I'm back in UB for the week and I was considering writing about a few things. I could write about the mini-Olympics we had in Bulgan last week for English and Russian and how I spent 7 straight hours judging a teaching competition and wanted to die but the kids were adorable. Or I could write about the minor fiasco it took getting from Bulgan to Erdenet and then to UB (night train ran out of sleeper car beds and we spent 12 hours in a very cramped space). But after not sleeping very much last night and being completely miserable about being back in UB (I can has soum back now?), I came back to the hostel to just relax for the night. I had a conversation with one of the few people who aren't involved with PC who are staying here that bothered me a little bit.
I was standing in front of my bunk getting ready for a very necessary shower when he walked in and started talking to me. He led with something along the lines of "hey, how's it going? I'm American but not proud of it. This place is a waste of my time." I mean, I hate UB with a passion, but I could tell he meant Mongolia in general and that didn't really sit well. He went on to say things about how it's a really boring city and the people are really mean. I'm not a city girl by any stretch of the imagination, but in general I have to say city people aren't terribly friendly on the streets. I told him that I hate this city but that I like what I've seen of Mongolia so far and that the countryside is really nice. Well, this guy's very anti-anything-not-a-city and thinks Mongolian people aren't very interesting, but he did want to know if picking up women is easier in the countryside is easier than in UB. I asked if he spent any time in a ger and he replied with "....a what?" Maybe it's just me, but the next logical question is "so why the hell are you here?" Apparently for some reason he has to be here to get a visa to China. Because he loves China and everything about China and the Mongolians in Inner Mongolia are way more interesting than the Mongolians in Mongolia. I ran away twice from having a conversation with this man and I'm kind of nervous to go back in there.
I don't understand how people can come to a country for a few days, only see the biggest city, and pass judgement on an entire country, its people, and its culture. Sure there are things I don't particularly love about Mongolia and some people are rude and mean, but that's the same about every country I've been to. I had creepy experiences in Mexico, but it's an amazing country and I would love to go back and spend more time there. I didn't particularly like Denmark all that much, probably due to the fact that it snowed the majority of the time, but I met some truly amazing people (both American and Danish) and have some intense cravings for certain foods. I'm even drinking some Danish beer right now as I type this because even though I didn't particularly like it when I was there, it just brings back some wonderful memories of people and places and events that seemed completely ridiculous or horrible at the time, but are hilarious to remember. I think it's completely unfair to judge an entire country and everything about it based on a few days spent in a country IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER. Seriously, who comes to Mongolia for the first time in the winter and expects it to be happiness and sunshine and rainbows? That's just silly. It just makes me really sad that some people do this and lump all of the bad experiences together in a way that make them unwilling to see the good. I really, really hate UB, but I love the views during the 6 hour drive especially now that it's started snowing. I like my ger except when it's 15 degrees inside and I have to psych myself into getting up to make a fire.
If you get nothing else out of hearing my stories about life out here, just remember that my highs and lows are matched and that it is impossible to judge a country based on one girl's experiences told in a few hundred words every couple weeks. This country is incredible in its own special way and while I may have days where I leave school and can't even make it the 10 minute walk home before the tears come, I am excited to see what comes of these remaining 18 months and what insane things happen that make me want to rip my hair out now but will make for fantastic stories later on.
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