for the next 11 weeks

Hello All!

First of all...let me say thank you to everyone who is posting. it seriously helps put a smile on my face whenever i get the chance to read and just see names of the people i love so much. know that i read them all and i wish more than anything that i could respond...but i can't. =) so once again...thank you.

I am now in Sukhbaatar, Mongolia. I am so freakin close to the Russian border i can taste it. i miss Russia. I would much rather be learning that language again. Crazy how the same alphabet can sound so different. I don't get it. Needless to say, Mongolian hates my guts. =) its only been a few days but i definitely feel like the kid on the short bus in my class. Yay for more practice! haha. I have a little time before my first test. Hopefully I can get it.

On another note, my home is awesome. I live with a teacher, her daughter, son-in-law, and their 2 year old. Ironic that i get a single parent home, huh? That i am prepared in. It felt a little closer to home. (love you momma!)
And in case you didn't know...the terrible 2 age transfers over from country to country. This kid is a riot. They don't really have discipline in terms of with each other because the kid will hit the crap out of his mom and they just laugh. He hits me, and gets the butt whoppin of a lifetime. It slightly amuses me to watch him ransack the house and whatnot. Anyways we are like BFF.

On another note...trying to find my home is another story. Every dirt road somehow runs together but yet all look the same. We are all required to draw a map of the city and describe how to tell a stranger to find our house. I looked at the paper and laughed. It was like dropping a blind kid in a forest and telling him to find an oak tree. No streets have names obviously, so the directions sound like this:

from the school, follow the main road until it splits 7 ways. Take the 3rd dirt road from the left, over the hill, pass the tires until you see the first store. Then look for the blue and white wooden house with the pink roof (this is actually a common color for all houses. mixtures of every color imaginable) Pass the #7 A- shaped telephone poll. Pass the 2nd store, turn left on 3rd dirt road. My house is 3-2-058. =)

Right?!?!?

It's been pretty cool though. Just the little things in cultures that don't transfer over. I get at least 20 stares a day from Mongolians because they don't keep dogs as pets. They kick them and throw rocks at them because they are bred to be guard dogs and will seriously take a chuck out of your leg. THey also run around wild. I however, sit and bring food in my bag and pet them. this is unheard of. it's pretty funny.

Well...i hope everyone is well. I must get home for dinner. More meat, fat, butter, and bread. YUM. haha. the food goes right out my body. it doesn't even stop for a rest break. =)

Then tomorrow is 8 more hours of lessons. My body physically hurts each day. From my brain to my pinky toe. But i love the feeling.

I miss everyone soooooo much. Yup. EAch and every one of your dirty, filthy faces. keep reading so i know life does exist outside of the wild pigs and cows that sit outside my house and eat out of the trash that lines the fence. =) no really i am serious.

LOVE YOU!!
xoxox,
Kimba