Work Update

Work update! My supervisor and counterparts have yet again decided to leave for the country side…without me. As of now there is only one other person at the Health Department with me, however I’m not fretting, if anything I’m rejoicing. I guess you could say I have been some what rebellious in the absence of my fellow co-workers. As you know from previous entries (you better have been reading them!) morning is my least favorite time of the day. I will usually stay in bed avoiding the cold until the last possible moment, thus not allowing me enough time to start a fire (I know, this is no ones fault but mine). This morning I woke at nine (allowing for two extra hours of sleep). Although I still feared the inedible cold that waited outside the protection of my blankets but because I was in no hurry I started a fire, and enjoyed the warmth it generated. Having a fire in the morning provides many benefits; for one, I can enjoy toasted bread (the top of my stove acts as a perfect substitution for a griddle), and two I don’t have to walk around my Ger wearing every piece of clothing I own. I brewed a large pot of coffee, enjoyed several slices of toast and strolled into work around ten thirty (how nice it is to make your own schedule). However I do stay busy. In fact I think I can get more work done when I’m not distracted by my fellow CP’s. The office at which I reside only has one computer making it almost impossible to get any work done with my counterpart around. So with my CP gone the possibilities are endless as what work I can accomplish.
My first task and most likely only task will be to translate my nutrition education training, which by the way seems to be never ending. Translating can be mundane, tiresome, and tedious all at once, especially with my language skills. I will also have to type up a progress report for Peace Corps…What progress? Just joking, Peace Corps requires three annual progress reports. Allowing them to keep tabs on what were doing to stay “busy”. And I thought the application to become a volunteer was tedious. The PC progress report puts the application to shame. I’ve only been at site for five months what sort of progress are they expecting?
Okay enough with work. Let’s talk about awkwardness, Mongolian beliefs and other odds and ends. First, this is something I have wanted to write about for a while. It’s definitely an experience all volunteers have witnessed. That is as long as you don’t live in an apartment. Most volunteers who live in wooden houses or Gers will share an out house with there haashaa family (unless your one of the select few who has the luxury of having your own outhouse). First off Mongolian outhouses aren’t like the ones that you will find while camping with the US Forest Service (no air fresheners no seat no lock on the door). Instead of having a seat there will be a whole cut or a board removed from the floor. Yes, this means that squatting will be required. As I mentioned the door doesn’t have a lock. Here is where things can get awkward. Say I’m headed to the outhouse, and all of a sudden from inside the outhouse comes a grunt or cough, that’s the way of knowing the outhouse is occupied. Many volunteers just refer to it as “the grunt”. It gets even more awkward when you don’t make a loud enough grunt or don’t hear the grunt. This of course will result in an awkward confrontation. Luckily I have never been the victim of such a situation. I have however walked in on my haashaa father.
A few weeks ago I had some sort of stomach flu. Having a stomach flu while living in a Ger and having to use an outhouse it not the best combination one could ask for and it contently doesn’t make you feel anymore comfortable when you’re having to go to the bathroom every twenty minutes. Luckily Mongolians have many remedies for upset stomach, diarrhea, and indigestion, ones that put Pepto-Bismol to shame. My neighbor for some reason had discovered that I was feeling under the weather and decided to come over to remedy my problem. Many of you may agree with me here, but when you feel like shit you really just want to be alone while lying in the fetal position. And nonetheless I was doing just this, lying on my death bed. At this point I was pretty much open to any suggestions that would subside whatever it was that was making me feel the way I was. When my neighbor had arrived she came with a bottle of vodka and a sash or scarf that was about four feet long. I was thinking to myself, “can’t she see I’m in no shape to drink, and what the hell is she doing with that scarf?” I would soon find out that by tying the scarf around my stomach it would help keep all my insides from moving around (Duh…Why didn’t I think about that). The vodka was supposed to help keep my stomach warm (Mongolians consider vodka a “warm” beverage). Warm beverages include anything hot, hence the name. Although I should little interest, provided much refusal, and was very stubborn. I soon found myself with a scarf tightly (almost uncomfortable) tied around my abdomen and two shots of vodka in my stomach…Both of which did nothing but make me feel more like crap. My neighbor assured me it would help…maybe help me feel crappier. I really guess it’s the thought that counts. I was also informed that I became ill because I drink cold water. Really! I didn’t know staying hydrated would contribute to the health of ones digestive tract. Real quick some other Mongolian remedies include but are not limited to; eating wolf meat to cure certain ailments (cold, bronchitis, heart disease etc…), eating fat in the winter to stay warm, drinking your mothers urine when sick, and using toothpaste to cover blemishes and zits. I’ll be sure to keep you posted on my new findings of Mongolian cures and remedies.