tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72071858128201197382024-03-29T15:24:40.184+08:00An American Tomboy in MongoliaHeather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.comBlogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-50976810979445293322018-08-30T00:22:00.003+08:002022-02-24T15:00:15.397+08:00What you need to know about ASU<span id="docs-internal-guid-28ed5376-7fff-a7a4-c360-bc400c3d7720"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One former employee’s thoughts and observations</span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://anamericantomboyinmongolia.blogspot.com/p/mongolian-translation.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">To read in Mongolian, <br />Please Click Here. </span></b></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><i style="font-size: small;">**I have paid to have the first half of this post translated into Mongolian. Everything that follows the red <span style="color: red;">NOTE</span> (more than half way down) is in English only. Thank you. </i></span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-28ed5376-7fff-a7a4-c360-bc400c3d7720"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I recently finished out my contract with the American School of Ulaanbaatar (ASU). Before departing, I shared as much information as I could with my library assistant and Mr. Roger Dutcher (former Elementary principal, now the Secondary principal). I am doubtful that my position as Teacher Librarian will be filled. Now that I am free and clear of ASU, I want to clear the air with some unpleasant truths about the institution. These are my personal thoughts and reflections about ASU. </span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-28ed5376-7fff-a7a4-c360-bc400c3d7720"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My intention and hope is to (A) inform potential hires about the institution as an employer, and (B) inform parents--of current students as well as potential students--of all the reasons why they should look for a better place to educate their children. Your child/children will NOT be challenged at ASU. The standards are NOT high; the education is not rigorous. Your child will NOT be prepared for a university education abroad upon graduation from ASU. </span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-28ed5376-7fff-a7a4-c360-bc400c3d7720"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is my observation that the money parents pay for tuition doesn’t go where it should--into the education of their children. Rather it goes into the wallets and purses of the owning family. They are: Founder Zorigt Dashzeveg (whom I never met and rarely saw), his wife and the school’s Managing Director Oyunsuren Dugarjav (known as Ms. Oyunaa to employees and students alike), and two daughters that are actively involved--Gantbolor (Bolor), who is the current Board Chair, and Ariun (who was the guidance counselor the previous two years--not sure what her position will be this school year). I think it is important to note that NONE of these family members have any degree in the field of Education.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elementary School, Grades PreK-5</td></tr>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-28ed5376-7fff-a7a4-c360-bc400c3d7720"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While I know that private schools CAN be both effective and make money beyond their expenses, ASU is NOT an example of that. Below this initial listing of information you will find an accounting of my personal work experience at ASU. I recognize it may not be of interest to many. It should be noted that these are solely MY questions, concerns, observations, and reflections. I will discuss later on in the piece how things began to degrade in December of 2017 when it was made clear that Dr. Sutton Jones would be departing ASU at the close of the 2017-18 school year. She was my supervisor for two years and it is my opinion that in her three years at the school she worked hard to effect positive change--the very thing she was tasked to do (increase rigor in the classroom; provide professional development to all employees; hire CERTIFIED teachers and complete full reference checks; hold teachers accountable; etc). I believe she succeeded at these things and that teachers in the secondary building felt supported by their administration team (which was: Dr Sutton Jones and Ms Effa). However, the owning family made it clear this past winter that they wanted to be in greater control of ALL aspects of the school (not just the business side of things as had been done until the 2017-18 school year). </span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-28ed5376-7fff-a7a4-c360-bc400c3d7720"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The following is a listing of various concerns and observations I have in regards to ASU. Whenever I state “ASU” or “the School” I am referencing the owning and operating family--names noted previously. The foreign administration, principals and vice principals, are in a different grouping and addressed accordingly throughout.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The School does not maintain Social health notebooks for foreign teachers--or at least they were NOT maintained during my three years of employment. I’m told that Orchlon, ISU, and other international schools in the city DO maintain these for ALL their faculty (as that is the law to my understanding). Foreign administration at ASU is NOT knowledgeable about this requirement. I had friends married to Mongolian citizens which is why I was aware of it;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I am not confident that my Personal Income taxes were paid (10% deducted from each paycheck and withheld by the School’s Finance Office) to the Mongolian government. For that matter, I am not confident that income taxes are paid for ANY foreign employees. I suspect this because after meeting with legal counsel in the fall of 2016 (regarding the social health notebook situation previously noted) I learned that the Social Health and Personal Income Tax offices communicate on a periodic basis. If Social Health notebooks aren’t maintained for foreign employees, then I think a reconciliation between these two offices would show the absence of “notebooks” in both offices for all foreign employees. As the sole income for my family of three at the time (2016), I opted to not pursue inquiry at my local tax office;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Before leaving in June 2018 I was made aware of the fact that for the upcoming school year (2018-19) the School is purchasing ONE copy of a textbook and all other copies (from 15 to 60 for class/grade sets) will be manufactured/reproduced in Mongolia, thereby breaking copyright law. I know that former administration (Dr. Sutton Jones) fought against this decision, but lost. The owners want to cut money corners anywhere and everywhere they can;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">ASU makes students and faculty “fundraise” nonstop so that the very things that tuition should be covering (ACAMIS sports trips, musical and drama productions, cost of referees for sporting events, cost to rent soccer field, etc) can be paid for. It was common to see our administrators (Dr Sutton Jones and Ms Effa) in the lobby on most days selling baked goods in order to cover the costs associated with standard and expected programs. I will note that at the end of this past school year I heard that a small amount of money was earmarked for the next Musical (no mention of the fall Drama production though), and also a bit for referees for sporting events;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The School uses Illegal copies of software (ex. Microsoft Windows, etc);</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">ASU recently drafted and put into use what some can call a “racist pay scale structure” to save money and devalue professionals (those certified in North America, Australia, or the UK will make $5,000 more--annually--than those certified elsewhere). This decision was made solely by the owning family with no input or agreement from foreign administration;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There is NOT equality across the “local hires” (foreigners who are married to Mongolian citizens or foreigners who initially came to Mongolia with another organization, such as Peace Corps). Some “local hires” get housing, some get housing AND health insurance, others get none of these benefits. I was a fully certified foreign teacher with a Masters degree. I was placed appropriately on the pay scale (last I knew it spanned from $27,500 to $37,500 depending on years of experience) but received NO other benefits initially. International Health Insurance was added for my last year of employment but only because I asked about the social health notebook situation;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are a few employees at ASU that I believe are here for other reasons (specifically--doing “God’s work” as missionaries). Please know that I don’t have an issue with missions work in general; however, I don’t approve when it is shielded or cloaked by other work. It is my belief that Ms. Sharon Ellis (many years employed as a teacher at ASU, and will be the Middle School Coordinator this school year) maintains her employment at ASU so that she and her family (husband and son) can have Visas for Mongolia. Their real work is missionary related. They are listed on numerous church websites in the U.S. (Examples include: <a href="http://lighthouseagc.org/mission.html" target="_blank">Lighthouse Assembly of God</a> and the <a href="http://www.vcccolumbiana.com/compassion-ministries-1/" target="_blank">Victory Christian Center</a>.);</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is also my understanding that Mr. Roger Dutcher and his wife (employed as a teacher at the school) came to Mongolia for missions work of some sort, initially, and then transitioned into education. However, as far as I’m aware of their contracts reflect them as “foreign hires” and not “local hires” as all the rest of us are; </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It should be noted that the administration in the Secondary Building for this school year (2018-19) has ZERO years of experience in managing a Secondary building. Mr. Dutcher is not certified, to my knowledge, as a teacher (of any grade) and has never taught secondary students; he does have an administrative licence from some establishment in the U.S.; Ms. Ellis, to my knowledge, is certified as a Reading Specialist only for students through grade 8. She is not certified for any of the upper grades. Ms. Ariun has a degree in business and has no formal degree in Education. Ms. Effa--the ONE person on the administrative team that DOES have secondary experience--both as a teacher and as an administrator--has been moved to the Elementary building. These changes--announced by the Board Chair (Bolor) this past December--left most of the staff and faculty perplexed--and concerned--about the future of the school; </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There have been major changes made to the hours of PE and English for the Middle school students for this new year. Physical education classes/hours are being dramatically cut and instead the school administration and/or Board are adding around 10 hours of English classes. Secondary school students will have very little Physical Education activities, and lots more English classes creating an imbalance in educating a well-rounded student;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">ASU wants its high school teachers to teach Advanced Placement courses, but it will not invest much, if anything, towards that training. Offers made this past spring were for HALF of the cost of training ONLY. The School refused to pay anything towards lodging or airfare. Teachers are not paid enough to afford this kind of professional development in addition to looking after their family financial needs. I believe the school may have teachers teaching AP courses for which they have not received proper or any training;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Also, it is not uncommon for the School to require teachers to teach courses for which they have no training or experience. For example this past school year saw our Drama teacher being required to teach a Music class. He was slated to also teach “Beginning Mongolian” to foreign students but a last minute change saved him from that class which would have been outside of his expertise and training;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As is common at most places of employment where Mongolians are running the show--nepotism is ever present. Current employees can and will find jobs for their family members--it doesn’t seem to matter if there is a better or more qualified person out there;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">If the owning family members don’t like you, you are replaceable! We witnessed Mongolian hires, as well as foreign hires, being let go and replaced. Or in some cases, no real replacement was hired and current teachers added additional classes for which they were not especially qualified. This past year had a science teacher relieved and then when students graduated without prerequisite science courses for a University acceptance there was a bit of trouble as to how to handle the situation. Foreign administration was NOT on board with these changes; it was a decision made by the owning family with no real understanding of how it would impact the education being offered and how it would affect graduating seniors’ transcripts;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ms. Oyunaa is known to fire and hire on a whim--especially with her Mongolian staff members. If you stand up to her, you may be fired. She is a classic bully and runs the show with intimidation and threats;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The ESL position was filled this past year (2017-18) by a teacher that was neither ESL qualified, nor certified as an actual teacher. The school refuses to invest in a true ESL qualified teacher--something they need terribly!;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of which, I encourage parents to ask if the teachers teaching their child is (a) certified in the subject area they are teaching, or (b) if they are certified at all, for anything! A school that proclaims to offer an international education should have ONLY certified teachers employed; </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A number of the apartments in the Teacher Apartment Building (located behind the Secondary Building) have black mold growing in them. This was repeatedly reported to Ariun (who also functions as the building manager for the Apartment Building). I was told that maintenance would visit to scrape and repaint. As you probably know, this is NOT how you eliminate mold. Teachers and their children were repeatedly sick because of this ongoing issue;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The school indicated they would purchase air purifiers/filters (from SmartAir Mongolia) for teachers living in the Teacher Apartment Building to assist with battling the air pollution. The School has never delivered on this promise;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In June of 2018 at least one student walked across the graduation stage who had NOT completed his/her graduation requirements. This happened PRIOR to the arrival of Dr. Sutton Jones (before the 2015-16 school year), and has again come to pass once her departure was announced by the Board Chair in December. I believe this is a practice condoned by the owners, not at ALL by the foreign administration. The School is “graduating” students who haven’t yet met the graduation requirements;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I know of at least one teacher that had to fight (threatening legal intervention) to get his plane ticket home at the end of his contract. The Managing Director attempted to wiggle her way out of making good on his contract (again--just to save money for her and her family). Thankfully his doggedness and commitment to integrity paid off--he got his ticket;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">ASU “outsources” its cafeterias (one in each building) to other companies. I take no issue with this; however, it should be noted that these businesses operate on a “cash-only system” and it is my belief that no taxes are being paid for the business they do;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">At the end of the school year some students are “passed” for courses even though they did NOT earn a passing grade. This is NOT condoned or approved of by the foreign administration or the teachers. It is a decision made by the owning family. This is one reason why students graduating from ASU are not prepared for university abroad--they do not know the content and haven’t mastered the skills necessary;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Parents should be aware that they have a book deposit due to them at the time their student graduates or transfers out. Make sure you get your money back--if you don’t ask for it, the school may very well keep it; </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">ASU allows unprepared and ill-matched students to take Advanced Placement courses for which they score poorly;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Strangely, ASU can find the money to pay a stipend to visiting business people for their Career Day (a pet project of Ariun, guidance counselor), but can’t afford the sports equipment (ie soccer balls or volleyballs) necessary for student athletes to train and practice. Despite the school having a soccer field, students are banned from using it to prevent the grass from being ruined. Why have a soccer field in the first place?;</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The school employs a dance teacher--Mr. Khangai--who is rumored to have been trained in and to have performed as a ballet dancer in Russia. Strangely, in the concerts I observed, ASU students performed ballet “exercises” as a routine and performed dances that were copied from YouTube (ie Shadow Dance using music by Michael Jackson). We are yet waiting to see Mr Khangai choreograph and teach students anything with originality or complexity. We are yet waiting to see him dance! He often takes his students “out” for KFC or ice cream, instead of spending time teaching in the classroom. He has also been repeatedly warned against teaching in Mongolian as ASU is a school with all classes (except Mongolian language and other foreign languages) being taught in English. Mr Khangai continues to do so despite warnings from foreign administrators and complaints from foreign parents. His contract is renewed by the school year after year and we are not sure why.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Owning Family is constructing a LARGE building in Zaisan (along the road that leads to Bogd Khan Man)--question is-- what will be its purpose as is incredibly large for any family-focused need;</span></span></li>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-28ed5376-7fff-a7a4-c360-bc400c3d7720"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While I was proud to work at the school in my first two and a half years, the last few months (Dec 2017 to June 2018) saw things take an incredible downturn. Since our reaccreditation through WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges, announced in May of 2017) it became clear that the Owners did not value the hard work we--the teachers, staff, and foreign administration--had all done, and instead they began to focus on profits and “perceived” status. ASU may look bright and cheery inside--I do love the skylights and plants throughout both buildings--but I assure you it is a facade for a mediocre, at best, education. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Please think twice about working at ASU or about sending your children to the school. The owners are bullies and do not have the training and experience they SHOULD to run and operate a good educational institution. While the school was initially built with the engagement of a foreign board of educational experts, the owning family has since disbanded them and the Board is comprised of two family members (Oyunaa and Bolor) and two foreign administrators (Mr. Dutcher and Dr. Geshel for the upcoming school year). If you know anything about having a governing board--you need an odd number of people in order to have any results from a vote on policies or changes. It is my belief that the owners will do whatever they want with their school, and they choose or hope to employ foreign administrators that will simply be “yes” men or women--just going along with the family’s choices (as standing up to Oyunaa and her daughters is nearly impossible). You can imagine how this will affect the education being delivered. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You are welcome to stop reading at THIS POINT. What follows is a more detailed accounting of MY personal experience in being hired and employed at ASU, as well as how it came to pass that I left ASU and subsequently Mongolia as well. (I have chosen to not pay for that part to be translated into Mongolian.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Background</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="color: red;">***<b>NOTE</b>: The following is available in ENGLISH ONLY, I did not pay to have it translated.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was employed by the American School of Ulaanbaatar (ASU) for three school years, from the fall of 2015 through the spring of 2018. I worked one year in the Elementary School (grades PreK-5) and two years in the Secondary School (grades 6-12). I was hired in early spring of 2015 after being interviewed by an educational consultant, Mr. Gary Diamond, who was based in Canada. He had helped the owners (Founder, Zorigt Dashzeveg, and his wife and the current Managing Director, Oyunsuren Dugarjav) get the school set up and established in the early 2000s. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After passing that initial interview, I was interviewed by the Elementary Principal, Mr. Roger Dutcher, and was shortly thereafter offered a Teacher Librarian position which I accepted. I was hired as a “local hire” because I was moving to Mongolia for personal reasons (pursuing a personal relationship with a Mongolian citizen). It was my mistake to disclose as much as I did--but I had never worked in international education before AND I subscribed--and yet do--to the belief that honesty is the best policy. Unfortunately Mr. Diamond and more importantly--the school’s owners--saw me as a cost-saving hire. As a “local hire” I was not afforded the additional benefits that “foreign hires” receive (flights home, moving allowance, housing, health insurance, etc). However, I DID offer the school a certified teacher (State of Colorado) with a Master’s Degree (MLS). These qualifications matter when sharing statistics with potential parents and their students--both qualifications make the school better equipped to offer the education they </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">proclaim</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to deliver. So while the School wanted my qualifications AND experience, they (the owning family) did not want to value them by affording me appropriate and complete benefits. I was naive and didn’t know better. That happens sometimes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I worked in the elementary building for Mr. Dutcher my first year and then migrated to the secondary building where I worked for Dr. Sutton Jones (Principal) and Ms. Effa (Assistant Principal) for the next two years (2016-18). My passion is working with adolescents and teenagers, as well as the faculty that teach them. I was thrilled for the change! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In that first year at the secondary I brought subscription databases (EBSCOHost) to ASU. We were the second school in the city, after the International School of Ulaanbaatar, to offer this necessary research tool. I worked to create a Consortium through EBSCO to try and offer discounts to more schools in the city that wished to participate. It was my pleasure to teach students how to do academic research and to cite their sources properly. I worked with teachers in every department except math (they don’t do that much research!). I offered lessons around evaluating sources of information, how to make a bibliography, how to incorporate quotes into one’s own writing, how to write a strong thesis statement, how to create engaging presentations, and even how to organize and manage a Gmail account (ASU is a Google school and uses their suite of products--as do most, if not all, of the international schools in UB). I also helped organize and coordinate UBSLA--the UB School Librarian Association--a grassroots group that shares best practices and information around school libraries. It existed prior to my arrival, but myself, along with the librarian at ISU, kept it going and active. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4ndIZy-YcYBgPJmci5IlkMQCA4WkH6z4paeb470Sni0kEsTQq0mboci8Z6qkPTALNdMq5r99bL_X4RVMDgt97r1SbDFtW1WG6U8JIgNlWjvdRR4q-OJbYTcGUY2RHrUjtObOEqoO21c/s1600/ap+stu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4ndIZy-YcYBgPJmci5IlkMQCA4WkH6z4paeb470Sni0kEsTQq0mboci8Z6qkPTALNdMq5r99bL_X4RVMDgt97r1SbDFtW1WG6U8JIgNlWjvdRR4q-OJbYTcGUY2RHrUjtObOEqoO21c/s320/ap+stu.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with some of my AP students</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This last school year (2017-18) I added the teaching of Advanced Placement Literature & Composition to my resume and enjoyed teaching nine seniors. Additionally I helped a number of students with the editing and revision of their college/university essays. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why I Left ASU</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had planned to stay on at ASU for another school year in hopes of seeing my former husband’s son (from a previous marriage) graduate from ASU. However, I was greatly disappointed when it came time for contracts to be renewed this past winter. In early December 2017 we (employees of ASU) received an email from the Board Chair (Gantbolor Zorigt) which declared the Board’s intentions for whom would be serving in administrative positions for the coming year (2018-19). For those of us working in the secondary building, this was the beginning of the end! Everything that had been built over the previous two and a half years (under the strong leadership of Dr. Sutton Jones) began to unravel--almost immediately. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Under the leadership of Dr. Sutton Jones we had raised our rigor and done what was necessary to get reaccredited through WASC (</span><a href="https://www.acswasc.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Western Association of Schools and Colleges</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). We, in the secondary building, had a principal that supported us and lobbied for the things that mattered to us AND to what we knew was best for our students. Dr. Sutton Jones wasn’t afraid to stand up to Ms. Oyunaa (Managing Director)--a woman that bullies all those around her. The owners are business people. They do not know the field of education and have no formal training in the field--ie knowledge of best practices, new developments, pedagogy, etc. While the owning family’s intentions for ASU were perhaps good, it is, in the end, a Business Venture and they have it to make money--to keep themselves in expensive cars, fancy clothing and shoes, and to pay for their plastic surgeries and travel. The ASU school slogan is “Home of Future Leaders.” But I found this to be a farce! I believe they have been maintaining their “business” by engaging in any number of illegal or nefarious ways. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But first let me get back to my failure to renew a contract with the school. During the fall of 2016 I had met with Ms. Oyunaa to inquire about the existence/whereabouts of my “social health notebook”--something I was under the impression that ALL individuals working in Mongolia--no matter domestic or foreign born--were supposed to have, BY law. I was told that ASU did not have to provide that for me. However, if I wanted it then I was provided with a printed memo which showed what it would “cost me” from my pay to enroll in the program. Upon receiving that document I met with legal council at Anderson & Anderson in Grand Plaza and received initial legal advice. I was educated about the fact that “yes” I should have both a “social health notebook” and a “personal income tax booklet.” Ten percent of our pay (as foreign teachers) is withheld by the school to pay our Personal Income Tax for us. This is clearly stated in the contracts we sign. In the discussion with the lawyer it became clear that ASU was probably NOT paying for and maintaining the social health notebooks for its foreign staff. At this point I began to question if our personal income taxes were paid as the lawyer explained that these two offices (Social Health and Personal Income Tax) check in with one another monthly to make sure that everything is on the up-and-up, so to speak. The lawyer informed me that I could check on this by going to my local district tax office and could ask to see my Personal Income tax booklet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But here is where I found myself stuck. I was the sole income for my family of three at the time--myself, my Mongolian husband, and his teenage son. I couldn’t risk getting myself fired--even if it was the ethical and right thing to do. The Managing Director did offer to add me to the International Health Insurance for the next school year. She said she understood that us “women of-a-certain-age” need to have it. It was added to my contract for the 2017-18 school year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some of my colleagues at ASU were other “local hires.” Foreign trained and certified teachers who came to Mongolia for other reasons--some were Peace Corps, some worked previously for ELI, and yet others are married to Mongolian citizens (as I was). In recent contracts for local hires they were given the option of (a) housing allowance OR (b) health insurance. When I was offered my renewal contract on January 22 of this year I decided to request a change. I wanted to drop my health insurance (it only benefited me) and instead ask for the housing allowance (as it would benefit my family). I made the request through Mr. Dutcher as he had been appointed as secondary principal for the coming school year. My request was denied. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am going to pause here in my accounting of events and am inserting the email which I wrote and sent to this school year’s appointed administrators (Mr. Dutcher, Dr. Geshel, and Ms. Effa) and the Board Chair (Bolor Zorigt):</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The following is the email I sent on February 8, 2018. I attached to it a copy of my contract and the “written request” which I had submitted to the Managing Director and that had been denied:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Good Morning,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As you are the Board Chair and the Administrators for next school year I wish to share the facts of what has occurred over the past few weeks. I hope you might keep these in mind as you consider hiring other "locals" for ASU positions in the future. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After receiving my initial renewal contract I requested a change: to drop Health Insurance and elect Housing Allowance (HA) instead. Other locals have the HA (______, _________, and _____); _________ has the HA and when he asked about health insurance, our Managing Director told him he could have one or the other--he chose to keep the HA. My request to make the change was denied (though I was told I could take what WOULD be paid towards Insurance--which is in USD and less than half the value of HA--towards HA, BUT it would be converted to MNT first). I found this to be unfair and discriminatory. I elected to not renew employment as it goes against my integrity, values, and self-respect. I intended to find other "local" employment as I am a local hire, married to a Mongolian citizen, and we wished for our his son to graduate from ASU.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Towards that end I also followed Clause 5.8 of my contract (attached) and submitted a written request to our Managing Director to waive Clause 5.7 (non compete clause) so that I could find employment in order to pay said ASU tuition. My request for the waiver was denied. To my knowledge this clause (5.7) has never been invoked in the history of ASU. I know that _______ openly interviewed/spoke with ISU last year and this clause was not invoked. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am an excellent educator and have served ASU with commitment, integrity, and heart. After being here two short months, I rose up and took charge of a WASC Focus Group (as the other employee appointed was ineffective) which I know contributed to our successful accreditation. I served on the 10 Year Anniversary Committee. I brought research databases to ASU--something we need if we intend our graduates to be University-ready after graduation. Since taking over our ASU Facebook page I have grown our "follower-ship" from just over 2,500 followers to more than 5,700. I took on teaching AP Literature in addition to my full time Teacher Librarian duties. Tomorrow we will deliver over 450 NEW books to the Veloo Foundation Kindergarten as a result of our recent Book Drive. These are just a few examples of my hard work and dedication to ASU and its students.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I hope you might understand why I feel discriminated against and why I cannot stay. I did not ask for MORE than anyone else. I asked for what was fair and equitable. First to be taken advantage of as a "local hire" to save money, and then to be abused as a "foreign" hire by having clause 5.7 invoked and a waiver denied....I'm left not knowing what to make of these decisions. They are not rational, reasonable, or equitable. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Moving forward I hope that ASU will develop a fair and equitable Employment Scale for the future (perhaps something like ISU's which has varied options like: Foreign Hire, Local Foreign Hire, and Local Hire). As you know finding people willing to come to the cold and pollution of UB is getting more difficult. I believe hiring locals should be a benefit to both the school and the employee; however, I hope they (local hires) do not find themselves in the unfortunate situation such as mine. As a result of the decision to not grant me a waiver allowing me to find alternate local employment (despite being a "local hire"), I am forced to seek employment overseas. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Towards full transparency, I have attached here a copy of my current contract and the waiver request I submitted on Monday (which was denied).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Please know that I will serve out my remaining contract with the same hard work and enthusiasm as I have served to-date. I am fully committed, as always, to the success of our ASU students and it has been a pleasure teaching and learning with them for these three school years. I have already begun to pass off information and documents which I think Mr. Dutcher will find helpful/useful for whomever you find to replace me. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many thanks to each of you for your support of me and my endeavors at ASU across these three years. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sincerely,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Heather</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not one of the administrators replied to that email. Not even with a word of recognition towards my struggle. Bolor, the Board Chair, did reply and indicated she’d like to speak with me after the Tsagaan Sar holiday (Feb 16-20). She didn’t say what she wanted to talk about. To be honest a part of me was fearful of being fired before my contract was completed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the meantime I activated a profile on TIE Online and began to apply for jobs. I should note that my personal life had shifted. I’d left my husband, but yet hoped to maybe be able to afford his son’s tuition for the Grade 12 year at ASU. I applied for over 12 positions around the globe--in Asia and in Europe. I received an inquiry from a school in Turkey. I interviewed (Feb 20), was offered a contract (Feb 22), and accepted it (Feb 23). We were back in school Feb 21-23 but Bolor did not appear and I received no email requesting a meeting. I thought she had forgotten or simply changed her mind. I needed employment and the offer from Turkey was good, and included ALL the things that ASU didn’t want to afford me--housing, flights home, insurance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On Monday, March 5th, the Board Chair did come to see me and offered what I had originally requested (swapping Housing Allowance for Health Insurance). This was SIX weeks after my initial request. I declined her offer and then explained that I had accepted employment elsewhere. She was surprised and said something like, “Oh, I thought you knew we were going to meet.” To which I replied yes, but that she hadn’t indicated about what. How was I supposed to know they would “throw me a bone” and finally do the right thing? Another colleague, who originally came as a foreign hire, has been losing benefits every year since beginning a relationship (and subsequently marrying) a Mongolian citizen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So yes, ASU is always looking for ways to UP their profits, and to de-value their foreign employees. They need/want qualified teachers, but their pay scale is on the low end (as compared to other schools around the globe). It’s my understanding that the ASU teacher Pay Scale tops out where the ISU pay scale begins!! You can see why ASU wants that non-compete clause--they want foreign teachers TRAPPED at ASU, or to force them to leave Mongolia. They do not want them moving to work at ISU which offers better pay AND benefits, and certainly more respect and valuation. ASU wants to be considered in the same circle or at the same level as ISU--to be considered competition--but they aren’t even in the same realm (in my opinion). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My personal life unraveled and therefore in the end I’m glad to have left Mongolia. I’m in a warmer locale. I live in a place with good air. I’ll receive all the benefits a foreign teacher should be afforded--no matter their reason for living as an expat abroad. The Universe or God or Whatever-you-prefer-to-credit knew what was coming my way personally, and therefore protected me by NOT having me sign an employment contract for ASU (and Mongolia). I am thankful for my time in Mongolia and certainly for all the good friends I made; however, I’m relieved to no longer be working for an institution that I find to be morally and ethically bankrupt. I am sad for my colleagues that yet remain there for at least another year. My intention with this personal blog post is to educate potential hires and parents of ASU students (current or potential) of the reality of the education being delivered, and to make a better choice for their career or for their children. </span></div>
</span>Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com34Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia47.886398799999988 106.9057439000000647.716043299999988 106.58302040000007 48.056754299999987 107.22846740000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-44751852827928099062018-08-13T12:37:00.002+08:002018-08-13T12:42:34.197+08:00Some Parting Thoughts on Mongolia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I expect I will have a bit more to write about Mongolia....but this is the last post that I started from WITHIN Mongolia. I have since arrived to Turkey and am now busy with orientation for the new job. But first....some parting thoughts on Mongolia. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mongolia is a LARGE country and travel takes time. I didn't see as much of it as I had initially hoped, but then I also didn't know I'd be leaving after just three years. So it goes! That said, this map indicates the major points/places that I visited/traveled to. I never made it far east or far west (Altai mountains). But I did make it south to the Gobi Desert and north to Khuvsgul Lake and a good many places out and around. Note that Ulaanbaatar is the red point on the map. I recommend you click on the map to increase the size so that you can see it a bit better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In my final weeks of my living in Mongolia I was graced with my first paid writing gig. I've been writing some travel posts for <a href="https://www.selenatravel.com/">Selena Travel </a>Mongolia's <a href="https://www.selenatravel.com/mongolia-travel-blog">Travel Blog</a>. Thus far I've shared about <a href="https://www.selenatravel.com/mongolia-travel-blog/show/247/travel-blog-series-by-heather-caveney-khustai">Hustai National Park</a>, the <a href="https://www.selenatravel.com/mongolia-travel-blog/show/248/travel-blog-series-by-heather-caveney-khongor-sand-dunes">Gobi Desert</a>, the lovely <a href="https://www.selenatravel.com/mongolia-travel-blog/show/249/travel-blog-series-by-heather-caveney-terkhiin-tsagaan-nuur">Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.selenatravel.com/mongolia-travel-blog/show/250/travel-blog-series-by-heather-caveney-hardy-and-flexible-adventurers-for-mongolia">this post</a> about how to best be prepared for travel within the country (so many things I wish I had known before I arrived). There are more to come. It's been a great way to reflect on my time in this unique country, the places I've felt, the people I've met. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For many months now I've wanted to share about an aspect of Mongolia (UB) which I did strangely appreciate. Many employers still have their employees wearing uniforms. And I don't just mean khaki pants and a polo shirt. The women wear smart fitting dresses--they remind me of what stewardesses wore back in day. The men also wear uniforms but it's usually a shirt and tie, not as cute as these I've captured here for you. I felt a bit strange taking random pictures of workers but wanted to illustrated what I describe. Clockwise from the top left they are employed at: Shangri La movie theater ticket office, AirMarket (plane tickets) office, and then the bottom two are two different banks--TDB (my bank) and then the National bank (where I had to pay my utilities each month). </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My "legal team"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Post Script:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">July 31st marked my day in Mongolian divorce court (civil court) and I am relieved to report that after nearly three hours of testimony, counter-testimony, interviewing of witnesses, and so forth--the judge granted the divorce. I had a GREAT "legal team" there to support me--my lawyer, my translator, and two great friends. I am blessed to find/make a tribe wherever I go in this world. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'll be forever thankful for all the friends I made in Ulaanbaatar; now it's time to expand that network with new friends in Turkey!</span><br />
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Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-33645261822809211562018-07-16T22:38:00.002+08:002018-07-17T12:31:07.826+08:00Reflecting on City Life in UB<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I arrived to UB I was, for the first time, entering into what I considered "big city life." I no longer had a car for commuting or carting things around. I would be walking, taking public transport, or a taxi to do everything I needed to do. This took some adjustment at first. Example: I learned to NOT use a rolling cart at the grocery store. I could carry home only what filled the smaller hand-held basket. I have enjoyed living in a neighborhood, of sorts, within which I can walk to most anything and everything I need. The grocery store. A hair and nail salon. The post office. A coffee house. Waxing Boutique. The vet clinic. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My local mini market--Jurj (Orange) Market</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Nearly every city block offers up a restaurant, a grocery store or mini market (or multiples), a stationery store, a pharmacy, and an ATM. Not to mention bars, karaoke joints, banks, and bakeries. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I made a new friend last week--a volunteer from Australia who has been in UB for just three weeks. While she's had her organizational orientation, I'm enjoying showing her around and sharing information to help ease her assimilation into the city. Yesterday we made a a little walking tour of the downtown--near my old apartment. I showed her my salon, the local <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ACinUlaanbaatar/">American Corner</a> in Natsandorj Library (English books to borrow and hosts movie nights and special speaking events), my meat guy (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Aussie-Meat-Company-468100036598346/">Australian butcher</a> at the grocery store located in UB Department store), as well as TEDY (mobile phone needs), and the <a href="http://tengis.mn/">Tengis movie theater</a>. It took me months to find the places I preferred and needed. Expats are good at sharing and swapping information--but you have to have the time and opportunity to meet them and connect. When you're new in town it can be a bit overwhelming--especially if you are also learning the ropes of a new job or volunteer gig. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my local coffee shops</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I arrived to UB it was my first experience living as an expat abroad. Thankfully one of my soon-to-be fellow teachers had opted to spend the summer in UB. She reached out and showed me around. She told me where the various markets and stores were and where to locate certain harder-to-find items. (Thanks, Christy!) She shared with me the various ways she connected with other expats and got outside the school bubble. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While my new acquaintance is not new to living as an expat, she is new to UB and I have three years of accumulated knowledge to share and pass on. As I've brainstormed and made lists of the places to show and tell, it has confirmed how much UB did become my home. It was scary and strange when I arrived. I missed my Walmart and McDonalds and Barnes and Noble. I missed being able to buy exactly what I wanted at the place I knew would carry it. I was frustrated. BUT....time passed, I learned the ropes and routes of UB, and now I confess to feeling a bit nostalgic and sad about my upcoming departure. I KNOW I will learn my new city and neighborhood, just as I did UB. But to think of beginning again is.....well.....something. It's not frustrating. It includes excitement. But also I guess a tinge of anxiety. The good news is that I'm already in contact with teachers at my next school and they've been most helpful as I pack and plan for arrival. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of Performance theater</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I look around at UB--the Russian apartment blocks mixed with the flashy, slick skyscrapers. The brightly painted concrete and the cobblestoned, uneven sidewalks. The Cyrillic alphabet amongst the KFC and Burger King brands. It is not at all what I imagined, and yet it is familiar and comforting. I had never ridden a public bus before I arrived in UB. The health department of Colorado Springs gave me a travel packet about Mongolia in which it told me to NEVER ride public transportation because I might contract TB. Of course....if I were a tourist and only here a week or two--very little need to ride the bus. But I was an "alien" citizen of UB for three years and I loved riding the public bus. Affordable. Convenient. Entertaining at times!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New growth--trees in UB, me too!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To wrap things up I have to say that I enjoy big city life. Now I'm upgrading from 1.3M to 4.2M. Wow! That sounds scary. But the word on the street is that Izmir is a large city with a small town feel. And that green areas abound--my next school campus has both pine and pomegranate trees. I'll have to let you know. Just remember that you'll have to find me on my new blog (<a href="https://www.allforsomething.com/">https://www.allforsomething.com</a>) to read about life and adventures moving forward! </span>Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-64149542381830491052018-07-05T13:15:00.004+08:002018-07-05T13:15:55.543+08:00Beginning to Migrate<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hello Friends! I am excited to share with you the address for my NEXT (aka NEW) blog. While I will continue to post here about things, thoughts, observations as related to my life in Mongolia, it is time to transition into my next life phase. Please go to:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.allforsomething.com/">www.allforsomething.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and begin to follow me there to see what my new life, new position, and new place on the map are all about. Please note that I am learning how to blog via WordPress for the first time. While I have been a contributor on <a href="http://www.wwambam.com/">WWAM Bam</a> for the past one and a half years, and it IS a WordPress site, I've done nothing more than add posts. Now I'm learning about ALL the behind the scenes work required to make and keep a WordPress blog up and running, and looking good. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please note that the "home page" (where the above link takes you) will only offer abbreviated posts--you will need to click on "Continue Reading" to see pictures and the full post. At least for now. I may change the look and feel at a later time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks again for following and supporting me on my journey. I expect the next couple to few months to offer fodder for BOTH blogs. I'll let you know when the time has come for me to "retire" this blog. Until then I hope you'll follow both!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cheers!</span>Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-43578395895889566082018-06-29T21:48:00.001+08:002018-06-29T22:01:29.391+08:00How Music Can Speak To Us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For many years now I've loved Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of an essay into the spoken word song, "</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen</a>.<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">" The </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wear_Sunscreen" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">essay by Mary Schmich is a hypothetical commencement speech</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> and was written in 1997. Luhrmann's song came out in 1999. When I taught middle schoolers I used the song as part of a multi-day lesson in which they read the text (not knowing what it was) and highlighted, commented, and reacted to what they read. Then I played the song for them and they reacted again to how the audio interpretation impacted their understanding of and reaction to the piece. And finally I shared the video version to which they reacted a final time. The point of the lesson was how we react differently to text, sound, and visuals, and how we use audio and visual interpretations to manipulate or alter the meaning of text. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was a successful lesson and I enjoyed doing it every year. I've been listening to this song (filled with nuggets of advice) for nearly 20 years. When I first heard it I WAS the youth which it addresses at the start. Now I am the 40-something person that is still determining what she wants to do with her life. Oh--I have my profession and it's one that I love--but what to do with the years of hours outside my work is what is yet TBD. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My choice to move to Mongolia and live life in a big city (the biggest city to date for me--a city of 1.4M) has allowed me to do or practice a number of things referenced in the essay/song. Please indulge me while I annotate the lyrics below with some thoughts or reflections (Lyrics--in Courier Font and Left Justified--copied from <a href="https://genius.com/Baz-luhrmann-everybodys-free-to-wear-sunscreen-lyrics">this website</a>) My comments are in Verdana font and Right Justified. I confess this post is a bit more self indulgent than many. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’97:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> I will dispense this advice now</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My time in Mongolia HAS been a meandering experience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I came here thinking I'd stay forever, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">now I know differently. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As my mother once advised me--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>when considering a big life decision,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i> imagine what is the worst that could happen.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i> If you can live with the worst,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i> then you should go for it.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> And so that's what I did.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> I moved for Love, and I knew the Love could end</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> or fail or be not what I thought.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> And the worst that could happen....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Heartbreak, tears, anger and hurt came to pass.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">BUT, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> I'm picking myself up, dusting myself off, and moving on. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Because that's who I am and what I do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And so I will soon meander some more. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; or never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Wow, 20 years ago I was 24 years old and embarking on my first marriage. Now I'm wrapping up my third. Yep. Truth.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Youth is wasted on the young. But so it goes.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think I have a lot of possibility before me.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Bubblegum. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4 PM on some idle Tuesday </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Worry is attention on the future.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Regret is attention on the past.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let go of both and be in the Now.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is what I am working to embrace and be and do.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Do one thing every day that scares you</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Difficult to do daily.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But I do endeavor to push past my fears.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Sing</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts; don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is why I had to leave. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He was reckless with my heart.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Floss</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As my father and I learned in the summer of 2014,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">travel in Mongolia REQUIRES floss!!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I joined the Army in 1991 the motto was,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Be all you can be." </span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's the best motto the Army has ever had.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's what is being said here in the song.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's what I endeavor to be.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Remember the compliments you receive; forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Stretch</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are many ways to interpret this passage.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I know what I want to do with my professional life.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm doing it. I love it. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But all the rest of my life....is in the process of being created.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I tell my high school students that life is </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a constant work in progress </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and more than anything I want them to know</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> it's OKAY to change your mind. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In any situation, in any moment.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Get plenty of calcium</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Maybe you’ll divorce at 40</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance; so are everybody else’s</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I've married. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For a year. For 14 years. For 3 years (left after 2).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And divorced every time.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I never had a longing for children of my own.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it. It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I do all I can to keep it healthy and in good working condition.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWd9aMg2-V6-tN8V1Nkq2fE_NkSRVHg6WJNjrHvLRLah5ySm2soT9A25lN8QQUslctR93IHuOqEK_VMMYibsXg4unI8yk9TsOtbunH_hluhB19Nl-6PD1Clylbxk9MBSOnQtHsPerxe8c/s1600/IMG_1270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWd9aMg2-V6-tN8V1Nkq2fE_NkSRVHg6WJNjrHvLRLah5ySm2soT9A25lN8QQUslctR93IHuOqEK_VMMYibsXg4unI8yk9TsOtbunH_hluhB19Nl-6PD1Clylbxk9MBSOnQtHsPerxe8c/s400/IMG_1270.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Night Club</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I definitely want more dancing in my life.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While in Mongolia my favorite dancing has happened here,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Queen Night Club in Darkhan.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Strange that I had to head to a smaller town to have fun dancing.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Do not read beauty magazines; they will only make you feel ugly</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Get to know your parents; you never know when they’ll be gone for good</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ironically my move halfway around the world</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> brought me closer to both of my parents. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm thankful for that </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and for the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">technology that makes the connections possible. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Be nice to your siblings; </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">they are your best link to your past and the</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">People most likely to stick with you in the future</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My love affair with a Mongolian man opened up my heart</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> in new ways--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ways that made it possible for me to connect </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">with my older sister and </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">gave us a deeper friendship than we'd known before. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That is a gift!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Should hold on</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I feel fortunate to make good friends everywhere I go.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And we do hold on to one another.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9SEcVeifPF-GfywNRmg4eOnU0KUuqhyXjmWrDadpvUMtcllt8ESthdXFgBdwrmB6T_BDn3lhVlqCNrdJdoQXxDQrnAr4HNT22gVAsJqCY3rYQuJXFRi0Zv1S5ipRPRcZ4dvf_e9ZsKs/s1600/IMG_1445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="1544" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9SEcVeifPF-GfywNRmg4eOnU0KUuqhyXjmWrDadpvUMtcllt8ESthdXFgBdwrmB6T_BDn3lhVlqCNrdJdoQXxDQrnAr4HNT22gVAsJqCY3rYQuJXFRi0Zv1S5ipRPRcZ4dvf_e9ZsKs/s400/IMG_1445.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing beats patio drinks with good friends</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Living in Ulaanbaatar gave me the "city life" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">experience I've always wished for. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I get around by bus and taxi. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I can walk almost anywhere I want to go. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have LOVED not needing a car and all it requires.<br />My next city has a population of over 4M!!!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Travel</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Moving to Mongolia was one kind of relocation.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Because of that move the world of international education</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">was opened up to me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I suppose it always was, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I did not know about it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now I get to work abroad and travel. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Stay tuned to see where I'll be going in the next year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are a NUMBER of things in the works!! </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Accept certain inalienable truths: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">prices will rise, politicians will philander, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">you too will get old-- </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">and when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">politicians were noble </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">and children respected their elders</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Respect your elders</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Don’t expect anyone else to support you</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And don't allow others to assume</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> it is YOUR job to support them either!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I always remember this lyric when I think</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">about dying my hair. I have some grays coming in</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">but I haven't dyed my hair in years now. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Not sure what to do. Sometimes I want to change it,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">sometimes I'm really proud of being natural.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mind still changing on this topic!!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Be careful whose advice you buy, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">but be patient with those who supply it</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Advice is a form of nostalgia. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">But trust me on the sunscreen</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZfNbpBmBKO_ODkQbSIQp11Fc-e5Ru74VJ-EJP4VpammH43amZgPGPCuDoy8Q6q_1SOvsgT22CU611_wY50T2TvtZgc6OVjwlVQ-9x05NxeDvtlZdWgg4vjvGW6MQpv9UI5wtad32dC0/s1600/IMG_1458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZfNbpBmBKO_ODkQbSIQp11Fc-e5Ru74VJ-EJP4VpammH43amZgPGPCuDoy8Q6q_1SOvsgT22CU611_wY50T2TvtZgc6OVjwlVQ-9x05NxeDvtlZdWgg4vjvGW6MQpv9UI5wtad32dC0/s400/IMG_1458.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UB Sunset</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is just one song that speaks to me. Of course there are many more. Thanks for indulging me this post. It was fun to listen to the song on repeat and in a way to "talk back to it."</span>Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-54725698878706736732018-06-21T15:52:00.003+08:002018-06-21T20:07:29.565+08:00Goodbyes and Transitions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfNYZe_UnDmMrEkNo4VoPsZZbHrxVF11zyyLfOLXKrHQkYx9k4KJjrL1Gd_rDBAwvQGA3FjB3S_SM9svidEeWQ0gTCrvLp4tHdOKT_Xu24Pwv3x_DN3sLttL177pWl-jXMglMFhaoHsM/s1600/yalg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="567" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfNYZe_UnDmMrEkNo4VoPsZZbHrxVF11zyyLfOLXKrHQkYx9k4KJjrL1Gd_rDBAwvQGA3FjB3S_SM9svidEeWQ0gTCrvLp4tHdOKT_Xu24Pwv3x_DN3sLttL177pWl-jXMglMFhaoHsM/s400/yalg.jpg" width="370" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tomorrow will be my last day of work at my school here in Ulaanbaatar. Last Friday we graduated our seniors and yesterday was our last day with students. I've been both "Ms. Heather" and "Ms. Caveney" during my tenure. While the secondary students are aware of my departure I expect some of the incoming 6th graders will be disappointed when they come to the Learning Commons and discover I am not here. I will miss their smiling, fresh faces! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Three special students--two of which I did not teach directly--made the time to appreciate me and that was nice. This handmade card was from a star student that worked with me on the Book Drive in January and February. A homemade chocolate cupcake accompanied it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This next card is from a student that was in my college essay writing extra-curricular in the fall. I also helped her with recent essay applications for summer programs like the <a href="http://zorigsan.mn/en/list?menuid=103">Mongolian Young Scholars Program</a> through the famous <a href="http://zorigsan.mn/en/">Zorig Foundation</a> which "aims to continue his legacy by spreading democratic values and ideals throughout Mongolia." We are still waiting to hear if she was accepted. Either way her essay about the need for Mongolians to find alternatives to their over-usage and reliance of plastic bags was powerful and personal. Both of these young ladies will go far in life no matter if they are in Mongolia or abroad. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Finally, one of my AP Literature students brought me this beautiful bouquet of flowers last Friday before her graduation ceremony. They lasted nearly a week at my desk! I remember her visiting me at the end of last school year asking, "is AP going to be hard?" My answer was that it would be challenging! I'm glad she took on the challenge as her work and contributions in class were stellar! It was a pleasure to teach AP Literature and I'm thankful for the opportunity and will, I'm sure, miss teaching it this coming year (though I'll have plenty of NEW to learn and adapt to!). ASU gave me the opportunity to add two experiences to my resume--elementary library experience and teaching AP Literature. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This summer I'll be relocating to Turkey, for my new position as Head Librarian at the <a href="http://www.aci.k12.tr/">American Collegiate Institute</a> in Izmir, just a five minute walk from a promenade on the Aegean Sea. I know I mentioned it previously but here are some links to explore a bit more about the school, it's operating foundation, and the locale:</span><br />
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<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/izmiramerikan/"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Facebook page for ACI</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/izmiramerikan/"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Instagram account for ACI</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ACI is a high school which shares a campus with an elementary/middle school, additionally <a href="https://www.teachabroadturkey.com/">SEV, the foundation that owns the schools</a> also has schools in Istanbul and Tarsus</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Izmir,+%C4%B0zmir,+Turkey/@38.4173415,26.7995313,4z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14bbd862a762cacd:0x628cbba1a59ce8fe!8m2!3d38.423734!4d27.142826">Ideal location</a> for travel!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Turkey is considered the "cradle of civilization" and the <a href="https://www.turkeytravelcentre.com/blog/seven-churches-of-revelation-turkey/">Seven Churches of Revelation</a> are located in the country </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/category/smithsonian-channel/this-mysterious-stone-structure-is-older-tha/">Gobekli Tepe</a>, 6,000 years OLDER than Stonehenge, oldest monumental structure ever built! </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you spend just 15 minutes researching Turkey you will find PLENTY of sites worthy of exploration. My problem will be deciding <i>when</i> to explore Turkey and <i>when</i> to hop to a country in Europe! I'm building a "bucket list" for both.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I know that some family and friends have expressed concern about my safety in Turkey. My response is two-fold. First--I've spoken with a number of current teachers at ACI and they all say they feel safe both at ACI and in Izmir/Turkey. One of them said he feels safer in Izmir than any other large city he's lived in stateside, as well as many European cities he's visited. Additionally, he said it feels safer every year. As any expat living abroad and plugged into the U.S. Department of State's <a href="https://step.state.gov/step/">Smart Traveler Enrollment Program </a>knows--you receive notifications and newsletters from your local U.S. Embassy in country to stay abreast of anything concerning. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Secondly I'd say that in this day and age "safety" is a bit up to the person and their experience, knowledge of, and interaction with their surroundings. Many Mongolian parents are sending their students to university in Canada because they feel the U.S. is NOT safe. I'd say that as we continue to become more diverse that safety is relative and a lot about mentality. I think what's most important is to be an informed citizen and traveler, to carry oneself with confidence, and be situation-ally smart. I plan to keep on doing what I've been doing. Fear can find us in any place, any time, and among any kind of circumstance--and we choose what to do with that fear. I will choose to be informed and prepared and push off from that foundation. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soviet mosaic art on Apartment Bldg</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On that note I've been reflecting on my three years in Ulaanbaatar. In some moments it seems like just yesterday when everything was new, strange, and unexpected. I was afraid to take shortcuts walking anywhere and did not know what to find or expect in alley ways or among apartment blocks. The sounds and smells were foreign and unknown. But now I see that the city that was once scary did become familiar, became my home. There are things I will not miss (pollution, trash, traffic) and things I will miss-- the "big land country" feeling that is evoked no matter if you are in the desert, on the steppe, or in the mountains, drinking with good friends on patios in the UB summer time, and the sight of cattle walking on city streets. I expect I will reflect more in the coming days and months......</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">About the transition I'd like to tell you that I will wrap up "Mongolia" and my feelings and experiences about the country HERE on this blog. I will also soon be sharing a link to a NEW blog which I am building for my future adventures. My time as the <i>American Tomboy in Mongolia</i> is coming to a close. I expect there to be a little overlap--I'll write about Mongolia here and will share thoughts about my new place, work, and adventures on the new blog. So...please stay tuned for more information soon. Thanks for traveling with me!</span>Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-77789408837679506572018-06-05T11:00:00.001+08:002018-06-05T11:00:26.169+08:00Stress impacts Health<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqNRI_XPf9I-fJYCERTUho_4ufaCChX2CfVZHHMaLST_u0Y686IJavRDfVl79B1xzCXEhlITXUNydNYJMtwbF-sH5lDFHSCRjflD6_lqJgiGEbag_8VapTj5GSY1eRMSq02-hvmS8c-Q/s1600/IMG_1261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqNRI_XPf9I-fJYCERTUho_4ufaCChX2CfVZHHMaLST_u0Y686IJavRDfVl79B1xzCXEhlITXUNydNYJMtwbF-sH5lDFHSCRjflD6_lqJgiGEbag_8VapTj5GSY1eRMSq02-hvmS8c-Q/s400/IMG_1261.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recent Rain</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My sister-in-law recently commented to me that she always thought I was someone that handled stress well. I agreed. But recent events pushed me past my limit. I began to experience a sort of health crisis beginning in mid January. It started one Friday when I opted to walk home from work. I felt a pressure in the middle of my chest, directly between my breasts, and I found it difficult to get a deep breath into my lungs. As the evening progressed, I began to fear I was having a heart attack, yet my Fitbit indicated nothing strange in my heart rate. I had no other pain. I made it through the night, albeit in discomfort, and then went to the hospital the next morning. I saw the cardiac guy. They listened and even did an ECG. Nothing to report--all was normal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But from that date until now I've had issues. For the first two months my days would be pretty normal, but my nights would be disrupted. I would awaken after a couple hours of sleep with that pressure in my chest. It required sitting up, walking around, trying everything to get myself to burp and release the pressure. It was obvious that I was suffering from some sort of gastrointestinal problem. However, it was really JUST pressure on the chest and a sudden amount of burping. This was uncharacteristic from anything in my past beyond one or two episodes of heartburn experienced a number of years ago. And this was my first digestive issue since having had emergency gallbladder surgery four years ago. As my current health insurance includes a once-a-year health screening, I did it all. I wrote about that in <a href="http://anamericantomboyinmongolia.blogspot.com/2018/03/what-are-we-paying-for-take-3.html">this previous post</a>. At the end of all the tests there was <i>no significant finding</i>. Nothing to explain what was causing my discomfort. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dressed up for Children's Day, June 1</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With the problem persisting I began to address my diet. I cut out wheat and dairy. Then, as I mentioned at the end of that previous post, I embarked on a detox over spring break. I DID begin to feel a bit better around day five. I noticed around lunch time that day that I was burping less. However, a few hours later and my world was turned upside down with the unexpected return of Z from the U.S. The next morning my symptoms were back as strong as ever despite the fact that I was in the middle of my detox and had eaten nothing but fruit for five days and over the next week added only vegetables into the mix. All of it natural food items--nothing processed or refined. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have come to believe/deduce that my gastrointestinal issues are the result of me "stuffing" the truth down. Hiding the reality of Z and I's disintegrated relationship and putting up the facade that we were yet together to protect E's education....it all <i>literally</i> made me sick. When Z made certain choices early last month he made it clear that he did not care if people knew the truth about our relationship status (that I had left him nine months before) and it was also clear that E's education was not the most important thing to either of them. Everything I've done since leaving Z in August has been to protect both myself (well being and safety) AND E's education. While I disagree with Z's recent actions, it has been liberating to let the truth out. I am feeling better day by day. My problems are NOT gone yet. I spent months creating what I believe is a "tic" of sorts--tying my own stomach into knots causing me to burp and to have pressure and upper GI gas most of the time (a strain of GERD). It is taking time and concerted effort to make my body relax. As Z and E have chosen to harass me instead of letting go, I continue to address the stress and it's physical manifestations in my body. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Darkhan Man Metal Sculpture</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This past weekend was a long weekend with Children's Day a holiday on Friday. It was late that evening when it dawned on me that for the FIRST day since January 12th that I had been completely symptom free. Wow! It was nice to feel 100% normal for an entire day. With the first divorce court date this week, the symptoms haven't left. Z isn't being cooperative and therefore we are taking the slower route to divorce. No matter what we speed we go, the destination remains the same. As the famous Richard Bach saying goes, "If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they're yours; if they don't they never were." I'm setting myself free and in the end I do not believe we belong to another--only to ourselves. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Before long I will be off on my new adventure and I suspect that ALL of my health issues will disintegrate in no time at all. Not to mention I'll be surrounded by a great plethora of fresh fruits, veggies, and even seafood! Yippee for me! </span>Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-77106777193290333532018-05-23T14:48:00.000+08:002018-05-24T21:13:16.288+08:00Truth IS stranger than Fiction!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers from EBSCOHost for PD Day</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I decided to pack up and move to Mongolia I did so willingly and also knowing that it was a HUGE gamble. I was <i>all in</i> as they say at the poker table, and I knew full well what the stakes were. Therefore it is with sadness that I share that things between Z and I disintegrated. Some would call it a failed relationship; I prefer to say that I quit the relationship because it was not a partnership, because I was not listened to, and because as I gave more and more of myself, I seemed to get less and less. Therefore, I am currently navigating the process of divorce in a foreign country and culture. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our year of courtship (2014-5) was OTHERWORLDLY. I wrote about it here on my blog. My first year of living in Ulaanbaatar (2015-6) was filled with great adventure and fun and learning--it was also documented here on the blog. My second year (2016-7) in Mongolia there began to be problems (ie. Z's refusal to have gainful employment) as well as some really nice changes (ie. E came to live with us full time and we became a blended, nuclear family). My work at ASU in my second year was <b>greatly</b> improved as I had moved up to the secondary building. I am at my best when working with adolescents and teens, as well as with the faculty that educate them. During that second year Z's continued choice to be unemployed made him increasingly angry and depressed. I encouraged him to get help, to find healthy ways to relieve his stress, and yes, to get a job---any job!--as sitting at home and ruminating about his situation wasn't proving healthy--for himself or his loved ones. He repeatedly complained about being "fed by his wife" but also didn't change his actions for a different result. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Last summer things escalated beyond what I could have ever imagined. I will hope to share the full accounting of events in another format and at a later time. For now I will just say that in early August of 2017 I could no longer live with Z as I was afraid for my well-being and safety. I moved out and rented a separate apartment. I initially hoped that Z might be willing to work WITH me to repair our damaged relationship and I held small hope for a possible reconciliation. But Z refused and for weeks and months there was little or no contact (from him). I asked about doing counseling together; he refused (mental health is not openly addressed in the East as it seems to be in the West--though that is beginning to change). It became clear that there was no way forward for us as a couple. However, I was still committed to seeing E finish his Grade 11 school year at my international school. I planned to renew my contract for a fourth year in order to see him graduate high school in June of 2019. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Across the last nine months there have been twists and turns at every corner. First was the disintegration of Z and I's relationship. Then I was unable to negotiate a renewal contract with my school. I was also refused the waiver necessary to work at another school in UB that could have afforded me to pay for E to stay on and graduate from the current school. I was forced to seek employment outside of Mongolia. This ended up becoming a BRIGHT spot over the many months as I was "headhunted," in a sense, for the position I accepted at the <a href="http://www.aci.k12.tr/en">American Collegiate Institute</a> in Izmir, Turkey. It seemed the Universe knew what was ahead on my path in life and gave me this lovely gift of a good job in a new and beautiful locale. I will be relocating there, solo, this summer. Well, not completely solo as my cat, Zigzag, will accompany me! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9saQzfSKQDSV94g4agFVW_AVr8vFOO9jvrUFjAHHr6Yli8u8bv6E-ytTuUqaQAb9l_RN5vYjFfqZJR_D6mBuJl7gh4JeMkhuZtHBcegumUdq52ttmUymuJpVPw3jVoVvjNX0IiD4nJQ/s1600/IMG_0850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9saQzfSKQDSV94g4agFVW_AVr8vFOO9jvrUFjAHHr6Yli8u8bv6E-ytTuUqaQAb9l_RN5vYjFfqZJR_D6mBuJl7gh4JeMkhuZtHBcegumUdq52ttmUymuJpVPw3jVoVvjNX0IiD4nJQ/s400/IMG_0850.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorful Cast of "Once on this Island"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Around the time that the employment contract fell apart and I was applying for other positions, Z was in the U.S. in pursuit of business or work opportunities. During that time E lived with me 90% of the time, visiting his grandparents on some weekends. He was doing better in school and was busy with rehearsals for the school musical. He did an amazing job performing as a Storyteller in "Once on this Island." It was so good...I admit to choking up during the final Act. Yes, it was THAT good. He is a talented young actor. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Z returned to UB during Spring Break (early April). This was unexpected as he had said that he'd be in the U.S. until August,<i> if not permanently</i>. I was notified of his return just two hours before he appeared in my apartment (uninvited, I'll add!). Our interaction was not what he had hoped for. I felt ambushed and disrespected. If he was coming home to UB, why hadn't he messaged me to update me with that plan? Also, I had made it crystal clear that when he left at the end of January, after having done NO WORK to repair our relationship over the previous five months, that we were most assuredly finished; however, I was yet committed to E and his education. I guess Z decided to hear what he wanted to hear and ignored my clear declarations. I did not receive him with open arms (just as I had told him I wouldn't!). He made E leave with him that night and has forged a huge rift between myself and the young and impressionable teen. It seems that in Z's mind his son has to choose--his father OR me. I come to life with an abundance way of thinking--which seems to be the opposite of Z who sees all things as scarce. While I had hoped for E to maintain a relationship with both of us, it has not played out that way as a result of Z's view of the world and his actions and choices. I will always have love in my heart for E--a young man I was gifted to journey life with for nearly three years.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFx75pnxysMMS9tjKx1cihTEL7X7nG4U7rx1bN1p4XsAURb4xCM90MiwrAvx5psyldXd3dNg86LODP0aL8-laDYUSLqhw4O5esEENclXe8I8Dibx8bTByzwVcGE779V_zF8hQ-RLK_9U/s1600/IMG_0999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1343" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFx75pnxysMMS9tjKx1cihTEL7X7nG4U7rx1bN1p4XsAURb4xCM90MiwrAvx5psyldXd3dNg86LODP0aL8-laDYUSLqhw4O5esEENclXe8I8Dibx8bTByzwVcGE779V_zF8hQ-RLK_9U/s320/IMG_0999.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the future will include</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the past month I have employed a lawyer and initiated divorce proceedings. There are two ways to proceed down this path in Mongolia. The EASY way is by Administrative rules. This path is for two people that do NOT share children or property (which is our situation as I did not legally adopt E). Each person writes a letter of application requesting divorce. My lawyer explained that this process would take 3-4 weeks. Despite Z asking and threatening for divorce multiple times from August through early April, he has REFUSED to participate in this approach. Therefore my lawyer and I have pushed forward on the HARD path and have initiated mediation (required), once completed then the civil case will move forward.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My lawyer is smart and I am lucky to have her--she is Mongolian, has been practicing for many years, and speaks good English. There have been some unfortunate events in recent weeks on Z's behalf--some of them having a negative impact on E and his education. This has been heartbreaking to watch. The latest turn of events has included Z contacting a variety of my friends, family, and coworkers with a tale of supernatural love spells! Oh yes, it's been laughable. And saddening. It is true what they say--<i>That Truth is Stranger than Fiction</i>. When it comes time to clear the air with all events I will certainly be accountable for choices I made along our relationship path that did not serve us positively. It takes two to tango, as they say. I enabled bad behaviors and dismissed some glaring problems as being "cultural" when I don't know that they really were. Again, I hope to share more details as time passes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In recent days and weeks I have been appalled and shocked to see Z blame the end of our relationship on a "love spell." Instead of taking ownership of his own mistakes and failures, he seems to explain it all away with some version of "the devil made her do it." This is absurd to me as I do not put any belief or merit in the supernatural. At all. However, I would like to note that as I reflect on our years together, I recall that Z's prior-to-me long-term relationship also ended because of a "love spell." LOL. This is proving to be a pattern for Z and how he explains away failed relationships in his life. He has been spending hours and days in recent weeks attempting to slander and terrorize me. If only he could put that much energy into getting and keeping a job to provide for himself and his son--his life would then look quite different, I believe. The worst part is that Z is brain washing his son along the way. I fear for the child's health and well being--but am incapable of helping. It is my belief that they both need psychological help. I do hope they will get help and begin the healing process they both need to have the lives they want and wish for. I wish only good things for both of them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My family and friends know me to be honest and forthright, and more importantly they have been a part of this journey from the start. I trust them with the details of my life and tribulations along the way. They know me. They know reality. Time will illustrate the truth of all things. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY359uip5BZTNpuqjmCZki_ZdwF9NQVZkbYrTJX7xZIgv0hQN_RkrZwJg6YAbiKXW_n8KGynmB4T_0DsnMYRLfF2gO-_grmdMm92FIlFSGC6VspwLZ7MimG8FbjimlIGwbxeRke_KHGmI/s1600/IMG_0347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY359uip5BZTNpuqjmCZki_ZdwF9NQVZkbYrTJX7xZIgv0hQN_RkrZwJg6YAbiKXW_n8KGynmB4T_0DsnMYRLfF2gO-_grmdMm92FIlFSGC6VspwLZ7MimG8FbjimlIGwbxeRke_KHGmI/s400/IMG_0347.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We delivered 475 NEW books to Veloo's Kindergarten</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While you might think that this means my <i>all in</i> wager left me with nothing but a broken heart, you would be mistaken. In light of the recent craziness on Z's behalf I'm LONG past any heartbreak or sadness. There is SO much I gained in making the choice to move to Mongolia. For example, I have traveled to places I never imagined--from Shanghai to South Africa to Australia. I've made some INCREDIBLE friends--many of whom I will carry forth with me into the rest of my life. I've gained some great professional experience--in being an elementary school librarian and in teaching AP Literature. I had the INCREDIBLE opportunity to parent a teenager for three years. Relationships with family members deepened and stretched in unexpected and deeply moving ways. And I learned about this realm of International Teaching which has become my next frontier. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I want to thank you, my readers, for hanging in there throughout the recent dry spell of blogging. I am coming back to the me you all know so well and expect to be writing more and more regularly very soon. </span>Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-72673544890915424952018-05-09T09:50:00.002+08:002018-05-09T09:50:37.550+08:00Dorothy was Right!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3SrtEwFex_tTwyNdkcDZUFO6KF0ByygBzSIUi_sVIsYhn9lkLZRjFw8gkZsfc3rlh4toF_LZUsaxcLRBu-qs-Vy6M9js1GRi2-1GJsfYrTtS4NCjOyNiGZZfMupWo2djZi9MGg1hVDU/s1600/31948650_10155368034021716_5007762976137019392_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3SrtEwFex_tTwyNdkcDZUFO6KF0ByygBzSIUi_sVIsYhn9lkLZRjFw8gkZsfc3rlh4toF_LZUsaxcLRBu-qs-Vy6M9js1GRi2-1GJsfYrTtS4NCjOyNiGZZfMupWo2djZi9MGg1hVDU/s400/31948650_10155368034021716_5007762976137019392_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Melanie K.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Before I moved to UB many of my friends and family asked what I thought I would miss most about the U.S. I have a memory of my friend and fellow FVS colleague, Dorothy, telling me that I would miss Mexican food the most. At the time I thought that an odd thing to even consider. Food wasn't even on my radar. But it should be noted that Dorothy wasn't the only one to predict this--there were a handful of individuals that said the same thing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So I wanted to take a moment and say it--<i>Dorothy, you were right!</i> Though we have a couple of restaurants in the city that <i>claim</i> to have Mexican food--it is NOT the same as what I was accustomed to in Colorado Springs, CO (which has a representative Mexican population--my favorite place was 3 Margaritas). While I have been disappointed by the restaurants in UB, I have NOT been disappointed by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RosewoodKitchenEnoteca/">Rosewood Kitchen & Enoteca's</a> once-or-twice-a-year "pop up restaurant," <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RosewoodKitchenEnoteca/photos/pcb.1769796246374641/1769795559708043/?type=3&theater">La Rosa</a>. This restaurant is co-owned/operated by an American-Mongolian couple and it's a favorite haunt for Expats and Mongolians alike. I enjoyed the Cinco de Mayo pop-up last year in May for the first time with my Mongolian gal pal, Doogii. Knowing how good the food was I made a strategical plan this year to enjoy it to its maximum.<b> I scheduled myself for two seatings</b> (there was a full menu to choose from)--first at 17:30 and then again at 21:30. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CDUeykbeb7sOf2P522LlfSbRMNUxy4OEY6N1GtNwn-dZ4_wXCOB1dgRKaQugUdYUvTItGjoA9FeRqvOmdUpKe_O0M_HsTny6j0NOAmE2jUSXsiaVdapOuZq6HZE3Kz6_oS1WF9ch5Iw/s1600/IMG_1094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CDUeykbeb7sOf2P522LlfSbRMNUxy4OEY6N1GtNwn-dZ4_wXCOB1dgRKaQugUdYUvTItGjoA9FeRqvOmdUpKe_O0M_HsTny6j0NOAmE2jUSXsiaVdapOuZq6HZE3Kz6_oS1WF9ch5Iw/s400/IMG_1094.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Completion of La Rosa, Round 1</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At 17:30 I was joined by two ASU colleagues as well as some of my fellow American Wives. In UB it can be easy to get stuck in fairly small circles of expats. This mix was a blast because we <b>did not </b>get trapped in talk about work nor in the minutiae of our family lives. Because different circles were mingled we talked about bigger topics. About gender identification, about racism, about our childhoods and coming of age stories. We talked about our mothers and our siblings. We shared funny stories and talked about trips and plans for the future. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As our tummies filled up on margaritas and good Mexican food, it was time to depart and allow the 19:30 reservations to roll in. We went a couple of blocks down the street and continued our conversations over cocktails. Before we knew it, it was time to head back to La Rosa for our second seating. I had only made a reservation for two (they all thought I was crazy to book twice!).....but thankfully the manager squeezed in the five of us that were still going. And, as I predicted, hungry for another go at that menu. We ordered pitchers of margaritas--how did we miss strawberry on the menu the first time around?!?!! The place was packed and it was after midnight before we made our various ways home. Onne friend dubbed it best: "Round 2 was the best idea of 2018"!</span><br />
<br />Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-14961225167871445732018-03-31T23:33:00.002+08:002018-03-31T23:41:10.596+08:00What are we paying for? Take 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRbYg9q-fybZOdAzny319X7_kzp0qi6ArmdOI2Zt5Y7ZZSAlm7JkUbmkxSGJKSlGYJdvRAKWXtKL_ANjWnFhN_Hzmm22M_qKkVGBaLnJdzUfuMU0x3SPF4pjpJV_hE3pzArQO7_e3E3Q/s1600/IMG_0865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRbYg9q-fybZOdAzny319X7_kzp0qi6ArmdOI2Zt5Y7ZZSAlm7JkUbmkxSGJKSlGYJdvRAKWXtKL_ANjWnFhN_Hzmm22M_qKkVGBaLnJdzUfuMU0x3SPF4pjpJV_hE3pzArQO7_e3E3Q/s400/IMG_0865.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Since about a week after my return from Oz in January I've had issues with digestion. Sometimes intermittent, sometimes consistent--but most always inferring with my sleep. I contacted our health insurance (BUPA--a company out of the UK) and was pre-approved for a "full health screening." This included a LONG list of things, most of which I did. I walked into Intermed hospital on a Friday afternoon to see if I could schedule a few things for the next day so that I wouldn't have to miss work. Shockingly I was scheduled for most everything on my list and was sent home with the prep for a colonoscopy (my first). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On Saturday I had a gastroscopy AND a colonoscopy with sedation. I had labs taken--both urine and blood. I returned a week later for the well woman exam and to have a chest Xray. I'd already visited in January and had an ECG done (Normal!). All my tests came back normal. My scopes showed no ulcers or polyps, though the doctor did note some "mild erosions" in my stomach and diagnosed me with gastritis and prescribed three weeks of a medication twice a day. I'm wrapping that up today. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">All in all, I had the following procedures done: blood and urine tests to check liver and kidney functions; pap smear; chest X-ray; gastroscopy & colonoscopy w/sedation; and met with at least 3 different specialist doctors. I met with these doctors the day of my initial appointment, or the following week when test results were available. I did not have to schedule an appointment--rather I walked in on Saturday at 10 am and asked to see a doctor about my results and within 30 minutes I was sitting at his desk. I walked across the foyer and purchased my meds at the pharmacy located inside the hospital before departing. I had my chest X-ray as well as all test results in hard copy and in my possession. I was pleased with the doctors care and attention to my questions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I paid in tugrik for what totaled about $280. There were a couple items on the full health screening which I did not do (lung function test, and my last mammogram was less than a year ago) and I added the gastroscopy--it was not on the approved list but I felt it was important to do. I submitted my claim to BUPA and was reimbursed the $400 maximum benefit for a full health screening with that "service" checked off my benefits for this year. Now when does Insurance every seem to go in one's FAVOR? And without a fight of some sort? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">All that said, everything showed normal and I am still battling the same issue. I have deduced that it is either dietary or environmental toxin (OR BOTH) in nature. Tomorrow I will begin an 11 day detox to get my digestive system back to a healthy baseline and then I will begin to re-introduce foods to see if I can find the culprit(s). Unfortunately there is no way to escape most of my environmental toxins that surround me--from the air to the water. It is spring break and my spring cleaning begins tomorrow--April 1--for both my body and my home. I'm excited to see the transformation! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I do also want to pause and thank my amazing sister, Fawn, for sharing her expertise and training in health & wellness to help me troubleshoot the issue at hand and for giving me the information and support to do what comes next. You can find her online via Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Walkingnkdtruth/">Walking Naked Truth</a> or on her B<a href="https://fawncaveney.org/">log of the same name</a>. She resides and works out of Boise, ID, so if you are in the area I hope you'll check out all of the incredible work she is doing around health and wellness in regards to ALL aspects of ourselves--Health, emotional, interpersonal, and so forth. Thanks, Sis! </span><br />
<br />Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-49765147421154302018-03-25T17:28:00.004+08:002018-03-25T17:28:52.738+08:00What are we paying for? Take 2<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KZf0ofOjy1EJe6TNBb7NPSkfBUhLMn7enBRQ1cKv2Rnd_80sYD4G2tM4o93p4U1q8T6NMehN2nGHMrRKYmvenikjY2MQGrCtSIaD-ImwsZyeHmnZi4eHIztZ-saVVMPLOZkX-QR-hT4/s1600/IMG_0523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KZf0ofOjy1EJe6TNBb7NPSkfBUhLMn7enBRQ1cKv2Rnd_80sYD4G2tM4o93p4U1q8T6NMehN2nGHMrRKYmvenikjY2MQGrCtSIaD-ImwsZyeHmnZi4eHIztZ-saVVMPLOZkX-QR-hT4/s400/IMG_0523.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise at Secret History camp in mid February</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Back at the end of 2016 I published a post titled <a href="https://anamericantomboyinmongolia.blogspot.com/2016/12/what-are-we-paying-for.html">"What are we paying for?"</a> which discussed comparative health costs and care expectations between the U.S. and Mongolia. It has become my second most popular post of all time. I'd like to continue and expand that discussion here. In recent weeks I've had a few more experiences that I think are worth sharing and noting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">First, I had lasik eye surgery done about 10 days ago. I went to THE revered eye clinic in town--<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BolorMelmiiEyeHospital/">Bolor Melmii</a>. A fellow expat teacher during my first year at the elementary school had the surgery to great success. From then until now I had filed it away as something to look into. A good number of the Mongolians that work at my school have also been to this clinic for the surgery or have had a family member who has. My faith and belief in the place grew as I learned this. At the beginning of March I went and was tested to see if I was a good candidate for the surgery. After a battery of tests it was determined that I was. But as I'd only been wearing my glasses for a couple days (I'm a long time soft contact lens wearer) I had to continue wearing them and repeat the tests in two weeks. As I didn't want to be wearing glasses any longer than necessary, I pushed on another two weeks, returned, and yes, was qualified for the surgery to correct my near-sightedness. That always sounds confusing....as the surgery would make it so I could see distance without corrective lenses. They were very clear that I would need "readers" for reading and my computer screen as I was over 40 they reminded me. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">About three years ago I graduated to bifocals. If I wasn't wearing my glasses, then with my contacts I had already been using readers so this was no big deal. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The night before Zorig left for U.S.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">So the surgery was done on March 15 and I've been seeing distance now, without corrective lenses, for 10 days. I still want to remove contacts at bedtime so I'm still adjusting and still certainly on the eye drop regime prescribed by my doctor. I believe she is the doc in the cover photo for the clinic. All the nurses and doctors I spoke with and worked with were Mongolian. The doctors speak English. Enji accompanied me on the day of the surgery to get me home as Zorig is currently in the U.S. pursuing business endeavors for the family cashmere company. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">It is extraordinary to wake up in the night or in the morning and be able to see across the room without first putting glasses on. Wow...what a gift!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">That said, I don't know if I could do it again knowing what it feels like. Of course there is not any real pain, your eyeballs are numbed! But it is downright freaky to have your eyeballs worked on because you are watching the entire time. I couldn't get the image of Mel Gibson in "Conspiracy Theory" out of my mind. After numerous drops in your eyes, you lie down on a table facing up. They do one eye and then the other. The whole thing takes less than 10 minutes total. They use a small device to hold your eyelids permanently open (hence the Mel Gibson vision). They place some sort of barrier over the space and then open for access to your eye. Using a blade they cut a flap in your cornea. This doesn't hurt and it's fast, but there is a sensation and you know what is happening. Then you are told to hold still and stare at the green light in the machine over you. The light was a mix of colors--red, orange, green, and blue. It's bright and you do as you're told. Then you feel very cool air blowing on your eyeball while the laser is turned on and someone counts from 1 to 5. It's turned off briefly and then engages again for another 5 second burst. I felt the cool air and could smell the laser burning my cornea. I would say it was burning flesh...but it wasn't exactly flesh, so I'll go with burning membrane. It's very disconcerting to say the least. Once the laser is finished the second round then the doctor replaces the cornea flap and you watch while some sort of paddle is used to smooth the flap out and get it placed just so. Then they irrigate your eye with some fluid before releasing your eyelids to close. The process is then completed for the second eye.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Once both eyes were completed I was led into the holding area where I joined my fellow patients. There were four of us that day and I was number three of four. I think we were there about 30-40 minutes during which time the shock hit me. My eyes had started to burn a bit and it did hurt, though on a scale of 1 to 10 I'd put it only around a 5 or so. My body does this funny thing when having procedures done that are somewhat traumatic--my blood sugar plummets and I faint or pass out. This happened a few years ago when I first had an IUD implanted. I literally blacked out that time. This time I could feel it coming on--I felt nauseous first and then that strange wavy feeling throughout my body that was a mix of feeling hot and numb. I thought, Oh No....I'm going to faint! I was in a room with three others that seemed to speak no English. The doctor was only one room away, but I wanted to try and manage it. I grabbed on to the seat of my chair and breathed deep breaths and the waves flowed throughout me but I managed to NOT pass out. Shortly thereafter my "wounds" were checked and I was sent home with instructions (which Enji translated) and lots of eye drops. You cry A LOT in those first few hours. Shortly after i got home I began to feel much better. The burning had subsided and it was obvious I could already see better. I rested and then returned the following morning.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating Tsagaan Sar with friends</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">My cornea flaps had curled under just a tad (sometimes a minor complication that is easy to fix) so the doctor numbed my eyeballs again, lifted up and then replaced the flap again. I got to watch again as the paddle smoothed my cornea flap out and then the eye was irrigated. Process was repeated on eye number 2. Then I rested with eyes closed for 30 minutes after which time the doctor checked the wounds, all was good, and I was sent home for the weekend with three different kinds of eye drops to use on various intervals. I returned on Monday afternoon and all was as it should be. I'll return in another week for my next check up. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I opted to do this procedure while in Mongolia because of the reduced cost. I had considered doing it in the U.S. before I departed but ran out of time and money. The cost here, including the testing, procedure and follow-up care, as well as the various taxi rides to get to the clinic, was just under $1200. From what I know about the procedure in the U.S. this was about half price--or rather I got both eyes corrected for the cost of one eye correction in the States. I can certainly see why medical tourism is a thing! Obviously I'm not here as a tourist but I did opt to have a medical procedure done here and not in my home country.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I've spent so much time on the lasik event thatI will save the other comparison post for another day. It will discuss having a full health screening done! Hope this post finds you doing well and enjoying Spring! We broke above 60 degrees Fahrenheit today which feels a bit early--but I'll happily take it. My battle for the next couple weeks will be trying to keep the dust out of my healing eyes!</span><br />
<br />Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-29115927612100886782018-03-18T20:45:00.004+08:002018-03-18T20:51:23.526+08:00Brilliant Engineering<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxqkfMW-eRg0Ga-lR8An7w9gTmt0lw63QvR0FHxL9vZKVHyElOO2DlvtPdfzl50qsZfqWT55nFJbBs5-yMx8M7yj1xW9TZlc-arPqhYv16EvyMOVtcOopy3o_1P68JCU_3F83FIoWjnE/s1600/IMG_7801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxqkfMW-eRg0Ga-lR8An7w9gTmt0lw63QvR0FHxL9vZKVHyElOO2DlvtPdfzl50qsZfqWT55nFJbBs5-yMx8M7yj1xW9TZlc-arPqhYv16EvyMOVtcOopy3o_1P68JCU_3F83FIoWjnE/s320/IMG_7801.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I can't say I ever spent much time thinking about light switches until I moved to a country/continent that placed the bathroom light switch on the OUTSIDE of the bathroom. Yes, here in Mongolia and it seems much of Asia that bathroom switches are on the wall outside of the room. This was true in hotels I visited in China. I mean, come on! I want to soak in a tub and relax by candlelight, but once the water is lukewarm I want to flip on the switch and shower off. That is not possible here unless you text your partner in the other room to offer an assist by hitting the switch. So frustrating. And then there's also the chance that someone forgets or doesn't know you are IN the bathroom and while walking by flips the light OFF in an attempt to save electricity. Again--not a problem to yelp out that "hey, I'm in here," but really, WHAT is the point of the switch on the outside?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I guess you could say this plight of misplaced lavatory light switches has increasingly made me sensitive to the placement of light switches in general. In the US they are usually inside the room, just around on the wall, generally within a foot or 18 inches of the door frame. For the most part these are fairly easy to locate. However, on occasion one can find themselves feeling up the wall in the dark in search of the switch. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I can undoubtedly say that Aussies have this situation engineered EXACTLY right. The light switch is ON the door frame and just near where the door knob or latch is. It's brilliant! Pun intended. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Additionally, I was impressed by all the outlets in the kitchen and bathrooms. These are the outlets that are often used for additional electrical appliances--blow dryer, deep fryer, electric skillet, crockpot, etc. Where you find these outlets you will find both a switch to make the outlet HOT and then the outlet to plug into. I also thought this was a nifty safety feature. I observed my friends plugging their appliance into the outlet, then turning the outlet on; once finished cooking/using the appliance, they would turn the switch off. Again, I don't know why the rest of the world doesn't have switches and outlets such as these. My friend Kendall and her mother can confirm just how much I marveled at these devices. I really couldn't get over them. So practical, safe, and useful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So yes, why doesn't the rest of the world have electrical engineering like this? Talk about intuitive design and comfort of ease and access! No feeling around in the dark, no guessing where it might be. Just open the door and bam, there it is!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thanks for entertaining this random and short blog post. This is one of the joys of travel--learning how different countries or places address a commonplace need. Who knew!</span>Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-47009374428922151012018-03-14T06:34:00.000+08:002018-03-14T06:50:51.859+08:00My First Trip to Oz<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEupDkh4u1f6OZlTflhlNXtu22wR8dVwOov4Y7KJSZqQCswxUDjt78_HSxoE5rwJd0QIYkX06QdfBiDoAq7YtbsOAQpWXpcVP8Hx1zt3uOjHLLqxTBNj_Xvuiam50j5xXqUJiqfpISRiQ/s1600/IMG_7913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEupDkh4u1f6OZlTflhlNXtu22wR8dVwOov4Y7KJSZqQCswxUDjt78_HSxoE5rwJd0QIYkX06QdfBiDoAq7YtbsOAQpWXpcVP8Hx1zt3uOjHLLqxTBNj_Xvuiam50j5xXqUJiqfpISRiQ/s400/IMG_7913.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my best girlfriend, Doogii</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While many of my friends and family follow me on Facebook, there are a number that don't play that Facebook game and so for them I'm going to recap my Winter Break travels. I have two friends currently living in Australia and for that reason I decided to skip out of the cold and pollution and spend a couple of weeks in the land Down Under. To sum it up--I loved every minute and do hope to return and explore more of that vast landscape someday. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bondi Beach</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I arrived and was collected by, get this, my BEST Mongolian girlfriend! Yes, she left me in UB this past June in pursuit of her Masters Degree in Oz. I support her academic endeavors and the hard work and perseverance she's put towards making a better future for her and her family. That said I have missed her terribly! We have stayed in touch via Facebook messenger and the occasional video chat. It was lovely to catch up in PERSON over food, drink, warm sand, and tons of sunshine. She lives in Sydney and so my trip began and ended there. We drank coffee together. We drank beers and watched HUGE fruit bats swarm overhead. We sipped red wine and reminisced about our Friday-after-work-drink dates in UB. We ate McDonald's and she showed me around her neighborhood. We spent an afternoon on Bondi Beach where I jumped waves with her daughter and we people watched and breathed in the clean, salty air, while soaking up some natural Vitamin D. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kendall comes to collect me</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then I transitioned into phase two of my trip. My friend Kendall who used to work at ASU came and collected me from Sydney. I spent Christmas eve and day with her and her mum in the Southern Highlands. This included watching "The Man from Snowy River" AND "Return to Snowy River" as we were preparing to make a road trip to.....yes, THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS. Kendall had never been and it was within our reach of this trip. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mob of kangaroos</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We left her home the day after Christmas and made a one night stop over in Canberra where my sister Fawn had spent a year abroad as a teen and where one of her classmates still lived. Caroline took us out and about for the afternoon and evening. She drove us past the home where Fawn had lived and the school she had attended. I saw my first kangaroo--a mob of them actually--right there in Caroline's suburb. It was incredible! We drank wine and listening to stories of what my sister was like as a teenage exchange student. We spent the night there, met another classmate in the morning over breakfast, then we hit the road. After a stop off at the <a href="https://www.tidbinbilla.act.gov.au/">Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve</a> where we saw koalas and wallabies we drove on to Lake Jindabyne which is a gateway village to the Snowy Mountains. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlooking Lake Jindabyne</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We spent three nights at <a href="http://panoramajindabyne.com.au/">Panorama Jindabyne</a> and used it as a home base for our explorations of the area. That first evening we just got settled in and enjoyed the view from the deck. Our first full day we spent at the <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/events/jindabynes-man-from-snowy-river-rodeo/">Man from Snowy River Rodeo</a>. We drank beer and ate sausage sandwiches and watched bronc and bull riders. It was Kendall's first rodeo, my first Australian rodeo. They did have an extra event that was new to me--it was a bronc riding event in which the rider had to ride on a saddle, had to have his feet in a certain position, along with his body, AND had to crack a whip all while staying on for at least 8 seconds. It was a great day spent sitting on the grass and under a not-too-hot sun at a small town rodeo event. We headed into town and enjoyed a nice meal before heading back to the hotel for a night of rest.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the top of Mt. Kosciuszko</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The next day we drove up to Thredbo--a ski town in the winter and in the summer a place where extreme mountain bikers ride the chairlift to then ride down the mountain. We explored the little village with a drizzle of rain coming down on us. Then we road the chairlift up to the top. From there I hiked the 6.5 kilometers to the top of Mt. Kosciuszko, the tallest mountain on the continent of Australia. Before you feel amazed...it's just 2,228 meters tall (7308 feet). However, the view from the top was very much worth it. It was the landscape that is seen in "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_from_Snowy_River_(1982_film)">The Man from Snowy River</a>." Though it was mid summer there were still patches of snow at the top, and lots and lots of wind. One can certainly see what Jessica meant when she talks about the snowy mountains being still and beautiful one moment and trying to kill you in the next. On the hike down I listened to the soundtrack from the movie and it was inspiring. I loved being in a place that had meant so much to my childhood and youth. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Chairlift at Thredbo</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On the drive down the mountain we stopped off at the <a href="http://www.wildbrumby.com/">Wild Brumby</a> distillery and tasted some of their unique schnapps. I highly recommend you try their Devil's Tongue if given the chance. It will surprise and delight! We saw an emu on that drive down and then headed into town for a nice steak for dinner. Australia has some damn fine beef!! And excellent lamb! Oh, and the scallops were yummy, and the fish 'n chips also. Yes, I ate well on this vacation. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fireworks from the Harbor Bridge</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then it was time to return to Kendall's home and then back into Sydney to make it in time to see the New Year's Eve fireworks over the harbor. And we did just that. I've never been at such a huge event before. I believe the news reported that there were more than 1.6 Million people in attendance. We opted to sit and wait in one of the free parks--we were on one of the Quays, just between the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House. While the 13 minutes of fireworks was impressive, I have to say that it was being a <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-01/new-years-celebrations-a-fantastic-success,-police-say/9296066">part of such an orderly mob</a> as we all departed the parks at 12:15 am. There was no pushing, no shoving, no yelling, no frustration of any kind that I observed. People were patient and respectful. People pushed baby strollers and elderly were amongst us. I couldn't identify all the languages I heard that day and night. So many. I have to say that it was my experience that Australia FELT like what I think America says it is--a melting pot of diversity. We were all intermingled. Honestly I didn't feel there was any majority race or culture within that park. It was awe-inspiring in that way.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dunningham Reserve over Coogee Bay</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Once we squished ourselves out through one of the few gates that enclosed our park for the event, we hiked up the streets and into the city to find a bus stop. I finally arrived back to my Airbnb around 1:45 am. After messaging with Enji and other family around the globe, I went to sleep shortly before 4 AM. New Years Day was a rest day. I did laundry--using a dryer for the first time since last Christmas at Dad's house in Michigan. And then I discovered I was just a 30 minute hike from Dunningham Reserve and Coogee Bay. It was a lovely first day to the New Year and I enjoyed being in the sunshine and breezes while exploring the area of Randwick and Coogee. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At one of the wineries in Hunter Valley</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On January 2nd Doogii and headed off on a Hunter Valley Wine Tasting tour. We met the bus at 7 AM in Sydney and returned around 6:30 PM after visiting four wineries and tasting about 30 different wines. The first place we visited was Capercaillie Winery which was fun. At some point they all run together and I didn't purchase anything to bring home. BUT it was a fun day just the same. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding the Chairlift at the Zoo</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then on the 3rd we headed of to the <a href="https://taronga.org.au/taronga-zoo">Taronga Zoo </a>by way of a ferry ride across the harbor. We saw all kinds of critters. Kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, giraffes, tigers, seals, wombats, walking sticks, elephants, and the list goes on and on. My favorite was the Tasmanian devil! We spent the whole day there and left when it was closing taking the chairlift (first time for both Doogii and her daughter to ride one!) down to the ferry dock. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final Sunrise, Coogee Beach</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then the 4th of January arrived and it was my last day. But I got up and watched my last sunrise first. This is my own personal tradition when traveling. I like to see the sunrise and relish the quiet of the day before the madness begins. I hiked back down to Coogee Beach and watched Beach Boot-campers working out and waited for the sun to grace the day. I ordered a coffee at a beachside kiosk and journaled while eavesdropping on the conversations of locals at the tables around me. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic with the family before departure</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In those last hours I met Doogii downtown and we did some souvenir shopping in downtown Sydney, picked up an item at the Sydney Apple store, and then had a last lunch at a Greek Restaurant. Yum! Then the family delivered me to the airport for my long journey back to the cold and polluted land of UB. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was one of my best vacations to-date. I loved every day and there was a nice mix of planned events as well as rest and relaxation time. I can't stress enough how nice it was to be visiting people that lived there and knew how to get around and make things happen. <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-01/new-years-celebrations-a-fantastic-success,-police-say/9296066">While last year was spent with my family in the USA for Christmas</a>, this year was my solo girls trip to Oz. Two very different trips but both lovely and soul-affirming in their own and different ways. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Alright. I think that's a wrap on the Winter Break. Soon Spring Break will be here but there is more to catch up on yet. I'll be back soon with another post. Happy New Year to each of you! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-55103502601880206372018-03-11T08:31:00.000+08:002018-03-11T08:31:18.594+08:00Introducing Zigzag, aka Ziggy<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">**</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>I am sorry for having been silent these past three months. There has been A LOT going on in my/our lives and though I will get started with this post about our furry feline I will soon be writing more regularly once again. </i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJzdAhGIyZJ2eZt_ZzBmTjdV-jsjvs9BXY8PEkeuByDZaarOqXG-8vX2ryBHQGaDKtnq08KL48TB9t6pj-4GkwAVsJMTy8M5Pr3WmqQh6zX0PHyUUKvqfPpQ4yOeZZDmTi0jiHObYosk/s1600/IMG_0619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1510" data-original-width="1510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJzdAhGIyZJ2eZt_ZzBmTjdV-jsjvs9BXY8PEkeuByDZaarOqXG-8vX2ryBHQGaDKtnq08KL48TB9t6pj-4GkwAVsJMTy8M5Pr3WmqQh6zX0PHyUUKvqfPpQ4yOeZZDmTi0jiHObYosk/s400/IMG_0619.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Many of you will remember back in early 2015 when I had to say my first <a href="http://anamericantomboyinmongolia.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-first-hard-goodbye.html">Hard Goodbye</a> to Mona--a pet I'd had for over 10 years. Thankfully she went to good people and a comfortable home I knew well (longtime members of my book club). I knew she would be loved and cared for. I've had a few updates here and there and she's doing great. I have fond memories of her and know there will never be another cat like her. As most readers know, a pet becomes part of one's family and each of them, like each of us, has their own quirks and ways of being. Mona Minou was an awesome cat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After living here two years, it was time to have a feline back in my life. Here is the story of how Zigzag made her way to us and our home. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAPqvy5VQiTkAqi4Kso-04hVMYqprjeLLpsHiQJqeKU4DXiW-X8GlG1Dxur5ECMPxGyTHhWUNqaYFL626tOJR9v2OocPlAUqxU7tFEgNgJHRvYHbCoUYSmvLR_7ibVMkt0twdXWtOang/s1600/IMG_7229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAPqvy5VQiTkAqi4Kso-04hVMYqprjeLLpsHiQJqeKU4DXiW-X8GlG1Dxur5ECMPxGyTHhWUNqaYFL626tOJR9v2OocPlAUqxU7tFEgNgJHRvYHbCoUYSmvLR_7ibVMkt0twdXWtOang/s400/IMG_7229.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of my fellow American Wives lives north of UB in a town called <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Darkhan/@48.6438775,107.6739956,7z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x5da2ddef606821bb:0x5f0006c86e4e228d!8m2!3d49.4648434!4d105.9745919">Darkhan</a>. It's about a three hour drive by car; a four hour ride by bus or train. I've visited Michelle a few times over my years here. Enji has accompanied a few times. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Michelle and her family have a dog (Gilbert) and cat (George) and therefore when a kitten came scrambling into their yard, meowing and running towards them and then proceeded right into their house, they weren't quite sure what to do. This was back at the end of September and I'd told Enji that <i>perhaps</i> in October we could begin to hunt for a cat or kitten. I had watched a few stray kittens from our apartment window but wasn't sure about their ability to be domesticated. As I watched Michelle post updates on this curious and confident kitten I began to think that maybe she was the one meant for us and that the kitten stork has simply mis-delivered her. I messaged Michelle about us taking her and received an immediate reply--she and her family were coming to UB the very next weekend and could deliver the kitten which Michelle's daughter had named "Roser."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I opted to keep it a secret from the rest of the household, secretly procuring the necessary items--a carrier, a litter box and litter, dishes, and food. The male species, as you know, is not always so observant of household changes! There is a vet clinic with English speaking vets just a 7 minute walk from the apartment.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLU4jCcMPPgttAL6GG9GyVJnRW3qfHzqX4EDOaNMNK99FV9I2HaR5mlBceSu2aa-zDfSGkEKke5XEO-M74M0QxR4WAIcxzwZRou0C0_-fUrEInfSV9GNx2FpRZ43scVNk008qv6IG8dsI/s1600/IMG_6527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLU4jCcMPPgttAL6GG9GyVJnRW3qfHzqX4EDOaNMNK99FV9I2HaR5mlBceSu2aa-zDfSGkEKke5XEO-M74M0QxR4WAIcxzwZRou0C0_-fUrEInfSV9GNx2FpRZ43scVNk008qv6IG8dsI/s320/IMG_6527.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On Sunday afternoon, October 1st, our little bundle of fur arrived. Enji was completely clueless and I realized had probably never seen a litter box previously. I asked him in the moments before her arrival to see if there was anything new or unusual in the apartment. I had set up the litter box in the bathroom while he slept in. He went in, looked around, came out and asked if he was in trouble. I said NO....go back and see if there was anything new in there. He came out and said, "the dirt?" I guess litter could look like dirt to someone unfamiliar with cat litter. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ziggy arrived and we were thrilled. She was an out-going and spunky little bundle despite having a minor disability. Either at birth or in her first couple of months she suffered an injury that damaged her left hip. She walked with a bit of a limp but did not seem to suffer from any pain. This is why I named her Zigzag, aka Ziggy for short. She zigzagged into our lives and in the beginning she moved with a hitch in her giddy-up as we say. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndXB50lCinzhcYjJz8IzinTAEuR1ylaavLZ-47VbFypBtGEDu4XTSs7ph-6L-0Rz6U8Amj2fbtSNutKleWPlZknw9vGMP6lZTg1DWkWg_5a3ZnfidfidckB0khQY1tp0-QC4-N-nKkuY/s1600/IMG_0106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndXB50lCinzhcYjJz8IzinTAEuR1ylaavLZ-47VbFypBtGEDu4XTSs7ph-6L-0Rz6U8Amj2fbtSNutKleWPlZknw9vGMP6lZTg1DWkWg_5a3ZnfidfidckB0khQY1tp0-QC4-N-nKkuY/s400/IMG_0106.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">We've now had her for five months. The limp is gone! She sometimes misjudges jumps and when she sits her left leg is often extended. She's been spayed and had her vaccinations. She's weighs in around 4 kilos and is a smallish cat. She runs around our apartment like a little maniac, jumping from the couch to the dining room table and around onto the kitchen counters. Just last night she spazzed out and knocked my favorite Smurf glass off the counter, smashing it into many pieces. She loves to play with little toy mice and she and Enji play a great game of Chase-Hide-n-Go-Seek. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEite8gfDoLwyagKPOrvOIsYXmFBT9aeQNqPfFSUvCIGV72pCQOVYr8a2rMT8om-GBXbGHg5TCAPd948PX5Ox4Lfls3aXwVDovPi-dmSdA7x1VnpK5VrlLV-rRUmytuNuynmT4QaJhoF1Us/s1600/IMG_6444+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="1288" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEite8gfDoLwyagKPOrvOIsYXmFBT9aeQNqPfFSUvCIGV72pCQOVYr8a2rMT8om-GBXbGHg5TCAPd948PX5Ox4Lfls3aXwVDovPi-dmSdA7x1VnpK5VrlLV-rRUmytuNuynmT4QaJhoF1Us/s320/IMG_6444+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">She has been great for Enji who is having his first real and true pet experience. He and his father had a dog when Enji was little, but it's been many years since that time and since he was old enough to actually contribute and care for the pet. I'm happy to have him play with the beast as she does have her fits of energy. And she DOES demand attention. If I'm typing on my laptop she often climbs up and lies just behind the screen. While she plays with Enji, she tends to sleep with me most nights. She's pretty great in that when it's lights-out in our apartment she goes to bed. When my alarm goes off in the morning, then she is up with me. I know she sleeps A LOT during the day while we are gone. But she's always right there at the door meowing with greetings when we arrive home in the afternoon or evening. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">So yes, please say hello to Zigzag! She brings much joy and fun to our home!</span>Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-18552287630178443162017-11-30T18:48:00.002+08:002018-01-26T21:38:31.447+08:00How Fast it Turns<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GlQiwgAQu2osh5aQEZZPMNdQdju_eljNKnMiU09g8TcQtOG4-e_NA7CMEUgXOEDv6GvhKB2PyYL3efLwSRokRZRJs64GmooPXH75fq4vdhEvTb717Suu-d_n0qyxlE9AnEW1Gr3U2GM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-24+at+22.32.30.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="1131" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GlQiwgAQu2osh5aQEZZPMNdQdju_eljNKnMiU09g8TcQtOG4-e_NA7CMEUgXOEDv6GvhKB2PyYL3efLwSRokRZRJs64GmooPXH75fq4vdhEvTb717Suu-d_n0qyxlE9AnEW1Gr3U2GM/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-11-24+at+22.32.30.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left: Tuul on Nov. 10; Right: Tuul on Nov 24.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I can't seem to let go of this obsession with cold yet. I have more to say. Many of my international teaching co-workers are beginning to job hunt for where to go next in the world. Many of them wish to go some place warmer and with less or no pollution. I certainly understand the desire for cleaner air. That's something that most Americans take for granted--not realizing how in many places around the world there is "bad air." That said and while I am not job hunting like my colleagues, I do ponder the places they seek. To me living in a tropical place--filled with humidity and (probably) mold and creepy crawlies and insects--has no appeal whatsoever. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpHHYzS4BLOYyKMwXW7xfTOtUmydIIaYek1qWsvtShtgOtGuamPIBkqSMqxAOt4vClMMjMYrgzg3VlccCD41iScPh0QU92ta4lXltyXGaz8J3ioylm1vrxVEXMHOh4S_zZVN9ihDAFoQ/s1600/Image-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpHHYzS4BLOYyKMwXW7xfTOtUmydIIaYek1qWsvtShtgOtGuamPIBkqSMqxAOt4vClMMjMYrgzg3VlccCD41iScPh0QU92ta4lXltyXGaz8J3ioylm1vrxVEXMHOh4S_zZVN9ihDAFoQ/s400/Image-1.jpg" width="225" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This reminds me of a vacation I took in 2009 with my cousin Melaney and her family. We spent a week in Costa Rica. I learned an important thing about myself on that trip--I am NOT a beach vacation person. I do not want to spend hours sitting on a beach--watching the surf, reading a book--nope, that is a certain kind of discomfort for me and not at all relaxing. I get that it IS bliss for many (said cousin and family are total water/beach people) and I do not begrudge them that pleasure; however, knowing what works for me and what doesn't is important. For me, I want to see sites--historical, cultural, natural--it doesn't matter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today we were off the charts with our <a href="http://aqicn.org/city/ulaanbaatar/mnb/">air quality</a>--in the hazardous range for most of the day. One of the other features of the app I mentioned in my last post is that it lists rankings of the most polluted places on earth on any given day. Above is a screenshot from a few days ago. Ulaanbaatar was #9 on that day. Currently, as I finally finish typing up this post we are #6. Just today I switched over into a new face mask (picture below). I use the 3M disposable kind and wear each one for 2-4 weeks, depending on frequency and duration. You might be interested to <a href="https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/how-long-masks-last/">read about tests</a> conducted to determine if face masks really work. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiQ6J4Jdz41YJX24YM0zo7RbYmHi4B4AQRJzRJEkdvT9KGkGtwIUgp5tFq8ZTVU9MMd3vACn9z6FYPIjvOx001tT-RtA7H7H5EQkPIuV6HMEGThUnAbbwkDI02aD9AGU5GnL7Y2khGu8/s1600/IMG_7275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiQ6J4Jdz41YJX24YM0zo7RbYmHi4B4AQRJzRJEkdvT9KGkGtwIUgp5tFq8ZTVU9MMd3vACn9z6FYPIjvOx001tT-RtA7H7H5EQkPIuV6HMEGThUnAbbwkDI02aD9AGU5GnL7Y2khGu8/s400/IMG_7275.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top: Used @ 4 weeks off and on; Bottom: New</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Inside my apartment I have some makeshift air purifiers created by <a href="https://smartairfilters.com/mn/en/">SmartAir</a>--a non-profit organization that began in China (Beijing) but has expanded to Mongolia. I have a Cannon in the living room and a DIY in both bedrooms. The HEPA filters go black within 1-2 weeks, but work for up to 1000 hours of usage. I believe they make a difference and are more affordable then commercial ones on the market. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Honestly, the next 21 days are the hardest. The darkness is what bothers me the most. I count down to December 20th or so because then we begin to climb out of the darkness. Yep, beginning with December 22nd the days begin to get longer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With those tidbits of information, I'll sign off for now. Happy almost December to everyone!</span>Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-31336622684337954152017-11-23T09:46:00.002+08:002017-11-23T09:46:28.973+08:00Additional Notes on Cold (& Pollution)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0tnonZQ_I52NBjgDk_nxPCu4Yte31WoaYJjBvbLTAyvlXUihIzyqx8mQFOF6cehBOTtFyIgB0Kna8BcZGCMpHVo6TNuBE__Nfbnh7LE4vvpZ9kVomieVECOjVieLvMqf_Tg77zp1xwA/s1600/IMG_7123+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0tnonZQ_I52NBjgDk_nxPCu4Yte31WoaYJjBvbLTAyvlXUihIzyqx8mQFOF6cehBOTtFyIgB0Kna8BcZGCMpHVo6TNuBE__Nfbnh7LE4vvpZ9kVomieVECOjVieLvMqf_Tg77zp1xwA/s400/IMG_7123+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers require insulation for transport!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The thing I find challenging about living in this harsh winter climate is deciding how to dress for evening events. The school day is easy, I wear whatever I want to work (usually regular trousers and either a blouse or sweater) and then I throw on what Michiganders would call snow pants, but what I've grown to call "outer pants" as we really get less snow here in UB. By the time December arrives, it is often too cold for precipitation. So this outer shell simply protects against the cold I encounter briefly in the morning when I leave the apartment and get into our hired car, and again protects me after school when I walk to the bus stop and ride it home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The hard part is attending a dinner with family or friends, or going to a performance or evening event. It's not so easy to de-robe outer pants in those situations/places. Then one is left to calculate how late one will be exposed to the elements and for how long. Will walking be involved? Public transport or taxis? Will it only be 0 at 11 pm, or will it be -20? Most Mongolians I know spend their entire day wearing two layers--some sort of long underwear or leggings underneath their pants. I can do this if/when I'm going to be in the outdoors for an extended period of time, but I am NOT comfortable to wear them inside. I get too hot and don't like the extra layer. But to lose that layer, one has to find a restroom or changing room, take most everything off and then put back on the other layer. Then before you depart, the process must be repeated in reverse. This is TOO MUCH for me. The middle ground? Well, if I can't wear the easy outer pants, and I know I will be INSIDE for a couple or more hours, then I usually pair my LONG Eddie Bauer coat (Thanks Elaine!) which goes down to my calves, with TALL wool socks that go at least to my knee, or sometimes the mid thigh ones. These are easier to take off and NOT wear at the event. The coat is hung at coat check. I can be comfortable for a few hours and then pretty comfortable going home with those items on. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Uj2xAhpjxRfmMFU0yZerXPfNQgmDSwcfIyhYwZvQg8XPUphtIvDzv4uLowinF4uVSZjIhCOeOSZ6KLOrZMn0_5yM_cfllZgil7N_F4MEbfkayTAmhG57hFrRKoCakYkoRPtfLWU1Eos/s1600/Image-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Uj2xAhpjxRfmMFU0yZerXPfNQgmDSwcfIyhYwZvQg8XPUphtIvDzv4uLowinF4uVSZjIhCOeOSZ6KLOrZMn0_5yM_cfllZgil7N_F4MEbfkayTAmhG57hFrRKoCakYkoRPtfLWU1Eos/s400/Image-1.jpg" width="225" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As we were walking to our evening dinner plans this past Friday I was a little shocked at the sight passing me on the street. It was 0 degrees Fahrenheit or -18 Celsius. As I crossed a major intersection, I passed four or five Mongolians--I would estimate in their early 20s--and each of them was sucking on a Popsicle!!! No Joke! Mongolians LOVE their ice cream and eat it all year round. I'm more of a seasonal ice cream enthusiast--mostly summer time qualifies. But then I also can't eat steaming soup in the summer while Zorig prefers it all year round. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As I finish this post (I've been adding to it over a few days) on Thursday, November 23rd, it is Thanksgiving. The American Wives Club is gathering tonight to share a real and true American-style Thanksgiving meal. There will be nearly 30 of us in attendance. The seven of us and as many husbands and children as possible. This is the first time we've done something like this and it will be after a full day of work for most of us--it is NOT a holiday in Mongolia and the fact that I work at the American School of UB doesn't matter. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSMStqSiXsFb923ueuXeM0SwJ0Xp6p0i4bvPSNC37hUihLzEkHlo-9yMfy68bg4fxUZDzpMw1Kp4Mx5Rf5AdjyxCcSKbWSSb1fivU9yT7vX0sWrNATgUCyIedolhCycejQeeSOl96CCI/s1600/emb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="640" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSMStqSiXsFb923ueuXeM0SwJ0Xp6p0i4bvPSNC37hUihLzEkHlo-9yMfy68bg4fxUZDzpMw1Kp4Mx5Rf5AdjyxCcSKbWSSb1fivU9yT7vX0sWrNATgUCyIedolhCycejQeeSOl96CCI/s400/emb.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The pollution this morning is also, perhaps, the worst I've seen it yet this season. I've discovered this new app (airvisual, featured here) for air pollution that shows a man's face adorned with the appropriate level of mask required to address the pollution level. The really unsettling thing about Ulaanbaatar is that you can have a huge diversity of readings throughout the city. This first image shows the airport (Nisekh) in purple and MNB which I have no idea what it stands for but I can tell you it is closer to my school, near Zaisan area of the city. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfbg3Gl8l8R054MvMVRy6b3YcUsmvpb48cSle9phYo_WyN33lSsfbbuQOuPz7G9dBLUkKXYVx4i6o5uZ36-GprnQFCwQxA6rAYKJI7bZftWZyGcpfaMmDbYfUcdyAtPxc3gfkIlslFyA/s1600/Image-1+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfbg3Gl8l8R054MvMVRy6b3YcUsmvpb48cSle9phYo_WyN33lSsfbbuQOuPz7G9dBLUkKXYVx4i6o5uZ36-GprnQFCwQxA6rAYKJI7bZftWZyGcpfaMmDbYfUcdyAtPxc3gfkIlslFyA/s400/Image-1+%25281%2529.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But now I will also add this image (right) that shows the air as "good" at Misheel Expo which is basically UB's version of Furniture Row, though it's all housed in one HUGE warehouse. Below that is Zuun Ail which is the district of the city where one can buy home improvement and renovation items. That's north of the US Embassy (which is the RED reading just above). I appreciate the color coding--I believe it goes from Green-->Yellow-->Orange-->Red-->Brown. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Okay, enough of this pollution talk! Hope this post finds you doing well and enjoying your Turkey Day with great food, football, and family and/or friends. I'll be watching all your posts of DELICIOUSNESS. </span></div>
Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-67028172931621776772017-11-11T11:58:00.001+08:002017-11-11T12:03:30.459+08:00Winter has Descended<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhbFvsZ8jvXVVvdu8rMbheA4NSKIHDKEPA1bkifYPx-kVBQ53RXG6J9V2EJ4Q2i1xjOrYIFguYf4Xbl6sXwCqsOP-uw8-7q1lV1zcmbLKptcHZQ8bRgSBqop7Y3L22zFf2ALZkhZ7gGM/s1600/IMG_7046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhbFvsZ8jvXVVvdu8rMbheA4NSKIHDKEPA1bkifYPx-kVBQ53RXG6J9V2EJ4Q2i1xjOrYIFguYf4Xbl6sXwCqsOP-uw8-7q1lV1zcmbLKptcHZQ8bRgSBqop7Y3L22zFf2ALZkhZ7gGM/s400/IMG_7046.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Winter has descended upon UB. I believe that ice began to form on the Tuul River about two weeks ago. I shot this picture yesterday on my walk home after work. You can see the ice is inching it's way across the width of the channel. It won't be long before one can walk across it. It was about 18 degrees Fahrenheit for the walk. But I was in the mood for one. It occurred to me on that walk that I do feel comfortable and at home in this cold and sometimes brutal landscape. I have visited warm places and I do not feel similarly about them. I remember reading Per Petterson's <i>Out Stealing Horses </i>a few years back--it was a book club selection--and I loved the sense of place in it. It took place in Norway. Even in books, the cold speaks to me. I did not know this about myself before living in Mongolia. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On my previous post I forgot one very important habit--<i>wearing clothes more than once before washing.</i> In fact, I sometimes wear a pair of jeans or trousers for bits and parts of an entire week BEFORE sending it to the clothes hamper to be washed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As I believe I have mentioned before, Mongolians have clothes washers, but very few have dryers. Here you hang your clean clothes on a rack to air dry. It's a dry climate and rarely takes more than half a day to dry most things. While I initially found this lifestyle habit to be odd (it was new to me!), it has become normal. I DO miss the feel of dryer-tightened jeans and SOFT fluffy towels. However, as a good friend told me, "A crunchy towel means you know it's clean!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yes, I've come to see that Americans are a little over-zealous with the cleaning habits. Both for clothing and for body. My guys are yet astonished that I shower EVERY day. This especially bothers my husband in the winter months and I have been repeatedly scolded for not allowing my bodily oils to congregate and protect me from infection and disease. I confess that every once in a while, I skip a day. This is always on a weekend. And I now generally wash my hair only every other day. And you know what, it's all very normal to me now. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjfUxImnGVtstPvg9oiDfwfclMPiRHwbnyQEei8n4d_Z9AlHqmb3Kzt94Gl0vFAOIT_Fob_BGaEl_sbLFemtjZJJyYUkWoFaNJJr2Ehl-Dq3TuMOnSalcOXerqSAQZ2qYr5iwOl2bQBQ/s1600/IMG_7038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjfUxImnGVtstPvg9oiDfwfclMPiRHwbnyQEei8n4d_Z9AlHqmb3Kzt94Gl0vFAOIT_Fob_BGaEl_sbLFemtjZJJyYUkWoFaNJJr2Ehl-Dq3TuMOnSalcOXerqSAQZ2qYr5iwOl2bQBQ/s400/IMG_7038.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I wish I could say that I thought my clothing would last longer because they aren't being bumped around in a dryer. But the clothes washers here seem to be especially brutal on clothing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'll depart with this image, also taken on yesterday's sojourn, of a truck stacked high with hay which will help someone's herds makes it through the bitter months of cold that are imminent. I'm fairly confident that Mongolia does not have laws that stipulate the maximum height of stacking done on a truck!</span>Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-81906813423339154232017-10-28T20:18:00.000+08:002017-10-28T20:18:05.840+08:00Mongolian Habits to Adopt<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Mu_UYUMtHNep7cyr21QlgAhY5uZHHE4b-dkat9LehOFROAF6IMxWojAHvrmo6QX8IqTSWlRCRWYbqUfqcuqOPVspYD6gw3iphcgNUQ9lqJCIRG8g8ULGewpZhFFJN-OsxIUCcbIojJA/s1600/IMG_6332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Mu_UYUMtHNep7cyr21QlgAhY5uZHHE4b-dkat9LehOFROAF6IMxWojAHvrmo6QX8IqTSWlRCRWYbqUfqcuqOPVspYD6gw3iphcgNUQ9lqJCIRG8g8ULGewpZhFFJN-OsxIUCcbIojJA/s400/IMG_6332.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the countryside </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sometimes I like to think about what aspects of the Mongolian lifestyle I would take home with me to the U.S. I don't yet know when that will be, but I know at some point I will relocate back to my home country. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">First, I LOVE that people take their shoes off at the entry door. I cringe when I reflect on all the years I walked IN SHOES throughout my homes/apartments ON CARPET. Oh...so nasty! Here, and I expect in most of Asia, you take your shoes off at the door. In my own apartment I wear slippers around and even offer extra slippers to visitors. Most people are comfortable moving around in their stocking feet. But I appreciate that this keeps my home CLEAN longer. If you think about it, our shoes go EVERYWHERE. They are covered in dirt, grime, oil and other auto fluids, and here in Mongolia, I know they are also coated in urine. Animal and human. Oh, and lots of concrete dust. So yes, I LOVE that we take our shoes off at the door. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Secondly, I've noticed that upon entering the apartment the first thing that Zorig and Enji do is to wash their hands. My friend Doogii and her daughter Zaya did the same thing when they visited me. This makes sense because we've been outside riding on a public bus or a taxi and who knows what our hands have been touching. I've adopted this habit and plan to do it the rest of my life. It makes perfect sense. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyCKMF0M7IJ4TM7-pApDpYzCSBI3BfClZYyML1T-CD6xO7G3mNwMq2LhOPtJy9xxKbVqqALvkoXhWQ9mfCVEUjOwJkoWOo7Ban1B8TgFrVw4h7Efew6wFZumrBkgxoYQfn-FPgru351U/s1600/handle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1488" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyCKMF0M7IJ4TM7-pApDpYzCSBI3BfClZYyML1T-CD6xO7G3mNwMq2LhOPtJy9xxKbVqqALvkoXhWQ9mfCVEUjOwJkoWOo7Ban1B8TgFrVw4h7Efew6wFZumrBkgxoYQfn-FPgru351U/s400/handle.jpg" width="371" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thirdly, and I will have NO ability to make this change in the U.S., but I want to discuss it anyway. When you purchase electronics in Mongolia, you generally make payment to a cashier then take your receipt to the first floor (remember that <a href="http://anamericantomboyinmongolia.blogspot.com/2015/07/malls-in-mongolia.html">Malls in Mongolia </a>are built UP and not out) where you show your receipt. An employee goes to collect your appliance or electronic from storage and then they unpack it, plug it in, and show you that it functions. This ensures that you don't have to return the item. Granted, this means more work up front; but avoids that LONG line of returns at the front of Walmart. Strangely, it's proactive--which is not generally Mongolian imho! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Additionally, because many of us are walking the item to our home, the employee creates a handy-dandy handle from fat scotch tape so that it's easy to carry the item home. They do this free of charge, of course. I think it's brilliant!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oUGIjtbkagFwXmPJKSxLWC15Ezk2LnbGo53vU3Ma_wqU9oL4mgQN3YH5-dvjtlnpeWHuZJ8x68WLMB9fwCbd0N51lwcQSY9KDbW9aQUSUpsgeGBuutdzB_bUXS8bWEXYfF7rf9f7khQ/s1600/IMG_4554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oUGIjtbkagFwXmPJKSxLWC15Ezk2LnbGo53vU3Ma_wqU9oL4mgQN3YH5-dvjtlnpeWHuZJ8x68WLMB9fwCbd0N51lwcQSY9KDbW9aQUSUpsgeGBuutdzB_bUXS8bWEXYfF7rf9f7khQ/s400/IMG_4554.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are certainly other habits or ways of life I'd like to take with me....but these are a few to get started with that I've been reflecting on recently. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'll end with this original store exterior that I happened by on the way to visit my in-laws recently. I love coming across random things like this on the streets of Ulaanbaatar. I confess that this week has shifted us into winter. It was cold and blustery for the last few days. The days are getting shorter. Now I look forward to Dec 20 and the shift to days getting longer again. While the cold is extreme and the pollution will get bad, it is the darkness that gets me down. But when the new year arrives, we'll be climbing out of the darkness. It's been a great week off for Fall Break. Back to work on Monday!! Cheers!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-5409437468849813762017-10-01T08:59:00.003+08:002017-10-01T08:59:51.399+08:00How the Army made me "Mongolia-Ready"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFL_OlQB22DngtK9ujVCa5DueE4ZnSF6Fjho6NhnQhyphenhyphenmirZSdczjkO2Z7vrSWQKHtQXVdOGeLfL4axVr1BMYnZtAWxiRc5tPBBch5BTS3cHarhxid0awR0Sf8gOPZPczT0FPtN7yw7NTY/s1600/fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFL_OlQB22DngtK9ujVCa5DueE4ZnSF6Fjho6NhnQhyphenhyphenmirZSdczjkO2Z7vrSWQKHtQXVdOGeLfL4axVr1BMYnZtAWxiRc5tPBBch5BTS3cHarhxid0awR0Sf8gOPZPczT0FPtN7yw7NTY/s400/fall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">While walking home from work a couple weeks ago I was struck with a strange, but apt, realization--the military training I participated in when I was young (I joined when I was 17 years old and a junior in high school) prepared me for life in Mongolia! As I hoofed the three miles from school to the apartment, I started to make a mental list of all the skills or experiences that translated to this current life. I thought you might enjoy hearing about them. Here goes....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Humping"</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">No...this is not a sexual reference! It means carrying everything you need with you (most often on one's back) and relying on your own two feet (aka black leather express) to get you anywhere and everywhere. This is 100% my life in Mongolia. Without a car to cart things around in, I rely on sturdy backpacks, super-strength plastic bags, and my own feet. I'm always humping something across town. This means I need GOOD footwear and good quality bags. Strangely the backpack I purchased at a high price a year and a half ago FOR the safari in South Africa has proved to be excellent! I remember scoffing at the price then--but was in a bind because the packing list said an OD green backpack was required and it was the ONLY one I could find in UB. It has proved to be a smart investment after all, getting daily use beyond that 10 day safari. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ti0NGvcHYZFxdt0HeMtagpf57xjz5zTHkNSZlSDvAjrMJNveJhRT6BVOE4sPTH9R0q8Ku_3oBiZ6P10Cw1brUvUSKt1Xx21HQZFJ6UGLtZZsB06AJrIeOctSkHYRHRnTOLOjOHkwA5I/s1600/bt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="571" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ti0NGvcHYZFxdt0HeMtagpf57xjz5zTHkNSZlSDvAjrMJNveJhRT6BVOE4sPTH9R0q8Ku_3oBiZ6P10Cw1brUvUSKt1Xx21HQZFJ6UGLtZZsB06AJrIeOctSkHYRHRnTOLOjOHkwA5I/s320/bt.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Throwback Pic!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Cattle Trucks</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As I used every core muscle in my body the other morning to hold myself erect on the crammed public bus, I had a mild flashback to being 17 years old, holding two heavy army duffel bags, and being yelled at by drill sergeants while we loaded ourselves onto "cattle trucks" to be transported to our home for eight weeks of Basic Training. While I love the convenience and low cost of riding the public bus here in UB (one ride is about 20 cents), in the morning it DOES feel like one is a sardine in an overstuffed can. While I expect buses have passenger limits for safety purposes, they are NOT observed here. If you can push your way onto the bus, then you can ride. We only ride about 4 km but it's a jerky ride as the driver responds to the crazy traffic and the stops in between. You work your core muscles as well as hold on for dear life trying desperately to NOT bang into the people around you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mail is Awesome!</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mail call during Basic Training was a highlight and my family delivered in that department. My father wrote me a brief note EVERY DAY. I still have them. Occasionally he would slip in a leaf or pine needle to remind me of home. Getting mail from the "outside" world made it feel a little less foreign and alienating as life on a military installation does have a "bubble" feel to it. Life in UB is different than life in the U.S. though more and more Western conveniences and products are becoming available month by month. That said, it's yet LOVELY to go to the post office and find a card from a friend or my godmother, or best of all--a care package with treasures from my homeland. Recently this included a package with FITTED sheets as well as a package of Twizzlers and Reese's Peanut Butter cups. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hurry up and Wait!</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I expect this aspect is true no matter where one is in the world. In the Army we were trained to rush to the Mess Hall for chow, only to have to wait in a long line to finally be served. We rushed to formation, only to wait for the slow-poke (Kirkpatrick!) that was ALWAYS sloppy late. And then we'd all be dropped to do push-ups as punishment for the lazy one. Yes, the Army taught me about forced patience. Here in Mongolia there is some of this--hurrying to the bus stop to have to wait longer than expected for the right line to show up (and that has room on it!). But Mongolians generally run on a different time clock. Recent example from a friend--she arrived for a physical therapy session at the appointed hour only to be told that the therapists weren't yet there. When they arrived, they said it was because of the rain. Now....this was a mild drizzle, not a torrential downpour. So yes, punctuality is NOT valued so much here. As expats we often refer to it as simply, "Mongolian time."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Camaraderie<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAfrrmxkhSufajk-ZLCTImcxt_Bfi5VanGQZ7ZbEmkXun1Vt6URHV-S60fHwADiS_Y0H7CeFQhyLSgRQT5uTihN3iLio5ew7MGdg8Aa7Bt-teduhoR8KIbxAP1MZaKOyPShbBeIewy40/s1600/awc+august.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="928" data-original-width="1600" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAfrrmxkhSufajk-ZLCTImcxt_Bfi5VanGQZ7ZbEmkXun1Vt6URHV-S60fHwADiS_Y0H7CeFQhyLSgRQT5uTihN3iLio5ew7MGdg8Aa7Bt-teduhoR8KIbxAP1MZaKOyPShbBeIewy40/s400/awc+august.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of my fellow American Wife pals</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">After spending twelve years in the Army National Guard, I separated in 2003. It was the right decision at the time, but I'd be lying if I said it was a happy choice. The military creates a unique experience with what we call camaraderie. Before this time in my life, I had NEVER experienced camaraderie in the civilian world. In the Army it was about being thrown into unexpected situations, often unprepared, and with a hodge-podge of people from various walks of life, ages, backgrounds, and having to figure something out, make a plan, and survive to thrive. The women I served with were not high school classmates. They didn't know my family, my background, or really anything about who I was or wanted to be. But when you are exhausted from getting up to do fireguard at 1 am, then up again at 3:30 am for physical training, then later in the day have to hold hands of the woman next to you because she can't see because of the eyes-watering, nose-snotting, can't-breathe-because-of-gas-exposure-in-the-gas-chamber training exercise....well, you just learn to appreciate those beside you that have endured the same as you and helped when and if they could. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have a great camaraderie--what we choose to call solidarity--with my fellow American wives. While each of our relationships and families is uniquely ours, we have backgrounds that reflect one another and a shared, collective understanding about where we came from and the challenges and gifts that a life in Mongolia offers us. These amazing women are a huge part of my life and I am thankful for them--their honesty and compassion--each and every day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But...</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I no longer sleep like a soldier! In the Army I could sleep anywhere, anytime. Shoot, while at Basic Training at Ft Leonard Wood, MO, we took turns sleeping on cold hard tiles in the tiny space behind our wall lockers. Yes, sleep was a precious commodity when training. Between the early wake-ups, the endless days of training, and the shifts of fire guard in the middle of the night......one was perpetually exhausted. While I find myself tired for very different reasons in this modern life, I can no longer sleep anywhere. In fact, I have trouble sleeping in my own bed. In my 40s I find myself sensitive to light AND sound! And even when I stop drinking liquids before 8 PM, I still seem to need to get up twice in the night to use the restroom. I'm going to take the easy way out and blame it all on hormones and being female. I've done what I can....moving to a quieter apartment that is NOT in the central city zone AND hanging different coverings over the windows to create a blackout in the bedroom. But still, I don't sleep like I did as a soldier in the U.S. Army. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One just never knows how previous roads traveled will impact current ones. I am forever grateful for my time in the military--the experiences it gave me at the time and how it built my ability to exercise resilience. Any thoughts to share on your previous-current path intersections? As always, thanks for reading. </span></div>
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Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-44511964012453370422017-09-11T21:15:00.001+08:002017-09-12T20:01:29.750+08:00Minions, Margaritas, and MMMMM!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYaW8EuyiRCLz-JxM4CvrrJ3FLqs2nEeAPF13JkE8IT-oSj53MnJ3RxqwBYMzWeLqrTT0rjHqO_TgGxFu_gJGOpmt1qHSRRbH1O3VprkBaEvmTm281ntwaslFnl2qY5fI8NHOXXSvXTRo/s1600/IMG_5313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYaW8EuyiRCLz-JxM4CvrrJ3FLqs2nEeAPF13JkE8IT-oSj53MnJ3RxqwBYMzWeLqrTT0rjHqO_TgGxFu_gJGOpmt1qHSRRbH1O3VprkBaEvmTm281ntwaslFnl2qY5fI8NHOXXSvXTRo/s320/IMG_5313.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer camp Kiddos</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Summer went by all too quickly as it always does. School ended on June 23rd, but I worked our English Summer Camp the two weeks that followed. I worked with the oldest group of students, most of them in the 9-12 years old group. Most of them are in this picture. While I do prefer working with adolescents and teens, I LOVED my two weeks with these students. They were excited to arrive each morning to see what was in store for them. Our theme for this year's camp was, "Every Hero has a Story." We read lots of stories and talked about what makes a person a hero. The weather was cold and rainy on our second field trip Thursday, so we went and saw Despicable Me 3. While I very much enjoyed the original movie, each sequel just gets sillier and sillier. But the kids always seem to love the minions!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1YdpoyFjYok4Uoca7fr95k5i6i2mSxd3qIBzEmS50MGslDym7YushGQuD3D_Wkb3UMnRMaFAbpYS8gaaEqlAvIhTk_bESBkiiUKwkzPGAx1gwfkPH6mNigtsfmIUJtLGsCsUPn5pDbM/s1600/IMG_5470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1YdpoyFjYok4Uoca7fr95k5i6i2mSxd3qIBzEmS50MGslDym7YushGQuD3D_Wkb3UMnRMaFAbpYS8gaaEqlAvIhTk_bESBkiiUKwkzPGAx1gwfkPH6mNigtsfmIUJtLGsCsUPn5pDbM/s320/IMG_5470.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy Margaritas!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With summer camp finished, I boarded a jet plane for a speedy two weeks in the USA--all of it spent in Virginia with my mom and various friends and family members. First on the list of things to EAT/DRINK was Mexican. First night we had Mexican. Then we had it again the next night where mom and I enjoyed these HUGE margaritas. Thankfully, this restaurant was just across the street from mom's apartment. No worries about how to get home. While I had hoped we'd get to do Mexican a third time...frankly we ran out of time. AND there were so many other things to eat. McDonald's. Wendy's. Mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce (at a true Italian restaurant). Burgers and fries. Seafood. Breakfast at a diner. And we did manage to stay in a few nights where I enjoyed making either bologna and cheese sandwiches OR hotdogs and cheese sandwiches. I know...that will gross some of you out, I'm sure. While there seem to be sausages everywhere in UB, they are not the salty, tasty hot dogs of the USA. Yes, I'm sure they are filled with terrible-for-you things....but man, they sure taste good! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYN2-ByEWsGx2If2LVeP9lYchDXDxEv5XBhoSOdtZv-AoZ5VW80LbgeoxiE1PRHTG5080yBQirmp_sOmJ2ykfIep7xw2_aJ4wND3eQzYkgDOn_1auPVir4eVXevSv0eTfQwoCtrWx2AKQ/s1600/pals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYN2-ByEWsGx2If2LVeP9lYchDXDxEv5XBhoSOdtZv-AoZ5VW80LbgeoxiE1PRHTG5080yBQirmp_sOmJ2ykfIep7xw2_aJ4wND3eQzYkgDOn_1auPVir4eVXevSv0eTfQwoCtrWx2AKQ/s400/pals.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angela, Heather, & Me</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Two of my best gal pals from high school journeyed down from Pennsylvania on Sunday to spend what was supposed to be a few hours together (and turned into an overnight crash session). I saw Heather five years ago during the time of our 20th high school reunion. But Ang, well....I can't exactly remember when I saw her last. Neither could she. But probably when we were yet IN high school. Anyway, these gals weren't only just MY high school friends, they were like family to my mom. We made the most of our 17 hours together. We TALKED, we ate, we drank, we told stories, and we drank some more. I wonder if my mother is yet telling the story about how we were all "cut off" by the bar at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chowningstavern/">Chownings Tavern</a>. We were getting a bit loud and rowdy, I think, though our server really liked us. :) We took it home to mom's apartment and continued on with Mongolian vodka. We shared no shortage of laughs and memories into the wee hours.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UgFhdX3mFdAlCxxJEIrzATsJ1JTNTpff_kKlAt6t7yI_mSmSwG23nGmMJj-H72GgjFjooAc1QeKHFag7SOpUNZXHa8qvrO5l-TRkWun1PBOfaWfkyT5nbUNGj48i-hAiQFNCDQ_rWDI/s1600/IMG_5584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UgFhdX3mFdAlCxxJEIrzATsJ1JTNTpff_kKlAt6t7yI_mSmSwG23nGmMJj-H72GgjFjooAc1QeKHFag7SOpUNZXHa8qvrO5l-TRkWun1PBOfaWfkyT5nbUNGj48i-hAiQFNCDQ_rWDI/s320/IMG_5584.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fawn, Mel, & Me</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The morning after this night of fun I began my four-day intensive Advanced Placement Summer Institute hosted at the College of William & Mary (a place i once fantasized of attending!). I've attended no shortage of teacher trainings and professional development opportunities across my 12+ years of working in the field of education. A few exceptional, some good, most less than mediocre (more often than not....those were mandated by a school or district!). For the FIRST time in my education career I was in a room with 25 educators and NOT ONE felt they needed to dominate every conversation or WOW the other attendees with their wisdom, insight, or experiences. It was a room full of professional educators, some seasoned, some brand new....but each of us with a true respect for the collaborative experience. My table of five shared everything and anything. It was AMAZING! After my participation in the National Writing Project, this summer institute was next best experience. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young TJ on the right...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Once the professional development was complete, then I headed into my final weekend of fun before I boarded a plan for Asia. I was blessed to have my sister Fawn (who came from ID) and cousin Melaney (who lives in MD) travel down to spend a fast and furious 48 hours together. We ate, drank, attended events at CW, and played games at nearly midnight. Fawn and I even managed to meet up and exercise in the morning. Okay...that may be stretching the truth. We planned to run, but found walking and talking in the humidity to be more than sufficient. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePtrowpdXIKFcJ-R9WPRtgOkO7nMBYt2PJvCH4Th6UiybHG9CW0R44yoHjv8ad0eJuQh9K4-8qEK82Tefy06rPUtxKialIszLcwYWQGQnXDaPs34P55bSemOunPI6ojR-wWn7zm8knmk/s1600/IMG_5610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePtrowpdXIKFcJ-R9WPRtgOkO7nMBYt2PJvCH4Th6UiybHG9CW0R44yoHjv8ad0eJuQh9K4-8qEK82Tefy06rPUtxKialIszLcwYWQGQnXDaPs34P55bSemOunPI6ojR-wWn7zm8knmk/s320/IMG_5610.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After we Escaped the King</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We attended a couple of events during the day at CW (heard the Young Thomas Jefferson speak) and went to Escape the King on Saturday night along with our cousin Roz. I'm proud to say....WE DID ESCAPE. Are you kidding? All of us crazy smart people trapped in a room.....with a few random strangers and children? Yes, we managed just fine!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The weekend raced by us in a fury. Over the two weeks I shopped like a madwoman...acquiring things for myself, for my son and husband, and for the in-laws. I arrived with ONE bag (probably about 38 lbs); and I returned with TWO 50 lbs bags (I had been smart enough to pack a second). I confess that a good many of those pounds were books I received at the training OR during the numerous trips that Mom and I made to Barnes and Noble. I can't express how much I miss a LARGE bookstore. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQslALh7HrfmdKiaP3aen9jivoFMbuZdbQN6QMIMXloaUtZzjbLF_cdhly1vL8IU1XzmKOP3UBda7geRHVAdr9iloirQwF0b24M0IXAMBblA24YPLqJ0a9qZZkEZKdw0QCnysC4j66C_4/s1600/IMG_5738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQslALh7HrfmdKiaP3aen9jivoFMbuZdbQN6QMIMXloaUtZzjbLF_cdhly1vL8IU1XzmKOP3UBda7geRHVAdr9iloirQwF0b24M0IXAMBblA24YPLqJ0a9qZZkEZKdw0QCnysC4j66C_4/s400/IMG_5738.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home-cooked Meal</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My final night was spent in Hampton VA at my cousin Roz's beautiful home. You may be shocked to learn....this was my first and ONLY home-cooked meal across the entire two weeks in the USA. Even I admit that's appalling in retrospect. BUT...I can tell you it was totally WORTH it. First we enjoyed cocktails with a tour of the garden and grounds. then some YUMMY cheeses with grapes. And finally, pork tender loin from the grill. Homemade pesto on pasta. And roasted brussel sprouts. I know I ate more than I should have....but I was in heaven (and knew I was leaving in a few short hours). It was a lovely evening spent with two people whom I adore...my mother and Roz. They support me while I live this life abroad and it wouldn't be possible without them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I wrapped up summer with just over three weeks in UB preparing to begin teaching the AP Literature & Comp course for the first time. I'm excited to report that I have 9 of our 21 seniors in the class and I look forward to our 85 minutes together each and every morning. More soon!</span></div>
Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-4679338362791279532017-09-04T19:06:00.001+08:002017-09-04T19:06:57.296+08:00Sheep Heads and Sidewalk Sleepers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xp3ofLs3w_KP3IwEe_fhR-aKFGbv6htSRJ8UPYxJH6Xwq_QjM_uA33etvD-1Kx-sqIQUiRdoB3n5hhd4bzY5vjSlJEoXq7I3-ojvV48jbEPrjM4pJbR4gwPGmekQyMW9MglFi8SrDIg/s1600/IMG_5856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xp3ofLs3w_KP3IwEe_fhR-aKFGbv6htSRJ8UPYxJH6Xwq_QjM_uA33etvD-1Kx-sqIQUiRdoB3n5hhd4bzY5vjSlJEoXq7I3-ojvV48jbEPrjM4pJbR4gwPGmekQyMW9MglFi8SrDIg/s400/IMG_5856.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm still surprised when I see sheep heads--cooked and saran-wrapped--in the cooler next to the eggs and milk at the supermarket. I just can't imagine it will ever be normal or everyday. But here they are for your viewing pleasure. And one head costs 5,540 MNT or about $2.28. If you've been following my blog, then you recall that <a href="http://anamericantomboyinmongolia.blogspot.com/2016/04/trying-my-first-sheep-head.html">I tried my first sheep's head</a> back in April of 2016. I haven't had it again since. I'm glad to have tasted it....and the cheek meat and tongue are especially tasty...but it's not preferred Mongolian meat. That would be horse! With winter approaching, horse meat will be back on the butcher blocks. For the most part it is not eaten in the warmer months. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Some of you may have been wondering where I've been....as it's been a near two month hiatus since I last posted. Summer came and I was busy--first with working the English summer camp at ASU (had a blast with the younger kids for two weeks!). Then I went home to the USA, Virginia to be exact, to see my mother (and other family and friends--a full post on that soon) and attend an Advanced Placement Summer Institute. Then I was back here in UB for the final weeks before I first reported to work on August 18th. Now we are into our second full week of the semester one and I am LOVING my AP Lit class that is populated with NINE of our seniors (about half of the class). Again....look for a fleshed out post soon with highlights from my US trip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My last post back in July was about Sidewalks....the uneven-ness of them and the things I observe on them. Well...this is a P.S. to that post. Occasionally one does encounter someone such as this man on the left. He was sound asleep on the sidewalk. I assume he had been drunk, though I can't say I smelled any alcohol. I snapped this picture around 9:20 am on a Sunday morning--I think I was on my way home after a morning jog. Anyway....just wanted to add that one more thing to my observations for the sidewalks of UB. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I promise to have another post up very soon! </span>Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-85785182176114454312017-07-10T17:53:00.000+08:002017-07-10T18:13:13.978+08:00Sidewalk Stories<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUI4WA-WwLivdxhswqTBjUhuH4u7c2A69tDRhFRQdK_g4fXMjxTtmk2D38UdycQT1FLoIaeCl3nGMQ6PoTO54mNn9e2GEceq4gkbUrV2RGiRNCK1LX_gjWBQS7uJKVIoKJ4_h__mRdPbU/s1600/tuul+full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUI4WA-WwLivdxhswqTBjUhuH4u7c2A69tDRhFRQdK_g4fXMjxTtmk2D38UdycQT1FLoIaeCl3nGMQ6PoTO54mNn9e2GEceq4gkbUrV2RGiRNCK1LX_gjWBQS7uJKVIoKJ4_h__mRdPbU/s400/tuul+full.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuul River full after rains</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I spend a lot of time on the sidewalks of Ulaanbaatar. When the weather is good, I often walk the 5 km or 3 mi from ASU to our home. I walk to grocery shop and let's get real, when you don't have a car trunk to fill and transport with, it can take multiple trips. I walk or run for exercise in the early morning and I walk to hunt for new restaurants or shops and to just plain be outside and moving around. I've never been much of a homebody and 75 square meters (800 sq feet) can seem small with three people living in it. So....I walk the sidewalks of the city. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disrepair</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had <a href="http://anamericantomboyinmongolia.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-sidewalks-of-ub.html">an earlier post about the sidewalks of UB </a>in which I talked about how most of them have a combination of two types of blocks/bricks. Some are like cobblestone. Compared to sidewalks in America, Mongolia's can seem like an obstacle course. Because they are not made of a continuous pouring of concrete, they fall into disrepair and have to be redone periodically. You may walk home one day on a disintegrating sidewalk, and the next day it's been torn up completely. If they aren't also messing with the lines underneath (water? electricity? I don't know!), then you might have a completely NEW sidewalk two days later. They are speedy about it! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhu9a6hBLNa6a5yS9S-509M4UP6UAe0JG4bjDazAo6aHXIKRostch9p0AEv4SX0YdFHq_OB1Ckdf7ko3vxN7-FoA5b8kriykiH6Qkipz5f-JVzBYXQiwMtytI4EvgLb_1VpISJltGs60/s1600/mosaic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhu9a6hBLNa6a5yS9S-509M4UP6UAe0JG4bjDazAo6aHXIKRostch9p0AEv4SX0YdFHq_OB1Ckdf7ko3vxN7-FoA5b8kriykiH6Qkipz5f-JVzBYXQiwMtytI4EvgLb_1VpISJltGs60/s320/mosaic.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diversity of blocks/bricks</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But this is NOT the place where you can walk and not keep an eye on your footfalls. You could end up jarring yourself with an unexpected drop, or catch your toe on a block gone askew, or simply trip up on a different material. I imagine if these types of sidewalks were discovered in America someone would be on the phone complaining in no time. I admit that it sometimes annoys me. However, I've found the silver lining. Navigating the sidewalks of my city keeps my core muscles strong. Walking on smooth pavement or concrete requires no work from our smaller leg muscles and certainly not our core to maintain our balance. Well, it's the opposite here. I get plenty of practice on maintaining footholds, stepping over obstacles (<a href="http://anamericantomboyinmongolia.blogspot.com/2017/01/watch-out-for-manholes.html">remember about the manholes!</a>), and holding my core tight and sound. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While walking or jogging in the early morning hours the sidewalks reveal tales of the UB night life that aren't so pretty. If you are eating while reading this, I'd pause at this point and come back when you are finished. I don't mean to offend anyone, but what I share next initially shocked/disturbed me, but now it has become common and normal to observe.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GQBYIBIhXgYU2HsfX_MYeC786-GN5AdlWRSLzf5FJjhuYD6T6aHt0Np57PlNBCuroHJtJLTsyj7voJyIW4JK7JHmitSdf2Hs6i9-Ei_4mXphTfVjmcfs7jHiUX0Al-TAZh_qMfRYkxs/s1600/vomit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GQBYIBIhXgYU2HsfX_MYeC786-GN5AdlWRSLzf5FJjhuYD6T6aHt0Np57PlNBCuroHJtJLTsyj7voJyIW4JK7JHmitSdf2Hs6i9-Ei_4mXphTfVjmcfs7jHiUX0Al-TAZh_qMfRYkxs/s320/vomit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If I walk to the bus stop or go for a morning jog I almost always encounter two specific kinds of evidence that share about the evening before. On a Saturday or Sunday morning, I normally count between one and five vomit splatters. Yes, I am for real. Sometimes they are surrounded by birds picking at the bits. Gross. I know. But hey, it's already been regurgitated, I guess. I've certainly had nights where I drank too much and had to expel the poison. However, I feel I was more often home at that point and not out on the streets. And to be honest, maybe this is common experience for anyone living in a big city. Before moving to UB, I always lived in the suburbs.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBH0juq9aZKX_ygEPch4T1hOf6MRdyqxTvXVm20CAj77et3pMpx6TdxutE7qijNf0QJVpcbpJkLRg-v6WYAlesjlgU7Te2M56NDUSotvwGX7K5Ql_IsZrYjuh7In4M5eHM6jiFihpi5o4/s1600/blood1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBH0juq9aZKX_ygEPch4T1hOf6MRdyqxTvXVm20CAj77et3pMpx6TdxutE7qijNf0QJVpcbpJkLRg-v6WYAlesjlgU7Te2M56NDUSotvwGX7K5Ql_IsZrYjuh7In4M5eHM6jiFihpi5o4/s320/blood1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Additionally, I sometimes observe drops of blood on the sidewalks of UB. With the dry air and climate here it IS possible that they could be from spontaneous nose bleeds. However, I've observed numerous scuffles and fights--outside restaurants and bars, on the sidewalk, and even at 6 am between a small group of taxi drivers. So I suspect that the blood drops I find are from physical fights. Mongolian men do tend to like to solve their problems with their hands if/when their words do not get the result they desire. Again, maybe the streets of Chicago or New York or Los Angeles would reveal much of the same evidence of what happens in the midnight hours. I only have my experience in Ulaanbaatar to draw from. If you have lived in or currently live in a large city, please comment below and tell me if you've found the same evidence or not. What do the sidewalks of your city reveal about it or about its people or culture? </span><br />
<br />Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-42583681286052142872017-06-25T18:40:00.000+08:002017-06-25T18:40:03.056+08:00Eve of Presidential Election<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LiDKh2bWu6JwwIqD19fa3AI6-eUYxOj6dIziDlwj94t9rdHqhLBMQqtX3HTkYKRMGsWmW5m3FnqajDitGRvf0IeX56VWlNZUUyyfIKtPvPPj5zcnV6r_xuygKr0FcNySiW4p57M5fiQ/s1600/candidates.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="978" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LiDKh2bWu6JwwIqD19fa3AI6-eUYxOj6dIziDlwj94t9rdHqhLBMQqtX3HTkYKRMGsWmW5m3FnqajDitGRvf0IeX56VWlNZUUyyfIKtPvPPj5zcnV6r_xuygKr0FcNySiW4p57M5fiQ/s400/candidates.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tomorrow Mongolians will elect their fifth president. Here are the three candidates, from left to right: Enkhbold (Mongolian People's Party), Battulga (Democratic Party), and Ganbaatar (Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party). I'm not informed well enough to give much information about any of them. I'll only say that most Mongolians seem to think or feel that each of the candidates is corrupted in some way and will not be strong enough to create the Mongolia that so many of them wish for and want. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What I will comment on is the duration of the election season. Signs and advertisements starting going up just after the first of June. I read there was a presidential debate last night on TV (initially was supposed to be one a little over a week ago--but it got canceled). The election is tomorrow. That's less than a month spent on serious campaigning. While I'd argue that may not be enough time, it's certainly preferable to the YEARS of campaigning that happen in the U.S. The mayor of UB <a href="http://mongolia.gogo.mn/r/159399">has declared </a>the next two days as alcohol free and has prohibited public events. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Friday marked the end of my second school year at ASU. However, I'm working our summer camp which starts tomorrow and runs for two weeks. We have nearly 40 students ages 6-13 and will spend five hours each day with them. Our theme this year is: Every Hero has a Story! I'll be starting with Sendak's <i>Where the Wild Things Are</i> and have a variety of fun activities plan for the two weeks. We take a field trip one day each week as well. After summer camp I'll be heading home to the US for a quick visit to see my mom and to attend an AP Summer Institute. Summer is already passing TOO FAST!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Sorry for the silence on my blog lately. I have a number of topics I want to discuss and hope to be posting more very soon. Hope each of you is enjoying your summer!</span>Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-41514843685996216762017-05-08T12:45:00.000+08:002017-05-08T12:46:15.415+08:00Expat Exercise Challenges<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0YJXNKfP1VX6ium4EtgDRoDTgsj-lbpw6Wihp8H-LC9s8w0rmyRalTYJ5Jio6DEga4BgLtefWRS6GYFuxCUdutzTZ1np9XhPfAHknd06OCb2S6Yiu368NL6L8bM-RklZh0bOM4YH1bY/s1600/steps.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0YJXNKfP1VX6ium4EtgDRoDTgsj-lbpw6Wihp8H-LC9s8w0rmyRalTYJ5Jio6DEga4BgLtefWRS6GYFuxCUdutzTZ1np9XhPfAHknd06OCb2S6Yiu368NL6L8bM-RklZh0bOM4YH1bY/s400/steps.png" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10,000 steps a day is easy!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I remember hearing people complain about the "over 40 metabolism slowdown" when I was younger. Now it's happening and it's no fun. According to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-women-can-lose-weight-after-40-especially-around_us_58fee72ee4b047ce3ee27b91" target="_blank">this article by on Huffington Post</a>, it has to do with changes in hormones, loss of muscle mass, and insulin resistance. Whatever it is, I don't like it. Diet and exercise continue to be the frustrating components of living life as an expat. The last few years I lived in Colorado Springs, I attended <a href="http://www.coloradospringscrossfit.com/" target="_blank">a CrossFit gym</a> and ate a primarily Paleo diet. Believe it or not, I got up at 4:30 am, did the 5 AM WOD, then it was home, shower, and off to work. I loved knocking out my workout first thing in the morning. I was feeling and looking good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With spring/summer in the air, I'm getting back into working out more regularly. By the nature of how much I walk as a part of my average day, I do get my 10,000 steps/day easily. Most days I'm in the 12,000 to 15,000 step range. With the weather improving, I enjoy walking home from work (5k/3 miles). But I have been riding the exercise roller coaster since arrival. When it's so dark and cold in the winter time--motivation can be tough to scrounge up. There are a few aspects that contribute to the up and down experience, the on-the-wagon, off-the-wagon reality of making/keeping exercise a part of my every day life. </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>Location and Accessibility</u>.<br />I'd LOVE to go to a gym, but without a car (which I do NOT want to acquire, nor do I want to drive in UB) it limits my options. I'd LOVE to have "Crossfit UB" within a 10 minute walk from my apartment. I'd be willing to pay a solid membership fee for that kind of workout and having it close to home. Of course I'd want a qualified trainer/coach employed at said Box. But alas, Crossfit hasn't officially made it to UB yet. I *could* use the gym at my school. It has weights and cardio machines, a gymnasium, mats, everything really. But I am deterred by the need to lug around shower stuff and/or a change of clothing. I already carry a steady backpack to and from work for everyday necessities. I don't want to shower and get ready AT school, and traveling home sweaty and gross doesn't appeal to me either. (I know....these are MY choices!) SO.....I've settled for working out in my apartment.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>Time of Day</u>.<br />I prefer to work out in the morning. Starting a day with a workout is ideal for my body and spirit. It kick starts my muscles and metabolism and there is something exceptional about knowing you've already checked that item off one's list. However, because I live in a 75 sq. meter apartment (about 800 sq. feet) with only two rooms that offer enough space to work out--both of which are bedrooms--I can't workout before school as it would disturb my husband and son's sleep. Therefore, I have to force myself to work out in the evening. Not ideal for me, but as they say, you make time for what's important. And a workout anytime of day is better than NO workout at all. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>Equipment</u>.<br />One has two options: (a) join a gym where the equipment is provided, or (b) purchase/supply your own equipment to create a home gym. I came with a few things--exercise mat, jumprope, resistance band, workout clothing. Since arrival I've added weights as I LOVE strength training. As a woman, this is important towards maintaining muscle mass and to keeping my bones strong as I age. I absolutely love having sore quads and hamstrings from doing squats and lunges! In the beginning, I could only find 1-10 lb dumbbells. Then they jumped pretty drastically, from 10 to 15 to 20. As a woman, I need smaller increments. When we came back from our holiday visit to the U.S. I brought home my big investment--a set of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PowerBlock/">PowerBlock </a>adjustable dumbbells. Together they weighed 50 lbs. I had to divide them up, placing a few parts in each of our 6 bags. One of them I transported in my carry-on. You should have seen the security personnel in the Beijing airport inspecting that!! Hilarious. BUT.....these are a brilliant investment. I'm so glad I bought them and worked out how to get them here. </span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEncT_qeu9C5iFPYQ1r3orVSjuNrRsdfTpmv_3mVA33UnNMjrdNI_zm8J_JWMQ_1-ziFICBqg6qrnijICx0xbuCEKTJkPhiOBnA3xytc0KEwxxnJ1ial4IFszaYNvNMraVBWd8rQvLdx0/s1600/weight+options.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEncT_qeu9C5iFPYQ1r3orVSjuNrRsdfTpmv_3mVA33UnNMjrdNI_zm8J_JWMQ_1-ziFICBqg6qrnijICx0xbuCEKTJkPhiOBnA3xytc0KEwxxnJ1ial4IFszaYNvNMraVBWd8rQvLdx0/s400/weight+options.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From 3 to 24 lbs in 3 lb increments. Brilliant!!</td></tr>
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<li><u style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Trainer and/or Workout program</u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since I'm not attending a Crossfit gym where a trainer/coach decides and guides the day's workout, I have to make or find my own. I have some books on weightlifting and brought some DVD programs as well. However, in this era of streaming online media, I've grown to use and love <a href="https://www.fitnessblender.com/">FitnessBlender.</a> They offer hundreds of free, online workouts. Stand alone, 5 day challenges, or multi-week plans with a focus (strength, fat loss, flexibility, etc). I've also become a fan of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene">Yoga with Adrienne</a>. Yoga can be surprisingly difficult. I struggle to clear my mind during these sessions--doesn't help that I'm watching intensely trying to figure out the moves--but I do feel that my muscles get a serious workout even if I'm not huffing and puffing at the end. :)</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I try to workout 3-5 times a week. On the weekends I sometimes go for a run in the morning when the air is yet cool. I usually do a 3 mile loop, from home to the Wrestling Palace (where I do step-ups and squats) and then around the Square on the way home. I wish I could run dirt trails (I so miss the Fountain Valley Regional Trail system!) and they do exist, but then there is the transportation issue to tackle. So I find a way to work with I got! Urban running it is! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As for diet, that's a whole other conversation. One would think that with Mongolia's obsession with MEAT it would be easy to be Paleo. It is, and it isn't. They do have lots of meat. However, it's often tough and hidden by a crapload of wheat (NOT paleo) in some form. Mongolia is known for two food groups--meat and dairy. Dairy is NOT Paleo. So this is another on-again, off-again battle--trying to eat Paleo in a land that puts LOADS of refined carbs and often gluten in every dish (rice, noodles, bread, etc). Bottom line...you have to shop around and do lots of planning. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'll wrap this up for now. Time to get outside for a walk in the 70+ degree sunshine to get my vitamin D allotment. :)</span><br />
<br />Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207185812820119738.post-76926449560540556152017-04-24T21:15:00.003+08:002017-04-24T21:15:49.931+08:00Can't see the Trees for the Concrete<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXQz-5dm-DjEBlJ-4VHO4jj3_GYPjfCH6L5M0z0B3BvsUu_KQjlTaXozHrNnorC07QYHP1gmK4K-M43AyEH5RILqxhoaz0n-V0lt4ui5eg_Fpwhv1kATWXxyYPq8fCsG4xRACMWZYd_w/s1600/fall+tree+trip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXQz-5dm-DjEBlJ-4VHO4jj3_GYPjfCH6L5M0z0B3BvsUu_KQjlTaXozHrNnorC07QYHP1gmK4K-M43AyEH5RILqxhoaz0n-V0lt4ui5eg_Fpwhv1kATWXxyYPq8fCsG4xRACMWZYd_w/s400/fall+tree+trip.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">October 2015, Bank of Chuluut River</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the daughter of a forester, I notice trees. I grew up in the Northwoods of Michigan--our favorite tree to climb was a White Pine on the edge of the field behind our house in the middle of the <a href="http://www.pigeonrivercountry.com/" target="_blank">Pigeon River Country</a> State Forest. I love the smell of evergreen, the vibrant green of a deciduous tree, and the flow of a willow blowing in the wind. I even like the enchanting look of a saguaro cactus in the desert land of the southwest. If you were to flip through my pictures from trips over the years, you'd find a strange assortment of pictures of trees. Yes, that's all, just unique or cool looking trees. I can't explain why I am driven to take them. They touch or speak to something instinctual inside me. They make me feel at ease, at home. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQdpQ3adY-9zDzSC2_FT4DJTV1BB-ore1ABrO2UV9wsGm7cX0O6JXB3apgb5tbRC2mu7T0uIhvGsgb8NyhX3yuPMkZKxyQuqhyphenhyphen-7GsAJJFp3FXqUWfVQqNdsOx9ubMrkRg6V2FDoe2ps/s1600/full+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQdpQ3adY-9zDzSC2_FT4DJTV1BB-ore1ABrO2UV9wsGm7cX0O6JXB3apgb5tbRC2mu7T0uIhvGsgb8NyhX3yuPMkZKxyQuqhyphenhyphen-7GsAJJFp3FXqUWfVQqNdsOx9ubMrkRg6V2FDoe2ps/s400/full+tree.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree implanted for ASEM last summer</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That said, I want to appreciate the efforts around UB to increase the greenery despite our very short growing season. If I remember correctly, things didn't green-up last year until JUNE. I'm not joking. It took forever to feel surrounded by green; and when it did happen, it was an overnight experience. As if a magician flew over our sprawling metropolis one night and said, "let there be green!" And so it was. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I have a serious problem with whomever thinks that trees--some of which are fairly mature--can be planted inside a field of concrete and expect them to flourish and thrive. In the picture to the left you see a large evergreen (I suspect it's a pine of some sort) that was implanted (arrived at the size you see) last summer just before the <a href="http://www.aseminfoboard.org/members/mongolia" target="_blank">ASEM Summit</a>. As you can see, there are boards to support them. I assume because we are yet waiting for their roots to take anchor. The supports have been there since installation. Not exactly a beautiful sight--TALL live trees with dead trees holding them up. But worse than this, I want you to see what it looks like where the tree meets the ground. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2X7C-r0ISVFULbVcLQY8_G1f3de_6Wd7lNankh6FXjLAXOGmjAuw9paks_1d08CgK_a8gmIFtdebmvTinAk0ZacfX5oAHXwmAn-eGCOYXUP-Tbg4HidZPgiSr1hNXwQFfMnZcGX3Zkcc/s1600/close+up+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2X7C-r0ISVFULbVcLQY8_G1f3de_6Wd7lNankh6FXjLAXOGmjAuw9paks_1d08CgK_a8gmIFtdebmvTinAk0ZacfX5oAHXwmAn-eGCOYXUP-Tbg4HidZPgiSr1hNXwQFfMnZcGX3Zkcc/s320/close+up+tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The resolution may not be ideal, but I think you can see my point in this picture (right). There is literally NO exposed land around where the tree meets the ground. It is boxed in completely by huge blocks of marble. IF the tree manages to stay alive (questionable), there is no room for it to grow and expand. Well, at least not without breaking up the sidewalk that encases it. I'm left to wonder if the planners of this space (and many others) ever pause to get educated by anyone that knows about trees. How does one go about watering this tree? (I'm confident there is NOT an under-the-marble sprinkler system!) And how in the world is wood springing forth from marble or concrete felt to be beautiful or appealing? Mongolians are known to have a deep affinity for their nature. You can't flip through the channels on cable TV here without catching a Mongolian singer--male and female--decked out in a deel and singing from a forest, a mountaintop, or from the wide open steppe. Everyone looks forward to escapes to the countryside and you will see families or groups of friends sitting on a blanket in the middle of the wide open expanses that surround UB and every other town or city, talking, eating, playing. So I know they love their land (trash is another problem and for another post). I wish we could employ the foresters and landscape architects that KNOW how we could actually have trees flourish in our city. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01UhF34wstKB-JaqK7x80VQExv3c9fyXI1P-R2-r9CUfaiULXvRjLx9szW6L7s0MHGjqr6TdbbeWR9jd3NWVSEYGApzPc-WH1cz3ZBVbnAkw7IyDizMWKAFq2dY4d3aX-8g1AVFIP488/s1600/box+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01UhF34wstKB-JaqK7x80VQExv3c9fyXI1P-R2-r9CUfaiULXvRjLx9szW6L7s0MHGjqr6TdbbeWR9jd3NWVSEYGApzPc-WH1cz3ZBVbnAkw7IyDizMWKAFq2dY4d3aX-8g1AVFIP488/s320/box+tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's another attempt. There is a *small* quadrant of dirt around this one. However, I'm confident it is not living anymore. I didn't bother to take a picture of the actual treetop. It was too sad. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes it's difficult to discern if a city tree is living or not. They look almost black in the winter months (basically Nov to March). I'm left to believe that is a byproduct of all the coal smoke/pollution in the air. It makes our snow gray and if the HEPA filter in my apartment is any indicator, yes, the pollution makes our trees black. I can't remember...is there a scene in the Lorax where all the trees go black? For some reason that movie comes to mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All that to say, I would love for there to be more trees around UB. I'd love for there to be more green spaces. I miss having a natural space to escape to and feel more at ease. And I agree that in modern times people are beginning to suffer from what has been coined "Nature Deficit Disorder." You can investigate that more by checking out this <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4665933" target="_blank">NPR story</a> or the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Child-Woods-Children-Nature-Deficit-ebook/dp/B0015DRPAY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493039543&sr=8-1&keywords=Last+child+in+the+woods" target="_blank">book that it references</a> (which I read years ago with my fellow book club members back in Colorado). <i>So....can someone please help UB plant trees in a way that will actually allow them to grow and thrive?</i> There are people around the world that know what species would do best in our conditions, and how to make it possible. Not just a random shot through the concrete. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most of my readers here are also connected with me on Facebook. However, I know I have a few friends and family members that do not want to be in that social media realm. This last week the story of how Zorig and I met was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/travel/love-travel-reader-stories.html" target="_blank">featured in the New York Times' </a>Travel Section, their first ever Love Issue. A friend of my sister sent her the form link, which my sister then sent to me. I figured, Why not? It had a 500 word limit which was tough, but a good challenge. It was an honor to be one of the six entries they published from the prompt/topic. I was moved by all six of them--they were diverse and unique. I'm still wanting to know more about the woman in Paris!! It tickled me that they chose my piece to highlight (See image at Left--quote from me, and opting to use the picture of a ger) when they posted to Facebook. Thanks NYT for sharing my story with a larger world. Love is about both joy and heartbreak. Timing is crucial. Decisions and choices have to be made. Sacrifices are often given. But we must keep the hope of love alive and that is always my wish in sharing our story. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As always, thanks for reading. </span><br />
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Heather Caveneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07851750869309734058noreply@blogger.com0