Getting Warmer

Well it's May. For the last week it's been really warm and pretty during the day, and it's only gotten cold at night. But I learned, never turn your back on the Mongolian spring. It went from about 65 degrees to 20 degrees in the span of 30 minutes and then...blizzard. Everyone was freaking out.

Speaking of the Mongolian spring. I've learned a new expression/superstition. The expression is "Zun boloogui". It means, "It's not Summer Yet!". Mongolians personify the spring sky (for you late comers, the Sky is the number one god in their ancient shaman religion). The spring sky is content to give a warm day here and there. But he is a very moody, jealous, and irritable being. If you go around on a warm day in a short sleeve shirt, not wearing a hat and coat, the sky will look down and feel disrespected. It's like you don't fear him, and he gets mad. I never understood why you see Mongolians all bundled up even on really warm days. I always thought it was because, you never know. It IS that, but also, they are showing respect to the spring sky. Sort of, "I know you are a harsh spirit, I respect that you could send snow storms, dust storms, freezing winds, rain or whatever." So when they see someone (me) wearing short sleeves, they say "zun boloogui".

Tomorrow is my Trafficking In Persons (TIP) awareness seminar. I'm pretty nervous. It's impossible to expect everything to go well without a hitch, but I'm hoping my students show up, and that we have a PA, microphones, and a projector all working. Cross your fingers. It's important that these kids know about evil people who see young women and men as products to be sold into forced sex, labor, militia, marriage, etc. POP QUIZ, where is the American hub of the illegal transporting of females into prostitution? that's right...ATLANTA! Home of the largest, busiest airport in the US. Thanks Terrence for putting so much of the leg work into this project, from me and my school.

I have been offered a postion with Mission Year (one of those monastic things I was talking about) As I prayerfully consider it, I've also been applying to many other jobs, mostly in Atlanta, but also in D.C. I'm applying for a recruiter job with the Peace Corps in Atlanta. The pay is pretty good, and it's close to home. They wrote back and said I should expect someone to contact me soon, either for an interview or for more information. It's good to have options, but the more options that open, the more I stress. I'm sure I'd be stressing more if I have no options though. I feel like my dreams have all come true so far though. Peace Corps was a dream come true, not the orgaization exactly but the experience. It was worth putting myself through college just to have these last two years, as stressful as they've been.

I have less than a week left of work at my school. Specifically, I think I have 3 classes to teach, not including computer classes or clubs or other things like that, but 3 English, 40 minute lessons. Wow. Next week I leave for my close of service conference, final physical, and dental exam. I'm totally packed, that's inclluding the things that I'm just bringing with me to get them out of my ger (books, clothes, water distillers, etc). My bookself, which at one time was completely full and cluttered, is almost completely bare. I've been burning old clothes that I don't need and are way too nasty to give away. I'm getting a box together of things I'm leaving the volunteer who will take my place, and I'm sorting out which things to give away to M20s and which things to take home.

I was talking to my duu. That is my little mongolian brother. He's 9 years old, and we've been good friends for a long time. I mentioned how soon it is before I'll go back to America. He started bawling. We hugged, and he kept crying. It's was so sad. I looked around the ger for something to give him as a present. I gave him my frizbee. That helped, but he sniffled for a while still. It was my first encounter with really having to say goodbye to my friends here. And I'm realizing that it's going to be really hard. Yeah, certain people will stand out as the hardest, but I've depended on these people in so many crazy ways for the last couple years. They've made living in Mongolia tolerable and worth it. Not only that, but also my fellow M19s, I'm not sure you can imagine how close you get to be to people when they are your ONLY other foreigner contacts. And most of them are amazingly cool on top of that. Oh well, there's still some time before all that.

I love you all with a great passion. Everyone congratulate Wes on completing his PreService Training in Paraguay!!! He's starting his journey as a sworn-in PCV. Good luck.

I hope to see you guys soon. I haven't forgotten any of you. (and a couple of you I haven't met)

PEACE LOVE GRACE HOPE FAITH All the blessings of heaven. Be fruitful and multiply!