Felting workshop

Hi again! Now that I've written a bit about the Fulbright it's back to what's going on in Mongolia :)

Yesterday I had the chance to go to a felting workshop and make my own pair of slippers! Very cool!

I woke up early and met my fellow researchers, and soon to be felters, Ellen, Christa, Takiko and Nastuko out in the -40 degrees at the bus stop. (Fun fact: when it gets down to -40 degrees Fahrenheit it's the same as -40 Celcius!) We had a little trouble figuring out where to get off the bus since the windows were covered in a thick layer of ice and frost. After asking the ticket lady, (every bus has a person who collects money from boarding passengers) she indicated that we should get off at a certain stop, and then promptly took one of our vacated seats next to the heater. We got off and looked around, but clearly this was not the right place! We hurried inside a small khuns baraanii delguur (food and goods shop) and called the workshop and eventually figured out we had gotten off one stop too soon. Finally we got to the workshop and waiting for us was hot tea and homemade cake! Yum! Then we got to work making our slippers.


Looking back at my pictures it seems like I missed some of the steps- probably because my hands were soapy and covered in bits of fluff. Anyways you can still see how different the final product looks from the starting materials.

First we chose the colors we wanted for the inside and outside of the slippers.

I chose a purple outside and green inside.

We covered a pattern made out of a sheet of bubble wrap with the wool.

 

Then we sprinkled it with hot water to mat it down.

We did this on each side with each color.

Everyone's slippers in the making!

Then we began the process of felting the wool. We covered the wet wool with a piece of mesh, soaped up our hands, and gently worked and kneaded the wool. The wool started dreadlocking together and shrinking. 

Then we added decorations to our slippers. I found a few scraps of felt with blue and black that looked like mountains to me so I added some white snow and some orange-y clouds. Then we felted this onto the slipper. In the picture you can see our workshop leader Maira is snipping the felt into two slippers and retrieving the bubble wrap pattern to reuse.

Then she washed them in a washing machine, and we resumed the felting process. This time we vigorously rolled and squeezed them for about an hour. Finally they were small enough to wear. To make them foot-shaped Maira and her assistant forced the slippers over a wooden shoe form and let them sit for about 10 minutes.

Me and my slippers! They're warm and comfy!

Although fashion felt items are becoming more popular, Mongolians' main use of felt is as insulation for their gers. In the countryside they make big bolts of felt by dragging a roll of wool behind a horse for a few hours. This knots the wool into a thick sheet of felt. You can see the felt layer of a ger being set up in this photo:

I took this photo in 2009.

That's all I've got for now :) Next I'm thinking of writing a post about Mongolian food and the wonders/horrors to be found in the grocery stores. Today there was half of a cow carcass sitting in a shopping cart next to the meat counter. The funny thing is that things like this don't surprise me anymore.

So you're Applying for a Fulbright-Part 2

After the final submission in October the waiting began. In January I found out that my application had made it past the first cut. This was very exciting of course, but it meant that 2x as many applications as there were spots were sent to Mongolia for the final selection. All it guaranteed was more nail-biting and waiting. But then in April, while browsing an online forum full of Fulbright hopefuls (gradcafe for those interested), and noting that a person or two had just heard news about their applications to Mongolia, the phone rang. My parents were calling to tell me that a large manila envelope had arrived! After the freakout of happiness subsided slightly I started looking at the mountain of paperwork I had to fill out. Things had to be signed, information provided, medical tests taken and original medical forms submitted. I ended up paying over $600 to go to the best hospital in Guangzhou, China where doctors spoke enough English to fill out my medical forms with the results of more or less routine tests. I then spent another $30 to send these papers certified, tracked, everything, to Fulbright. They insisted that the medical tests be done within a few weeks of getting the news of the award, otherwise I would have waited til I got home and insurance covered these things.

After getting all this paperwork in, I got to relax for a few months more in Asia and back home before my grant started. The whole process was time consuming and nerve-wracking but was it worth it? Wholeheartedly, yes. As someone who is not in grad school I have certain advantages and disadvantages on a Fulbright grant. The disadvantages are that I may not have as much training in undertaking research as a grad student and I don't have as much advising or mentorship. The advantages are that I get to problem solve and come up with my own creative solutions to things, I don't have to report to anyone, I can research whatever interests me via whatever methodology I want, and I set my own schedule. I will probably never have this kind of freedom in research again, and so I am taking full advantage of it.

To wrap up the part about my application experience, I wanted to comment that I've read many, many advice columns about applying for the Fulbright. 99% of them say that the key to ultimately getting a Fulbright is starting early on your application. Some schools require that you commit to the process a semester or even a year before the application is due! This is probably important for a lot of people, but I was able to complete my application in under 2 weeks and it was selected just the same. My point is that it wasn't my application that was important, (because people who spent more time on their applications probably had better essays), but that it was everything I had done during college that made me a good candidate for this award that was important. I double degreed in biology and anthropology, I studied abroad in Mongolia, I conducted research in Mongolia (and made lots of contacts), I wrote my thesis in anthropology about this research in Mongolia, I conducted ecology research in America, and I worked closely with professors and researchers. Even though I only had 2 weeks to talk the talk, or write my application, I had kind of already walked the walk. Therefore I think it's unfair to discourage or even bar people from applying who don't start working on their application so far in advance. Yes, advisors should meet with prospective applicants earlier in their academic career, but not to discuss their application... they should be making sure the students are doing the kind of work that will prepare them to be competitive for what they want to apply for.


Then again, much of the Fulbright selection process remains a mystery to all and I could be completely off the mark. Maybe the selection committee was really intrigued by my research proposal to make portable gardens for nomads, maybe they were impressed that I spoke a little Mongolian already, or maybe they liked me personally in the interview. I don't really know. So I just wanted to share what I did in my application in case it helps anyone who is applying. My advice: contacts, research experience, passion about your topic.


Ok this wraps up my posts about the Fulbright application. Next post I'll write about the felting workshop I'm attending tomorrow! This is what I mean by taking full advantage of my flexible research schedule! :)

So you're applying for a Fulbright-Part 1

You're a brave, brave soul... get ready for lots of angst! I don't know which was more nerve-wracking for me, the 2 weeks I had to feverishly compile my application or the nearly 6 months of waiting afterwards to find out if I would even get the award or not.

That said, I did end up getting it and I'm thrilled since it's such a unique opportunity. I wanted to share my experience with the application in case it helps others. So here goes...

My application nightmare:
I finished up a summer internship in August 2010 and then my boyfriend Matt came to visit for the last few weeks of summer before he headed off to China. Honestly, the last thing on my mind was the application. I knew it was due sometime in October and so I planned to attack it when I got back to campus. Well, surprise! The national deadline was in October but the campus deadline was just a week or two into September. If I didn't submit my application by this date then my school wouldn't endorse it. I remember the icy horror gripping my chest when I realized this. I quickly sent an email to my school's FPA (Fulbright Program Advisor) asking if this deadline was hard and fast or flexible, since I had misunderstood the information on the school's website (it was pretty confusing). Her reply was that, basically, I was an idiot for not understanding the confusing website, she wasn't going to give me any leeway, and that I could try to do the application but good luck. Furious, I resolved to submit an application worthy of a Fulbright just to stick it to her.

I knew I could write a good application, I just expected to have more time to do it. I first contacted my top-choice recommendation writers and apologized profusely for the short time allowance. They all agreed to write recommendations despite the short notice which was such a relief. Then I needed a host institution in Mongolia. I contacted the American Center for Mongolian Studies, of which I became a member during my semester studying abroad in Mongolia. The people there were wonderful- although the ACMS could not serve as a host institution itself, the staff wrote a letter endorsing my application and also were able to find me a host institution (the Mongolian State University of Agriculture). This left the language evaluation. A researcher I had met at Umass who had worked in Mongolia and spoke near fluent Mongolian agreed to fill this out for me.

As for the essays, while emails were flying back and forth between me and my army of application helpers, I squeezed them in. I wrote tons of drafts and showed them to everyone I could. No one likes showing their personal statement to other people, especially one in draft form, but it had to be done. For the personal statement I highlighted my academic achievement, organization, leadership ability, and drive to challenge myself and experience new things.

In my research proposal I first gave some background info that proved that I understood my topic and the country, and then explained what I would do in Mongolia. I used a timeline format to explain what I would be doing, when, and why I would be doing it then. Throughout I focused on the feasibility of my project. I spent precious words to convince the Fulbright commission that I understood exactly what I planned to do and how difficult it would be, and that what I proposed was feasible.

After toiling over the application I managed to submit everything on time and was granted a campus interview in October. I prepared for the interview by printing out 2 copies of every part of my application and talking to myself in the mirror for hours about my research project. I like to rehearse some responses to likely questions so that I can deliver a confident answer during the interview. Then, when you're able to give a solid response in the interview, it boosts your confidence which gives you some momentum. "Fake it til you make it" all the way. If you're not a naturally outgoing person you can pretend to be if it's important.

My interview was the last one of the day. I had sat outside the room while someone droned on about Spanish literature and so I knew I had to bring a good dose of enthusiasm to energize the panel. They reacted well to this and the interview went smoothly. They seemed pleasantly surprised by my passion for Mongolia and my research project. In the end it was less of an interview and more of an application help session. Yes, I was being evaluated, but they also gave me plenty of good tips to improve my research proposal for the final submission.

I took their advice, polished up my application, and submitted it one last time.

The apartment

Hey everyone! I hinted at my apartment earlier so I thought I'd show everyone what $400/month gets you in downtown UB. For that price you'd probably expect something pretty nice because Mongolia is a developing country and the cost of living is much lower compared to home, but housing is actually very expensive here. Most 1-bedroom places seem to be going for about $500-800/month for a central location, and often even more if it's a new and well furnished place. My apartment is neither new nor well furnished, and water apparently seeps through the ceiling on occasion. It's in one of the old Soviet buildings that somehow has not been condemned. But actually I like the "lived in" feel of it. Also, the location can't be beat. It's in the heart of downtown and about a 5 minute walk from two main bus stops. There are good grocery stores nearby and lots of small cafes and restaurants where you can get a steaming bowl of banshtei tsai (mutton dumplings in milk tea broth) for about $2.

This is the living room/dining room/study.

My room, the other side of the big main room.

Looking into the living room from the kitchen. I made the curtain/door myself!

The kitchen.

The bedroom I'm trying to rent out.

Cozy!

The best part of the apartment, a giant aloe plant!

The apocalyptic bathroom. The semi-automatic washing machine is on the tub so you can fill it with water from the showerhead and then drain it straight into the tub.

The Nine Nines of winter

Mongolia is a cooooold place to be in the winter. How cold? Well, the lows for this week have been about -35 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit. What does weather that cold feel like?

First, the moisture in your nose freezes almost immediately which feels really strange. Then, you hurry to cover up every scrap of exposed skin because after being exposed for more than a minute or two it feels like it's burning. If you're still outside after 5 minutes hopefully you're walking or you probably feel like you're turning into a human icicle. After walking outside for 5-10 minutes the steam from your breath has frozen onto your eyelashes and eyebrows. By 15-20 minutes your hands and feet are aching from the cold even though you're wearing 2 pairs of heavy wool socks, insulated boots, and heavy duty gloves stuffed in the pockets of your down coat. Pretty intense!

The good thing is that it warms up enough during the day to go out in relative comfort. The warmest part of the day is from 1-4pm, when it usually gets up to at least -18 degrees. Practically tropical! The coldest part of the day is about 6-8am, when people are waking up and heading out to work. Ouch!

Mongolians describe the cold in their own way. They say that winter lasts 81 days and is broken up into nine sets of nine days, each with a name that describes how cold it is.

First nine: milk vodka freezes
Second nine: vodka freezes
Third nine: the tail of the 3 year old ox freezes
Fourth nine: the horns of the 4 year old ox freeze
Fifth nine: boiled rice does not freeze any more
Sixth nine: roads become visible
Seventh nine: hilltops appear
Eighth nine: the ground becomes damp
Ninth nine: warm days set in

Right now we're in the Fourth nine, which explains why the forecast for the end of this week predicts lows of -49 degrees. I might have to get up early and stick my head outside just to see what that feels like!

Getting settled in

Hello again! I've now been in UB for about a week and a half. I'm happy to report that the jetlag is pretty much gone and I'm settling right into the swing of things. I've figured out how to coax my stove into boiling water, found where the best exchange rate for dollars is, and filled my fridge with food.

Here's what I've been up to!

So last week I checked out a Mongolian language school. Unfortunately, their intermediate class was too advanced for me, and their private lessons were quite expensive. I was able to buy a textbook and now will be looking for a language partner to help me with the book in exchange for English lessons.

Thursday I came home and was watching TV (the tv gets BBC and national geographic! woo!) when I hear a *drip drip drip*. It's not coming from the bathroom sink or shower like normal, it's in the kitchen. I look in and WATER IS DRIPPING FROM THE CEILING. I'm thinking... this is bad! So I call my landlady and she RUNS over because, from how I described things, she thinks a pipe has burst. Then she RUNS upstairs to the neighbors and starts shouting at them, and then drags them downstairs and marches them in to survey the damage. So they leave with vague promises to call someone to fix it. She then calls the internet repairman, who shows up and manages to set up the internet in a snap. Then she calls a plumber and he comes and takes a look at the water damage as well. Then she goes back upstairs to talk to the neighbors and they've pulled a runner and given her a bad phone number. Yikes! What a crazy evening.

Saturday I met up with some other researchers and we went to Novel Melody, a concert by the morin khuur (horse-head fiddle) ensemble. They played some South American songs, a lot of George Gershwin, and capped it off with a Michael Jackson medley! See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNhtaTGPnlI

Compare it to the traditional music they play: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mi_2Cr7jnY

It was definitely interesting!

That's all for now! I'll post again soon :)

Smooth landing in UB

Dear friends and family,

Sain bain uu! I made it to Mongolia! I am so excited to finally be starting my Fulbright year. It’s been nearly a year and a half since I first applied for the program and over a year since I graduated from UMass. Between then and now I’ve taught English to preschoolers in China for a semester, traveled around Asia, picked up some new hobbies including zumba and pilates, and had a nice break at home in the US for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years’.

Last summer, as part of traveling around Asia, I visited Mongolia with my boyfriend Matt and some friends. Besides touring the beautiful countryside, I handled some logistics that have allowed me to hit the ground running since my arrival a week ago. Best of all, I met another researcher who would be moving out of her apartment around the same time I was arriving in January. Thus I was able to move right into an inexpensive, centrally located apartment as soon as I arrived. My most useful asset so far hasn’t been my meager recollection of the Mongolian language, but rather the network of Fulbright researchers and English teachers I met during the summer. Everyone has been very supportive and helpful, and we've freely swapped information.

Right now I’m sitting in my apartment having some breakfast of tangy fresh yogurt with sugar- one of my favorite local foods. So far I’ve found that it’s best to do various chores around the house (such as grappling with the washing machine and other appliances) until about 1pm, when it warms up from -35°F to a balmy -5°F. At that time, fully bundled up, I venture out to buy groceries and get other things done. Soon I will be taking intensive Mongolian language classes too.

That’s pretty much all I have to report right now! I’ll update my blog when I can and take more pictures. The summer is when the real fun begins and I’ll have a lot more to tell then.

Bayartai for now!