I had the opportunity to travel to South Africa and Ethiopia, to work as a summer camp counselor, study consultant and peer listener, and to teach creative writing at a women and children’s center. Through these experiences, I learned that I love both traveling and serving as a mentor. I decided to merge these passions by coming to Mongolia for one year to work as an English teacher.
Apart from traveling and teaching, my hobbies include doing anything outside, especially, hiking, rock-climbing and camping, as well as reading and learning different languages. A fun fact is that I grew up speaking English, Hindi and Tamil with my family. I love languages, and study Latin, French and Spanish in school. Now I am learning to speak Mongolian! I consider myself a polyglot – that’s the word for someone who speaks multiple languages! In addition, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, and exploring museums and other cultural sites.
Here in Mongolia, I have been teaching English to officers and cadets at the Police Academy in Bayanzurkh, a district on the edge of Ulaanbaatar. It is close to the ger districts, where people new to the city reside in their traditional homes. I teach class with my Mongolian co-teacher, and I also meet individually with students for speaking practice and review. I also volunteer at the Mongolian Health Initiative, working to prevent disease among schoolchildren in Ulaanbaatar.
The biggest challenge so far has been the food. I was raised on a vegetarian diet, but most of the local Mongolian food is meat-based! Mongolians have been accustomed to eating meat for centuries in order to brave the brutal winters. It’s starting to get cold already, so let’s see how I manage to brave the winter!
