Seein Mongolia

12-20-2008

I’ve been away from my site for about three weeks now, and just came back a few days ago. I have had a little bit of an adjustment period coming back, trying to get back into work and back into my ‘ger life’. It got significantly colder while I was gone and I came back to everything in my ger being frozen, including my huge jug of water. The ice expanded and blew out the bottom of my jug. I will buy a new one tomorrow. This is a bummer but in a way it is ‘lessons learned’. Lesson #1 is that I don’t need one that big and it is better to get two smaller ones. Lesson #2 is that I need to dump my water before I leave for a significant amount of time. (Dually noted)
I came back to a new counterpart (person I work with). It was a little awkward at first, but I introduced myself and we talked a little. I get the feeling that she was not told about me when she was hired and she just thinks I’m there to teach English. I am not just there to teach English, but I will teach anyone who is truly ready to learn. (These are few and far between)

I’ve been trying to make more of an effort to see more of the country this year. I want to visit other aimags and people’s soums. Before I leave, I’m definitely going to need to a little more traveling, even if that means COSing (Close Of Service) 30 days early and taking that time to take a look around. I recently went to Kharkhorin, which is a soum in my aimag. It is a large soum and very popular on the tourist’s map, as it is the late capital of Mongolia. There is a big and well-known monastery that attracts a lot of attention. I went there to visit a friend, and also to do some work. The good thing about traveling in Mongolia is that you can often work and travel at the same time. I visited the schools and observed some lessons that were a result of a training I did last year. Unfortunately, in my time in Kharkhorin, I did not make it to the monastery. But this is ok because it will just drive me to go again. It is not very far from my town and there are relatively reliable cars that go every day. When I was in Kharkhorin, I met up with some other PC volunteers, who came down from Arkhangai and were on their way to my town for the school break. We stayed a night in Kharkhorin and then all headed down to my town. It was fun having so many people here, but it can also be tiring when you have to work, but nobody else does. They stayed for a little while and then headed back to their homes. The following week, I decided to help some of the volunteers in Dungovi with their English Olympics. These are English competitions that go on throughout the country. The winners can get money, dictionaries, money for University, or an invitation to a University in UB. They can be taxing on the volunteers, but are important to Mongolia. We filled up a car with students and teachers who wanted to participate in the neighboring aimag’s English Olympics and headed for Mandalgov, the aimag’s capital. This gave me a chance to see another part of the country, support the students and teachers, see some friends, and help out the volunteers in Dungovi. Dungovi is in the Gobi desert, which I hope to visit again. According to Lonely Planet, the Gobi desert is the least populated area of the world. I was only in the aimag center walking with my friend, and couldn’t help but chuckle at the amount of enjoyment I got simply out of walking on the soft sand of the Gobi. I’m sure being in the Gobi in spring, when the winds are fierce, is NOT FUN! But for the time being I was enjoying the closest thing to the beach I’m going to get for a while. So, I walked in the sand next to my (New York) friend, who preferred walking in the snow. After we did the English Olympics (which begins in the morning and finishes late at night), I had a couple days to see the aimag center. My friend showed me around and took me to a monument of a LARGE Murenhuur (instrument), and a LARGE drum, often found at monasteries. I don’t know the history behind this monument, but it seems like every aimag center has something. The people in Dungovi were really nice, even when I said the wrong aimag in a toast (oops!).
After my time in Dungovi, my friend and I hopped on the bus to the capital to celebrate Thanksgiving a few days late, but with many friends. While in UB, I enjoyed a total of 3 massages! (that’s a splurge) But they were badly needed, and greatly appreciated. There is a place in UB that is legit and almost feels like America… Or so I assume, since I’ve never gotten a massage in America. For the Thanksgiving dinner, the embassy provides turkey and everyone else brings something. I brought a side salad that I had at a Korean restaurant. (I’m lazy) Many people made delicious cakes and stuffing.
Days in UB can get really expensive due to all the things you can get there, but nowhere else in the country. I ate a lot of Korean food (one of my new favorites) and other delicious things. There is even a few REALLY good vegetarian places that serve reasonably priced food and jenkin (real) salads with smoked cheese! I spent a few days enjoy the luxuries of UB and catching up with friends and a couple days planning for the training I was about to partake in. Then I headed for Nukht, a pretty nice hotel (my standards may be different than those reading this), and prepared for the next day arrival of the M19 volunteers. (These are the same guys as the ones I trained in the summer) Three and a half days filled with trainings, evaluations, food, and laughter and I found myself back in UB, getting ready to perform phase 2 of a project that I’m working on in Darkhan (the second, or third, largest city in Mongolia… depending on who you ask). I spent the weekend in UB and headed up to Darkhan with another volunteer, a translator, and my approved project money. We taught some lessons and headed back to UB the same day. Two days later, I was on a bus headed for my town.
Travelling around is a lot of fun, but can also be tiring. I came home to my frozen water, and a mess in my ger (my fault… I forgot to do the dishes). It’s only a couple days later, and I am enjoying the warmth of my fire and night to myself. It’s amazing how much I love and appreciate the time I get to myself. I’ve always been a pretty social person, but sometimes I feel like I could go months without seeing anyone and be perfectly happy. Before I leave Mongolia, I plan on doing a 10 day silent meditation. I know a couple people who have done it, and I really look forward to experiencing it for myself.

(As I write this, I get up every so-often to check on the fire and make sure it doesn’t go out, and add some wood and/or coal if needed. Tonight I have actually had a relatively steady fire and have managed to prevent turning my ger into a sauna. Progress.)

When I joined the Peace Corps, I had no intentions of teaching English. I even debated whether or not I believed people should be going abroad “imposing” their language on another people. I did not know the inevitability of teaching English abroad. I have since changed my views on the issue. I now find myself wanting to teach English for a variety of reasons. I don’t necessarily want this to be my sole purpose here, but I am not closed to teaching any ready and willing student. It is amazing the amount of people who have asked me to teach them English, especially when you compare it to the amount of people who continue to show up or message me for lessons. Now, I’ll admit, when I was in America studying Spanish I was not exactly the best student and didn’t study as much as I could have, and I understand the difficulties of learning a foreign language outside of a country that speaks it, and for this reason, I will teach any student who puts forth the effort to simply show up for a lesson. In my time here I have learned the importance of English in the international world, which trickles down to people’s everyday lives. I have first hand seen how English can make or beak someone, how reports from Unicef will come in English and they expect reports back in English, how a person who only knows a basic level of English will get any job before a person who does not know any English. From situations as simple as staying in the guesthouses to as complex as working for Child Labor, English has proven helpful, not to mention the accessibility of information in books and on the internet. While I have grown an appreciation for the importance and usefulness of the language, I have also, through first hand experience, gained the knowledge of its difficulty. There are too many instances when, even to the BEST English speakers, you can not explain why ‘we say it this way and not that way’. English does not always make sense, and there are so many rules, and each rule has its exceptions, and each exception has its exceptions. I give props to any person who has successfully learned English as a Second Language, as it must be very difficult. I have been learning Mongolian for a year and 7 months and still am not where I’d like to be (though, I still find myself not to be the overachiever I never was). I give EVEN MORE props to anyone who has successfully learned English as a Foreign Language, as this has got to be a trying feet. I have now been in English classrooms in Israel and Mongolia, and find that more often than not there are teacher’s who don’t really know English, teaching English. This is insane!!! At a basic level, it is ok to teach the principles of a language in someone’s natural language, but there comes a point when, for the kids to have a decent chance and sufficiently learning the language, the class needs to be taught in the language being learned. This I appreciate as much when I taking Spanish as I do now. I am thankful that English is the one language that I don’t have to learn. (Though I could significantly brush up on my grammar knowledge) Those who learn English and really know it end up knowing it much better than I do. I don’t know all the rules and tenses, but I am thankful that I can speak it.
I encourage all you English majors, and people who find English interesting to get out there and start teaching people. English is a useful tool all over the world and can only help those who are learning it. I remember when I was in University people would say that there’s nothing for English majors to do but teach. This sounded so boring to me at the time, but I didn’t realize how interesting it could be. Teaching English could take you all over the world, and the funny thing is, you don’t even have to have a degree. All you need is the ability to speak it. People will train and provide resources for you to come to their country and teach English. They will pay good money for natural English speakers; all you need is a college degree… in any subject.

A shout out to the fam!!!

10-26-2008

This weekend was my cousin’s bat mitzvah in Michigan. In my time abroad I have missed out on weddings, birthdays, babies, and other momentous occasions of my friends and family. The only time I get a little homesick is when my work isn’t going well and one of these moments is passing me by (luckily, work is going pretty well). I have found that I am quite the family person. My family has been spread out throughout a few states for my whole life, and I always looked forward to the times when we all came together for whatever occasion it was that brought us there. I remember when I was young, first telling my mom that I wanted to move to Michigan one day… then some amount of years later, I changed to Arizona. These days, I know better. Michigan is a great state and I now know that I can handle the cold, but I would never commit myself to dealing with the cold year after year… with no known end. Arizona has a lot to offer, but I just can’t imagine being somewhere warm and not having the beach. I used say that Arizona would be perfect if it just had the ocean. However, the best things these states have to offer me is family. Many of my Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins are in Michigan right now, celebrating the Jewish coming of age of my only (first) cousin younger than me. The last time everyone gathered together in such an event was my other cousin’s wedding. And the next time (I think) will be one year from now at another cousin’s wedding. Over the years, we have only seen each other sporadically; sometimes more than others… but every time despite the physical distance I have always felt a closeness with my family, even if we don’t talk all the time. I may not have been there for every relationship, or breakup, wedding, child, or other momentous occasions, but that does not change my love for them. Some I haven’t talked to in years and others, the internet has provided an easy way to say “what’s up” every once in a while. We all have gone our separate directions leading our lives differently. In my family, we have a beautifully wide array of life paths; we’ve got doctors, lawyers, iron workers, probation officers, computer techies, store workers/owners, secretaries, teachers, and much more. (I’ve never been fond of groups of people who are all the same). We’ve got the outdoorsy, and the indoorsy, the book worms, bike riders, sports fanatics, and whatever other classification you decide to come up with. And somewhere, I fall into that mess. But we all come from the same blood. (and I include any and all members who have married in… in this instance, blood is used figuratively)
To be honest, I have few solid memories of my times spent with my family, as I was pretty young for most of them. I could probably come up with more if I thought hard or had the chance to reminisce. But this loss of recall of specific memories does not change my love for them.
Our family seems to only gather for occasions. Being the (2nd to) youngest of a bunch of cousins, I was pretty young for many of the occasions and have foggy memories of all the bar mitzvahs, deaths, and weddings. I think where my memory starts to become a little more clear is my grandmother’s death (though still patchy), and though it was a somber occasion, there is nothing more beautiful than spending so much time together (due to the Jewish tradition of sitting shivah). The next, I believe was my bat mitzvah… a whirlwind of events that I hardly remember, ending in my aunt and cousin moving to Michigan. If I recall correctly, the next time a large amount of us were together (that I was there for) was my Cousin M’s wedding. It had been a long time and we had all grown quite a bit. And thanks to my photo happy hands, I have some awesome snapshots of my family that I was sure to bring with me to Mongolia. That was the last time I was at a large family gathering, and the next will be my for my other cousin M’s wedding, which will be immediately after I return from this whirlwind of challenges, experiences, and at times, solitude, that we call the Peace Corps. There is nothing I would rather do after completing my time here than to see a large chunk (at least) of my family. You’ll notice, I never refer to these gatherings as my WHOLE family… this is because my WHOLE family is never there. Due to the size, some are always missing for whatever reason… leading to even larger gaps between the times that I see some family members. But the truth is, no amount of time can go by that will cause me to lose site of the meaning of family. And I think that being so far away has made me more apt to keep moving when I am back in the U.S. So, if you are reading this (some are)… be ready for some visits!!! (maybe I can even drag my mom along ; ) and for those of you who are reading this and are not in the family…. I’ll briefly explain. She’s not exactly the ‘traveler’ (sorry ma! It’s true! But my public props to you for getting out a little more while I’ve been gone) If I’ve done nothing else in the peace corps, at least I did that… unknowingly influenced my mom to go somewhere new.

And this is where I’m going to take a minute to give some props to the other part of my family… commonly known as my friends. The way I see it, there are small differences between ‘family’ and ‘friends’… at least, for a person who has been as fortunate as me to have many lifelong friends. It is very interesting when you go so far away to see what happens to your relationships. Some you hear from every day, some once in a while, others you’ll never hear from until you are back… and that’s ok. I think I’ve made it clear above that a person does not need to be in my eyesight, or even earshot, for me to hold them dear to my heart. There are many people that, even when I was in the states, I had somewhat lost touch with, but this doesn’t change the love. Some of my friends I have known since preschool or kindergarten, others I met when I was in middle school, high school, college, or post-college. And with each person, there is a connection that drew us together. No matter what path we pick, no matter our mistakes, achievements, or idleness, there is always the connection that caused us to become friends in the first place. Just like my family, I can not see these people for many years, but the moment I see/talk to them, the relationship is picked right up with an ease that makes you appreciate the invisible energy force that brings two (or more) people together.

And to come full circle, I want to end this blog with a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to my cousin D for her Bat Mitzvah. I’m sure that she did wonderfully and I can’t wait to see the pictures. I’m sad I was unable to be there for this occasion, but I’m sure you all enjoyed and appreciated your time together. And I best see you all in a year!

ger livin.... ger lovin

this was written a little while ago... but might as well post it. i'll just apologize a head of time for the crappy writting lately, i just haven't been in the zone... lucky i'm writing at all!


My life has changed a bit since I moved into my ger. First of all, it is great to have a Mongolian family to live with. The children love to hang out in my ger, and Baatar, who lives in another ger, loves to come by to watch English movies or to speak English. I don’t have as much time to myself, but it is well worth it, and it’s possible that will change a little as winter sets in. I now get my water from the well and light fires to keep warm. Lighting fires is possibly one of my favorite things about my ger. In the winter, there will be some very cold times… usually in the morning, but once my fire is well-lit my ger warms up pretty quickly. Also, my family gave me dung, which is GREAT because it lights really quickly! It is pretty well insulated, so it holds the heat for a sufficient amount of time. I love the feeling of the warm fire on my skin. No matter how cold it is outside, I can make it nice and toasty in my ger. It’s like having a bonfire in the middle of the room. It must be the California girl in me that likes to make it nice and hot in my ger… and then I step outside to feel the cold air on my skin. I don’t think I will ever claim to be an expert at lighting fires, as sometimes it takes a lot longer than others. I love the feeling of lighting the fire to stay warm and enjoy cooking over the fire as well. Not having running water is really something that I have become indifferent to in my time in Mongolia. True, I don’t take regular showers, but bucket bathing gets you just as clean and can also be relaxing. (not to mention, that I had to do this even when I had running water and I could always go to the shower house…) It is really hard to explain to people who have never been in a ger, how comfortable they are. It sounds weird, but there really is something about not living with corners that creates a very relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. My ger is small, but I really don’t need much space. I’ve never been one for LARGE living spaces, so I kinda like the size.
Winter is just beginning, after a pretty long fall… I get the feeling that the winter is going to be a little more difficult for me this year. Part of this is self-induced by moving into a ger, but the other part is mental. I always new that I wasn’t really a ‘cold-weather’ person, but had never really tested myself. I am now going on my second winter living in one of the coldest climates in the world… and I can honestly say; I am dreading it. I know that the winter will come progressively, as it did last year, and I will continue to add layers to the clothes that I wear, but I also know that the winter is LONG… really LONG. I know that it will be cold for a long time. On a good note, I have my ger, and I can make it as hot as an Israeli summer in here if I want. But it’s also a bit of a walk from town and I will end up spending a lot more time walking to and from work this year. I know that I just need to get in the right mentality. Last year, it was all very new to me and was more about seeing what it was like to live where it’s too cold, while this year, I feel like I will be mentally testing myself. I know I hate to be cold, and I knew it coming into the Peace Corps in Mongolia, but after this I can check it off my list of things to do… live in a cold place (check), then I’ll grab my surfboard and stay in warm places for a while. Believe it or not, despite all my griping, I can tell that I have toughened up a little since last year. This time last year, I was already wearing my long johns and my heavy coat. This year, I’m still wearing my California-made jacket. Only yesterday did I step into the world of wearing a beanie, but I left it at home today. This is either due to global warming… or it means the cold doesn’t defeat me as quickly as it did last year. (I’m hoping the latter)

Ha Ha, check out this article! <3 mongolia!

The Mongolia Obsession
The Most Disgusting Food. Ever.By Tim WuPosted Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008, at 6:58 AM ET


I have eaten my fair share of food that some people might label "gross." There was even a time, in my early 20s, when I made quite a habit of it. Pigs' ears or fried crickets? Please. That's kids' stuff. I prefer to test my limits: Pass the duck brains.
It is a test of will, not unlike diving off a high cliff, when you order your hand to put something into your mouth while every instinct screams, "No!" And sometimes a food that looks strange can be quite pleasant in ways you don't expect. I have fond memories of the time I ate a squirming live octopus tentacle in Korea—not only did it taste pretty good, it also brought fond memories of a woman who used to twirl her tongue while French kissing. I wish I could say that snake blood brought on fond memories, but it just tasted like a nosebleed. On the happier side, I can report that deep-fried scorpion tastes just like cricket.
Unfortunately, none of this prepared me for the culinary horrors of Mongolia. I, who consider myself the owner of an iron will and a stomach to match, still shudder when I think about some of the things I ate and drank there. There were times when I longed for a nice plate of deep-fried scorpions.
If you have ever wondered why we generally drink cow's milk, I can tell you: Most of the other types of milk are just disgusting. They get under your skin in a special dairy sort of way, rather like eating a stick of butter every morning might. Forced to choose, I think I'd say the best is yak milk, especially if it's hot. But I would stay away from horse milk unless it's been distilled into alcohol. Camel's milk, I shudder to recall, is musky and feels like drinking bottled smoke. (I think I finally understand why Camel is a brand of cigarettes.) Consider also that Mongolians like their milk heavily salted, and the phrase acquired taste takes on new meaning.
As an all-dairy nation, and probably the world's worst place to be a vegan, Mongolia is very cheese-centric. I am below no man in my taste for what some people might describe as abhorrent forms of cheese. I like English cheddars that have gone rotten and overaged gorgonzola that has turned brown. But the problem with Mongolian "cheese" is that it is nearly as hard as rock and as acidic as battery acid. Eating it is not horrific, but it is rather exhausting.
All this is surely survivable. It is the mutton, the unending mutton, that gets to you. After just a week, I felt like the Troll in The Hobbit who complains, "Mutton yesterday, mutton today, and blimey, if it don't look like mutton again tomorrer."
The common complaint about mutton is that it is gamey. Granted. But the insidious part is not so much the flavor as the smell. When I returned to Beijing, Evan Osnos, now at The New Yorker, who has done some great writing on Mongolia's gold rush, asked me, "So, do you still smell like mutton?"
I did.
To be fair, Mongolian cuisine had certain satisfactions. After a day of hard riding, gnawing on mutton bones seemed entirely appropriate. Mutton dumplings and mutton mixed with noodles can sometimes be good. And after a while, I developed a taste for fermented horse milk, particularly when distilled to a clear liquor—though it may have just been that a few shots did wonders for the mutton.
I can also report that Mongolian vodka did the job, though I wasn't that excited about Bimba's way of preparing it. In the morning, large black beetles would gather under our tent seeking warmth. Bimba thought it a good idea to flavor the vodka with a few of these beetles—their death throes adding a Genghis Khan touch to the whole thing.
On our very last morning on the road, the mutton problem became a crisis. At fault was our dear driver, Bimba, who decided it was time to celebrate the trip by buying a whole sheep and slaughtering it. As we went into a local ger to eat breakfast, I noticed that the sheep's head had been removed, and the internal organs were being poured into a giant pot, the same way you might empty a can of beans.
Surely this was to feed the dogs, I thought. No one really wants to eat the lungs, stomach, and intestines of an aged sheep.
Au contraire. I'm sorry to say that we had to watch the whole mess boiling for a while on the dung fire, yielding bubbles of brownish-gray scum. Afterward, a giant steaming bowl of internal organs was placed before us with some ceremony. Out came knives and a mixture of anatomy lesson and breakfast as we sampled one organ after another. I must stress the degree to which our dear friend Bimba considered this the way to cement our friendship. There was no backing away from trying each and every organ and making a good go of the whole thing. Even fearless Miki looked a little pale.
Comparatively speaking, I suppose the stomach and heart were the highlights. Despite our host's enthusiasm, I felt there was something deeply fishy about the lungs—they had a spongy texture that you had to bite hard to get through. There were many organs that I didn't really recognize but also did not enjoy. And as for the intestines and connecting flesh covered with fat, I felt, for the first time, what 19th-century writers refer to as "rising bile." I said to myself, "This is like a horror film, except I am eating the special effects."
All the while, the sheep's severed head sat off to one side, watching us sadly. Next to him sat his forearms and legs, placed in a small pile. But fear not. We did pack that head into our jeep, and back in the capital, we ate him for lunch. "Omoshirokatta," said Miki. "That was interesting!"

http://www.slate.com/id/2200544/entry/2200548/

Milk tea and progression

10-10-08 (i think)


(this picture was taken from the internet)













I was in the countryside with my director and her family, visiting some good friends of theirs. After going through many of the usual rituals of drinking tea, airag, and vodka and after the usual discussion about how good I am because I drink Mongol tea, eat Mongol food, and drink Mongol airag; the Mother of the household went outside to get some milk so she could make a fresh batch of milk tea. She milked a few goats and came back with a tin pail full of milk. She lit the fire, poured water into the large wok, along with the green Mongol tea leaves, and when the tea was brewing to her liking, she added the milk she had just retrieved. She proceeded to churn the tea with a large deep spoon, filling it with liquid, lifting it above the wok and pouring it back in, in a series of fluid motions that she had done millions of times throughout her life, probably beginning around the age of 4 or 5. She then added some salt and sifted a little while longer; all the while the rest of the people gathered in the ger, (around 8 or so) talked, drank airag, and played the finger game around her. I sat there, participating in the finger game, airag drinking, and conversation where I could… all the while my eyes kept returning to the woman making milk tea. It was nothing I hadn’t seen a million times before, and it seems everyone makes milk tea the same way, but the motions of her weather worn hands caught my eye each time I found myself in between conversation opportunities. In these situations, I either leave the Mongolian that is too fast for me to understand as background noise to my thoughts and my body simply feeling the experience, or occasionally I test myself to see how much I can understand. As the woman put the strainer over the tea pot and poured the freshly made milk tea through it, leaving the tea leaves behind, my thoughts returned to the woman making tea and I watched her serve each person in the ger, beginning with the oldest male of the household, proceeding to the oldest woman, and so forth. I sat with my tea, allowing the Mongolian words to swirl around the room with the steam rising above my hands. I began to think of the entire tea making process that I had just witnessed. It was at this very moment that I realized how far I have come in my cultural development, for this woman had just milked a goat for our milk tea, and I sat there and drank it without a second thought. In fact, I didn’t even blink twice when she went outside and came back with a tin full of milk. In the past year, I have been exposed to many different situations that I would NEVER experience in America, and it is interesting to think what kinds of things I have gotten so used to in my time in Mongolia, for this is a truly amazing country with a beautiful culture.

I sit here writing this, burning hot in my ger, almost exactly 24 hours from our first snow of the year. I have kept my fire relatively lit throughout the night, and it is like a furnace in here. Every so often, I step outside to feel the brisk “winter” air on my open skin. I put winter in quotes simply because this is not even close to what the winter will get to… this is just the beginning.

Do Something!!!

My friend is doing a triathalon (swimming 1 mile in the SF bay, biking the length of a marathon, and then running a 10k) and raising money to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma society.... so get out your wallets and check out the website!!!!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/treastri08/bjacob23

She has two upcoming events. All proceeds go directly to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society:
This Sunday, September 28th: YARD SALE at 1519 1/2 Alameda in Burbank. If you have anything to donate please contact me. bjacob23@hotmail.com
Sunday October 5th: CAR WASH at the Shell Station on Olive and Alameda in Burbank. Help or donations of rags is greatly appreciated. Come get your car washed!


Side note: people are always telling me how good it is that I'm "doing something to help the world". Well, I want you all to know that you DO NOT need to move half way around the world in order to contribute. You are surrounded by opportunities to make a difference..... this is just one of them.... It's being handed to you... .all you have to do is make the decision to help!!!

countryside

My Mongolian teacher and her family in the countryside.

Me and my Mongolian teacher (and friend), Chuka.
Milking goats...

Horse trip through the countryside.

Watching the herd

Goat!

I live in a Ger!

Building my new home...

closing summer...

A small hike in the Arv. and one of the Monastery's in town.

Sumo by the river

Friends of Mongolia

This is an email sent by friend of mine/ peace corps volunteer who just finished her service.

Take a look:


Dear Friends,

As you know, I have recently completed two years of service in the Peace Corps in Mongolia. As a former volunteer I am member of The Friends of Mongolia, an organization that provides funds for community development projects, scholarships and other activities to benefit the people of Mongolia.

Friends of Mongolia is currently raising funds to bring 12 secondary school students and 2 teachers from a small town in the Gobi to Ohio to participate in the Middfest International Mongolian Festival in Cincinnati this Ohio, in which they will perform traditional Mongolian music and dance. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these Mongolians as well as a wonderful chance for Americans to meet these talented young people and experience a piece of their beautiful culture. You can read more about this initiative at the following address:

http://www.friendsofmongolia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=145&Itemid=1

Currently a few thousand dollars more is required to pay for the airfare of the participants. I'd like to ask folks, especially those who have been to Mongolia and care for the place to make a donation to help them out. If you would like to make a donation, please go to the following website:

www.friendsofmongolia.org/donate

No amount is to small! It's all tax deductable and it's secure through PayPal.

Thanks a lot!
Dayla

sorry ma!

My new tattoo. Don't worry, it was completely clean and safe. The guy did tattoos in New York for 3 years and has an American license. This was taken right after...

visitors?

I am writing this letter to those people who I feel have sincerely expressed interest in coming to Mongolia to visit. Some have asked me when would be the best time and I have been very vague. The best thing I can say is to come when time permits you. Things in Mongolia aren’t really planned in advance, so I hope to travel around Mongolia after I COS (close of service) but this can not be guaranteed. If anyone is interested in this possibility, let me know. I am now beginning my second year in Mongolia and we are well into fall. Winter will begin around Novemberish and continue through the end of February. March, April, and May are spring, which means wind and dust storms. As for holidays, there is tsagaan sar in February and Naadam in July. It really depends on what type of experience you are looking for. Summer is obviously the best time for travel, but it is still possible to travel other parts of the year. As for my work, I technically work all year, but there are slower parts in January/February and in the summer. I have 20-something vacation days left and can take vacation if needed. If you truly intend on coming, now is the time to starting thinking about it. Also, keep in mind that even if I have to work, I can still send you in the proper directions for cool adventures. Any questions? Let me know!

Love,
Robin

pictures!

lovely nature

8.22.08
It’s crazy the transformations that we see in Mongolia. Nature has such a presence in Mongolia, even in the Capital. It has been rainy every other day for a few days now and it is absolutely beautiful. With each rain, you can physically see the difference in the land. It is as if you can watch the grass drinking the rain. The day before yesterday was a rainy day, and I was slightly annoyed because the streets in the city turn to rivers, cars splash on you, and I had found myself caught in the rain wearing sandals. (though I have since debated which is better for a rainy day, my running shoes or sandals) My friend and I were taking the bus out to where she lives, in Ulaanbataar, but a little further away from the city center. We were hurrying through the rain and puddles when I hear, “oh my G-d, look at the sky!!” in almost an alarming voice. I quickly stop, first look at my friend, and when my brain registers what she said, I look up, only to see the MOST MAGNIFICANT RAINBOW I HAVE EVER SEEN. I thought I had seen beautiful rainbows, (usually in Mongolia) but all other rainbows do not even compare to the site of that day. The colors were so distinct and bright. It was as full as a rainbow can be. Complete with the second rainbow right below it. We stood in the street marveling over the beauty in the sky, referring it to “complete ROYGBV” or “like a skittles commercial” and wishing we had a camera. It took a minute to realize we were close to her house and HAD to go quickly to get her camera, as who knows if we will ever see something so fabulous. We tried to hurry to her house, but had serious problems getting our eyes off the sky. People all around us were taking pictures. When we finally got to her place, we ran up, put our stuff down, explained to my friend’s husband that he MUST come outside, and ran down, camera in hand. By the time we got back, it wasn’t quite as bright as before, but the second rainbow had changed and it seemed to be reflecting the main rainbow, with the colors going in the opposite direction.


Today, I was in a car driving from Darkhan to UB. It’s a four hour drive, so I brought my book. There I was reading about the torturing of Tibetan prisoners, when I looked up, only to notice the amazing scenery. The lush green grass, soaking up the rain and getting greener with ever drop, the clouds shades of blue, purple, grey, and white; the sun creating amazing shades of pink and purple in the sky; The clouds blocking some of the sun’s rays, so it shown so bright and clear on one side of a hill but with hidden on the other side, only creating a bright green opening in the middle of gloomy rain cloud shadows. It was a scene that even the best artist could not come up with on his own; a picture that can only be painted by nature.


8.31.08
Yesterday, I was walking to my friend’s house and stopped in my tracks, just to look up at the sky. The entire horizon was like one giant rainbow, starting with shades of red right about the mountains (more like big hills) and continuing with each color of the rainbow fading into the next as you looked higher into the sky. And on my way home, I couldn’t help but stare at the stars, causing me to walk crooked and slow, but totally worth it.
The Mongolian sky is absolutely amazing!

less about experiences, more about how they've felt

5-7-08
Spring has been quite an interesting and introspective experience. First of all, the parallels between life and death have been astonishing. Something I never expected. One night, after I sat in a car for 3 hours waiting to leave, I was in a car headed to visit my friend in hujurt (a soum, smaller town, near me). The sun set beautifully over the mountains as we finally left my town. Sitting in the front seat I could see where the headlights hit the “road” and it felt as if I was watching the green grass grow. Winter in Mongolia has left the land brown and dry, but spring has provided warm enough weather for a little rain and to allow the snow to melt, allowing the grass to begin to grow. Soon the country will be the beautiful green Mongolia that I arrived to. For the first time in my life I have been able to witness the metamorphous of seasons. People always say California doesn’t have seasons. I never really knew what they meant by this until now. Even through fall and winter, I just chocked it up to ‘our seasons are just REALLY short’. But as spring transforms this country and people begin to spend time outside, I have ditched my long johns, and there is even beginning to be more meat in the market, I feel summer on its way.

7-27-08
It has been a LONG time since I have written and so much has happened! The above writing is something that I began to write about spring, but never really finished. I have decided to still include it on my blog because it is something that I thought a lot about. At the time, I was completely amazed at the effects of spring and the transformation of the country. It is now well into summer and I am up in Selenge aimag where the land is beautiful and green. A lot has been going on since the last time I wrote. I will begin with America:
At first, I was pretty nervous about going to America. I thought it was going to be really awkward and I was not sure how it would feel to be there. I was also nervous about being gone from my site for so long. As time passed and I came closer to my departure, I started to get excited. Everyone kept asking me what I was going to do (and eat) in America and people in America wanted to make plans. I decided that the best idea would be to go to America with no definite plans, so I could feel things out and decide what to do from there. I was unsure about how I would react to being back in America. My excitement was in full gear by the time I boarded that plane to china. The travel was not bad at all and all my flights were on time. It was interesting to think that the new group of volunteers was on their way to Mongolia at the same time I was leaving. I sat on that plane and watched as I departed Mongolia, and I realized that I definitely was not ready to go home for good. I was happy to go to America, but I was sure that my time here in Mongolia was not yet finished. This is reassuring, seeing that I have another year left in my service. When I think back, I remember standing in the customs lines in San Francisco, and hearing English all around me. At that moment, I knew that things were going to feel a little funny in America. It’s weird, but sometimes I find a comfort in not understanding the languages around me. It gives me a lot of time to just observe and be in my own head. Those who sit and try to understand the conversations around them are the ones who really do well at learning the language. I however, find myself zoning out and just thinking. Hearing and understanding everything around me for the first time in a long time was a little overwhelming for about a minute and then it was kind of nice, but I found myself listening to other people’s conversations, simply because I could. The flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles was really short and my flight was actually a little early. My mom, my brother, and some close friends met me at the airport and we went for my first “American” meal. The ultimate question… “What’s the first thing you ate?” IN-N-OUT OF COURSE!!! It was delicious and nice to sit and chat with some of my favorite people. From that moment on, it was surprisingly easy to sit and talk with all my friends and family. There was a lot to catch up on, but also as if no time had gone by. I often express how lucky I am to have people who I am so close to. Before I left Mongolia, I had told my mom not to go grocery shopping until I got there. Knowing my mother, she would have wanted to go out and buy all sorts of things that she thought I would want, but the truth was, I wasn’t sure what I would want to eat. Also, I just wanted to go to the grocery store. She took me to Whole Foods (I think), and it was a very interesting experience. I told her I needed to just walk around and look at everything. I did just that. There was sooooo much stuff, and after spending more time than necessary, I ended up walking out with a couple bags of granola, whole grain bread, and two different types of cheese. The thing that I ate the most while in America was vegetable sandwiches with cheese, on some kind of oat bread. Enough about the food. Other things that I thoroughly enjoyed: the freedom of driving (something I never miss), the beach, the sun, and the Jacuzzi. Going to the beach was like a spiritual experience, every time. I may go many places in my life, but I (may) never leave the southern California beach. My surfing skill has severely suffered by my lack of nutrition and inability to work out in the winter. Usually, when I don’t surf for a long time and then I go surfing, I get really frustrated knowing that I should be doing better. However, this time was different. This time, I absolutely sucked at surfing, but I didn’t mind. I was just happy I was out there. Unfortunately, my surfboards need some repairing, and I was nervous to use them too much because I do not want them to get water logged. It was funny seeing how happy it made my mom to see my surfboards crammed in her tiny apartment. If you can’t live by the beach, you might as well bring part of the beach to you. There is something about the beach and reminders of the beach that create a calming and relaxed atmosphere. When I am in Mongolia, I long to go to the beach, but I find comfort knowing it will be there when I get back. When I went surfing, I spent time just wandering around the beach, watching the interactions between different people. My favorite interactions to observe are those between surfers. It sounds cliché, but surfing puts you in this “relaxed, open-minded, one love” mindset. There is something that you can only gain through surfing and the feeling of riding that wave. It’s something that all surfers know, but can’t really be put into words to be expressed to those who have never been. In the surfing community, everyone knows, there is much more to surfing than the thrill of the sport. There is certain spirituality to surfing that connects you to the ocean, to nature, and to the world as a whole. After you have experienced this connection, every trip to the beach is a totally different experience. You will never see the ocean the same. I could write forever about how much I love the ocean, the beach, surfing, and the surf community, but I’m pretty sure that most of the people reading this will not completely understand, or just need to go out and feel it for themselves. We can chock it up to “hippie thoughts” and move forward. Instead, I will move forward to some of the interesting experiences of America. It was a lot of fun to be “vacationing” at home. I was able to be in Southern California and not have to worry about a job, or any type of obligations. I was purely there to enjoy. To enjoy time with friends and family, to enjoy the familiarity of (most) everything, to enjoy being there for significant life moments (like Lindsay’s wedding and finding out Jess is pregnant, Taryn’s birthday, Aunt Annette in CA, Wail’s birthday, etc…), to enjoy seeing how things have changed, and to experience a different perspective of “home”. There are quite a few experiences that stick out in my mind. Like, when I went to the ‘Israeli fair’ (now called something else). It was right after I got to California, and my first time in over a year, to be around lots of Jewish people. I was still in ‘Mongolia mode’ and as I walked around and looked at all the booths, all I could think about was possible projects and ideas for projects in Mongolia. I was happy to learn of Jewish organizations devoting themselves to helping other people. I used to feel like Jewish organizations were always devoted to ‘tikkun olam’ (helping the world), but it never felt like they were interested in helping the non-Jewish world. This perspective was changed in my trip to America, where I was happy to learn about Jewish people performing tikkun olam outside of the Jewish community. I understand the idea of helping your own, but I do not think it is good to limit yourself to this. I believe in helping those who need/want it. It was hilarious to see people who did not expect to see me or people’s expressions when they heard that I live in Mongolia, or that I’m in the Peace Corps. At the Israeli fair, it was nice to hear Hebrew all around me and to sit down and eat falafel (though it was not the best falafel). My connections to Judaism, Jews, the Jewish community, Hebrew, and Israel is something that sometimes makes complete sense to me and other times is something I just don’t understand. But it is fact; it will ALWAYS be a part of me. And I have realized, being so far away from it all, that it is a part of me wherever I go and I sometimes miss having access to indulge that part of me. While on the topic of ‘Jewish stuff’, I should mention my visit to synagogue. Before I left Mongolia, I had it in my mind that I would try to go to synagogue a few times while in America. This did not happen, and I ended up going only once. I’ll admit; I skipped services to go surfing… both a spiritual experience, just in a different way. I tried explaining to my mom that going surfing was like going to services, but she wasn’t having it. That’s ok, it’s something that makes sense to me, and that’s all that matters. This is the beauty of spirituality. I was glad I went on the specific day that I did because it was a girl’s bat mitzvah. Where at one point, I knew everyone at temple and knew when and who was having their bar/bat mitzvah, this time I had never seen her or her family before. The odd thing is; I was still just as happy to be there for it. I feel being there, watching this girl read from the Torah for her first time, seeing the looks on the faces of her, her family, and her teachers, was a beautiful thing. I tend to go back and forth with my connections to the synagogue, but on that day, I was happy to be there, sitting in the front with my mom while the rabbi and this young girl conducted the service. I’m sure that after so many years of being a rabbi at this synagogue, the rituals become second nature, but for me, someone who has been removed from this community for some time, I remembered the connection and why it all meant so much to me. That is who I am, and it always will be. Judaism is definitely more than just a religion.
While in America, I made sure to go to a few places that I love. I jumped at the opportunity to go camping at San Onofre, spent time at Newport Beach, in Long Beach, on the Santa Monica pier, and made sure to make my way to Venice. These are the places that are “home” to me. Irvine, though I lived there for so long, does not feel ‘homey’. It does not have the relaxed, open atmosphere. In Irvine, it is weird to see someone walking down the street, unless of course, it is a group of two or three women, getting their daily exercise at 6am before they wake the kids up for school. I was able to see one of my best friends in, what will be her home; a place suitable for her and her husband to have their first child. It’s an amazing thing, to see how life progresses. Though I feel so far away from that life, I am so happy for those who are entering that stage. My friends and I had a poolside bbq before I left and it was so much fun to spend the day playing with their kids in the pool.
Many people asked me what I would be doing after the Peace Corps. To me, this is a funny question. I feel that I am so caught up in what I am doing, that I really have not begun to think about what I will do afterward. I first need to take this for what it is and see how it affects me. I have a lot of life ahead of me (I hope), and I don’t plan on planning any of it out. I feel that there is no point in making any long-term plan because I know that I would never feel obligated to stick to this plan. I have some friends who are facing the question, “what do I want to do with my life?” This is not a question that I feel I need to ask myself. And when other people ask me, I have a very simple answer, “I’m doing it”. I want to live and to experience life. I want to do the Peace Corps… (I’m doing it). I do not feel the need to plan further because I do not know what I will want to do after this. But I do assure one thing, I will find something else that I want to do. Whether it be a beach bum, a student, a traveler, a volunteer, a tax agent, or even a waitress; I will find something, and then I will do it until I find something else. Sitting on the beach in Santa Monica, in between halves of the Lakers loosing the Championship, I had some of my favorite conversations of my trip to America. In a conversation about life, one of my good friends asked me “if someone knows they have the ability to cure cancer, are they obligated to? Or is it ‘ok’ for them to become a bar tender”. (Obviously this is a figurative question) This is a good question, but I feel that the answer is easy. If someone knows they have the ability to cure cancer, they will (most likely) not be satisfied with themselves unless they do it. Then they can be a bar tender. If someone knows they have the ability to cure cancer, but they are perfectly happy and satisfied with their life being a bar tender, then there is no reason for them to feel obligated to cure cancer. (But if they do feel obligated, then obviously they are not satisfied.)
I was in America for about 3 weeks. I had a complete BLAST being there. But around the end of the second week, things in America did begin to feel a little weird. I was enjoying myself, but I was ready to come back to Mongolia. I spent lots of time with close family and friends, ate vegetables, and just kind of waited until it was time to leave again. I was not sad to leave my friends and family, I knew that I would be back. It was hard to explain to people that I was ready to leave again, and I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. The fact is, Mongolia is where I’m supposed to be right now. I am in the middle of something that I have EVERY intention of finishing. It was easy for me to slide right in and easy for me to slide back out. Through some airport trouble, I got really frustrated thinking I wasn’t going to be able to leave that day. I was ready. The flights back to Mongolia were just as easy as the flights to America. I met some people in the Korean airport and ended up running into them in UB later that week. Upon my Mongolia arrival, everyone wanted to know what I did in America, what I ate, how it felt to be there, if it was hard to come back, and what I brought back. I developed simple answers to these questions, as I was still processing everything: I went to the beach, surfing, dancing, more beach; ate lost of veggies and Mexican food; it was FUN; it was easy to come back; and all I brought back was nuts, granola, and dried fruit…. Oh yeah, AND GIRL SCOUT COOKIES. When it came to figuring out what to bring back to Mongolia, I didn’t really want to think about it. I ended up just grabbing a couple things from my mom’s cupboard and sticking it in my bag. Looking back, I forgot to get things for some of the Mongolians that I wanted to bring things back for…. Oops.
After a few days in The ‘big’ City, I headed up to Darkhan, a fairly large city in Mongolia where I am now living while I train the new volunteers. It is exciting to meet the new volunteers because they are going to be around for the next year, and the other group just left. Some people have asked why I decided to apply to do training, and my answer is simple: I believe in the cause. Coming to Mongolia is an interesting experience, and in those first 3 months, while living with host families are pretty intense, but there is a lot to be learned before you get to site. The things that I teach in my lessons will help the trainees when they get to site. Knowing as much as possible about Mongolian culture, working in Mongolia and (for my position) the situation of children and child-service providers in Mongolia will help them to adjust and integrate when they first get to site, as it did for me. The group that came here 1 year before I did just left last weekend. I went into the capital to hang out and see them off. I have long said that Peace Corps is like a social experiment, and I feel the experiment keeps on going. It is weird how we become so close to people and then they are just gone, a whole group of them. I truly value many of my relationships I have made out here. Some of the people I have met are really amazing people and are going to do great things in life. Others are people that I feel I have learned from, simply by our interactions… whatever they may be. I am interested to hear about their reactions to moving back to “the land of the plentiful”, as America is often referred to. (Along with the mother land, home, the other side, and real life) It’s interesting how in a moment, your support network out here changes. Something else that strikes me is that some of the people that I have met out here are the future politicians, diplomats, and decision makers of the world. Some will move on to hold certain political offices (maybe even president), others will become permanent ex-pats. Where do I fall in this group? I think, neither. That’s all I know for now. It will be interesting to have friends all over the country, and all over the world. I do know one thing; I hope to continue my travels for the rest of my life. And I hope that one day I can spread the knowledge that I am gaining to others.
I sit here on my window ledge while it rains profusely outside, pleased by the absence of the recent heat and the fresh moist air. This morning I said to my roommate “in California, we call this winter”. A nice rain storm is so refreshing in the middle of the scorching summer. And with the rain, the land gets greener. I look forward to my Tuesday ride to Sukhbaatar, where I see the difference in the color of the land, simply produced by one rainy day. Tomorrow will probably be hot again. My favorite thing about the ride to “the Sukh”, other than the beautiful hills, lush grass, and trees, are the herds of camels. We don’t see lots of camels where I live, and DEFINITELY don’t see so much greenery. Where I live is on the edge of the Gobi desert, and still has the dryness of the desert. During the summer there are green things, but it not like here (up north) where the plants rise out of the ground and turner greener with every rain. Ah… beautiful Mongolia is back. When I first got here, I was constantly amazed with the Mongolian sky. This is still my favorite thing about Mongolia. It’s not just the stars and lack of light pollution, it’s the intensity of the deep blue sky with distinct white clouds, as if in a painting. Today, the clouds are covering the sky and they are a little bit of a grayish color, but there are still bright white clouds to be seen. It is obvious to me why Mongolians have worshiped the sky for so many years and why mountains are so highly respected.



That is it for now, but I say one thing to my readers. I welcome questions and comments, if they are insightful, educated, or not meant to be a nuisance.



Here are some quotes that were in an e-mail that was sent to me. I picked out the ones that caught my eye. I don’t necessarily agree with all of them… but they got me thinking. Some of them made me think of certain people, so I have included their names in parentheses so they will take a look. Enjoy!


Will Rogers:Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."- Henry David Thoreau
(amy)

"Shun idleness. It is a rust that attaches itself to the most brilliant of metals." - Voltaire
(steven)

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be."- Lao Tzu(Amy)

"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want." - Ben Stein
(Amy)

You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.Mark Twain

And some humor:Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

to all them mom's....

simply life

4-6-08
“Have you seen the herd of yaks hangin out in the river?”
This is a quote from myself, as a part of normal conversation with one of the other volunteers in my town. ‘The River’ is a place in our town that looks like maybe at one time it had water in it, but my guess is that it’s been a while. I love seeing herds of animals in my town. Right now we have a herd of goats and sheep, a herd of cows, and our newest addition, a herd of yaks. Maybe it is the fact that I had never even thought about yaks before I came to Mongolia, but I find myself loving yaks. They are such awesome animals. I was walking to my friends house, past the grazing yaks, when I decided to try and answer my own question about the kosherness of yaks. I walked up to the yaks, trying to look at their hooves, but also keeping my distance, as my knowledge of yaks’ temperament is minimal. It looked to me like they have a split hoof, but it was hard to tell. As I continued my walk, I simply contemplated the fact that I just walked up to a yak and that I was passing yaks as a normal part of my life. Every time I think like this, I can not help but smile. J


I used my friend’s washing machine today for my laundry. It has been around 10 months since I’ve really used a washing machine for a full load of laundry. I have been washing my clothes by hand since I got to Mongolia, which is actually surprisingly harsh on clothes. Washing machines here are different than in the states. They are not hooked up to water and require a little bit more work than what we are used to. But using this washing machine is MUCH easier than washing by hand. I find myself actually enjoying the extra physical work certain tasks take here. There is something more satisfying about working hard. I love to have a hard day’s work. This can be anything from busy at my job to washing clothes and my apartment. I love that feeling at the end of the day when your body is tired because you have worked it throughout the day. Right now, I lie here in my bed, my body is tired from doing laundry, cleaning my home, and the workout I did in my extra room and my hands are dry and tired from wringing my clothes and washing them. I think, in America, we get too used to things being easy and convenient. There is so much more satisfaction in something that you have really worked hard for. Part of the challenge of Peace Corps is adapting to another way of life. You begin to do things differently, and I wonder if these things will stay with me throughout my life. In America, my cooking consisted of whatever was quick, where here; I enjoy a night of chopping vegetables, and making soup over the course of an hour or more. In America, doing laundry was annoying, though so easy, where here; I actually enjoy the feeling of doing my laundry. It is more difficult, but also satisfying, and actually a good time to think. In America, “I need to wash my hair” is the typical joke of an excuse to skip out on a date, where here; it is a valid chore that needs to be done. Here, I will tell someone I am cleaning on Saturday and what this means is that I am going to clean my home, and then I am going to take a tub bath. I know that I definitely hold a warm shower in a special place in my heart, along with the availability of a variety of fruit and vegetables, but I also know that these are luxuries that I can live with out. It will be interesting to see the little ways that my life is changed after living here. The things that I miss about America have nothing to do with most conveniences that we have in America, and more to do with certain atmospheres. Only time will tell what I will miss about Mongolia. (and I still have another year to enjoy it, before I start missing it)

mmmm......

mmm.... yak’s milk
My counterpart just brought us yak’s milk/yogurt. It is soooo good. I think this means the beginning to delicious dairy products again. Hurray! Spring is here!
Better yet, it’s almost summer!!! (kinda)

Here’s a question for the rabbis....

Is milk from a non-kosher animal also non-kosher?

Are yaks kosher?

Thought provoking

Eight steps to enlightenment
‘Awakening the Buddha Within’
Tibetan wisdom for the western world
By: Lama Surya Das

The following is a series of quotes taken from the above book. Some are by the author and some are by other people. I tried to remember to write down when it was by somebody else, but I know I forgot a lot. You’ll just have to go read the book! Seriously, I recommend this book to anyone and everyone! It is one that I plan to read over and over again. For now, enjoy the quotes. I do not necessarily agree with all of them, they are just things that caught my eye and made me think.

Spiritual energy is healing energy; when any group gathers with a dedication to something greater than one’s finite, individual self, the accumulated energy is almost palpable. Sangha

The spiritual life is the search for answers. Who am I, why am I?
“to be enlightened is to be one with all things”
“we are all lit up from within as if from a sacred source”
It’s a fact: you are not going to find truth outside yourself….. The only place you are going to be able to find truth is in your genuine spiritual center” Truth is found by living truly- in your own authentic way.
When you genuinely become you, a Buddha realizes buddhahood
You become a Buddha by actualizing your own original innate nature. This nature is primordially pure. This is your true nature, your natural mind.
Buddhism says yes, change is possible. It tells us that not matter what our background, each of us is the creator of his or her own destiny.
How does the Buddha feel? Completely comfortable, at peace, and at ease in every situation and every circumstance with a sense of true inner freedom, independent of both outer circumstances and internal emotions.
What we seek, we already are. Everything is available in the natural state.
Often raising the right questions- your own head, deep-down, burning questions- may actually be more important than having the right answer, should there ever be one.
Dzogchen- The natural great perfection, “one instant of total awareness is one instant of perfect freedom and enlightenment”
Leave everything as it is and rest your weary mind, there is a nirvanic peace in things left just as they are.
Don’t follow past thoughts, don’t anticipate the future, and don’t follow illusory thoughts that arise in the present; but turning within, observe your own true nature and maintain awareness of your natural mind, just as it is, beyond the conceptual limitations of past, present, and future”
The inner truth, the inner teacher, the absolute guru- not just to know and experience reality with the rational, logical computer brain, but to know with the intuitive heart. That’s something you can really rely on: finding truth within your won experience
Let go, open your heart, unfold your spiritual sails, open your angelic wings, and soar on the wind. Enjoy the infinite.
How wonderful! How wonderful! All things are perfect exactly as they are!
“As long as you stay unconscious, asleep at the switch of your own life, true happiness will prove elusive”
“Wisdom is self-knowledge: wisdom is truth manifested as clarity of vision. Wisdom sees that light and dark are inseparable and that shadows are also light”
“Buddha said- we should all keep the reality of death in the forefront of our consciousness so we can better prioritize our daily activities and thus better direct our attention to that which is most significant and meaningful”
“each of us becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, the proverbial accident waiting to happen”
The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
The deed develops into habit;
And habit hardens into character;
So watch the thought and its ways with care,
And let it spring from love
Born out of concern for all beings…

As the shadow follows the body,
As we think, so we become
-from the Dhammapada
“wisdom tells me I am nothing, love tells me I am everything. Between the two, my life flows”
“if it feels like love, but it’s not wise, its not love”
Love everyone, even if you don’t like them.
“truths are many, but truth is one”
“when you accept yourself, the whole word accepts you”
“everything is empty, like a dream. But it’s not like an empty room; it’s a sparkling sunlit day, and the sun is filling all the spaces”
“Enjoy this natural great perfection, things just as they are”
“something made greater by ourselves and in turn that makes us greater” –Maya Angelou (about work)
“the value of anything is always the value we vest in it”
“I firmly believe that your true vocation of calling is knowing yourself and being yourself”
“awakening to this present instant, we realize the infinite is in the finite of each instant” –Zen master
“forever is composed of nows” –Emily Dickinson
We all have all kinds of thoughts, but that does not mean we are defined by them.


Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.
Do not believe in anything because it is spoken and rumored by many.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.
But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason, and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.
-The Buddha


Rely not on the teacher [person], but on the teaching.
Rely not on the words of the teaching, but on the spirit of the words.
Rely not on theory, but on experience.
-Buddha


We live in illusion,
And the appearance of things
There is a reality.
We are that reality.
When you understand this
You see that you are nothing.
And being nothing,
You are everything.
That is all.
-Kalu Rinpoche

a warmer day...

2.18.08
I have thought before about the effects of weather on people, and today this was brought to my mind, as I noticed the significantly warmer air, the sun out, and a women standing outside praying. I have seen women throwing milk on the ground and praying before, but while watching this women, I realized I hadn’t seen this since fall. As I walked through the still Tsagaan Sar deserted market yesterday, I notice that though many of the shops were still closed, there were more young people hanging out in the market. It is the change in weather lately that brings people back out of their houses and gers to enjoy the feeling of the sun and their hands and ears not freezing. I was walking to work, when I first noticed this praying women and as I proceeded across the street, I continued to notice the changes in the physical conditions outside and in the change in the atmosphere. Today is an abnormally warm day, compared to the past few months, and I am pretty sure it will be very cold once again. So, in the midst of the knowledge this warmth is not going to stick around, I take my time on my walk to work. I notice the ice that has been on the road since the first snow is slowly turning to slush, the people walking around town are walking slower, and are more lively. It is possible that it is just my own change in energy due to this warmer weather, but I think it has affected everyone around me. I continue to work contemplating the effects of weather, referring to past thoughts of the effects of weather on crime in the United States, something I have always silently wondered about, but really don’t know the answer to. As I always do, I walk in the street in the best position for absorbing the sun’s warmth, I finally cross and my thoughts are interrupted by “meow…meow…meow”. I turned looking for what could be only the 3rd cat that I know of in my town. I didn’t see anything and was about to continue my walk when I heard it again. This time I look up in the direction of the sound, only to find a furry and dirty orange, white, and brown cat sitting on the tree branch. I look up at him wondering if he is stuck or just enjoying the weather, as I am. I stand there watching the cat as he stands up, looks down, turns around, turns back, sits down and meows again. I want to help him, but there is really nothing I can do. I look around to see if anyone has noticed this cat stuck in a tree, thinking to myself, ‘this is something you only see in story books. At this point in the story, the firemen would come with their big ladder” but I am not in a story book, there are no firemen and no one around seems to care that this cat is stuck. I look to my right to find two men fiddling with their motorcycles, and to my left, I am surprised to see a couple goats walking. Whenever I see animals walking through the town, I can’t help but let out a gentle laugh at the difference between here and “home”. Of course I keep watching the goats, only to realize there are not just a few, just as I turned to finish my walk to work, I notice more goats coming around the corner. I smile to myself and stand there watching as about fifty goats and sheep cross my path with their herder walking behind them with a small whip in his right hand. After they pass, I take one more look at the cat, and continue my walk, smiling inside at the random things that happen on a daily basis. It is not normal for a herd of goats to walk through this part of the town, at the same time it is not that unordinary. There are times when I am crossing the street, where we recently got a traffic light, (we now have 2 in our town) only to find a few cows in the center divider. Sometimes I forget that I live in the countryside, then these moments bring me back. Things here became normal really quickly, but it will be interesting to see what I think when I go back to concrete California.