Welcome to My World!

Hi again. Jim here. We are now midway through our initial training and the end is in sight. Predictably, the summer is flying by for us. This week marked Mongolia's largest national festival called Nadaam, which is the second oldest-known athletic competition, the Athenian Olympics being older. Next post, we'll tell you more about it.

Meanwhile, it's high time for an introduction to my family and such. Pictured above is my family. They have all spoiled me rotten as is customary treatment for a foreign guest. My "mother," Hishgay is pictured in the lower left. She has a great sense of humor and will force feed me (just shy of physically doing so). She will thank me when I insist I'm full. Just to Hishgay's left is my little sister Gahnaa, who is my best pronunciation coach. She will accentuate the syllables repeatedly for me, getting right in my face to make sure I'm getting them right. She's a big reason I did well in the pronunciation aspect of our recent language test. To my left is my younger "father," Gahnsuhk who is an able handyman, carpenter and a lover of sports, particularly Mongolian and sumo wrestling. He's an excellent shahray and volleyball player, too. Seated behind us is Hishgay's younger brother Ontgo, who has been working in the capital UB this summer. From what I can tell, he's a sweet, soft-spoken young man. Lastly, and certainly not least, is my 16-yr old sister ("doo"), Mongono. She has been my closest attendant who so kindly cooks for us and escorts me to new places in town until I learn to understand directions. They are a wonderful family that has made my existence here comfortable and distraction-free. You may have noticed that I'm the only one smiling. They do like me - honest! It is customary to strike a serious look when photographed despite the joy they take in photography and in sharing photos.

This photo is from my balcony. Yes, I have a small balcony, which is not close to normal for homes here. I have a large second floor room and the balcony has been a great place for me to study and watch some of the Mongolian world go by. I saw THE best lightning show ever from this perch last night.

The women pictured here is my language trainer, Tuya. She has been fantastic and I feel really fortunate to have her as a teacher. She understands a lot of English and though she doesn't use it in her instruction, it has been great when she can often confirm our suspicions about translations. Part of the challenge of all-Mongolian, all-the-time in class is having to struggle to figure out grammar rules and occasionally wondering if the interpretation we decide on is even correct. This happens, regardless the level of English competency a trainer has. Tuya's English capability has reduced a lot of uncertainty for the fortunate few in her class. I am blessed in many ways.

We continue to miss our friends and family a ton, and the constant distraction of newness, all and everyday, does not come close to mitigating that. We hope you are well.