Beijing Layover and First Week of Teaching

Sain baina uu! Hello!

Day three of teaching at Mongolia International University finished.  It has only been a couple days and there has already been tons of adventure!  First off we had a 12 hour layover in Beijing before flying out to the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar and boy was it a layover!

We landed in Beijing at 5 PM local time.  Adam offered us the options to either stay in the airport and sleep or go explore Beijing.  The Preuss family opted to stay and sleep but everyone else decided to go adventuring.  We decided to get dinner at Tienanmen Square and then head back to the airport before they closed. While we were able to figure out the subway route with little to no trouble, the timing schedule was another beast entirely.  We made it to the square with out any problems and decided to split up into our travel groups to eat, though eventually we all ended up at the same place anyway!  After guessing what we might like by the pictures on the menu we ended out with a salad (which I don't think we intended to order), spicy tongue and tripe (which I don't think we intended to get either), and a chicken and mushroom dish with scrambled eggs (which we actually did try to order!).  After we had finished we moseyed over back to the subway to get the line that would take us back to the airport.  We arrived at the transfer point and had to purchase a ticket for the other line, all the time wondering why we were the only ones left at that ticket booth and why the attendant was pushing us up the line so quickly.  When we got down to the train we realized that it was because this was the last train headed to the airport before the line closed!  We made sure that they did not leave without anyone from the group, me standing in the doorway of the train while others waved the rest of our group down into the trains as fast as they could! Luckily we all made it back to the airport safe and sound.

Tienanmen Square

This leads us to our second exciting tale.  While waiting at our gate, one of the group members managed to drop their passport down a ventilation grate.  Dr. Preuss immediately went to find an attendant while the MacGyvers of the group put their heads together.  After various plans involving rope, a carabiner, chopsticks, moleskin, tweezers, and duct tape failed, a maintenance worker came by with his handy dandy tools to save the day (after deciding that the mop he came with the first time would not suffice).  We retrieved the passport just in the nick of time to board the plane and leave Beijing for the first time with many great stories.

The flight to Ulaanbaatar did not take long.  We touched down  after a couple hours and went through customs easily.  The only hitch was the loss of Alex B's pack (which we have since recovered!).  We rode the bus back to the dorms and unpacked.  We rested up and prepared for the next day, our first day of teaching.

Alex B using wifi outside of our dorm

During our first day teaching in Mongolia, we had quite the experience.  We were split into groups of three (mine had Trent and Alex C).  After that we were told nothing but our room number.  We walked into room 101 knowing only that we were too teach English.  From there we had to improvise.  Luckily we had the theater major himself, Trenton Semple.  With his quick thinking and the things in our pack, we developed a plan.  We would emulate the Dr. Shultz method.  We showed the students various objects from our packs and had them write descriptions.  The items included a multi-tool, a CPR mask, a SteriPen, and a headlamp.  The students reactions were priceless.  Many were baffled by the strange conglomeration of foreign objects. Many of the students were close in their guesses as to the use of the object.  Many others were very far off.   Their descriptions included fanciful words such as “laser knife” and “freaking mutant animal.”  We then explained the uses to them and the light bulbs went on.  The descriptions provided many laughs for us after reading them.

Sunrise- Day 2 (Out of our dorm window)

The next day we taught, we had the same students.  This time around, we had a bit more time to plan a lesson.  Our room was labeled “Writing/Grammar” so we decided that was our focus.  Trent came up with the idea to have them correct sentence we wrote.  With this and sentence creation, we were able to fill the first class.  The next class however was much quicker.  We finished the whole lesson with 15 minutes to spare out of 45!  We were scrambling.  Luckily Ben came to the rescue and offered an idea.  He suggested we have them write us letters.  We thought that the idea was wonderful and proceeded with confidence.  The students were to write to one of the three instructors.  One of the letters was especially moving. A girl in the class explained that she lived with her siblings. Her parents had died when she was six.  She acknowledged the difficulty of this but also supplied her source of strength.  She revealed that she found love in God.  This moved the three of us nearly to tears.  Just when we thought we would lose it we turned the note over.  On the back was a note addressed to “Darling Wesley,”.  It said how she thought that I was cute and hoped I had a good trip.  This resulted in guffawing from Trent and Alex and maybe a blush from me.  Over all the teaching experience was just as educational for us as instructors as it was for the students.

The Day Before

The day before.  It still hasn't hit me yet that tomorrow I will be leaving the country for 4.5 months.  Everything is packed and preped as much as it can be.  Here is the final packing list.

(But before that I just want to wish my Grandpa a happy 80th birthday! Wish I could be there to celebrate with you!)

Lets start with the clothing. All clothing that I am bringing on this trip is quick drying, making for easy hand washing and drying to wear for the next day if need be! (Brands in parentheses)



I am bringing a total of six shirts: one long sleeved collared shirt (Ex Officio), one short sleeved collared shirt (REI), three short sleeved t-shirts (2 REI, 1 C9), and one sleeveless t-shirt for working out (C9).
The collared shirts should suffice for any semi-formal occasion.  The t-shirts are quite nice because they feel more like cotton than the typical wicking jersey material but they still dry quickly unlike cotton.  The sleeveless is made of that wicking material but that will be fine for the activities I will use it for.





Next comes pants.  I have one pair of athletic shorts for running, sports, working out, etc.(Champion), one pair of cargo shorts (Kuhl),  one pair of convertible pants/shorts with zip off legs (REI), and one pair of khaki golf pants (C9).  These should cover the very diverse gamut of activities that will come up while on the trip from athletic to semiformal.

For miscellaneous other clothing items, I have the following:  one camouflage bandanna, one CUI President's Bowl beanie, two pairs of briefs (Ex Officio), one pair boxers (Ex Officio), two pairs of boxer briefs (Jockey),  five pairs of wool socks (REI), and one pair of long underwear (Patagonia).  The long underwear will probably only come in handy in Hungary but they were pretty small so I decided they would be nice to have.

Now for one of the most important pieces of my wardrobe:  good footwear.  I have narrowed the options down to two that should cover me for the trip.  Both happen to be Keens that I originally discovered at the REI Used Gear Sale.  On the left are the Keen Voyagers, a low top leather boot with a little mesh ventilation on the sides.  I originally got a pair of these for $15 at the Gear Sale but my dad brought me a brand new pair as my old ones were wearing down.  On the right are the Keen Newport H2's.  These are the classic Keen water shoes.  these will work for pretty much anything that the boots are not necessary for.

This is the very pared down toiletry kit I will bring.  It includes: one Dopp kit, one role of toilet paper (special kind with no role in the middle so as not to take up useless space), one small bottle of shaving cream, one bottle of Sea-to-Summit all purpose soap and a bottle to dilute it in, one bottle sunscreen and one chap stick (both SPF 30 from Rocky Mountain Sunscreen), one spray bottle and one squirt bottle of pure Deet (REI Jungle Juice), one stick of deodorant, two Bug Bands insect repellent wristbands, three pairs of disposable earplugs, one toothbrush with cover, one razor, one tube of toothpaste, and four travel tissue packs.

 Meds are another crucial thing to bring when travelling abroad.  I have ample doses of the following: anti-malaria pills, Cipro and Zithromax (in case I get some gnarly bacterial infection), Acetaminophen (for pain), Ibuprofen (for swelling and pain), Benadryl (for allergic reactions), Costco brand Zyrtec (for non-drowsy allergy relief), Imodium (antidiarrheal), Gold bond foot powered, Pepto (say it with me now: nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea! Yay Pepto!), hydrocortisone cream (itch relief), Neosporin, various bandages, moleskin, rubber gloves, alcohol swabs, burn gel, an emergency blanket, a first aid kit bag, and a mesh bag from REI to keep it all together.

Also packed are some goodies to get me through the trip:  Fruit Nuggets fruit snacks, bag of 100 Grand (thanks Dana!), my pipe with tobacco, tamper, matches, and pipe cleaners.










Technology will be an integral part of this trip, especially with the classes we are taking.  I am bringing a Gateway netbook, an international socket converter, extra batteries (AA, AAA, and 123's), ethernet cable, GPS, iPod, extra camera batteries and memory cards, Kindle, cell phone unlocked for international use, headphones, SteriPEN UV water purifier, flexible camera tripod, and respective cables and chargers for everything.



This is my sleep gear.  I may not have to use it everywhere, but when I do I think I will appreciate it greatly.  I have a sleep sack which is basically a sleeping bag made out of sheet material, an REI backpacking down pillow, and a Therm-a-rest sleep pad.  The pad is not self inflating but this allows it to pack down smaller which is critical for this kind of trip!

In addition to the Kindle, I will have some actual books along as well (old school, right?).  I will be bringing a hand out on dealing with common travel illnesses, courtesy of my father.  A guide book on Thailand from AAA, a Lonely Planet on Thai food, and the Lonely Planet Thai and Latin American Spanish phrasebooks.

For the fitness portion of our trip I have a simple jump rope, an elastic resistance band and a frisbee.  Later I will add a volleyball as well so that we will be able to play with the local kids and with those in our group!

This is all miscellaneous stuff that would not fit into another category: notebooks (both pocket and regular sized), 3 pens, 1 Sharpie, sticky notes, paracord, Nalgene bottle, REI microfiber towel, mosquito head net (courtesy of my sister Leah!), Ziplocks (both gallon and sandwich), swag to leave in geocaches, a geocoin that is trying to travel to Germany, zip ties, a family photo album (to show to locals), a sleeping pad patch kit, duct tape and athletic tape (rolled on to old gift cards for easy packing), a deck of cards, gum, my wallet (with cash, cards, id, etc), sunglasses, headlamp, my Leatherman Juice CS4, a Gerber Shard multi-tool, a head lamp, a hacky sack, a digital watch (with alarm and dual time setting so I can read local time and time at home in the US), a paracord bracelet, and a money belt (with passport, money, immunization card, extra passport photos for visas, and international drivers permit).

This just about sums up the total of what I am bringing!  I tried to pare down the list as much as I could and only bring the essentials.  That leaves one item that is not yet pictured: my trusty Canon Powershot camera!

And that does it! If you made it this far, I commend you for not losing interest in all the junk I am lugging around with me!  If you just scrolled to the end, tsk tsk, I am shaking my head in disappointment at you (though I probably would have done the same thing so don't feel too bad!).

This is my last post before I leave the country. Please keep me and my entire group in your thoughts and prayers! Your support is much appreciated!

One Week Out - Pack Review

One week from today I will be in Mongolia.  Kind of hard to believe now that I think about it.  This last week will be filled with tying up loose ends, seeing friends for the last time for a few months, and starting to plan out things to be sure to see on the trip!

This will be part one of my posts covering the gear I will be bringing.  This time I will tell you about my pack pictured below.

That is the Osprey Waypoint 85.  It is an 85 liter pack that has a 15 liter detachable (pictured on the left) which leaves the main compartment 70 liters.  I think the detachable day pack will prove useful when I have to carry all my stuff since it can easily zip back on to the main compartment.  Another handy feature is the strap protector.  This is basically a zip up sleeve that covers all the straps that make it a backpack.  When travelling, if a strap gets caught in the machinery or on anything else, the baggage guys usually will just cut the strap.  This attempts to cut back on the likelihood of that happening which will be nice since this bag will be going on many planes in the near future.

So that is the pack that will carry all of my stuff for 4.5 months.  Hopefully it holds up! My dad found it for $45 at the REI used gear sale.  I think it was marked down so much because it was missing the day pack.  That was easily replaced by Osprey for another $40 which still placed the pack at a very reasonable price compared to most of the brand new options.

Well that's it for now for my gear review.  Stay tuned to hear more about the rest of the stuff I am bringing!

-WG

Summer

It is finished! One of the most difficult semesters of my educational career is finally done! Time to relax and recuperate for a while before starting up at work for the summer.  So here is where the trip stands as of the beginning of summer.

There have been a few changes over the course of the semester that will change the trip significantly.  First of all, Dr. Norton's wife will be having a baby this September!  Needless to say, she and the kids will no longer be joining us on the trip unfortunately.  Dr. Norton will only be able to join us for certain countries now rather than joining us for the whole trip.  I believe that there will be certain classes or portions of classes that we will wait to take until Dr. Norton is with us.

Also, there has been another slight change to the itinerary.  We have added Bolivia to the list of countries we will be visiting!  After landing in Peru we will be bussing over to Bolivia to do some work there.  That will put our country list at nine: Mongolia, China, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Ethiopia, Hungary, Peru, and Bolivia.

Now begins the summer of waiting and prepping!  Time to begin accumulating the small amount of gear I will need and getting that all packed up.  Time to begin working so I can cover the extra travel costs.  Time to spend time with family and friends that I will not get to see for a few month after I leave.  This summer will be a time to reflect on God's grace and all the blessing He pours out on us,  especially the blessing of this opportunity to "See the World and Share the Word," my new personal motto and mission for this trip.

So this is where we stand at the beginning of the summer.  Hopefully things will not change too much between now and August 5th, our departure date.  If anything changes before then I will be sure to let you all know here!

Blessings in Christ!

Tickets

The tickets have finally been purchased!  After working everything out, the itinerary has changed a little.  We will no longer be going to Israel but all the other countries are still on.  Now we will just be spending a little more time in each of the other places instead which is fine!  That leaves the country list at Mongolia, China, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Ethiopia, Hungary, and Peru.  We will have layovers in some neat cities as well so hopefully we will get to check those out for a little!  Those include Seoul, Frankfurt, London, Dubai, New York City, and Vienna!  We might even get to take a ferry through Slovakia on the way to Hungary! That would be awesome seeing as I am Slovak!  If we do I would touch down in all countries that my ancestors have come from: China, Slovakia, Germany, and England!

Now comes the time to start looking at vaccinations and such.  Getting all the logistics figured out can be confusing but definitely worth it! Still working on fundraising so if you would like to help me shoot me an email!

Beginnings

If you are reading this, you have probably heard that I will be studying abroad next semester on the Around-the-World trip offered at Concordia!  This is a great opportunity and I am thankful I have been blessed with the chance to participate in this!

Now some of you may be wondering what this trip entails.  If that is you, read on!  If that is not you, read on anyway!  Basically, in one semester, a group of Concordia students and faculty will circumnavigate the globe.  The students have been selected and we have a big group!  There will be 28 students, 3 professors, 2 wives of professors, 5 children of professors, and 4 graduate assistants putting the total travelers at 42!  As of now, the trip is as concrete as it will ever be, meaning that things will not change unless something drastic happens (ie political turmoil in one of the countries, natural disasters, etc).  We will visit 9 different countries over the course of 4.5 months (August 5th - December 17th).  We will visit them in this order: Mongolia, China, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Ethiopia, Israel, Hungary, and finally Peru.

Here is a video put on by the group that went last year:
http://www.cui.edu/admissions/undergraduate/aroundtheworld.html

We have already met as a group at Dr. Norton's house (one of the professors on the trip) for ethnic desserts and fellowship.  Getting to know the group is an exciting process!

So what exactly will I be doing on this trip you may ask?  Well it will not be all fun and games to be sure (though both fun and games will still be included)!  While traveling, I will be taking 15 units of courses including Foundations of Language, Travel Writing, Postmodern Novel, Epic Literature, and Service Learning Practicum.   These along with three 1-unit classes (Global Cultural Studies, Understanding Cultures Anthropologically, and Cross-Cultural Communication Awareness) which I will take next semester will give me a minor in Global Cultural Studies when I finish.  There will be a mission component in each country as well.  This can span anywhere from helping to teach English to helping run a Week-of-Welcome for new students at the Mongolia International University.

A trip of this magnitude will obviously be more costly than a normal semester at college.  Leading up until the time I leave, I will be trying to raise funds to help cover the extra cost of the trip.  If there are any odd jobs that I can do for money let me know!  Also if you would like to donate to help me go on this trip send me an email and I can give you more information on how you can make it tax deductible!  If you have any other questions about the trip, let me know and I will be happy to answer them to the best of my abilities!