Mongolia PCV's Unite!

So we have had a very crazy friday here. First of all let me say that yesterday it was fall and today it is winter. Last night we had freezing rain and then snow and this morning the wind was blowing something fierce. Our ger was sooooo cold. I could see my breath all morning. Our ger is not winterized yet (to do this they add another layer of felt to the outside of the ger, add a vestabule to the door, and bury the bottom of the ger in earth) right now the bottom of our ger is just a tarp all along the outside so the wind and cold came through just fine. It is about 40 degrees but with wind chill I am guessing around 25. Coming to work this morning I got a brain freeze because the wind was blowing so hard and so cold. Yawna!!! (means: oh no, how sad, how difficult....good word).

After I got to work I got a call that said we are doing our consolidation drill. This means that everyone has to go to our sub-warden's house and await further instructions from peace corps (usually you would consolidate right before evacuation). It is a very good drill to do but very dumb for us because it is only the people from our town. So we walked over to their house this morning and sat around for a couple of hours and then went back to work. Further exposure to the cold cold day.

Everyone is worried about us because we are foreigners and don't know anything. Yesterday everyone was worried about me because Jesse was in the country on business. FYI: he had a really great time, went to a mineral shower, drank araig, and listened to a 70 slide presentation on TB. So every one was worried that I was home all alone and today they are all worried that I might freeze to death. Frankly I am worried about this too so have done nothing to assuage their fears. Actual text message from my boss: Hi. Good day. I am worried for you and your ger. I wrote back: I am worried too. I am very cold. Hopefully we will get winterized soon. : )

Other than that not a lot to report for the week. I had my first radio show and it went ok. I think I kinda sound like mickey mouse. Why doesn't anyone tell me these things? This weekend hopefully we are getting warm things for the house. But other than that no real plans. We are however, throwing our first dinner party in our ger. We invited our hashaa family over for pizza (6 people). So that should be fun.

Ok I am off. FYI to the next person to send a care package: please send hot chocolate and hot apple cider. Want to be warm on the inside too. : )