Day By Day

We thought you might enjoy knowing a typical day for a Peace Corps Trainee. The following is an amalgamation of both of our schedules.

4:45-5:00am – Wake up due to sun peaking through the windows.

5:00am – Fall asleep again.

7:15am – Wake up for real.

7:20am – Put on shoes for quick trip to the outhouse before breakfast.

*7:30am – Nathan’s Mongolian Mom says “Caixan amarcan yy? Xool edej!” breakfast of 2 hard boiled eggs, sourdough bread, and Akbar tea.

*7:30am – Leslie gets ready for class.

*8:15am – Leslie’s Mongolian Mom says “Leslie, XOOL!” and she goes to the main house for breakfast of 1 fried egg white, bread with jam, and tea.

8:30am – Leslie picks up Evan (other PCT) at his house across the street to walk to school together.

8:35am – Nathan leaves to pick up Patrick to walk to school together.

9:00am – 11:30am – Mongolian Language classes. Sometimes cut in half by Cross Cultural training.

*11:30am-Noon – Local children in Leslie’s village show up to play Frisbee, football, or hacky sack with them during break. They are getting really good at Frisbee!

*11:30am-Noon – Nathan’s group hangs out on the front steps of the school.

Noon – 1:00pm – Second half of language class.

1:00pm-2:30pm – Walk home from school for lunch. Nathan usually has soup or rice and meat both with bread. Leslie’s meal usually varies, but it always awesome! Her Mom is a great cook!

*2:30 pm-5:30ish – Technical training. Nathan’s Economic Development group usually travels to local NGOs to learn about different programs and projects Mongolian’s use to build economic capacity and quality of life. For example, last week they visited the Chamber of Commerce, local bread factory, and the outdoor market. This providence is particularly known for its sourdough bread, smoked fish, and honey.

*2:30pm-5:30ish – Technical training. Leslie’s Youth Development group doesn’t travel as much because the Economic Development and Health volunteers travel every day (and use the Peace Corps transportation). Their main resource is children, so sometimes it is just a matter of walking out the door. They did spend one day at a local children center that provides several classes and groups for after school programs. They also present ideas for life skills classes and programs for the community.

5:30pm – Walk home for dinner.

6:00pm – Dinner with our Mongolian Moms (and Nathan’s little sister). Nathan’s is usually meat, noodles, and potatoes. Sometimes dinner is fried or steamed dumplings and bread. This week he had some tomatoes, but normally there aren’t vegetables. Leslie’s dinner has varied. While her 22 year old sister was in town, she made Leslie some great meals including an antipasto salad with a fruit salad with yogurt for dessert. Leslie is spoiled!

*6:30-bedtime – Nathan studies in his room or occasionally plays Barbies with his little sister. Nathan spent three days this week doing a medium-sized load of laundry by hand. He also bathes every couple of days in the same traditional Mongolian shallow basin. Leslie’s family has a solar shower. Leslie is spoiled.

*6:30-bedtime – Leslie studies in her room, is visited by friends or goes out to visit them, hangs out with her sister when she is in town, plays ankle bones (traditional Mongolian game using actual ankle bones), plays with local children, and studies some more. Leslie’s village is significantly more social than Nathan’s village. Leslie spent 45 minutes this week doing ALL her laundry with the help of her Mongolian mother and the mechanical agitator. Leslie is spoiled.

*9:30pm – Nathan’s Mongolian Mom serves him yogurt, sometimes with fruit/jelly in it.

10:00pm-11:00pm – Usually lights out. Nathan reads himself to sleep while the sun is still up/uses his crank flashlight. Leslie studies and listens to music to fall asleep.