Belly Anaconda and the Busy Week.

Whenever I go to another country, it's a known fact that about a week and a half into the experience I will hit the point of 

Digestive Misery.

It's not necessarily that I'm sick, it's just that my stomach wants to pretend it's a meat grinder and an anaconda at the same time.

Today is it's second day. Bleh.

But I am oh-so-thankful that this this time around I was expecting it, so I'm not worried about my belly exploding. 

I'm just glad for a day off to sit, drink tea, and wait it out.

Of course, my schedule this week hasn't really been gracious to my insides. This has been the busiest week I've had in a very long time. And by busy I mean that the last three nights I have come back to Pam's apartment feeling like my body and mind really, truly, ABSOLUTELY AND COMPLETELY couldn't process anything else.

I'm not complaining, though. It's the kind of busy that's exciting.

On Tuesday I visited Gandan Monastery, the big religious spot in town...but I'm glad my camera didn't come along because it was a spiritually terrifying and overwhelming experience, even after visiting a thousand-million Buddhist temples last year.

You're welcome to google it, though.

(Or look at it here: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/victor/hereandthere/2012/07/ulaan-baatar-mongolia---gandan.html)

Then there was an afternoon of Mongolian language lessons, which--LAND SAKES ALIVE--is like learning to do tongue gymnastics with your teeth shut. 

You're welcome to google that, too.

Wednesday was a day of practice teaching and observing at a secondary school, which is when I realized that Mongolian teenagers have just as many hormones as American ones.

It's time to pull out Miss Love's sassy pants.

That evening I went to ladies' night with Bethany and took these photos on the way there:

I promise that says "Supermarket".

That night I slept for TEN HOURS and still woke up tired the next morning.

I managed to drag my lazy corpse out, though, to spend time with Bethany and my once-upon-a-penpal, Agarmaa.

We walked around, which means that I was trailing behind and snapping pictures like a fool.

The name of the restaurant was California. Does that make us movie stars?

On Friday I woke up at FIVE FLIPPING AM to go out to camp with my school, New Era (...International Laboratory School of Mongolia, but who wants to use the whole name all at one time?).

Why 5:00? Because I had to be at the bus stop at 7:00 and knew that my diva self takes way too long to get ready in the morning. 

Why camp? Because the kids have been staying out there all week and the school has been bussing the teachers out to do stuff with them during the day.

Why did I only go on Friday? Because it wasn't required of me and, since I'm not a regular teacher, there wasn't really anything for me to do.

Now--I've heard a lot about the potholed Mongolian country roads, but when I got on the bus to leave the city I was thinking, "Bumps? PSH, I'm the bumpMASTER. Been there, BUMPED THAT."

hahahahaHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA.

The first 50 times I got airborne were fun, but by pothole number 387 I had to pee and was ready to kiss flat ground again.

Unfortunately, digestive misery set in around 9:00 and I consigned myself to mostly sitting back and people-watching, but here are a few pictures I did manage to take:

The summer part of the camp, which is abandoned during the long months of winter.

Middle schoolers practicing for the final performance.

The whole school practicing for the final performance.

I FOUND A CASTLE.

The lady teachers practicing for...you guessed it...the final performance.

THAT BUS.

My belly managed to hang on through my first team meeting that night before I collapsed in a miserable heap back at Pam's.

Today is International Women's Day, which meant waking up for a church ladies' breakfast this morning.

Yes, it was fun.

Yes, I regret that sticky bun and TWO CUPS OF COFFEE WHAT WAS I THINKING.

The Purse Scavenger Hunt. It's a real game.

So I'm taking it easy this afternoon. 

Tomorrow I'll be lesson planning and moving across the city to be closer to my school.

The next day I start teaching the 8th grade special English class.

This is all flying by far too quickly.