After 26 hours of travel, I finally landed in my new home. The relief I felt to finally arrive was a weight off my shoulders. I was greeted by faculty from my school who served as a welcome crew for the 13 new teachers who arrived alongside me. On our plane ride over, we were all complete strangers with no idea the person we sat behind or next to would become our coworkers and friends in just a short time.
The bus ride to my new apartment was relaxing and a great opportunity to see some of Ulaanbaatar and the surrounding area. It was also my first experience with traffic in the city. Traffic here is unlike anywhere else I have ever been. Not only is it congested, but drivers here seem to follow no rules. When I asked, I was told there are indeed traffic laws, however, it could have fooled me. Aside from that, the ride was smooth and beautiful. Looking out at the rolling green hills and mountains on all sides reminded me that I was in a virtually untouched country. Outside of UB is a vast expanse of natural beauty.
Once I arrived at my apartment, I heaved all 5 of my bags into the middle of my studio and pretty much immediately fell asleep. It was only about 10:00 AM but I was exhausted from my full day of travel. I proceeded to sleep for the remainder of Saturday and all of Sunday. I did nothing to get settled. I did not unpack a single thing. I did not go to a store to get groceries. I slept like a baby. Luckily, my refrigerator and cabinets had some very basic items I could survive on when I woke up starving on Sunday night.
Although it is not drastically different than I am used to, there were a few things I had to get used to right away. The first thing was hanging my laundry to dry. I know it is very “first-world-problems” of me, but I had never hung my clothes to dry. I have been very spoiled with a clothes dryer. Another thing that has been an adjustment for me is hand washing my dishes. I have had times in my life when I have only hand washed dishes, but I have gotten very used to having a dishwasher and only rinsing my dishes before loading it up.
My first week of work was teacher orientation. I loved getting to tour my new school and see the beautiful campus I will be working on for the next 2+ years. It is covered in art, plants, bright colors, and natural light. The staff got acquainted with each other and the school policies throughout the week and it eased my nerves to realize I wasn’t so far out of my comfort zone, at least when it came to teaching. I received my schedule and was thrilled to have built in prep time every day. Each day, I would have anywhere from 4-6 classes.
I am so excited to get to teach at an international school. My colleagues are from all over the world so, not only do I get to learn about Mongolian culture, I am also exposed to cultures from places like South Africa, the Philippines, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, and more. The students here are so lucky to learn in such a diverse, academically rigorous, welcoming environment.
After the week of training was over, we had a social at a local restaurant with a rooftop terrace. It was so relaxing to eat, talk, and enjoy the city views. After dinner, we went to karaoke across the street. I feel like I was meant to move to Mongolia after seeing how many karaoke joints are in the city. Like other parts of Asia, karaoke is extremely popular here. Maybe I’ll become a famous karaoke singer in the area…
I was settling in and I couldn’t wait to get out and explore the sites and meet my students come Monday.
-Michael
Chalkboard Trailblazer 