Happy new school year!
This school year is off to a great start, and I have been feeling incredibly productive and optimistic. My counterparts and I have already coordinated our team teaching schedules for the fall, written lesson plans, and held our first English club meeting! We're also planning a big Halloween bash and are organizing decorations, competitions, and prizes with the assistance of other teachers and students. It's a big step up from last fall, when I didn't know what to do or where to begin. My counterparts and I understand each other - and what to expect from each other - so much better this year and things are really coming together!
The less fortunate news is that at the moment, my macbook is completely nonfunctional. It won't get past the white screen to actually boot up. It is highly unlikely that I will be able to have it repaired while I am here in Mongolia. That means my photos from the last 6 months (not to mention all of my work since I've been here) may be lost forever. I'll try to have it looked at next time I go to Ulaanbaatar, but I have really low expectations since Mac computers generally don't exist here. That said, I still have my duct-taped together camera! And I will do my best to periodically upload photos when possible. If anyone has any suggestions for salvaging my macbook (or at least the contents of the hard drive) let me know!