Outhouse

Well fall is definitely here. The weather here is getting a lot colder and the wind is getting stronger. Good thing we are from Chicago and are used to the wind a little bit. Although in Chicago we didn't walk everywhere which makes a big difference. The last couple of days we have needed a fire going in the morning and at night to keep the Ger warm. The leaves on most of the trees have changed from green to yellow although none have fallen yet. Next weekend we will winterize our Ger which should help keep it warmer for the time being. When Mike left for U.B he did leave me a ready made fire- all I had to do was throw the match in. Unfortunately that didn't help when it was cold the next morning. My hasha family has been great though, I think they think I will starve and freeze while Mike is gone. They having been bringing me food, chopping wood for me and getting me water. Not to mention the teachers at school and our Mongolian friends have been checking in on me daily.
Not too much is new here so I will share a funny story. As many of you know we do not have indoor plumbing we have an outhouse (jorlon). Most of the outhouses here are built for Mongolians who on average are a lot shorter and smaller than us. Getting into the jorlons can sometimes be tricky. Most of the time you have to duck and step over the thresh hold at the same time. Doesn’t sound too tricky until you really need to use the bathroom. Last week I tripped while walking in and almost fell in luckily my body is bigger than the whole so I only fell in up to my thighs, but man was I scared.Oh course Mike laughed and laughed about it. Well this week it was Mike’s turn. While stepping into the jorlon he tripped. When he came running to tell me about it, I thought something really serious had happen from the look on his face. Come to find out he only lost his flip flop. Next thing I know, Mike is attaching rope to a hanger to try and get his flip flop back. I suggested many times that we could get him new flip flops for next summer, but that solution was unacceptable. So into the jorlon Mike goes with his homemade fishing equipment. Believe it or not he actually got it out. Of course then he didn’t know what to do with it because it needed to be cleaned. He put it outside hoping the rain would clean most of it. The next day however his flip flop was gone, the dogs obviously thought it was a toy. All that hard work down the drain.
This week our schools had sports day. At my school all the different classes wore different matching outfits for the occasion. It is a big day for the classes to show off their talent. First they all marched and did routines in unison. Then they continued to march for about 2 km out into this big field. In the field the different classes competed in 3 different activities; push ups, long and short distance running. It was amazing to watch. I mainly watched the 4th graders since they are most of my students. I watched a little girl do 50 pushups and a boy do 117, their upper body strength is incredible.
P.s- on the way to the post office I found Mike's flip flop clean with only a few bite marks. I had to find a stick to pick it up and carry it home. If that isn't love I don't know what is.
That’s about it! We love and miss you all—Allie and Mike