Summary: I offer some reflections on my cultural adjustment, insights into my classroom, and the highlights of my trip to the Eagle Festival to watch Kazakh eagle hunters.
Cultural Adjustment
I've been in Mongolia for about six months now, so I've been reflecting on where I'm at in terms of cultural adjustment. For the first five months, everyday had a new experience - trying to give directions in Mongolian in the taxi, bringing your own toilet paper everywhere (really everywhere), trying horse meat, and more. But things seem really normal now. The allure of living in a new country and experiencing new sights and smells have worn off. And it's not necessarily a bad thing, but just progression along adjustment. I feel a lot more comfortable and confident here as I've developed a routine.
By a similar vein, I also feel like I'm living a "normal" life again (as opposed to living in a very different country). I've been regularly doing things I would be doing back home in the States. In the past month, I've gone to the movies to watch Kung Fu Panda 4, go to a climbing gym, and celebrate at my friend's birthday party. It might sound silly or unremarkable, but it's cool to see how far I've come in making a life here compared to when I first arrived back in September.
Class Topics
For about three weeks now, my students have been learning about the Civil Rights Movement in America as outlined by our class's designated textbook. I've always wondered how non-Americans felt about learning so much about American things. On top of that, topics like race, gender, and equity can be both so developed and sensitive in America, but it's cool to see that my students seem receptive and have a good understanding of them.
For their papers, I've given them the option to write about any civil rights movement in the world, and honestly, it's been as much of a learning experience for me as it has been for them. Many of them write about the 1990 Mongolian Democratic Revolution, and it's cool to read nuanced analyses of it - positive effects on freedoms but also limitations that have had lasting impact on the present political corruption. Sometimes, I forget how young of a democracy Mongolia is, and that there are many people who have witnessed the transition. Also, through my students, I've learned about the Singing Revolution in the Baltic States (sounds like it should be on Broadway).
Letters of Recommendation
I’ve had a couple of students ask me if I could write a letter of recommendation for their applications to study abroad at partner universities. It’s weird because I’m so used to being the one asking my professors for letters (I still am even now), but now the roles have sort of swapped. However, it's been a good experience. As I review their past classwork, read their personal statements, and write about their strengths, I've been gaining greater appreciation for my students.
Teaching can be hard because I always have this nagging thought in the back of my mind, "Are my students enjoying my class?" or, "Do they think I'm a competent teacher?" But having students ask for letters has been positive feedback. It lets me know that hey, there are a couple of students who trust me to help them in their application.
Eagle Festival
This past weekend, my friends and I went to the Golden Eagle Festival at Terelj National Park. Kazakhs are the second biggest ethnicity in Mongolia (around 4%), and many of them live in the western provinces by Kazakhstan. Eagle hunting is a part of their tradition, so several hunters travel to the capital to hold an annual weekend festival.
Going to the festival, I had a burning question, "What prompts the eagle to stay?" Personally, if I was an eagle, I would make a run for it as soon as I was untethered. My answer was kind of answered when we watched the hunting competition. There were some eagles who seemed really lost and just flew away from their owner instead of going for the meat. I got a bit of second-hand embarrassment, thinking about how there are a thousand people watching me to do my one job, but my eagle is doing donuts in the air. Eventually, they returned to the owner's arms, but my question was even more unanswered.
There has been a noticeable increase in temperature - a change that is very welcomed. Two weeks ago, we were at -20 degrees Celsius, but this week, we've been consistently hovering around 0. It's hard to remember what the country used to look like when I arrived in late August, but I'm so excited for the imminent spring. My friends and I have started discussing all the trips we want to do as it warms up,. Hope you all have a great week, and thanks (as always) for reading!
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