Weekend spa retreat to Hujirt with my co-workers

I just returned to Arvaikheer from a weekend spa retreat with my co-workers. The Uvurkhangai Chamber of Commerce received some money from the National CCI because we won the best Chamber for 2008, based upon our annual report. My director announced on Monday, that this Valentine’s Day weekend we would be going on an all-paid vacation! My co-workers each invited a few of their family members, and seeing as I don’t have any family in Mongolia – I was able to invite one of my friends.

The west side of Hujirt Soum

The retreat was in Hujirt Soum, about 95 kilometers north of Arvaikheer, in Uvurkhangai Aimag. Hujirt is a city next to Harhorin, the ancient capitol of Mongolia. Hujirt is famous for its natural hot springs that feed into many spa houses.

The ancient story of Hujirt is that, many centuries ago, a hunter shot and injured a deer. The deer retreated to the hot springs for seven days. After seven days, the deer was fully recovered from its injuries. This is how Mongolians learned of the healing powers of the hot spring water. Now, more Mongolians than foreign tourists come to Hujirt to bathe in the healing waters.

CPs and I at the deer statue in Hujirt, Uvurkhangai

One of the spa resorts is a member of the Uvurkhangai Chamber of Commerce, so our company received massive discounts on services, food, and hotel costs. For example, a shower, bath, or mud wrap would normally cost 3,000 T, but we received a 50% discount for just 1,500 T. Massages and other spa treatments are also available in Hujirt.

Our group left Saturday morning in the director’s meeker. Her husband drove us to Hujirt and back. The trip only took about 2 and a half hours on an unpaved road. Usually driving on unpaved roads makes me quesy, so I shut my eyes and hold onto a ceiling handle.

When we arrived in Hujirt, first we ate lunch of soup and hosher. Then we drove to the mountain that has a statue dedicated to the surviving deer I mentioned above. I’ve noticed that Mongolians like to put many statues and dedications on the top of mountains. It’s usually a hike or drive to the top of the mountain. We drove, considering the very cold weather. Also, pictures MUST be taken in front of the said statue. We took our pictures, enjoyed the city view of the entire city, then went back to the car.

My hair froze in the cold weather

The afternoon was spent showering, getting mud-wrapped, and laying around. Dinner was served at 7pm, then we had a card game night. We played many Mongolian card games, one similar to spoons, and UNO. I always come prepared with my American card game of UNO. It is easy to teach because numbers and colors are a simple concept. UNO is a great game if there is a language barrier. My co-workers like UNO, like my Selenge host family did, therefore we played many rounds.

Sunday morning, my friend and I went to visit another PCV that lives in Hujirt. We chatted for a bit, then walked back to the spa resort. On the way back, we searched for bottled water at the food stores. None of the stores had bottled water… which was a bit strange. That made me feel like I was in the hudoo of the hudoo Mongolia.

Hujirt town center

Sunday afternoon, after lunch, the group loaded into the meeker and drove back to Arvaikheer.

It was nice to finally get a vacation, and one paid for at that. Being a CED volunteer is quite different from being a TEFL volunteer. In this vacation aspect, TEFL, or English teachers, get school holidays for weeks, or months at a time. The schedule varies between aimags, but I’ll use Arvaikheer as an example. In November, there is a week off, December-Jan. about three weeks, Feb. – Tsaagan Sar vacation, March – a week off, then the whole summer is free of classes and teaching. English-teaching volunteers are able to travel and rest during all of these school breaks, without it counting against their Peace Corps annual leave.

On the other hand, as a CED, CYD, or Health volunteer in Mongolia, we must be at work each day. In order to go on vacation, we should take days from our annual leave amount – equaling 24 for one year, 2 per month (unless it is work-related). I must use my annual leave wisely, therefore, I haven’t taken any annual leave days or vacation yet.

Introduction to my Mongolian friends

I will introduce you to my Mongolian friends. Most of my friends are related to my work or to the other PCVs’ work. In Mongolia, most peoples’ closest friends are their co-workers. There is no separation between private life and work life. Therefore, I am good friends with my co-workers. I am also good friends with other PCVs’ coworkers.

First, I will introduce you to my co-worker friends. In Peace Corps terminology, co-worker = counterpart. Counterpart = a person who a Peace Corps volunteer develops the capacity of.

Ganaa, my counterpart, and I

Ganaa is a manager at the Chamber of Commerce. She has a business degree from the Agricultural University in UB. Before working at the CCI, she was a secretary at the local airport. Ganaa’s English is limited, but she always does her English homework and tries hard in class. Ganaa is very bright and funny. Ganaa has three children and is married.

Aagii, my counterpart, and I

Aagii became my counterpart in November 2008. She used to work as a financial officer at Haas Bank. Aagii has a business degree from a UB business school. Now, Aagii is in charge of the business information room in our new building. I’m teaching Aagii how to find information on the Internet for clients. She and I, together, are writing a survey and proposal to get equipment for the information room. She is about 26 years old and not married. She lives in a ger, like me.

Oyunaa, my main counterpart, and I

Oyunaa was the first co-worker that I met. She picked me up in Darkhan at Final Center Days. Oyunaa has an accouting degree from the School of Technology and Science in Arvaikheer, Uvurkhangai. Last year, she studied   English in India for 5 months. Oyunaa is the counterpart that I go to if I have any problems with my ger or in my life. Oyunaa attended IST training with me. We learned how to effectively work together on projects.

Oyunaa always writes me texts like “How are you. How is your body. How is your weekend.” She is always looking after me. She always says, “If you have problem, just tell to me and I will help to you.” She’s great!

Nasilmaa and her husband

Nasilmaa is one of my counterparts. She had a baby girl in October. “Nasaa” worked as the director of the CCI until she had her baby. I have visited Nasaa’s ger three different times. She loves having people over. Now she is on maternity leave, and I haven’t seen her in a while.

Zolzaya, my director

Zolzaya, or Zoloo, is the director of the CCI. Her English is almost flawless, besides the fact that she leaves out articles. Zoloo worked in Germany for 2 years, and knows German fluently. Zoloo is married and has 3 children. She has a Masters degree in Accounting. She also does auditing work alongside her CCI position. She is a very smart woman, and I am very lucky to have her as my director. She always sees the business side of things. She is a very hard worker and a go-getter!

Choka and Tonga

Last year, Choka and Tonga were students at the University of Technology and Science. They’ve graduated now and both are working as English teachers. I hang out with them on the weekends.

Erika, my Mongolian language tutor, and I

Erika is my Mongolian lauguage tutor. She likes cats, just like me.

Mongoo and I

Mongoo is my best Mongolian friend, outside of my workplace. She is 21 years old and is a student in UB. She is interning at a tourism company in Arvaikheer until May 2009. She and I hang out a couple of times a week. She has traveled to Russia, China, and Korea. She loves learning languages! Her ultimate goal is to be a flight attendant… believe it or not, they get paid a lot of money! In order to be a flight attendant in Mongolia, you must know 5 languages. Her next language in Mandarin. It is nice to have someone to talk about clothes, makeup and boys with. I still don’t feel exactly right about telling my co-workers all about my personal life.

Patrick (not Mongolian), Uugana, and I

Uugana is awesome! She is an English teacher as the University of Technology and Science. She has been a PCV counterpart for about 10 years. She understands Americans more than anybody else in Arvaikheer. Her ultimate goal is to open her own children’s center in Arvaikheer. Last summer, she was the CYD Peace Corps coordinator.

These are my main Mongolian friends. I have others, though, that I hang out with through other PCVs. Many other Mongolians want to be my friend, just simply because I am American. Many people know nothing about me, but want to hang out because I am foreign and those people want to learn English.

Mongolians approach friendship in a different way than I would normally would. For example, the other day I got a text that said, “Sain u? Amber I want to know to you. I took your mobile’s number my friend. I heared your voice. I enjoyed your intonation.”

Or… My counterpart getting a text message at 2 a.m. saying, “I need your volunteer’s phone number. I want to be her friend. PLEASE SEND ME PHONE NUMBER.“

Or… a text message last fall that said, “Where do you live? I want meet to you. I want being your friend.“

Back in America, I would think…. “Wow, creepy. I am not responding to that text message.” But here, the ideas that I would normally think of as stalker-ish don’t exist. Luckily, the people I am friends with protect my privacy and don’t give out my information, unless they ask me first.

I also have several American friends at my site. Some TEFL volunteers are the only American within a 2 or 3 hour radius. Mongolia is difficult for many volunteers because of the isolation. Some Peace Corps countries can place all volunteers within a 2 or 3 hour drive of the capitol city. But because Mongolia is such a big country, volunteers are spread out all over, and normally don’t get to see one another on a regular basis.

I’m very lucky for all of my Mongolian and American friends in Arvaikheer, Uvurkhangai!