These pictures are actually from August 20, 2010. This was our big "Swearing-In Ceremony". We had just gone through a tough and unforgettable summer training for 2 1/2 months. Many important people (besides us!) attending this ceremony including the Acting Debuting Chief of Mission for the US Embassy, the Vice Minister of the Mongolian Ministry of Education, and the Chairperson for the National Authority for Children in Mongolia. This was the day we officially became Peace Corps Volunteers. Yay!
This past Saturday I started teaching my Community English Class with another Peace Corps Volunteer in my town. We invited all of the English Teachers from all 5 schools and will be building their listening and speaking skills as well as teaching methodology to increase their classroom management and introduce new ways of teaching. It was a very fun class. We had some great discussions. Justin even attending this class with me (he even participated in all of the activities! He's such a good, supportive husband!).
Afterwards Justin and I attended a Mongolian Exposition. It was a center filled with booths of goods from all the different provinces. There were handmade wool blankets, shoes, handmade fur hats, traditional clothing as well as any type of Mongolian food imaginable. It was a very neat experience. It only lasted for two days, but next time it travels this way we will be more prepared and might actually buy something. Justin really wants one of those fur hats, but refused to pay the 85,000 tugriks they requested.
There was a hat that looked just like this:
But most looked like this:
No thanks! I'd rather not have a dead animal on my head...faux fur please!
I am thinking about starting a baking/cooking class for the community. The small details are not planned out yet (like where we can have this class...what food we can use...where to get money for it, etc-- you know, the little stuff). I will have my eyes open for ideas. But I have heard of several people who are interested. And I'm all for expanding the Mongolian food palate!!! The reason why there isn't a lot of variety of foods to be found in my town is because if there were they would just go to waste because no one knows how to cook with it because it's not traditional food. Since it is not traditional food it isn't even considered!
Here is an excerpt from an online article that gives some insight as to why Mongolians eat the way they do:
Influence of social class
What people eat is formed and constrained by circumstances that are essentially social and cultural. Population studies show there are clear differences in social classes with regard to food and nutrient intakes. Poor diets can result in under- (micronutrients deficiency) and over-nutrition (energy over consumption resulting in overweight and obesity); problems that face different sectors of society, requiring different levels of expertise and methods of intervention.
Cultural influences
Cultural influences lead to the difference in the habitual consumption of certain foods and in traditions of preparation, and in certain cases can lead to restrictions such as exclusion of meat and milk from the diet. Cultural influences are however amenable to change: when moving to a new country individuals often adopt particular food habits of the local culture.
Source:http://www.eufic.org/article/en/page/RARCHIVE/expid/review-food-choice/
Mongolia definitely doesn't have a problem with over-nutrition, most likely the opposite. But their culture does result in 'habitual consumption of certain foods' as well as their traditional ways of preparing that food. However, that line about "restrictions such as exclusion of meat and milk from the diet" is the EXACT opposite!! The problem is that they ONLY eat meat and milk products. Therefore have very high protein intake with very little other vitamins. In fact, if a dish does not contain meat (chicken and fish do NOT count as meat here--and pork is practically undheard of--which also would not be considered a meat) or milk then most Mongolians wouldn't even want to try it. I've offered part of my meal to my neighbor once when he came over while we were eating dinner and he said no because he only eats meat. It just shows how strong their traditions are.
To end this post here are a couple pictures of a regular night in the Newberry ger:
Me washing apples:
Justin the can-opener! :) We had Macaroni & Cheese but without the cheese...
1 comment:
That is interesting Ashlie. Those Apples look good and Justin looks skinny !
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