2 Years In Mongolia

Gobi Half-Marathon - September

2009-10-12T15:49:00.003+08:00

Will I run 21km in the Gobi desert? Yeah, why not?!

Most people would think about undertaking some form of training before running a half-marathon. Some would think about doing more training before running it in the Gobi. Between working and drinking, the time before the race passed me by, and I was forced to fall back on ignorance to get me through (as with most things in life!).

A group of us went down to the Gobi, four of us running the race - the rest came along for the trip and to cheer us on/laugh as we collapsed in the sand. This was my second trip to the Gobi, and I relished the opportunity to camp beneath the stars again. We took four days in total, drining most of the way down on the Friday and returning on the Monday.

The race itself took place by the Flaming Cliffs at Bayan Zag - a wonderful point to finish at. The race started at 11.30am in 25*C. The start of the race was soft underfoot, but not too strenuous. After 10km, however, there was a 5km loop which was on sand and uphill. It was torturous! I walked most of this stretch. The end of the race was a climb uphill to the top of the cliffs, the scenery almost making up for the difficulty.

I somehow managed to finish 4th in the race, in a time of 2hrs 29mins, beating (albeit a slightly old...) US marine in the process. I felt great as I passed the finish line, but the lack of training told in the following days as I sported a variety of funny walks from John Wayne to Charlie Chapman!

One Year Working in Mongolia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-09-08T10:48:00.003+08:00

I began my placement here (after the initial In Country Training) exactly one year ago today. A whole year of working in Mongolia! (Coincidentally, I believe I started my first job in the voluntary sector on the 8th September!)

It's interesting looking back on the work and things I have been involved in. I remember itching to start work after three weeks of ICT - living in the guesthouse, Mongolian lessons that bamboozled me, and some rather boring sessions at VSO! And then work started, sloooowly!!! It is interesting to see new volunteers experiencing the same thing: wanting to get stuck in have an immediate impact, but then finding that it can take many months to get to that position. It takes time to get to know the organisation, the people you work with, find all the information you need, adapt to the way of working etc. But it does happen.

I have worked with Chingletei District Health Unit in UB, Darkhan Health Department, and Dornod Health Department. I have been involved in delivering training about working with volunteers to all doctors and nurses who work in the family group practices in both Chingletei and Darkhan (over 180 people). I have also delivered volunteer management training to all supervisors in the family group practices in Darkhan and Chingletei. I have worked with the project managers in the three areas to help them improve their skills and develop the projects. I helped Nyamka, my counterpart in Chingletei, to learn English. This enabled him to attend a Volunteer Project Management course in the Philipines, run by VSO. I am now chairing the Volunteer Committee here (I was volunteered for the position rather than volunteering myself!). Myself and Nina, another VSO volunteer, began the Volunteer Interpreters Project - working with student interpreters who could develop their English and interpreting skills and experience while providing a service for VSO volunteers. I have just completed a report on the first year of the project and the volunteers have given over 700 hours of their time and supported 12 VSO volunteers. One of the interpreters has also acheived paid work as an interpreter with VSO. This project may now be duplicated in other locations in Mongolia where VSO volunteers are based.

Looking back, I am pleased with the work I've been involved in and the things I've achieved but I am glad my placement is for two years. I feel I am now in a position to have more of an impact than I was able to in the first year. Roll on year 2!!!!

Gobi Tour - July 2009

2009-09-07T15:30:00.012+08:00

Mongol Els

Erdene Zuu Khid

Khongoryn Els

Yolin Am Canyons

Flaming Cliffs

Other Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/chris.guinness

Naadam

2009-09-02T10:46:00.010+08:00

From 10-12 July was the Naadam festival – which centres around the three 'manly' sports of archery, horse riding and wrestling. In UB each sport is held at a different venue. A group of us went out to the horse racing venue on the Saturday and camped overnight. We camped on a hill overlooking the course.

In the evening there was a string of horses on the brow of the hill standing in silhouette – truly beautiful.

The horse racing the next day was pure chaos. There was a line of stands on one side of the track by the finish line. In front of this was a line of police officers, who (at this point!) were extremely friendly, chatting with the crowd and taking photos for people. As the finish approached, it got busier and busier, people climbing over each-other to get a view. I was concerned that I would pulled off the stand or it would tip over. After the race, part of the crowd rushed the course to touch the winning and fast horses. This is when the police turned – anyone who crossed that line were asking for it!!! Before the race we saw them carrying what we thought were torches – which made no sense at all. After the race we discovered that they were not torches – they were tazars, and they enjoyed using them!

My parents arrived the next day on the trans-Siberian railway. I took them to the trainers’ Naadam (a mini festival for those working during the weekend and unable to enjoy the festival). The horse-racing, archery and wrestling were all in the same place. It was a much more relaxed and enjoyable affair.

Wrestling

Dad trying archery

Mum building a ger

Dudes on horses

More pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/chris.guinness

Something Interesting in Choibalsan! Communist Era Brickwork

2009-06-24T12:19:00.005+08:00

Buildings in Choibalsan sport communist era designs and writing built into the brickwork. One of the schools has several walls decorated with many images, while the side of an aprtment block celebrates a Soviet space programme from 1981.

More photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/chris.guinness

VSO Summer Conference: Island Life, Mountain Climbing and Topless Air Guitar

2009-06-20T14:42:00.009+08:00

At the beginning of the month we had VSO Mongolia’s Summer Conference. It was held at the summer camp for CYPPD (Children and Young People’s Protection and Development) – a partner organisation of VSO in Mongolia.

We took the train up on the Wednesday morning – a slow, peaceful, meandering ride that gave us three hours for nattering, board games and gazing at the passing countryside.

When we arrived the beauty of the place was immediately apparent as we walked from the station, crossing a wobbly bridge and following the river to the camp. The camp was perched on a hill-side, several large wooden huts and a ger. I had decided to camp and pitched my tent on a small island in the river. The first afternoon was free, so several of us walked up a mountain and enjoyed the surroundings, before returning for a dip in the river, where I sipped a cold beer as the waters ran over my shoulders. More of a holiday than a conference.

The actual conference took place on the Thursday and Friday. Generally it was very well organised (I was involved in that!), and fairly constructive with action points to be taken forward after the conference.

There had been a bit of pre-conference negativity by some who had forgotten we were in Mongolia and didn’t like the idea of using a drop-pit toilet! I think most of the negativity was eroded by the stunning beauty of the place, and the positive attitude of other volunteers.

There was time in the afternoons for more mountain climbing and relaxing in the river. On the Thursday and Friday night, I may have had a little too much to drink (maybe!!) which resulted dancing on the tables, and some really bad air-guitar – topless! The trip back to my tent involved walking down the hill and wading across the river. Miraculously, I did not fall in!

Alas, Saturday afternoon eventually arrived and three days of island life, mountain climbing, drinking (and a conference somewhere in between) came to an end. It was time to pack up the tent and head back on the train to UB. Hopefully, next year's conference will be held here.

Darkhan Photos

2009-05-23T10:47:00.012+08:00

The first and only suspension bridge in Mongolia, lit up in pink and purple (for some reason!)

Removal van!

Old Darkhan under blue sky.....

......And in a dust storm.

By the giant construction worker on the road into Darkhan.

On the way out of Darkhan - on a fine day in May!

A ger in Khongor, near Darkhan.

A herder in Khongor.

More Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/chris.guinness

Floods and Snow - A Fine Day In May!

2009-05-09T12:10:00.007+08:00

Thursday night saw the first proper rain of 2009 in Mongolia. It bucketed down / heavens opened / rained cate and dogs / p*ssed down / etc. Despite my love of the continual Mongolian blue skies and sunshine, the rain actually made a nice change.

I woke on Friday morning to snow (and I thought winter had left us ages ago).

Looking out my kitchen window I could see that road (pavement, playground, school....) was flooded.

My short walk to work was to turned into an assault course, followed by wading across the road when we realised that we couldn't walk around the flooded road.

First, getting out of the apartment: luckily some good soul had put some broken breeze-blocks down as stepping stones. Next: climb over the small wall next to the building entrance and walk across the 'garden' (patch of mud), up onto the steps of the entrance to an art shop next door and onto the pavement. Then: with the road and pavement ahead flooded, walk carefully along the raised curb (and make it quick before the car comes).

And then we found that the only way across was for me to take my shoes and socks off, roll up my trousers and carry the girlfriend!

The Mongolian attitude to rain is a polar opposite to the British. As people arrived in the office, everyone was in a great mood, enjoying the rain and not really minding the flooded roads, soggy shoes, and leaking roofs.

A nice change, I guess, but can I have my blue skies back now please?

Improving Capacity

2009-05-03T14:22:00.004+08:00

In April Nyamka, my counterpart in Chingletei, was away on a volunteer project management course in the Philippines. The course was organised by the VSO office there and was open to people involved in National Volunteering who worked with partner organisations of VSO. The course was in English and the organisors demanded a high standard of English from particpants.

The course was perfect for Nyamka and would help in developing his skills and improving the project. However, his English needed some improvement and the course was fast approaching. It took a lot of work to inprove his English to a standard so he could particpate effectively, but he was keen and his English improved substantially.

On the last day of his course he had to write a plan and present it to his group. He emailed me the plan for my comments, and I was so pleased (and somewhat relieved, as I recommended him for the course) to see a good plan in English! Part of my objectives is to improve the capacity of my counterparts and I feel as though I have made real progress in that area.

Dusty Darkhan and a Spot of Rain!

2009-05-03T13:33:00.007+08:00

April involved a few trips back and forth to begin working with the Health Department in Darkhan. My first visit back in September involved a 3 hour taxi ride sat next to a drunk. Luckily the journeys this time around have been less eventful, although the shared-taxi system baffles me still. When you arrive at the station, drivers fight over you to get you into their car, and then you wait for it to fill up - leaving a situation where several cars are all waiting for one more person. The wait can vary tremendously, and when the car is full there is still no gaurantee that the driver will leave immediately. Mongolia has taught me patience!

Darkhan is a dusty town devided into two parts - the old town and the new town. I have been staying the new town - its "pride and joy" (to quote the Lonely Planet guide) being a 16-storey apartment block - and working in the sand-paved old town. The walk between the the two is pleasant and makes a nice change from UB. The walk takes me past the new Buddha, a statue of a horseman playing the Morin Khuur (horse-head fiddle), and Mongolia's only suspension bridge that links the two (and which, for some reason, is lit up be purple lights at night).

Did I mention that Darkhan is dusty? The old town is paved with sand, which they sweep into neat piles and wait for the wind destroy the hard work.

And when the wind comes it whips up the dust and throws it straight in your face.

While in Darkhan I felt my first rain drops in seven months. I have heard stories from longer serving volunteers about actually missing rain and standing out in the first rains of the year. I wasn't that impressed, although Mongolia could certainly do with it.

My work there has been successful, if interrupted by a couple of trips back to UB. The manager of the health volunteering project I am working with is extremely keen and I'm confident we can make some positive changes quite soon. I will be returning to Darkhan this week to work there until the end of May. I have organised an apartment for myself, which just happens to be next door to my counterpart (the project manager), so I imagine my spare time might be taken up with teaching her son English.

I will take up running while in Darkhan. A group of VSO volunteers are planning to take part in the Gobi half-marathon in September. I'm looking forward to it already - it should be a fun trip, but my exercise while in Mongolia has been fairly limited, so I better start training!

More photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/chris.guinness

Lake Khovsgol and the Ice Festival

2009-03-10T15:41:00.013+08:00

After the long journey and a night in a cosy ger, I treated myself to a lie-in. The cold wasn’t exactly tempting me away from the fire.

Eventually I managed to tear myself away and headed for the frozen lake. I caught my first view of the village of Khatgal in daylight.

I felt as though I walked onto the set of a western-film. There were wide dusty streets, wooden shacks and a row of deserted shops and cafes. As I walked towards the lake I passed numerous guest houses which were either boarded up, half built or in disrepair, and ger camps characterised by empty circular platform where gers will appear in the summer. I walked down onto the frozen lake at the southern arm of the lake, and strolled out onto the ice.

The lake is incredible – my brain struggles to comprehend how something that size can be frozen. It’s beauty is in its diverse patterns, cracks, air bubbles, juts of ice and ridges created where the ice has come together forcing it up and freezing it in place.

The most surprising element is the sound of the lake. The ice is alive! As the water, more than a metre below, moves under the ice it gargles and gurgles, bubbles and cracks – like walking on the belly of a giant with indigestion. At first it is completely disconcerting – I told myself (following tyre trails in the snow) that if a truck can drive on it, I should be okay.

And so I walked on, zig-zagging across the lake, following patches of snow, avoiding the sheer ice, and the near-certainty of ending up on my backside. As I walked the lake widened and its scale became clearer. It’s enormous. After an 1 ½ walk along the lake I reached where the ice festival was to be held. They were still building for the festival, completing the ice ger and digging down into the ice to remove large blocks to used for the ice sculptures. I was probably the first person to have a go on the ice slide!

The next day Tsog, who worked where I was staying, took me to visit several f his relatives in Khatgal (for Saagan Sar). The hospitality in Mongolia is wonderful, and in each home I was treated as part of the family. This did mean eating plenty of buutz, and drinking several shots of vodka, and acting as children’s entertainer (some things transcend language and culture – such as silly faces, funny noise and the classic paper-scissors-stone).

After a lovely afternoon, I headed for the lake to walk off some of the buutz and vodka. I walked around the disused oil depot and the frozen dock – to see ships impounded by the ice. The controlling force of the ice, dictating the use of such large vessels is impressive. I took a ride on a horse around the boats. The horse seemed as nervous as me when stepping onto the sheer ice. I returned to my ger to relax by the fire and reflect on a great day. It was so nice to be away from the city.

The fire in the night must have gone out early, the cup of water by my bed having turned to a solid block of ice. The dilemma facing me was whether to leave the cosy sleeping bag to light the fire. Eventually I forced myself to – it was cold out there! At the ice festival, some of the tourists who had paid through the nose for a tour were complaining that the staff had not come in and fuelled their fires in the night. Ahhhh!!

The ice festival itself was fairly low key, but a nice event nonetheless. I admired the long-distance skaters, skating 200km over two days. The cold and the isolations (there were not very many of them) must have a test of character. I was invited for a wrestle on the ice with a Mongolian and, rather predictably, I didn’t last too long! I blame my shoes – inadequate grippage – otherwise I would have had him. Honest!

On the second day of the festival I went dog-sledging. For all their woofy enthusiasm, dogs really aren’t too bright. They tear across the ice, across ridges, snow mounds and rough surfaces completely forgetting they are towing someone who is not too keen on falling face first into the ice. Inevitably I took a tumble, but just the one. It was a fantastic experience and a great way to see the lake.

Unfortunately the next day I had to head back to UB. The Lonely Planet guide to Mongolia, for all its useful information begins a paragraph about Khovsgol:

“If for some strange reason you travel to northern Mongolia in winter…”

Well, I found plenty of reasons. Khovsgol is a beautiful place I hope to see again (and in winter) before I leave Mongolia.

More Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/chris.guinness

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7961820.stm

Khovsgol and Back

2009-03-06T16:01:00.005+08:00

Ulaanbaatar to Khatgal

In February, I travelled to Khatgal, for the annual ice festival on the frozen lake Khovsgol. The journey, using the extensive and modern Mongolian transport system, was erm... interesting.

Just finding about transport to Khovsgol was a challenge in itself. After discovering that there would be no transport from UB to Moron during Saagan Sar (Feb 25th-27th) I headed to the bus station on Monday afternoon to catch a Russian minivan, with nine seats for passengers in the back. My driver squeezed 15 people in. So determined was he that we would leave when he had 15 passengers that, having arrived at the bus station at 3pm, my journey did not begin until nearly 10 o’clock. A seven hour wait in -20* temperatures is a real test of patience.

Cramped and cold, I headed for Moron. Pretty soon people were falling asleep and with 15 tightly packed bodies, people were leaning on each other, lying across several fellow passengers and using others as pillows. Bodies everywhere. I woke at one point to discover that someone had their hand in my shoe. I couldn’t work out who (or why), but figured it may help warm that foot up slightly, so I went with it. I woke again at about 2am and looking forward, realised that the windscreen was completely frosted and the driver could hardly see the ‘road’ ahead. I decided to pretend that I hadn’t seen this and went back to sleep.

The journey was shorter than I’d anticipated and we reached Moron in 17 hours. Boldoo, who lives in Khatgal and works a horse guide during the summer met me in Moron and took me to his sister’s ger while I waited for the bus to Khatgal. An impromptu English lesson with his nephew ensued followed by an impromptu wrestling match (which I lost). I was, of course, fed plenty of buutz but for once I was extremely grateful for the offering. I took the bus in the evening and made it to Khatgal at about 9.30pm where I settled in to my cosy ger and ate more buutz.

Khatgal to UB

For the return to UB after the ice festival I managed to negotiate a lift with a tour group who were heading back on the Monday morning. They were in two vans, with only eight passengers in each. Ah the space, pure luxury!

On the way we saw birds of prey, and stunning views of the Mongolian countryside.

My enthusiasm, however, was to be dampened by the length of the journey. They were to break the journey by staying the night in Bulgan, arriving in UB on Tuesday afternoon. Our van needed a wheel changing and the driver stopped to check it every half an hour. Then at about midnight the other van – trying to overtake – hit a bank and tipped onto its side. No one was hurt, and we set about pushing the van back upright and back onto the road. It was late, it was cold and the van was buggered, but on the plus side the scattered stars across the expansive sky were beautiful. We all squeezed into the other van and headed to Bulgan. The drivers worked through the night to fix the van and we made our way, albeit slowly, towards UB. We eventually arrived back at 8.30pm.

The journey was testing but definitely worth it. Lake Khovsgol is incredible. It is hard to comprehend how such an immense body of water can be turned to a giant layer of ice. Truly awe inspiring.

Training. And nothing went wrong!

2009-02-20T16:41:00.002+08:00

Okay, I'm seriously unnerved. I delivered project specific Volunteer Management Training today to the supervisors of volunteers in all 18 Family Group Practices in Chingletei District. It went really well:
* Everyone turned up (a miracle!)
* They turned up on time (well, close enough - pretty damn good by Mongolian standards)
* They all seemed interested!
* Everything worked
* There were no dramas

The trainings I have carried out previously has been characterised by people turning up (very) late, some leaving early, power cut, presentations not working, lunch not coming on time etc, etc. Each session, something seemed to go wrong the game was in trying to guess what it would be that day.

So a near perfect session leaves a rather strange feeling. It just doesn't seem right!

And - whisper it quietly - the whole session passed without using flip-chart paper. A VSO training session without flip-chart paper!! - if you listen carefully you may just be able to make out the sound of hell freezing over. VSO was founded on flip-charts and legend has it that Harbourne Hall is powered solely by used paper left over from training. I fear I may be asked to leave!!!!

Well, I'm to much of a cynic to expect a good training session every time, but it makes a nice change, and I can finally start to see signs of my impact on the project. Long may it last.

The Cold!!!!

2009-01-26T14:23:00.008+08:00

I'm looking forward to Wednesday - it'll be a warm day. -10*! I might even ditch the thermals.

I'm pleased with the way I have adapted to the cold. I certainly benefited from coming in the summer and getting used to the weather gradually. A volunteer came to Mongolia in November from the Philipines, +30* straight to -10*. That must be a shock. The middle of last week saw two very cold days, both with a "high" of around -25* during the day. On Wednesday though, it was the wind that really stung. I was walking through UB for a meeting, and the icy wind got up and tore straight through me, making my eyes water (which worried me as I was afraid the tears would freeze!).

There are two things which bug me about the winter:

1) My glasses steam up EVERY time I go inside, even if I've only been outside for a few minutes. I can't see a thing. At first I used to wipe them, but now I can no longer be bothered, so I stay blind for a few minutes while they clear. They clear from the centre of the lenses outwards so have tunnel vision for a few moments before they clear completely.

2) Sweeping the pavements. When it snows, the street-sweepers are sent out early the next day to sweep the snow from the pavements. This results in a nice looking clean pavement, fresh with a thin layer of ice caused by the sweeping, ready to catch out unsuspecting people like me. Luckily I have only fallen over once (amusing the locals no-end), but have had countless near misses.

The worst place has to be Sukhbaatar Square. When they were planning the Square, the conversation must have gone along these lines:

"So, it's below freezing for 6 months of the year, covered in ice and snow, and really slippy at the best of times. What surface shall we use? Any ideas?"

"How about marble?"

"Brilliant! We'll use marble!"

Marble covered in ice is just an accident waiting to happen. And happen a lot.

For the pavements which are not swept there is a thick layer of compressed snow which for the most part is fairly sure underfoot. However, the kids like to slide along the ice - so there is a narrow icy trail down the middle of the pavement to be avoided. If I've learnt anything in Mongolia, it's how to judge icy surfaces!!

Maybe the ladies here have the right idea - high heels! They never seem to slip or fall. I guess the heels just dig right in. I might have to give it a try!!

On Sunday I went to Zaisan with some other volunteers. Zaisan is in the south of UB, only ten minutes by bus. There are mountains and the river. The river now is completely frozen, which still seems strange to me. People drive right onto the river, park up and play on the ice. There is a game where they devide into two teams and slide a stone to eachother, making sure the stone rests by the feet of the other team, moving further apart after each go until one team starts to miss.

I plan to go the ice festival in Khovsgol at the end of February, which I am excited about. A massive frozen lake. It should be good fun. Each day is filled with blue skies and sunshine - I haven't seen rain in months (yay!!). Despite the cold, I prefer the weather here to UK weather any day. (Although, -30* is taking the mickey a little bit!!)

More photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/chris.guinness/

Christmas In Mongolia

2008-12-29T16:38:00.005+08:00

Christmas itself is not celebrated in Mongolia, but they do like their decorations (even if they do say 'Merry Christmas'). Sukhbaatar Square has a huge Christmas tree with a red star (some people just can't let go). The whole season is referred to a New Year and both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are holidays.

The 22nd, 23rd and 24th of December were taken with training - which was a relief as work had been frustratingly slow recently. We were training doctors and nurses who work with the health volunteers, trying to raise their awareness of volunteering, health promotion and the role of the volunteer. Each day something else went wrong, including:

Day 1: We could not show a presentation because of viruses, we only started with seven particpants, lunch didn't come until 2.30....

Day 2: No electricity (not great for powerpoint presentations and showing DVDs)

Day 3: Like training teenagers! You're meant to be adults for goodness sake. Aarghhh.

The training was held in the ger district, and boy, is it smoggy. Two of the days I decided to walk the venue. You can see where the ger district begins as the visibility drops considerably. By the time I reached the training venue, I reaked of smoke, and the effects of breathing in the smog made the first glass of water taste purely of smoke. It has to be said that there is something eerily beautiful about the sun rising through the smog, the smoke from a ger waving through an orange haze.

The walk was also cold! (the colder the smoggier, as families burn more and more in their gers). The problem is the cheeks - wrapping a scarf around you face does little as your breath freezes in the scarf and you're soon holding ice to your face. I am pleased with the way I have adapted to the cold. It's certainly preferably to clouds and drizzle! The dry days, clear blue skies (not accounting for smog!) and sunshine really do make a difference.

Christmas itself was fairly quiet, a roast chicken (no chance of a turkey!) and a party with other volunteers in the evening. The highlight was quite possibly mozerella (amazing!) served by an Italian guy in a pig mask (just disturbing!).

More photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/chris.guinness

Two months in Mongolia

2008-10-17T10:37:00.000+08:00

It’s been two months here already and the place really feels like home. The work is going well. I gave a presentation to an organisation who have set up the first volunteer centre in Mongolia. I talked about volunteer centres for 2 hours. How did that happen? (I don’t think I talked about them for 2 hours in the whole 5 years I worked in one! – Only kidding if any former colleagues are reading!) I will be helping them in their planning for the year. There is so much scope to get involved in different projects here.

I’ve been on two trips to the other places I’ll be working at on my placement – Darkhan and Choibalsan:

The journey to Darkhan was by shared taxi. This began by nearly being assaulted by an aggrieved taxi driver who felt I should have got into his car and decided he was going to drag me into his taxi whether I liked it or not. There was a long wait until the taxi was full, and then another wait until his boot was full of packages to deliver, and finally, after 2 ½ hours we were off. The next 3 ½ hours were spent next to a complete drunk who at various times tried to hug me, wrestle with me and sleep on me. Fun trip, might get the bus next time.

It was interesting seeing the health volunteering project in Darkhan (the current person managing it doesn’t like volunteers!) The volunteers are great and laid on a horhog for us. Obviously there was vodka – my mistake was being, apart from the main host, the only other man there.

This meant leading the way with the vodka drinking. I’m not sure if the pure lumps of fat from the horhog helped the vodka go down – or the vodka helped the fat go down…. Either way, I wasn’t half as damaged as I should have been!

My second trip was to Choibalsan. It is the fourth biggest aimiag centre in Mongolia with 40,000 people and 1 ½ hours away from UB by plane. I was staying in a hotel for the week which, as I soon discovered, was the local knocking shop. Judging by the many knocks on the door in the middle of the night, I had taken the room of a popular girl. I thought about opening the door, but they would have been sorely disappointed!! Choibalsan is soooo quiet, and I, in my wisdom, have agreed to spend the coldest months of the year there! In Choibalsan, the husband of another VSO volunteer fell down a manhole (breaking 3 ribs). I found it difficult not to laugh when he told me the story. At least I know when it happens to me – I won’t be the first.

Despite the risk of frostbite I am looking forward to working in Choibalsan. My counterparts are really keen to work together and I think we can develop their volunteering programme quickly.

Olympic Gold No. 2!!

2008-09-06T09:12:00.000+08:00

On the last day of the Olympics (24th August), Mongolia picked up their second gold medal of the games in the boxing (having won their first ever gold in the Judo just befor I arrived).

(I have been told that gold medal tally was actually higher, as the boxer who won silver was injured and a Mongolian born woman representing Germany also won a medal).

When I arrived (16th August) I was told stories of the mad celebrations that follwed in UB and all of Mongolia. The main square in the city, Sukbaatar, was packed full of people waiving flags and singing, while the president sand a kareoke version of the national anthem p*ssed as a fart while someone had to hold him upright! I was watching the boxing with interest, hoping for a repeat.

Sunday came and while missing out in one final, they did win their second gold. The city went crazy - before even venturing out I could here thousands of car horns enveloping the city in noise.

So I wondered into town, and sat in a bar balcony as the street erupted before me. So many cars, horns honking, people hanging out of windows and sitting on roofs, shouting and screaming and waving flags. It was a real spontaneous, joyous (and quite drunken) outpouring of national pride. A real privilege to see.

Every now and then an over ambitious ( and frankly disillussioned) policeman would come along and try to persuade people to get back inside their cars. No chance!

Later on I wondered down to Sukbaatar Square. I have never been so popular in my life! People running up to me to tell me that they had 2 golds, giving me high fives, waving flags in my face. The centre of the Square was packed with people chanting "Mongol, Mongol" and the sound of vodka bottles smashing creating a noisy couldron. There must been some sore heads on Monday morning.

One Week in Ulaanbaatar

2008-08-24T15:14:00.001+08:00

I have been here in Mongolia for a week already. The first week has been consumed with In-Country-Training and exploring Ulaanbaatar.

In an effort to slip seamlessly into the traditional Mongolian lifestyle, my first week has included a meals at Indian restaurant and Malaysian restaurants, a drink at the British Embassy bar (the ‘Steppe-Inn’ – geddit?!? - a useful place to know as it’s the only place to get a pint when alcohol is banned, as during the recent riots) and a pub quiz at Dave’s Bar (yes, it is run by a bloke called Dave).

On our second day we went to Terelj, out in the countryside. It is famous for turtle rock, which really does resemble a turtle. We had a true Mongolian barbeque and marvelled at the countryside, beautiful hills in a vast landscape.

UB is a dusty concrete city, with a run down ‘better-days’ feel to it – but not at all threatening. There seems to be a pragmatic approach to life, where aesthetics (in terms of buildings and urban landscape) is of little importance. The city is relatively small, surrounded by sprawling ger districts that stretch to the slopes of the hills and mountains that encircle the city. It still has a vast feel to it, with large main roads and wide pavements, yet you can easily cover one end of the city to the other by foot in a short space of time.

The Thursday before I arrived, a Mongolian won their first ever Olympic gold medal (in Judo). Apparently the celebrations were great, with the president giving a karaoke rendition of the national anthem in the main square while completely sozzled. They have just picked up another in boxing, so hopefully tonight will be just as raucous, and I can experience Mongolian celebrations.

The traffic here stops for nothing and no-one. Pedestrian crossings serve no purpose except to serve as gathering points for people to cross the road en-masse. Safety in numbers. The key when crossing is avoid the British dithering technique (one foot forward: ‘I’m going’, foot back: ‘oh, he might not stop’) and put the head down and march – they will go around you. I can also confirm that in those ‘Oops, I miss-judged the traffic’ moments, the buses at least, will actually (and eventually) stop – but only after being entirely satisfied that they have delivered a brown-trouser moment.

I have heard a theory that drivers still have a ‘herder’s mentality’, thinking they are still on a horse and another (more plausible) reason that they drive like they would on country roads/dust tracks.

By far the safest method is the tried and trusted international road-crossing technique - to latch onto locals who look like they know what they’re doing and walk in time with them (preferable standing the other side of the on-coming traffic!). It’s got me through the first week unscathed!

We (8 new volunteers – four English and four from the Philippines) are currently going through In-Country-Training with VSO. One week down, two to go.

The training includes language lessons at the Bridge School every morning – which is going slowly – I thought I was doing quite well until two (happy-)drunks decided to have a conversation with me on the bus yesterday and I couldn’t remember a word. All part of the experience, I guess! My slight concern is that I will be working out of the VSO programme office where everyone speaks perfect English (and me being lazy I’ll probably just end up talking in English), rather than being at a placement where you have to use the language to communicate with colleagues. Luckily VSO will refund continued language lessons after the training – which I intend to do.

The rest of the training includes a country briefing, safety and medical issues, talks on the programme areas VSO work on here and other general info.

Predictably the main focus of the safety and medical briefing covered the cold winters. -40 C is going to be interesting! The snow in the city is very fine and the country director referred to it ‘diamond dust’. Sounds amazing.

My main concern is the manholes. The covers have all been removed for either/or/both: To be sold for scrap metal, or (more seriously) to create access for homeless people who live down there. It seems hard to believe, but while waiting around for other volunteers a man just lowered himself into one, saying hello to us as though walking through his front door. The heating in the apartment blocks in the city is controlled centrally (it is turned on and off at set dates in October and March) and the pipes pass under the manholes – so people live down there to stay warm. Mongolia is no place to live on the streets in winter. To keep in some of the warmth, the holes are often covered in cardboard, and when covered in ice and snow are apparently impossible to spot. The winters will be fun!

Yesterday we took a trip to the Mongolian Women Farmers’ Association (a local project supported by a VSO volunteer) in Bayankhoshuu – one of the peri-urban ger districts in UB. They provide training to people on how to grow their own vegetables. The training is timed for the right times for growing – they will have a session on preparing soil and people will go home and prepare the soil, and come back a week later for the next session. The plot they have is beautiful, full of sunflowers and vegetables, right in the middle of the ger district. It was an inspiring visit.

I am itching to start work (first day – Monday 8th September) and really get immersed in the lifestyle and culture. The trip to the Mongolian Women Farmers’ Association has really enthused me about being here, being involved with VSO and working with local projects. Roll on the next two years!