Jijuur is Mongolian for “doorman,” but the job description holds a little more weight. They can also be security guards, builders, and handymen. My favorite jijuur, Od, greets me with the toothiest smile every time he sees me, but also bailed me out in a flash when I got locked out of my apartment. In… Continue reading The Jijuur
Tag: mongolia
In the Name of Chinggis
Today is Chinggis Khan’s birthday, and as a national holiday, we all had the day off from work and school. With the cooling temperatures, I’m starting to feel much lonelier. I so badly crave the ability to speak English consistently, to not have a daily language barrier frustration, to go to yoga in a real… Continue reading In the Name of Chinggis
The Zuud is Coming
Its only been about two months since I’ve arrived at site, and it feels like a couple weeks but it also feels like its been about a year. Its already started getting pretty cold, and when I think about the impending winter my heart starts racing a little. This will be my first, real zuud.… Continue reading The Zuud is Coming
Finding Peace
The tiny frustrations have percolated into one big giant realization: It just never works out the way you want it to. That old, cliché saying— Expect the worse, hope for the best—its been ringing in my ears this past week. I am eerily American in the fact that I subconsciously acknowledge that productiveness is key… Continue reading Finding Peace
Puzzles
I was about ten or eleven years old when I first thought about working abroad. I pictured myself selfless and altruistic, throwing my aid at the feet of those who need it. I pictured myself in a third-world country feeding starving children or something completely cliché of that nature. My mom asked me what happened… Continue reading Puzzles
