Bonafide Volunteers

So the news has just kept coming. We love reading your blog postings as much as you love to read ours. Last week we were unable to read postings for some reason so we were sad but this week we are back in action.

On Saturday we were sworn in as volunteers. We took an oath and everything. The swearing in ceremony was an especially big deal this year because the president of Mongolia attended, gave a speach and shook hands with host families and volunteers. First time in Peace Corps Mongolia history. It was pretty great. He had no prepared speach he was just talking and his poor interpretor was writing furiously to keep up. We all looked very fancy with our new outfits from our families. We have a very talented crew of performers. I was able to save some friends and dignity by not singing at the ceremony and jesse was the cutest dancing monkey up there. Our families came and it was a very long good day. It felt just like graduation. Plus both of our supervisors were there. Lots of pictures to be had.

Speaking of pictures....At long last we have "Our Summer Vacation" pictures we are sending today so check your mail boxes in about ten years. Actually we are sending one CD with about 70 pictures to Mike who promised to make copies and send them domestically to interested parties. There are some really good ones in there, so now you will have pictures to accompany our stories. We will send another CD with our ger pictures in a few weeks. Once we move in and all.

We are pit stopping in UB for today and leave for site tomorrow! We are stocking up on foods we can't get in our town (beans, tofu, peanut butter, spices, cheese and the like). And some cloth to have some deels and shirts tailor made for winter. Jesse and I have both lost a bunch of weight and our clothes don't fit very well anymore. But tailor made stuff is pretty cheap and cool. They have these really old russian sewing machines here too that I might get and learn how to use for patches and what not...i need winter hobbies besides sitting next to the fire.

LMW's description of the araig (the fermented milk) and arrol (the milk product that is hard) are right on. I can't stand them. They often have the "candy" without sugar and in these hard little bricks. Very good for protien and on the go eating if you need to eat to survive but very hard to handle if there is ANY other option. Jesse however likes the stuff. Proving my theory that he has no taste buds.

To answer some burning ger questions... we have electricity (that can't handle more than two things plugged in) in the Ger but no electricity in the out house. The outhouse is shared with our hashaa family (5 people). We have a stove, a table, two chairs, a bed, wood floors, and a dry sink, oh and my boss said that we have a black and white tv but no english speaking programs.
It is a five "wall" ger. A wall is defined as a latice section. Four is the minimum we are supposed to live in so we have a little bit bigger ger. Our water is gathered at a communial well a 1/4 mile from the house. We have internet in our town so we will write more later once we see everything. Jesse starts work on Thursday and I start next wednesday.

Ok, I think that is all for now. Much love.

Happy Anniversary to Juli and Dustin....