UB 10 days in and still smiling

It has been 10 days since I arrived in Ulaanbaatar – UB – Mongolia.  It is amazing because I feel like I have been here so much longer.  I am settled in my home, know my way to and from work and around town.  When I get on the wrong bus, I know enough of the main square landmarks to get off and find my way home and I am learning a small amount of Mongolian.  UB is a fascinating place.  It is dusty, dirty and very unkempt, and I really like it.  I live amongst a block of old Soviet block style concrete buildings that look pretty bad on the outside, but inside my place is ok.  I have not seen another foreigner around here so I am living amongst the locals. I have mostly mastered laundry except the centrifuge on it is eating my socks.  I have found one of the missing ones, but the other one has to be in there somewhere. 

Some of you are probably wondering how I got here. I went back to graduate school to change my focus to International Social Work.  I chose Washington University in St. Louis because it is the # 1 school in the world for SW and has a large focus on international work.  My wonderful husband, Timothy said that I had moved for his career and now it was my turn so off we went to STL.  Last summer as I was interviewing faculty members to find additional opportunities while in school, I met Professor Yadama who has done extensive work in Mongolia, and around the world.  He asked me to do a research work-study with him and help with his work in Mongolia. It felt right and I said yes and have been learning about here ever since. 

Since sometime in 2007 or 2008 for the first time on earth, we have more people living in urban centers rather than in rural areas.  Many large cities worldwide have experienced a huge migration into urban areas. Here in UB these people migrate in due to economic needs, due to millions of their livestock being killed in drought and severe winters and due to the disintegration of the country and traditional nomadic pastoralism since the Soviet Union collapsed.  People here move in with their gers – pronounced gears. Yurts are the Russian word for these and it is not used here.  The ger districts have expanded rapidly with most areas not having adequate infrastructure, services or ways to meet basic needs.  They are placed in yards amongst other houses or in whole areas of gers.  I have been researching physical and mental health conditions in the ger areas and what services are available there with 3 wonderful faculty members from UB who have been at my school.  And now I am working at the Center for Social Work Excellence with a group of social workers, 2 who have been educated in the US and are fluent in English.  My work is great.  I edited a report on gender-based violence and will attend the meeting when they present this report to the United Nations.  I am helping design trainings on best practice in treatment of child sexual abuse & domestic violence, doing research in the ger areas and community based efforts in place in the ger areas, and helping with several other projects and proposals in the works.  It is a great, very, very committed group of people who are improving the quality of social work throughout Mongolia. And they are fun to work with; a real bonus for me!

In my time here, I have been to the country, attended a fabulous traditional Mongolia song & dance performance, found a Temple Museum and walked all over town.  I was scheduled to attend a 2-week China Summer Institute that the Chinese cancelled due to concerns over swine flu.  I am trying to adapt and make new plans – maybe working longer and also taking more time to travel around Mongolia, and China on my way home.  I am sure it will become clear and the adventure continues.  I am posting just a few pictures here, as it is hard to post many.  Please check out my facebook page where I have posted and will post more pictures throughout. 

More posts to come about Chinggis Khaan, no not Genghis Han, Mongolian people, food and life.  Thank you all for your interest and support. Margaret