Out in the City Center

So, today was my first day actually going into downtown Ulanbator, and I feel so much better for it. This may be a weird thing to say, but just walking around the city helped me sink my feet into it a little more, helped me feel like i am somewhere. Just walking from the dormitory to the school and back was starting to get a bt claustrophobic and to feel like no-man's land; in spending a few ours walking around and getting to know the city, I felt like I am beginning to appropriate it, make it mine. In the next few days, I will try uploading a few pictures I took of the city square and of myself dressed in a million layers and looking something like a koala.

First task in downtown UB wast buy a pair of trousers-- since "Monglian teachers don't wear jeans" and since Aditi wears jens more than anything else, Aditi needed to go shopping. One of the Mongolian teachers at the school who teaches Japanese but also speaks some English (ye, now you see what Imeant by no-man's land?) offered to take me to the indoor bazaar... not as freezing as the outdoor one, but still much cheaper than a departmental store. We walked around to the different stalls selling everything from socks to make-up to shoes untilwe came across a clothes' store. I picked a pair and asked if Icould try it; I was told "of course" and handed a towel to wrap around my waist so I could try them on right there (that seems to be the general rule in Mongolian markets). Umm, very weird. But thank god for a long coat and for wearing an extra layer of warm pants under my jeans! Fortunately, the first pair I tried fit well, and I did not need to put myself through that strange experience more than once!

Lunch was interesting-- my friend took me to a place called "Berlin Burger," and as thename probably suggests, their food was from nowhere in particular. Spaghetti with a Mongolian sauce, mutton burgers, all kinds of mixes. I had what I think is a fairly traditional Mongolian soup with a dumpling. The soup was swimming in grease-- reminded me a lot of many of the meals we ate in Mexico, except that this one was mutton. The dumpling helped a lot. I will need to come up with lots of light and quick dinner recipes-- lunch in the school cafeteria (and, it seems, Mongolian food in general) is so heavy because of all the mutton and the grease that I really need nice, light dinners. Yay for survival cooking.

Other than that, I am starting to feel more comfortable here. Last night, Miho and I were up past midnight, first having dinner, then watching "Friends," and then swapping stories and photographs. I also finsihed unpacking yesterday and wnt shoppig for the little things I needed to buy, and so now our apartment/ room (it's just one large room-- I like calling it an apartment!) has started feeling quite homey. Also, I was looking for a way to have regular internet access during the week because I needed that to stay connected to my English-speaking life (I use the computer from the principal's office, so it is okay on weekends when he is here but doing other things, but hard during the week or when he doesnt come in on the weekends). Mr. G (principal) just promised me a key to his office so that Miho and I can come here at night or on weknds and use the internet at leisure. Of course, we dont hav that much time at night;by the time we get home from school and finish dinner, it is already 8:30 or 9... but now that we have this possibility, we will probably be able to use it more. That's a relief.

Well, that is all for now. Tomorrow we start making lesson plans for this coming term, and I think I will be helping all the English teachers with their plans within th strcit frameworkthey have. So, it will be a busy week; I want to rest today. Back home now for nap time!