I have come to learn that spring time in the Colorado Rockies and spring time in Northern Mongolia are two completely different worlds. Of course this didn’t come as a surprise. As I am sure I have mentioned before when you’re living in a place like Mongolia you become immune to the unexpected and unfamiliar. Being from Colorado spring time for me has always been a time of what else but spring skiing. I love spring skiing. I love skiing anyways but for some reason there is just something about spring skiing. I really don’t think there is anything better than skiing on a perfect spring day. Although the snow isn’t perfect, the weather is. With temperatures so high you can ski in a t-shirt. And for some reason Americans always get really giddy during the spring. You know what I’m talking about. With the first warm day of spring you can always find an excuse to put on shorts and sandals and hangout outside all day. Well spring here is a little different. First off you can always tell when spring or warm weather is coming with two indicators; one being dust and the second being the smell of urine (let me explain). Public urination although illegal (and rarely enforced) is very common. Fences, ally ways, and on the outside of building are considered prime spots for public urination. In the winter and late fall the cold weather helps hide the smell. However being in the right spot during spring or summer and you’ll find that the smell of urine lingering in the air. I noticed this for the first time last weekend when I was walking home and I passed buy a popular spot for taxi’s to park and with the familiar smell I knew that spring was on its way. Where was I…Oh ya, why spring is different here. For one there is no spring skiing… I can’t even remember the last time it snowed here. Second two words, dust storms. If you enjoy dust then Mongolia is the place for you. Spring time here is the dusty season with the possibility of having a dust storm all day long for several days in a row. Living in a Ger doesn’t help. Dust finds its way into everything…literally everything! I may sound like I’m complaining but its really not that bad like every other aspect of living here you soon adapt to it. It is however amazing to see the amount of dirt that comes out of my hair and clothes. I thought it was bad during the summer, fall and winter but now it’s just impressive. I know it’s nothing to be proud of but nonetheless every time I wash my hair I find myself laughing…the dust is ridiculous. Lately it hasn’t been that bad but then again spring is just beginning… I think. Mongolians have a different schedule for their seasons. I’m still trying to figure the seasons out. This is difficult when you get a different answer from everyone you ask. But basically for the region that I live in there is a shorter summer and spring with fall and winter lasting a little longer. However spring time here isn’t all bad. The temperature gets warmer and the days get longer both of which do great things for ones morale. In fact this past week the weather has been great with temperatures in the low fifties and sixties. I have learned that there are pros and cons with the warming weather. Some of the pros include: not freezing my ass of in the morning, water and other liquid objects don’t freeze and no need for long underwear. The cons are: no refrigerator and laundry. During the winter I can keep meat, milk and anything else that needs to be kept cold (i.e. frozen) outside. Having the ability to keep things cold is very convenient. It means I don’t have to go to the market everyday to buy 100 or 200 grams (up to one or two meals) of meat. Because it can get so hot here during the summer you have to do your laundry all the time. Usually wouldn’t be a big deal but when your hand washing your clothes it becomes a big deal. All in all I am excited for the summer season mostly because I think I’ll be busy. The grant that I have been working on is finally finished. Now I just have to wait for it to get approval and of course the funds. As I may have mentioned the grant is for healthcare professionals from surrounding rural communities to travel to Moron (where I live) so that I can conduct a nutrition education seminar. Following the seminar I will travel to about 7 villages to both monitor and evaluate the clinics practices in hoping that the healthcare professionals who attended the seminar are using their new knowledge in the workplace. Summer time also comes with one of Mongolia’s biggest celebrations “Nadaam” the three to four days of archery, wrestling and horse racing. Oh, and don’t forget what comes with most Mongolian celebrations drinking, and singing. Well I have procrastinated long enough…I should probably get back to work…