Wow, it's been a long time.

Things are going great.  Well, I'm pretty sick at the moment, but other than my health, things are terriffffic.  I may just have internet in my town soon.  It's supposed to be at the bank.  I went once and it worked.  The next time I went it was down.  We'll have to see. Every new day is a new day of adventure here in the U.S. of Mongolia. (not the real name of this country)

This semester is promising to be the best one yet.  My teachers are the most excited to work with me yet. This might have something to do with the fact that I told the training manager to make a schedule that my counterparts have to adhere to.  I didn't want to do this before.  They are all so over-worked as it is.  I wanted the meetings to be on a volunteer basis, but I betrayed myself shortly thereafter.  I felt like one of those people who say they'd like to give you a "by donation only" copy of a religious text, like the Bhagavad Gita, but then get upset when the donation you want to give is $.00.  That sounded better in my head...anyway, I feel like I'm getting lots of work I needed to do done. 

I'll give you one story about what kind of frustrations a volunteer might face in Mongolia.  I've been training these two girls who won a regional English competition for the provential olympics for the last month...every day...even during breaks.  They worked so hard, and I was extreemly proud of them.  One student is all but fluent.  She's amazing.  She was a shoe-in to win and go to the national competition.  The problem was that she also was scheduled to take the chemistry olympic exam too.  The two exams happened to be scheduled at the same time, but no one said anything about it until the day before.  They made her choose which one she would take.  They wouldn't let her take both.  Now, there is no rule about being in two competitions.  Other students were able to compete in as many exams as they wanted, the olympics go on for three days.  I was so mad when I found out that they were forcing her out of one of them.  She had the right to prove herself in both fields.  She worked so incredbly hard, studing everyday after school, on weekends, and on breaks.  Anyway.  That is how it is here.  To me there was no reason to wait for the last second to tell her she had to choose, let alone no reason she couldn't have taken both tests.  It would have been so easy to accomidate and facilitate her.  I'm going to talk to the person in charge about this as soon as I can.  I asked and I've been told I have to take it up with the Minister of Education.  I suppose I'll give them a call on Monday or find the best way to bring this up.  They have to know this is a problem.  There has to be some precident set in place for if and when this ever happens again.  'Cause that is the problem at the heart.  The competition was on a Friday, and there was no precedent and no one to call to get permssion to give her a special time to take the second test.

So what do you think.  Am I overreacting?  I don't know.  Maybe that's just the way it is.

Summer break is coming like thunder.  I've seen the light(ning).  one mississippi, two mississippi.  This summer I hope to keep real busy working on projects, but just as much, I'm looking forward to doing the chilling game.  I want to spend the first three weeks of summer vacation in my town.  I plan to go out into the mountains and hike and sleep in my sleeping bag.  I probably wont go alone, but I'm sure there'll be someone willing to go with.

They say the second year goes by faster than the first.  We'll see on that too.

I really just don't know what else to say.  Life is good.  The weather is getting warm.  I'm feeling good (everything but my intestines).

Peace to yo motha.  (Hi mom)

B