starts, I shall be most busy but have a post office at my site and love to write letters so please give me you addresses!!!!!

Also I got a new phone number that actually works in my soum!

9119-0789

Okay that is all for now...Im in great health, got a nice spread of freckles from my frequent trips to the river where I teach the brothers how to swim! I get to shower the musky smell off me (my new chore is to help Monkhoo collect the cow dung to put out to dry to burn come winter! good times)

Notes on a Meeting with my Bagshnar ("teachers")

The meeting was scheduled to start at 12. It is now 12:40 and we haven't started yet. We were reprimanded with ver fierce tones (at least what I could gather. The only words I could clearly make out were "bad teachers," "failed exams," "if the students are bad, we are bad.") However, this arrangement is quite nice as the body heat keeps me warm and the woman next to me smells better than the dung smoke that flooded my ger this morning. The director has finally arrived.

It is 12:50. Only they can't seem to get the powerpoint working (though this is understandable I suppose as 4 different people have been working on it for 20 minuets. I know what the problem is and how to fix it but I dont exactly know if its my place to interfere.)

ZA!!!! Success at 12:52. The bagshnar are note taking most furiously, copying the slides word for word, as a woman reads the slides aloud. I can't understand a thing other than stray words, so I let my mind wander where it will go. Today is plesently unwindy. Meaning I won't have have a dust coated body upon my return to my ger. Nor will I have to sweep agin when I get home. Its only been 2 times today, and one was because I had trouble with my ash box this morning as I made my dung fire. Dung smells ver nice, almost sweet when it burns. Though every now and then it smells like actual dung. Sweet I understand something!!! They are talking about student enrollment (age 2-6 59% attend kindergarden; age 7-15 76.1% attend school, etc.) Mongolian schools recently made a change and students go to the 11th grade (as of 2006 I believe, maybe). My schools 11th graders have just finished thier finals.. There are about 25 studends in the entire grade. they have gone to school together their whole lives. It is interesting to see what a tight knit group it has make them into. I can not relate to this in the slightest. The man next to me has VERY shiny shoes. They are G-Man brand shoes. I have never heard of this brand. I wonder how he manages to keep them so clean when we live in a literal dust bowl. Some students visited my ger and looked at my photo album. My siblings and I were "kuukultai" children. This means doll. I think its a Russian word. The presenters foundation is about 3 shades paler than her actual skin. She could be the mother of the Mongolian Addams Family.

It is 1:15.

It is 1:20 and I've lost feeling in my butt buy have become painfully aware that all I've had to eat today was a small muffin at 8 o'clock this morning.

1:25 - a teacher enters. For a moment I hope she is here to anounce a break out of plague (I suppose something less severe would work as well) and that we must leave in a calm and orderly fashion. Alas, she is merely late for this mindnumbing meeting/presentation thing.

1:27 - the woman on the bench next to me just farted. I felt a little vibration but thankfully it doesnt smell. No one is disturbed by this gastral explulsion. She doesnt say "excuse me." Flatulance is a natural part of life here and there are no norms that make it in anyway taboo. Oh wait I was wrong, the smell was only delayed. I hade a laugh in an awkward cough. The accountant gives me a strange look and smiles his jack-o-lantern smile back at me when I flash him a toothy grin.

1:38. Powerpoint problems once again. The presenter doesn't stop her speech as 2 teachers fiddle with it and argue in barely hushed tones. I suddenly regret the cup of milk tea I drank right before the meeting as I now need to pee something fierce.

1:42-need to pee has passes. Am wondering exactly what shade of blue the desks are and shat they taste like. I think my brain is being invaded by something...my stomach...yeah thats probably it.

1:45 - computer has gone crazier than me and I think tha... OH SWEET POTATOE PIE SHE HAS FINISHED!!! IM FREE!!!

1:46 - my rejoicing came too soon...there is a second presenter. i think my inner child is being smothered to death with a dusty rag that smells of sheep stomach stew.

1:53 - I notice a sign on the wall. More of a poster really. About conversions. 10mm=1cm, 1kg=1000g, 1 year=360 days, 1cubicmeter= WAIT!?!?!?!? 360 DAYs???!?!?! What happened to the other 5 days? What about leap year? Giddy Gods trousers, I've entered into an alternate plane of existance. Maybe these missing 5 days are spent in meetings like this one... I feel the start of a panic attack coming on.

2:10 - A man comes in and takes pictures. The flash draws me in from my daydreaming. I was on a train with Bob Dylan singing the Quarter Rap. I could go for Polly and Pete's Pizza Delight.

2:13 - Another teacher arrives late. How I envy this brown wrinkled little old mongolian man, not only because he hasn't been sitting here for 2+ hours but he has a really cool hat too.

2:21 - they showed pictures of an "American" Elementary classroom, at which point everyone looked at me. I smiled as if to say, "yes, this is what I grew up with!" However, it didnt really resemble any elementary class I've ever learned in. If I had any will left I might feel a bit of shame at this white lie...as it is I just want to go to an outhouse ASAP.

2:30 - we are finally done. I'm so happy. Now to pee!

2:45 - just kidding we are still here...never want to sit again

2:53 I'm standing. It's over. Man alive does it feel good!

I now know how to disect a sheep/goat, clean its stomach/intestines, and then cook said innards. This is not only from observing it multiple times the past month, but also because I have personally done it as I was the only woman around when my brothers were preparing the sheep and the cleaning is a womans job.

It was hilarious as the 3 of us had no real clue what we were doing, but it was a lot of fun (even if my hands are still a bit green from emptying the grassy filling of the sheep's still warm stomach)!

It frightens me that I find stomach rather delicious now. My favorite has got to be bits of liver chopped up with onions and stuffed into the intestine with some blood, tied up and boiled. It tastes really good. Also sheep brains taste like Stoffers Oven Macaroni and Cheese minus the cheese. Wierd but good.

I've become addicted to the Mongolian Soap Opera "Cariin Nulmus" (Moon Tears). Its soooooo good.

I miss English and showers, but living in a ger is sooo fun and my new "family" is full of brothers to play B-ball and cards with so I'm happy.

As it is summer, and as there were many gracious contributions last year, my school supplies are most excellent. (Especially the kids books, Thanks again G&G they are a great teaching aide!) So my list of what I should need/want has once again changed.

Before I get to the new list, I must explain that I have been adopted by the family that shares the compound with me. They feed me, get my water, help me with my ger, and have completely accepted me as one of their own. As I am now "family" it would be a bit of an insult for me to pay them for the meals I eat and such, so I would like to share my care package goods with them in thanks for all they do.

So here is the new list:

"American" food I can prepare for them

Powdered drink mixes!!!!!!!

Candy (hersey kisses, tootsie rolls, etc.)

Balloons (per request from my 2 little sisters)

A basketball (per request my brothers...dont know how this would work but we have an airpump so maybe a deflated one???)

"Real Fat" Cigars (per request my older bro and grandpa, they dont have cigars in mongolia)

A Nerf Vortex football (per request ME!)

Other than that...letters and pictures from home are the best! Random surprises are also great.

I live on the other side of the world, in a rural community, no internet, horrible cell phone service...

Once a month a get to come into the city to resupply and use the internet...

Please don't worry if you don't hear from me for an extended period of time...

I am safe and happy, just a bit cut off from the modern world.

This being said, I still love hearing from everyone via e-mail or snail mail, especially as I am now the only forigen person in my town of less than 2000.

Please continue to write. I will blog when I'm in the city as a general response to everyone, and e-mail to answer specific questions.

Be patient. You are all in my thoughts.

P.S. Micah I LOVE the cds!!!! I'm listening to them now!!! Thx again!

Τoв аймгийн

Алтанбулаг сумын

Дунд сургуулийн

Aнгли хэлний багш

Касандра Вайнэр

ΜΟНГОЛ УЛС

Cassandra Weiner

English Teacher

Secondary School

Altanbulag Sum

Tow Aimag

MONGOLIA

mass hi to all

i only have 5 minuets before my ride leaves

no internet at my site...in for medical but on a tight schedule

i love it...i live in a felt tent...it is very dusty

hope gregory had a nice graduation

grandma and grandpa i got your packages thank you so much

mom and dad i finally got the thanksgiving and easter cards!!!

my new address is

Cassandra Weiner, PCV

Altanbulag Secondary School

Altanbulag Soum

Tow Aimag

Mongolia

will write the mongolian address when i have time next month

talk to you all then!!!!!!!!!!

my phone is still 95742380 but i dont really get service at my site

love you all...love my new site...everything is great!!!!!!! more next month i promise

Biding my time till Friday comes and I will move to my new site.

The town is apparently tiny. I will be living in a ger (Mongolian felt tent). There are also horses in my compound that I share with a fellow English teacher and her family.

My school is soooo excited to have me I can't wait to meet them.

They had a Peace Corps volunteer there about 6 or 7 years ago. Let's hope this person hasn't been glorified...but I think this will be really good.

Hey All!!!!

So I will be moving from the Cho. Don't worry everything is okay, and as much as I will miss my school and all the friends I have made, I am very excited to get to work with younger folks and meeting more new people. (Guess I'm still a nomadic Navy Brat at heart ^_~)

So please don't send anything to my old address as it won't get to me. I don't have my new address yet, but as I will most likely be at my new site this week I should have it soon.

I will be moving to a small town called Altanbulag ("Golden-Fountain") that is just about one hour SW from the capital city!

Okay!!! That is all for now and I will update my address as soon as I know it!

Munkhbat ft. Lhagvaa "Az Jargaltai Tugsgul"

Munkhbat = Eternal Strength

Lhagvaa = Wednesday

"Az Jargaltai Tugsgul" ~~ Luck-with Tugsgul???

(yeah couldn't find that word O_o)

The sun is up, the sky is blue, its beautiful, and so are you, Dear Choibi, I wanna go out and play!

Spring is here in the good ole Cho and I personally am loving it!!!!! Its wonderful outside, no more need for heavy coats or long johns (it still snows every week or so but other that that its great!)

Many claim that spring is the most difficult season in Mongolia due to the wind. Personally I love the wind. The fact that it blows up all the sand corroding away your flesh and making you dirty as one of the street children isn't all that enjoyable, but hey life's not perfect.

My job is going swimmingly! I am teaching a "Business English for Accountants" class at the moment and as the level of my students (the majority of whom are older than me by the way) is far from advanced, I'm not having any problems. Unless you consider the fact that they never do homework, or pay attention, or have sporadic attendance...but really other than that is heavenly. I also heard the most glorious words come from my teachers mouths during our last lesson!!!!!

"We don't want to learn grammar, just vocabulary and phrases."

I nearly up and died it was soooo glorious. Our normal 1 hour lesson turned into a 3 hour one as I taught time phrases ("back in the day" "two weeks from now" "in two shakes of a lamb's tail") ... this was also when it was brought to my attention that I say the word "just" almost constantly O_o. But I was somehow able to explain the various time and meanings of the word with ease!!!!

I've also made friends with the jijuur (sort of a jack of all trades stairwell cleaner) and her family that literally live under the stairwell in my apartment building. There is the mother, her three little boys, and sometimes the father....and they all share a space that would make Harry Potter's under the stairs room look like a swanky pad.

I tripped over a skull on my way to school the other day and it didn't disturb me in the slightest. The severed sheep legs with their fur still on them in the road the other day threw me off a bit.

Sunday was Easter but I forgot. Maybe I will by an egg and eat it later in memory of the holiday. Though I did get to eat many a glorious Cadbury Creme Egg (my all time fav candy, which is only seasonal or I would be insanely obese by now) thanks to my wicked awesome Grandparents...

Za...well that is it for now. I know I'm most lazy with posting these things but if there is any specific topic you would like to hear about let me know and I will totally post about it ^_^!

Later Days!

Yesterday I found myself in a real movie theator, eating real popcorn, drinking an orange soad, and watching a movie in English...........utterly surreal, UB is a whole different world!

The Movie was called Cloverfield and was actually quite enjoyable, you should check it out. It was totally worth the 2,000 tugrigs it cost to get in!!!

Cloverfield