Arriving at MIU before sunrise Next week is Chinggis Khan’s birthday, to be celebrated on November 24, which also happens to be the US holiday Thanksgiving. Mongolia International University (MIU) set its fall break to coincide with this national holiday and another national holiday, Republic’s Day, which falls on Saturday, November 26. Usually, we get … Continue reading Working at a Mongolian university
Tag: Mongolia International University
Into the light of day
Photo by Bima Rahmanda on Unsplash One of the things I’ve been wanting to write about is why the work I’ve been doing at Mongolia International University has so meaningful to me. People have told me, “You can do better.” But it depends on what you mean by better. What I really want at this point in my … Continue reading Into the light of day
Realizing what we’ve lost
Really, she's photo bombing. Start of school, 2018 It’s August now, and usually I/we start to think of the coming school year. I took July “off.” I wrapped up the sale of our house, did some administrative stuff (you never realize how many people and organizations have your address until you move, especially when you … Continue reading Realizing what we’ve lost
How it all began
I am writing a book based on our experience in Mongolia, and this morning I wrote out how it all got started. People still ask me how we ended up going to Mongolia. Here's how: The email subject line was “Teach in Mongolia?” It was from a professor in my department at UCSD, sent out … Continue reading How it all began
My life as a ghost
Sunrise from my living room It’s my second morning waking up in Ulaanbaatar. I actually woke up several times this morning, starting at 12:35 am, then back to sleep sometime around 2. I woke up again at around 3:30, and after a decent-feeling sleep I woke up for the last time at 5:30. Tonight, I … Continue reading My life as a ghost
Heading back to Mongolia
The summer, like most things, didn’t go according to plan. I had thought that I would have plenty of time for writing and for making progress on the book that is emerging from our experience in Mongolia. Emma wanted to focus on her drawing and on hanging out with the dogs. Instead, inspired by our … Continue reading Heading back to Mongolia
Wrapping up the school year at MIU
They threw us a party We only have two weeks left in Mongolia, but for those who have just discovered this blog, don’t worry – I have at least a year’s worth of posts left. There is so much I haven’t written about yet, and quite a lot I’ve started writing about but haven’t had … Continue reading Wrapping up the school year at MIU
Nothing lasts forever…
The time we went out for my birthday It’s becoming official that we are not staying in Mongolia after this academic year. I had kind of hoped that we might both love it here, but only one of us does, and practically, staying for another year or two isn’t going to work. I have told … Continue reading Nothing lasts forever…
Our social life in Mongolia
I’ve really been struggling with a title for this post. But one of the things I’ve been wanting to write about is how my being an introvert has affected our lives here in Mongolia. It may be a bad idea to frame it this way, because these labels are not always so useful or clear, … Continue reading Our social life in Mongolia
Mongolia International University: A beautiful but fragile vision
The MIU campus, photo from their website. The dorm hasn't been built yet. I’ve been wanting to write a bit more about Mongolia International University (MIU) for a while now. I’ve been struggling with a post about teaching here that I hope to finish soon. But I thought giving you a more general idea about … Continue reading Mongolia International University: A beautiful but fragile vision
Two Vegetarians in Mongolia 