Teaching Mongols

With a population of only three million, Mongols are hard to find in the countryside. Their nomadic ways allows them space to graze their animals. I spent most of my time in the capital, Ulan Bator, where half the people live. Instead of conquering all Asia, like they did in the 1200s, Mongols are trying to conquer English, which may be harder.

Teaching English is not as hard as you might think. You have to be clear and well organized but you spend about three hours a day in the classroom and one or two hours preparing. This leaves you a lot of time to learn the culture and lifestyle of the people.

I rode the bus everyday. Though I didn’t learn too much of the language, I did get a feel for the way they look at things.

The biggest difference for me was the respect an older person gets there. In America, everyone wants to be young. In Mongolia, it’s okay to get old.

Here are a few fairly short stories with photos:

On the Street in Ulan Bator

At the ATM

Studying Marmots

Wet Blanket

Crowded Train

other subjects

Colorful China