I wandered around the neighborhood a bunch and then went to Kempinski for some internet. I sat in their little lounge thing and ordered a ginger ale (2700 tugrik! jeezus.) and asked for the wifi password [see the bottom of this post]. I was supposed to be writing a paper and prepping for a student-led discussion about politics that I was moderating with Tyler, Nick, and Emily the next day. I ended up just emailing my sister and talking to an old friend on facebook for an hour. which was weird bc I'd never talked to him online before and hadn't actually seen him in a year? but that is another story.
I had to be back in time for lunch/dinner at 3pm. And just hoped that I could borrow my host mom's computer at 5:30 because that is when Tyler, Nick, Emily and I were going to have a conference chat about the discussion we were going to be leading. Buuut it turns out my host grandma was playing video games all night and I didn't get the chance. So I had to text Emily saying I wouldn't be able to get online.
Tonight ended up being really weird. Khandaa was messing around on my iPad for a while and then was all excited because her brother was coming over? I assumed she meant cousin though. ... People arrived and Khandaa asked if I wanted to see him so I got up and was standing in the doorway between the living room and the entrance hallway, and it was really awkward. Her 'brother' Dorj looked really down and went straight to sit on host gram's lap. Khandaa had him say hi to me but he was really disintrested. This kid was like 5 years old. I was really confused. I asked Khandaa if he was shy and she said that he speaks German. Then there was a bit more awkward standing, and then Khandaa ushers me back into her/my room. And now we're both just sitting on my/her bed while Dorj's mom is crying/talking to Bolormaa and Emee. ... 10 minutes later and the only word I could understand is "tomorrow" ("mall-rash," although spelled mar-gash?).... I felt like SUCH a child. It was awful. And now more than one person is sniffling but I don't know who or why.
other random thoughts from around this time:
It's weird not having 100% control over my diet. I'm eating way too much white bread, it is absurd. It will be hard to not start thinking of food as, like, a personal rebellion? Like I need to not want to go to the store and buy, like, candy just so I can have a choice in what I'm eating. I don't even like candy.
