My Birthday and other things….

(Typed August 30th, 2010)

I had a great birthday! Justin planned it all out. I had a surprise party (Aug 13th), and when I walked in I saw that he was making EGGPLANT PARMESAN! I didn’t think it was possible in Mongolia! He really had to pull some expensive strings to get a hold of eggplant and mozzarella. It was delicious! All of my American and Mongolian friends were there. They made a big card for me. My Mongolian Language teachers gave me a gift of hand painted chopsticks. Justin also got a hold of a cake somehow…it was a Russian cake. It was just a great birthday!

The next day (Aug 14th ) my Host Family threw me another surprise party. They served all sorts of fruit and got me a box of chocolate. My Host Mom even made chocolate apple hushuur (like chocolate apple fried turnovers). It was amazing. I felt so loved and had just an awesome day!

Then on Sunday (my actual birthday) we left our training site and went to Zonmod to meet one last time as Trainees. We were finding out where we were being placed for two years! I received many other birthday wishes from fellow Trainees, Trainers and PCVs. One of the married PCV couples (Ashlee and Scott) even made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich-- doesn’t sound like a great present, but IT WAS! Any type of American food is heavenly. We are so deprived in Mongolia.

Justin and I are really enjoying living on our own again! We live in a great town in the Gobi Desert. We have gone crazy making our own meals. My biggest struggle this past summer was not being able to cook for myself, or choose what I was to eat, when I was to eat it and how much of it I was to eat. Food really makes an impact on your life! I have reunited with tomatoes and cheese! And I have forever departed with Mutton…(I hope…).

So, we have been in our little town for just over a week now. We have been going to the little food shops everyday to pick up ingredients needed for our meals. We have to pop in several food shops in order to complete our 5 item shopping list. So, at every food shop we go to I ask if they have chicken (because I WILL NOT eat any red meat here). And sadly, chicken is just really hard to come by here in Mongolia. There is no chicken in my town….Well yesterday we were making our rounds at grocery shopping. This time we were on the hunt for garlic. We decided we would pop in one last shop. When we stepped in my eyes went directly to their freezer and what did I see??? Chicken! I was so excited about it (I’m in urgent need of protein) that I blurted out “be bayartay bahn, be bayartay bahn!” which is Mongolian for “I’m happy, I’m happy!” I didn’t even give myself time to think in English first. Then I immediately asked for the chicken and bought as much as I could. Good thing Justin and I own a freezer! I hope I made an impression on the shop keeper (my excitement probably freaked her out). Maybe she’ll keep chicken stocked??? Probably not. This is, after all, Mongolia!