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Landed at FLL

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Long flight. Left Ulaanbaatar Sunday 3/25 at 12:00 pm Mongolian time and arrived 12:00 am EST the same day (Sunday night)! Of course the travel time was longer than it seems. Crossing the international date line makes everything weird. We flew to Beijing >Chicago > FLL. About 30 hours of travel time including layovers – yeah I’m a little grimy. Happy to be back!

Here are a few photos from Saturday. We traveled to the country. We met a nomadic Mongolian family who are dear friends of our host, Nara. The retired couple were teachers. They live in a ger, raise/herd their own animals, and make dairy products from the milk – a yogurt-like treat, milk tea, and milk vodka.

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Leaving Mongolia

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There is so much yet I would like to write but time is precious. We are leaving Mongolia today and this is the last place I’ll have wifi! I am sitting in the lobby and trying to type quickly before we leave.

I’m not saying this is my last post but this will be the last in Mongolia.

The week has gone by fast! But I caught a head cold!

Yesterday we rode out to the country and met a nomadic family and had lunch in a ger. The countryside is so beautiful – mountains, frozen rivers, horses, cows, and snow everywhere. I rode a camel!

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Great week

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It has been a jam packed week! We have been going nonstop from 8am to 10:30 pm every night. Right now I’m about to fall asleep – 10:51 pm.

Tomorrow we drive out into the country which will take us a few hours. We will meet a nomadic family and see a real ger (the Russian word is yurt). A ger is a traditional home for nomadic Mongolians.

Our weather has been averaging around 18 F. It has been a “spring warm” high of around 35 degrees. Still, it is cold for me!

The inside temps of the hotel, offices, and restaurants are HOT.

Our Mongolian hosts have been incredibly gracious. I feel like I have made great friends on this trip. I’ll say this – the Mongolian women I have met with the Civic Voices project are smart, strong, independent, and determined to continue civics education of Mongolia.

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Day 3 – Tuesday

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All of the Mongolian teachers we have met are so creative.  For example yesterday, in less than 40 minutes, the students had completed 3 tasks – a short didactic review of the democratic concepts, an application of the democratic concepts in small groups, and then a role playing simulation of the concepts.  It was impressive how quickly they transitioned from one task to the next.  When I taught a lesson on Free and Fair Elections, I asked open-ended and critical thinking questions – they had excellent insightful answers. Indeed, most were raising their hands and participating, and I couldn’t call upon all of them who wanted to share a response because I was running out of time. I was so impressed with these students.  My colleague from Miami school district added to the discussion by stating that by one vote George W. Bush won the Election of 2000 with 271 electoral votes.  This led us into a quick 10 minute lesson on how the president is elected – the poplar vote, winner take all electoral system in most states, and the electoral college.  As my students and adults know this a complicated concept.  Yet the Mongolian kids who have been living under a democratic state for only 22 years got it!   They understand and value democracy.  They understand that elections and participation in government matters.

6:25 pm – gotta go to dinner – put on the boots, jacket, etc.    

Thanks for reading

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Day 2

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Please see the Photo Gallery!  There are a few pictures from the last two days.   Sunday, 3/18 we visited a Gandantegchenling Monastery and Buddhist Temple Complex, the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts (excellent information on Mongolian history), and viewed important sites within the UB on a student-led democracy tour. We ended the full day with a cultural musical show.  Monday, 3/19 we visited a secondary school (senior high school students) Ulanbataar #33.  More details about photos to follow later. Honestly I am too tired and jet-lagged to write tonight!  Sorry…

Having a wonderful time!   Tomorrow we visit another school.

Today the Mongolian students (high school seniors) we met were so insightful, eager, and willing to participate during the US Teacher lessons.  We observed a Mongolian teacher lesson first.  In a total of only 40 minutes they reviewed the 12 Civic Voices democratic concepts, applied their knowledge in groups of the concepts, and then role-played a few concepts.  I was so impressed with their fluid transitions from one activity to another. They were incredibly smart, gracious, and so sweet.  I gave them seashells and Valentine candy!  They were so excited to receive these small gifts.  Also I noticed like in the US, the style for the girls is to wear are Ugg boots.  I told them how my  students wear Uggs (they say U G G), and they giggled.  I took pictures of their shoes!

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sleep

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Arrived in Mongolia 10:30 pm on Saturday March 17. Met our hosts who picked us (Abby Mills with Civic Voices and me) up at the airport. They are so nice. It’s 1:30am now — completely unpacked, 2 cups of Sleepytime tea, 1 cup of Airbourne. Temp outside 16F, but inside – maybe 85F. I cracked the window open for A/C. Lonely Planet warned about this in the hotels. We are staying at the Springs Hotel. I believe it is a boutique hotel. Room is nice; futon-like bed, and bath is definitely Asian style. Heat only inside, and you can’t control the temp. Since I didn’t sleep on the plane at all I should really go to bed. I think I watched 4 movies on the plane. Today’s (30 hours) travel was flawless. Korean Airlines is fantastic. All my bags made it!

Tomorrow (Sunday) we have a guided democracy tour by our host students. I’m looking forward to also visiting a large Buddhist temple – Gandan Temple and Choijin Lama Monastery.

1:50 am …. Going to sleep!

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Ready to go!

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On my first leg of the trip to Atlanta! Oh my goodness do I have a lot of stuff! Two carry on bags – my jacket, a change of clothes (just on case) for a few days, my iPad, my laptop, a quart size bag of liquids, a neck cushion, snacks, and more… OMG I have never carried so much!

I also checked two bags. Half of one bag was filled with candy coconut gifts for the teachers in Mongolia and a big stack of laminated placards (<10lbs) Civic Voices overnighted to me to carry for them for our lessons.

Thank you to the travel gods for a good flight so far! Thanks to Fritch for driving me to the airport this morning and arriving at my house at 5:55 am!

My "girl-cation" was cut short by my departure. I hope Heather, Donna, and Michelle have a wonderful time at my house without me! :-). Enjoy the sun ladies!

The biggest stressor was packing! Why am I so neurotic? Please don't answer that.

Leaving Atlanta in 1/2 hour for Seoul, Korea. 15 hours 20 min flight! Whew -the longest flight for me.

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Traveling on James Madison’s birthday!

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This is random, but I think my current and former students will get a kick out of this one.  I am traveling to Mongolia  on March 16.  This is also James Madison’s birthday!  The purpose of the trip is civics education…maybe Jimmy is looking out for me?

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Why I am blogging…

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I had not considered writing a blog for this trip, but I suppose I was convinced by my friends. At least 3 people said I had to blog about my experiences in Mongolia. So here I am world! I hope that my family, friends, colleagues, and students find something interesting to read. Frankly, I am not one to write all of my thoughts down for the WWW to read. I have a Facebook account which I write posts sparingly. I also have a few Twitter accounts, but again I am judicious with my posts. Full disclosure, I am not one to spend a lot of time on social media. But I admit I like reading other people’s clever posts. So I figure if you don’t want to read this blog – you will not be forced to like on other social media sites of Facebook, etc.

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Packing….and then some

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Packing – this the biggest chore and stressor. I am a Florida girl!  I am traveling to a place at high altitude with  temps below Zero Fahrenheit.  I had to buy boots, long underwear, wool socks, and compression socks for the plane (feel free to laugh!). I borrowed a bigger (size 9) pair of short boots from Janet, and she also went shopping for me at the UnderArmor store. Karin lent me a beautiful red fox fur coat (older, but has hardly ever been worn). It is the warmest coat I have ever worn. I hope nothing happens to it –   i.e., some crazy PETA fanatic comes out of nowhere and splashes me with paint!    Oh yeah that only happens in the US, not in Asia, where the temps are -20F!  So, I have also borrowed scarfs (from Janet), and hats, and beanies. I do have some wool sweaters from my travels to Peru and Ecuador, and I have a few cashmere sweaters.  I know – dress in layers!