At Home in the World

4 seasons

2012-02-03T04:37:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Friday, February 3, 2012

With more and more time indoors, my friends and I recently produced another fabric creation. Lots of coffee and chocolate were consumed during the creative process, but this time, the inspiration was not mine.

"Four seasons" was the theme that my friends came up with. But please note that if this wall hanging were to represent Mongolia, the winter scene would make up more like half of the picture...

5 kg of Nutella?

2012-01-30T03:25:00.001-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Monday, January 30, 2012

Shopping for food each week is not my favorite part of living in Ulaanbaatar. But it IS interesting. This week, here at the end of the global food chain, I found the most humongous jars of Nutella I have ever seen: 5kg (11 pounds) of the stuff!

Who would possibly buy the stuff in such huge quantities? And, at nearly $65 a jar, it's outrageously expensive for any normal person.

So, I wonder: How did it get here? And WHY did someone decide to pay for its passage to this distant place?

Another mystery unsolved...

A letter a week

2012-01-21T05:23:00.001-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Slowly the letters are accumulating on the wall above our living room. In two weeks, we should have "M" up there, marking the half-way point of the school year. And where do these letters come from you ask? Each week in pre-school A and her classmates celebrate one letter--there is the feathered "F" and the glue and gold glitter "G". In D week they had doughnuts with the Director and in J week it was Jello jigglers.

Seeing those letters are a nice way to mark the passage of the year.

Nice job, Mrs. M!

Weather forecast

2012-01-18T01:53:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

I'll just let Wunderground's weather forecast for the rest of the week speak for itself:

Tonight: -42 °F (-41 °C), Partly Cloudy
Tomorrow: -15 °F (-26 °C), Clear
Tomorrow Night: -45 °F (-43 °C), Clear
Friday: -17 | -45 °F (-27 | -43 °C), Partly Cloudy
Saturday: -13 | -44 °F (-25 | -42 °C), Clear
Sunday: -11 | -42 °F (-24 | -41 °C), Clear

Home sweet home

2012-01-12T03:30:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Thursday, January, 12, 2012

We flew all night from Bangkok and arrived tonight in UB just as dusk was falling. The temperatures that greeted us were low, but not unbearably so.

When, at last, we reached our apartment we found that our door had been decorated to welcome us home. So nice to know we were missed!

It IS good to be home.

Some last street food

2012-01-06T06:17:00.000-08:00

Bangkok, Thailand

Friday, January 6, 2012

Our time in Bangkok draws soon to a close but there's still time for some more of our favorite street food here in Soi 11. We'll miss this place and all its fantastic food. Even A approves of this soup.

Oh, and we'll miss the heat, too.

Mobile bars

2012-01-06T06:16:00.000-08:00

Bangkok, Thailand

Friday, January 6, 2012

We're back in Bangkok and taking in the night scene along Sukhamvit Soi 11. New since last year are these UW vans all decked out as mobile bars. Complete with disco balls and UV lights. It's quite the sight.

State of Wonder

2012-01-04T21:21:00.001-08:00

Hua Hin, Thailand
Thursday, January 5, 2012

Okay, I'll admit it: I resisted the Kindle long and hard. As usual, Frank had to buy yet another gadget over my protests. But there we are at a remote-ish beach in Thailand and my reading material was exhausted and there sat the Kindle...

First I read one of Frank's running books on the Kindle. Next, I perused the free books at the hotel lobby--most of them were of the Stephen King variety--but in Swedish or Norwegian--which I COULD read, but that is really NOT my genre. Then came an e-mail from the Seattle Public Library touting the "top 10 books of the year". I don't have much time to read during the school year, and I still LOVE the feel of a book in my hands. But suddenly I realized I could order almost any book I wanted from this distant spot. So, I ordered up "State of Wonder" by Ann Patchett. (She also wrote "Bel Canto" if you missed that gem.)

I can't say that I "love" the Kindle yet, but I LOVE this book. Read it. It's fantastic.

If this kind of flexibility in reading "on the road" is what the Kindle makes possible, then I am converted--for sure. Thanks, Frankie!

Hua Hin by night

2012-01-04T05:34:00.000-08:00

Hua Hin, Thailand
Wednesday, January, 4, 2012

Tonight we went out for dinner and found a lovely sea of lights stretching over the main road just near our hotel. A announced that she would like to spend the night sleeping under these lanterns. If only...

Lille Sverige

2012-01-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

Hua Hin, Thailand
Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Upon our arrival in Hua Hin, we made an interesting discovery: the existence of a previously unknown Swedish colony here in Thailand. Our first clue: everyone at the hotel pool was speaking Swedish. The prevalence of Swedish signs in many restaurants and shops was another clue, but this sign was surely the final proof needed.

Lille Sverige, indeed.

Snus: read more at Wikipedia

In the dolphin pool

2012-01-03T18:12:00.000-08:00

Hua Hin, Thailand
Tuesday, January 3, 2012

We arrived this afternoon from Chumpon and picked out a hotel based on the Lonely Planet's recommendation of this place as a "great place for families" and "water slide" in the pool. The place is a bit bare bones, but the pool definitely makes it for us.

Travelling with a four year old is ALL about the pool.

Food good enough to make one cry

2011-12-25T05:16:00.001-08:00

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Sunday evenings in Chiang Mai the streets near our hotel are PACKED full with a night market: vendors of all types, lots of people, and food good enough to make you cry. The hardest part is deciding which food to try. All the temples in the area of the Sunday Market also open their grounds to food vendors. I finally decided on a noodle soup with beef balls. The broth was just spicy enough not to make me cry--except with happiness.

Total contentment.

Chiang Mai marathon

2011-12-25T05:06:00.001-08:00

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Frank got up at 3:15am this morning for a 4:00am start to the Chiang Mai marathon. He was still going strong when he crossed the finish line at about 4 hours, 48 minutes. Nice job, Frank!

Along the Mae Ping river

2011-12-23T05:14:00.000-08:00

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Friday, December 23, 2011

We spent the morning on a lazy boat trip on the Mae Nam Ping River here in Chiang Mai. The hour or so boat ride ended with a tour of a so-called fruit and herb farm. Kind of a dilapidated place, but it was interesting to see a semblance of village life. But putting along low to the water for a couple of hours was very relaxing. In any case, A loved the boat trip.

At the "farm": Star fruit in situ and rose apple flowers

What IS a rambutan?

2011-12-22T03:57:00.000-08:00

Bangkok, Thailand

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Ever wondered about rambutans? In the video below, A explains all about this tropical fruit...

Meat on a stick

2011-12-21T05:49:00.000-08:00

Bangkok, Thailand
Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Another chance today to revisit some of our favorite food stalls here on Sukhamvit, Soi 11. Today it was the fellow who sells satay sticks with a divine hot sauce and small bags of sticky rice. We also visited the mango seller and the lady who makes a to-die-for green papaya salad.

So much good food, so little time...

Frosted symmetry

2011-12-15T05:02:00.001-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Today was the last day of our unit on Frieze Patterns. To test my students' knowledge of the seven frieze types, I decided we'd do a bit of cooking decorating in class.

First, the students got to decorate their own cookies--but no eating! Next, I arranged the cookies in various frieze patterns. (That's Type VII on the right.) Before the students could retrieve their cookies for eating, they each had to correctly identify the frieze types.

Strange, how concentrated they all seemed!

The world is white

2011-12-13T13:38:00.001-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Weird weather this weekend left all trees, plants, fences (everything, really!) covered in a thick, frost-like layer of ice crystals. Meanwhile this weekend I also learned from friends how to make these wonderful snowflakes out of paper.

The whole world is white...

Christmas baking

2011-12-10T01:43:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, December 10, 2011

As the season approaches, I decided it was time to do some Christmas baking with help from friends and neighbors. Mixed up two batches of cookie dough, and we got down to work. Some of my favorite results (for which I cannot take credit) were when folks started mixing doughs--see the Christmas tree, rabbit and bells.

Flex!

2011-12-09T01:47:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Friday, December 9, 2011

Once again it's time for paper flexagons in math class. One of my students quickly found all (?) 18 patterns by creating a very fun set of designs. Next week we'll hold our annual Flex-Olympics in which students will compete to see who can find all the faces in the fewest flexes.

Click the video below to see the designs in action...

Sewing club

2011-12-08T02:02:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Thursday, December 8, 2011

My sewing activity is soon over for the quarter. All the girls finished at least one nice quilt square and some even had time for an iron-on project (see the tree at right).

My favorite part about running these activities is to see what the kids come up with when I let them loose with some fabric and a few ideas.

Castle building

2011-12-04T18:14:00.001-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Sunday, December 4, 2011

It's the weekend and more time indoors. This time we devised a plan to build a castle for A's dinosaurs. Lots-o-fun!

Pieten diploma

2011-12-03T13:03:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, December 3, 2011

We spent the morning at friends of friends practicing to be Sinterklaas' helper, Zwarte Piet. Activities included jumping from rooftops, wrapping packages, drawing pictures for Sinterklaas, and eating a lot of gingerbread cookies. Tomorrow is the Big Day when the old gent himself will arrive in UB on his white horse.

While the kids were practicing their helper skills in the next room, the sly fellow slipped in and snuck some candy in the kids' boots...

Flag waving

2011-11-26T16:27:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, November 26, 2011

What to do when the temperatures outside are completely inhospitable and the air smokey? I suggested to A that we might make some paper flags out of origami paper. She thought that was a fine idea. As soon as each flag was complete, she asked me to tape it to a colored pencil. She spent the rest of the afternoon parading around the apartment waving her flags.

With apologies to the liberties taken with some of the flags--all exact colors and shapes were not to be had.

Sledding at -20°C

2011-11-21T03:17:00.001-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Sunday, November 20, 2011

You can't stay out long when it's -20°C (-4°F), but it was time enough for a couple of good runs on the levee...

Pink snow flakes

2011-11-21T03:16:00.001-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Sunday, November 21, 2011

While the kids ran around like crazy, we adults enjoyed some paper folding. This one, folded from tissue paper, was far too delicate for me, but U did a fantastic job completing the project. I think I'll stick to origami paper!

UB Granola

2011-11-12T04:46:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Tired of paying for expensive cereals here in UB? Well, help is on the way...

2 packages of oats (or 8 cups)

1/3 cup honey

1/3 oil (sunflower or safflower)

1 cup walnuts

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup sesame seeds

any other nuts or dried coconut

Mix the honey and oil in a pan and heat (but do not boil). Pour the honey and oil over the the oats and nut mixture. Mix well. Bake in 325F/150C oven for about 30 minutes, stirring often. After it cools you can add some raisins or other dried fruit.

The playdate season begins

2011-11-12T04:44:00.001-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Cold weather's here and time for serious indoor play. The kids spent the morning in games of chase, hide and seek, and cookie baking and decorating.

Let the winter come!

St. Martin's Day

2011-11-11T04:48:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Friday, November 11, 2011 (11-11-11)

Gathered at a friend's house yesterday afternoon to make lanterns a la the German tradition for St. Martin's Day. I had some distant memory of a St. Martin's parade from long ago in Sweden. We made our lanterns, waited for dark to fall, bundled up against the cold, and headed out for a round of singing in the garden, lamps lit.

You can read more here from Wikipedia.

Raise a glass

2011-11-06T05:42:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Sunday, November 6, 2011

As anxiously awaited as the swallows' return to San Capistrano, the Polish milk has, at last, returned to Ulaanbaatar. It's only been gone for 5 months, but it has kind of felt like forever.

So, let us raise a glass to Polish cows and their milk which arrives in UB in 0.5%, 1.5%, and even 3.2%. This batch doesn't expire until Feb 6 2012 so that's at least 3 months of joy...

(Very) Well-travelled berries

2011-11-03T04:33:00.001-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Well, these strawberries travelled from the Northwest (USA) to Thailand and then in my backpack via Korea to Mongolia.

I am happy to report that A enjoyed every one.

Carbon-footprint be darned...

Ronald greets you, Thai style

2011-10-29T03:59:00.000-07:00

Bangkok, Thailand

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Out this afternoon doing a bit of shopping when I noticed (as I passed yet ANOTHER MacDonald's) that Ronald was striking a culturally appropriate pose. East meets West? West meets East?

Proper sandbagging technique

2011-10-29T03:48:00.000-07:00

Bangkok, Thailand

Friday, October 28, 2011

On the Bangkok elevated train this morning when I noted this diagram in my neighbor's newspaper. My lack of Thai was no barrier: clearly this diagram is instructing us in proper sandbag filling techniques. When I reached my destination down by the river, water was pouring into the street from the river. I hiked up my pants and waded across the street to the conference hotel.

Clearly Bangkok is a city under siege.

Green papaya salad

2011-10-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

Bangkok, Thailand

Thursday, October 27, 2011

The piles of sandbags are everywhere and the whole city is "tweeting" about the latest areas of flooding or predicted flooding. But I managed to get in one wonderful plate of green papaya salad on my way home from the conference. Worth flying into the eye of the storm for.

I remember trees

2011-10-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Friday, October 21, 2011

Gathered this afternoon with two friends to cut up more bits of fabric. Our goal? To make a tree. As we head into winter, it gets harder to remember trees, their smell and their lovely green-ness.

So, this fanciful tree will have to keep the memory alive until spring. Thanks, ladies--

(Katta rahmat!)

Color triangle

2011-10-20T16:50:00.001-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Thursday, October 20, 2011

It's vacation week, and I have time to sit around and do silly things like cut up tiny bits of fabric. Then I had this vision of the color hexagon used to select RGB colors.

What I ended up with was a "color triangle" instead.

Party animals

2011-10-15T23:38:00.001-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Friday, October 14, 2011

Went to a nice birthday party this afternoon with loads of kids, music, and a big lovely cake. These fun items grabbed my attention from the food table!

Warm food for cold nights

2011-10-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, October 8, 2011

As we roll into October and the local fresh vegetables disappear, I have a new appreciation for borscht. How can 3 beets, 4 carrots, 3 potatoes, 1 onion and a bit of fresh dill (well, fresh from the freezer) taste so good? As the Russians know so well, it's the perfect winter food.

The Globe

2011-10-08T16:22:00.001-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, October 8, 2011

We got a wonderful present today from A's classmate: a globe! A's map collapsed off the wall just a few days ago so it felt like perfect timing. And it makes a fantastic night light...

감사합니다!

(That's "thank you" in Korean)

Tessellating cookies

2011-10-08T16:20:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Once we are well into the tessellation unit in math class, I start seeing tessellations everywhere. Today it was baking cookies--can I escape them?

(Yes, I know they don't really tessellate, but they reminded me enough of hexagons to trick to my brain for a moment.)

Tessellate!

2011-10-07T05:12:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Friday, October 7, 2011

Grade 10 is finishing up a unit on tessellations with a small art project on paper or fabric. Once again they've come up with some really fun designs. Nice job, Grade 10!

Team Origami

2011-10-04T05:29:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

I took my 10th graders today to visit a local elementary school to teach origami. Some of my students love the experience, and I had to practically drag some of them back to the bus. Others couldn't get away fast enough. It's my favorite field trip of the year.

First snow

2011-09-28T02:51:00.001-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Woke up to a gray sky and snow all around this morning. It's not too cold and it probably won't last long, but the first snow is here!

Managed to jog this afternoon anyway. We'll see what happens to the running when the really cold weather returns...

Camp!

2011-09-03T05:04:00.000-07:00

Terelj National Park, Mongolia

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Got home yesterday from three wonderful days at camp with my students. Lots of outdoor games, cold nights, sunny days, a campfire with s'mores, hikes--and yes, even a camel tethered on the hillside.

Lots of wonderful bonding time and fantastic weather--except for the first night when I almost froze despite two pairs of long johns and piles of covers.

Matematiko

2011-08-22T04:38:00.001-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Monday, August 22, 2011

Decided to welcome my students back to school with a bit of a linguistic challenge. Can you guess which language is which?

Uzbek samosas

2011-08-22T04:28:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Sunday, August 21, 2011

More Uzbek treats tonight from our neighbors: Samsa (or Uzbek samosas). Wikipedia has lots to say about the variants of samosas throughout Asia. I am thinking there's some kind of geometry thing going on there--why all these triangles and pyramids? A possible investigation for my math students?

PS: They were flaky and delicious...

Uzbek dumplings

2011-08-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, August 20, 2011

We got an impromptu lesson this evening from our neighbors in making Uzbek dumplings. It's a very labor intensive process (just a dab of filling, please!), but the final product is fantastic.

Let's hear it for neighbors!

Here's what Wikipedia says on the subject: Chuchvara

Welcome to UB!

2011-08-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Held a coffee hour this morning for our new colleagues. I kind of baked too many cinnamon rolls, but I managed to send some extra home with everyone. I think we're going to have a great year!

Coffee by a river

2011-08-11T06:42:00.000-07:00

Terelj, Mongolia

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Spent the day in the countryside with friends today. Ended up playing by (and in) the river for several lovely hours and enjoying a picnic--and a coffee.

Pasta & pastries

2011-08-08T11:30:00.001-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Monday, August 8, 2011

Happy to be home in Mongolia at last, even as we wrestle with the jet lag demons. Our very kind Uzbek neighbor has treated us to home-made treats two days in a row: stuffed pasta (chuchvara) yesterday and today some fantastic pastries. These kindnesses seem even greater when one is bleary-eyed with jet lag.

Yes, we are home!

One last trip to the park

2011-08-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

Seattle, Washington

Thursday, August 4, 2011

A month in Seattle has quickly passed, and we have really enjoyed visiting some of Seattle's great parks--Seward, Powell-Barnett, Carkeek, Wallingford, Cowen. So many GREAT playgrounds, too. Tonight we had one last trip to the park before tomorrow's big flight.

Remember to vote for your Seattle Parks levy the next time it comes up. In Mongolia, such parks do NOT exist.

Kid at Kidd Valley

2011-08-02T18:04:00.001-07:00

Seattle, Washington

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Okay, this is not in the category of great food, but I decided a trip to Kidd Valley should be part of our gastronomical tour of Seattle--which has included wonderful Ethiopian, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai food.

But A definitely approved of the french fries and the boysenberry shake--and it was lots of memories for me from my childhood, too.

Trainspotting at Carkeek

2011-08-02T18:03:00.001-07:00

Seattle, Washington

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Today we headed to Carkeek Park for a morning at the playground and beach. But then we discovered an unexpected treat: trains! In the space of 45 minutes, we saw a passenger train go by, a mack truck chugging on the rails, two diggers rushing down the rails, wingless airplane bodies being transported along the trails, and this Herzog contraption--no idea what it is.

A was entranced to be "up close and personal" to so many interesting rail vehicles.

The taco bus

2011-07-26T11:59:00.001-07:00

Seattle, Washington

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The things one dreams about in Mongolia: the taco bus off Rainier Avenue in Seattle...

Finally had a chance to stop by there today--try their asado burrito. It wasn't quite as good as I remembered, but it was nice enough.

Only nine more days of good eatin' left...

Lopez berry farm

2011-07-22T22:25:00.000-07:00

Lopez Island, Washington

Friday, July 22, 2011

Went berry picking today for the first time in about 30 years. The biggest, fattest raspberries I think I have ever seen--and some really fantastic strawberries, too. Ah, the joys of summer!

More fresh food

2011-07-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

Lopez Island, Washington

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Our delightful week at Lopez is half way over, and today we enjoyed a fantastic avocado & cilantro salad.

S, I must have this recipe!

Back at Lopez

2011-07-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

Lopez Island, Washington

Saturday, July 16, 2011

We have arrived at the farm on Lopez to spend a week with friends. Everything looks incredibly lovely, especially the long row of trees that Mom & J planted about five (?) years ago.

Is it possible that we've been coming here for almost 40 years?

Fresh food

2011-07-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

Yakima, Washington

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Here in the Yakima Valley visiting relatives and also delighting in the fresh fruit (cherries! peaches! raspberries!) and vegetables of the Valley. We feel like we are in heaven. Tomorrow we will visit the farmers' market and an orchard, too.

I wonder if the memories of these meals can sustain us through another Mongolian winter?

Escaping the rain in Seoul

2011-07-03T01:51:00.001-07:00

Seoul, South Korea

Thursday, June 30, 2011

With Seoul experiencing torrential downpours, we contemplated how we should pass the day indoors. Fortunately, the COEX Aquarium came to our rescue. It's not super fancy as aquariums go, but nice enough to pass a morning. And some fun exhibits for the kids...

Bukhara!

2011-06-28T04:15:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

My last meal before leaving for the States tonight was a real treat: I stopped by the newly re-opened Bukhara restaurant (just opposite the Flower Center off of Peace Avenue) for a late lunch, and the "Bukhara Salad" (roasted eggplant, roasted peppers, tomatoes and pieces of beef) was heavenly. The restaurant is very nicely decorated, too.

I'll be back for sure.

Choi Jin Temple Museum

2011-06-25T06:31:00.002-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Friday, June 24, 2011

Sometimes it takes a long time to be a tourist in the city where you live. Today, finally, I made it to the Choi Jin Temple Museum which lies about a mile from where we live. It's a very nice place to visit, though it has not been an active temple since the mid 1930's.

UW site that describes this museum: http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/museums/choijin/choijin.html

Or Wikipedia's somewhat dull entry: Choi Jin Temple Museum

Sports Day!

2011-06-25T06:31:00.001-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Friday, June 24, 2011

It's the final week of A's pre-school, and today was Sports Day. We arrived this morning just as the teachers were hanging the flags which the children had colored previously in the week. I didn't get all the details on the events themselves, but A reports winning her Dragon Fly Medal for some competition involving running and pouring water.

We're going to miss this lovely school.

Summer flowers

2011-06-18T01:05:00.001-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Summer's here at last, and it's picnic time in the hills outside Ulaanbaatar. The hills are lush and green and the flowers amazing!

Park clean up

2011-06-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

I spent the morning in a nearby national park picking up trash with my students. Some of my students complained that they shouldn't have to clean up other people's messes. But if we all thought that way...

Anyhow, it was a gorgeous location and in three hours the 100+ of us hauled away a huge mountain of garbage. And we enjoyed some stunning scenery in the meantime.

Washing windows

2011-06-08T18:05:00.001-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Spent today with my students on a service project at a small Buddhist nunnery here in UB. Each day this week the students are helping to prepare food in the soup kitchen which provides a mid-day meal for homeless people in the area. They are also doing some manual labor and teaching English classes to neighborhood kids.

It feels good to see my students busy doing something outside the classroom.

Nature walk

2011-06-06T00:04:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Monday, June 6, 2011

As the end of the school year approaches, another teacher and I were inspired to arrange an "art in nature" field trip to the old Observatory outside of Ulaanbaatar. The rain poured down as we drove out there but the weather, changeable as always, cleared up enough for a delightful nature walk combined with picnic and a small art project. Spring!

Unfinished business

2011-06-06T00:03:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Monday, June 6, 2011

This week I decided it was time to round up the unfinished projects from my after school sewing activity and FINISH them. Some of the girls had done really lovely work but had not quite found the time to finish their projects.

I am not sure it was "sending the right message" to finish the projects myself, but I couldn't bear to let them languish unfinished.

Here's one students work (a hand bag), all sewn up and ready to use.

Learn to sew

2011-05-28T02:00:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Friday, May 27, 2011

This week marked the end of this quarter's After School Activities. My activity was excitingly entitled "Learn to Sew," but nonetheless I had seven students sign up. Despite the challenging project I chose for them, my students did a great job learning to sew. It was great fun!

Spring flowers at last

2011-05-22T06:35:00.000-07:00

North of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Sunday, May 22, 2011

Finally I saw my first spring flowers today on a drive we took north of Ulaanbaatar. Things are still barely green here but, at last, a flower!

Out to lunch, sort of

2011-05-21T01:25:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Off on a crazy round of food shopping and found just enough time and energy to climb to the top of Nomin Department store for an early lunch in the employee's cafeteria. My favorite piroshki weren't on offer so I tried the fried egg sandwich (with coleslaw on raisin bread). With a glass of seabuckthorn juice. Sounds weird maybe, but actually it was incredibly tasty.

Still snowing

2011-05-07T21:44:00.001-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Friday, May 6, 2011

Although this winter in Mongolia was NOTHING compared to last winter, we are still getting snow in Ulaanbaatar. It covers everything in a light layer and then melts in a few hours, but snow it is.

I long for green!

Chicken & ginseng

2011-04-23T07:45:00.002-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Saturday, April 23, 2011

Spring is here, and this afternoon was our last cooking session for the season. We've cooked everything from Indian chappatis to Korean kimbap to Polish pierogi to today's final lesson: chicken and ginseng soup taught by a Chinese colleague. Thanks to my colleagues for all their recipes and company. We made it through another winter!

Pictured here: Some of the ingredients, including Chinese red dates, wolfberries, and five-star pepper.

Homeroom bread baking

2011-04-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Friday, April 15, 2011

Got inspired EARLY this morning to bring a huge pot of bread dough into homeroom today and put the students to work on making some fun shapes. In the beginning they seemed pretty dubious about the whole idea, but in the end they all accepted a lump of bread dough from me and got to work.

By morning break, they were all wandering around school happily munching on their creations.

Great Works of Art

2011-04-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Friday, April 1, 2011

We just finished a unit on coordinate geometry in Grade 9. Their final project was to select a "great work of art" and write the equations for the lines. Next, they had to use Excel to plot the lines (using Scatter Plots). This year's batch of artworks turned out really well!

Click on image to get a closer look...

Good-bye, Malaysia

2011-03-27T06:22:00.002-07:00

Kota Kinabalu, N. Borneo, Malaysia

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Just finished a very tasty bowl of Curry Laksa, my last meal before we return to the great northern steppe that is Mongolia. Smooth, spicy, seafood, and noodles, too. Heavenly food.

Off to the mall

2011-03-27T06:22:00.001-07:00

Kota Kinabalu, N. Borneo, Malaysia

Sunday, March 27, 2011

My week-long course here in Kota Kinabalu finished at noon today, and it was time for a quick trip to the the mall before we headed off to the airport. It wasn't quite a mall as I know them at home in the States, but people were sure busy shopping--and I found some lovely fabric for quilting.

Pool sunset

2011-03-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

Kota Kinabalu, N. Borneo, Malaysia

Thursday, March 24, 2011

A gorgeous sunset this evening here in KK. It's a busy week at my conference with class all day, every day from 8am to 6pm. But, wow, what a beautiful end to the day.

I love this place

2011-03-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Incheon Airport, Korea
Tuesday, March 22, 2011

I love Seoul's Incheon Airport. Great play places for kids. Reasonably priced food (well, some of it) and dress up for grown-ups, too.

Orchids growing in beds on the 2nd floor, and today's delight: daffodils blooming all over the place. It made my flower-starved heart glad...

Sleeping Beauty, the ballet

2011-03-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Sunday, March 20, 2011

We were off to the Mongolian State Ballet this afternoon to see Sleeping Beauty. Although we only made it through half the show (A declared that there were "too many witches" and she wanted to go home), the costumes, sets, and dancing were lovely. Another thing I love about shows at the State Ballet House is that the hall is relatively small and intimate. Come and see a show!

Fireworks bonanza

2011-03-01T16:03:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

The fireworks started last night at 8:30pm, setting off every car alarm in the parking lot below our apartment. And then they started up again at 9:00pm. And again at 9:30pm. And then, finally, a huge barrage at 10:00pm which lasted at least 10 minutes. I still have no idea what the occasion was. Just another winter's evening in Ulaanbaatar...

Mr. Fix It

2011-02-16T01:09:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Strolled down the hall at work and found this poster posted over in the Primary School. Frank was apparently interviewed by the 5th graders on the topic of "How I use technology in my job." Below I include an excerpt of a transcript from some of the students' work:

Scene 1

Mrs. C: This is horrible!

T: Why?

Mrs. C: I have too many work to do and I have to do it by hand!

T: There has to be some kind of solution!

Scene 2

Student jumps out: I can help you!

Mrs. C: Who are you?

T: Mr. Frank!

F: That's right! I am Mr. Frank and I will fix your problem!

Yes, that's Mr. Frank: your Fix It man...

Trashion show

2011-02-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

For her MYP Personal Project, one of my students put together a "Trashion Show": all the items worn in the fashion show were made from trash. One of the ties the "trashion" group made is now making it's way around the school. Today I saw it being worn by my fellow math teacher.

Yes, those are caps and wrappers from bottled water bottles...

Chilly trig

2011-02-10T00:02:00.001-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Thursday, February 10, 2011

We started an outdoor trigonometry project yesterday afternoon when it was a balmy -15 C. When things went a bit rocky with our measurements, I decided we needed to go out again today for additional measurements. Alas, the temperature this morning was -28 C. Incentive to work quickly.

Here are some of the things we learned:

it's more accurate to measure things which are closer by
we need more accurate devices to measure the angle of elevation
the ink in your pen will freeze at a certain temperature
it's hard to write while wearing mittens
it feels great to be outside on a sunny Mongolian morning, even at -28C

The wireless souk

2011-02-06T06:42:00.000-08:00

Doha, Qatar

Sunday, February 6, 2011

It's early evening and my students have dragged me back to the souk for one last souvenir shopping mission. There's a lovely crescent moon over the souk, and I am "armed" with my computer. I thought I might be able to find a coffee shop with wireless to pass the time while they shop. Upon arriving at the souk, I made an even more exciting discovery: the whole place is wireless! I think we've come full circle: Souk Waqif is a reproduction of a more ancient place (presumably), but now it's wireless...

I am also very curious about these face masks which I found for sale in the souk--I have seen women wearing them here and in Thailand and would like to know more about their origin--

Downtown Doha

2011-02-03T03:06:00.000-08:00

Doha, Qatar
Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Before the MUN conference begins tomorrow, we took a brief tour of Downtown Doha. All kinds of wonderful, crazy buildings have been built or are being built. A few are pictured here.

Ah, the sea

2011-02-03T03:05:00.000-08:00

Doha, Qatar
Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Twelve hours of flying have brought us safely to the State of Qatar. Outside our hotel, the palm fronds wave gently in the breeze. The blue green of the Persian Gulf is a lovely salve to the eyes after weeks of frigid temperatures in UB.

My students' MUN conference begins tomorrow...

En route

2011-02-03T02:15:00.000-08:00

Beijing City International Airport, China
Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Pictured: passport scanner in Beijing airport.

ready, set, knead

2011-01-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, January 15, 2011

A friend and I got inspired to set up a series of Saturday cooking classes to help while away the winter months. This afternoon was Class #1: Basic Bread Making, taught by yours truly.

A fine, floury time was had by all, I think.

Next up: Aloo parathas in 2 weeks.

The ice man cometh

2011-01-08T17:41:00.002-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Upon our return to Ulaanbaatar this evening, we were greeted by two shining (life-size) ice warriors at the entrance of our apartment complex. No doubt they will be completely safe (from melting) for many months to come...

It's good to be home!

Bye bye Bangkok

2011-01-07T00:30:00.000-08:00

Bangkok, Thailand

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Bye bye jack fruit

Bye bye sandals

Bye bye coconut curries

Bye bye fresh fruit

Bye bye Thailand...

Beach kites

2011-01-02T03:20:00.000-08:00

Chumphon, Southern Thailand

Sunday, January 2, 2011

The beach here (at least at this time of year) is endlessly windy and perfect for kite flying.

Come, splash in the waves, fly kites...

New Year's treat?

2011-01-02T03:18:00.001-08:00

Chumphon, Southern Thailand

Saturday, January 1, 2011

I'm not 100% sure what this stuff is, but the women in the open air lobby were roasting a mixture over a slow-heat fire and filling up these cones for sale. I'm pretty sure it's roasted/toasted coconut.

Didn't try it, but they were sure pretty to look at...

Thai breakfast treats

2010-12-31T22:36:00.000-08:00

Chumphon, Southern Thailand

Friday, December 31, 2010

The breakfast buffet at our hotel here on the beach is really making me happy. Besides the view, here are a few reasons why:

Coconut pancakes
Tiny Thai bananas
Fun eggs

Paradise found

2010-12-31T22:34:00.001-08:00

Chumphon, Southern Thailand
Friday, December 31, 2010

It took us a while to find, but I think we're there. Here's sunrise from the outdoor dining room...

Huge, wide beach and endless pool, too, surrounded by a lovely jungley-like surrounding. Nice kiddie pool, too. Good food at the restaurant and super friendly and helpful staff.

Great place for the kids...

Here's a link to their website: Chumphon Cabana

Trees with coats

2010-12-17T23:32:00.000-08:00

Seoul, South Korea

Friday, December 17, 2010

We are in Korea for 48 hours on our way to sun and fruit in Thailand. I was fascinated to see that the trees here in Seoul appear to be wearing cummerbunds made of straw. But just enough to keep their midriffs warm.

And then I saw several trees with full body coverage. Still not quite sure what the theory is, but it is awfully cute and very lovingly done...

Mailing tape flexagons

2010-12-08T06:00:00.001-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

This week it was time for one of my favorite math projects: hexa-hexa-flexagons. Constructed from paper mailing tape (remember when time was...), these wonderful math toys are easy to make and good for endless hours of fun. Finding the patterns is a great exercise in topology.

Until this year I thought there were only 15 patterns to be found, but this year three of my students found 18.

Photos: 1) flexagons in progress and 2) one student's work...

The return of Sinterklaas

2010-12-05T05:36:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Sunday, December 4, 2010

Around the corner he came on his horse, right there in the middle of downtown Ulaanbaatar: Sinterklaas has returned! Reportly he took the train across Siberia and got a horse here at the train station in UB (instead of his usual arrival by boat and horse).

In any case, we were all happy to see him--especially the children!

Bat engines

2010-12-05T05:35:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, December 4, 2010

A recently discovered that her Thomas toys will stick not only to each other but to the pipes that connect our heaters. Now we have a whole flock of bat engines lined up.

"best before Apr 2009"

2010-11-26T20:56:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Friday, November 26, 2010

We celebrated Thanksgiving with colleagues tonight, and in preparation, I managed to get ahold of a can of pumpkin in order to make my first pumpkin pie in years. Only as I was spooning the pumpkin into the bowl did I notice that the bottom of the can read "best before Apr 2009." Oh well. In it went, and the pie came out just fine. You can't be too fussy when you live in Mongolia.

Thanks to colleagues for bringing the rest of a lovely Thanksgiving meal...

Light a fire

2010-11-23T01:46:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Tuesday, November 23, 2010

To be fair, it's only 5.0 °F (-15.0 °C) outside right now--though it felt colder when we walked home an hour ago. But just now I looked out the window and noticed two gentlemen under the hood of a car with what appeared to be an open flame. Further inspection revealed that they were most likely trying to warm the engine block enough to get the car started. But still, I am not sure that holding burning pieces of wood under the hood of one's car is such a good idea.

(A few minutes later they gave up and pushed the car across the parking lot -- what? to await spring?)