Frequently Asked Questions
Some answers and links to very good Peace Corps Mongolia questions
Where are you going?
I’m heading to Mongolia, which is located right between Russia and China. The Mongolian community I will be serving in will be determined after my three months of training.
How do you feel about going to Mongolia?
I am absolutely thrilled! It is exactly where I have been wanting to go for months now and I think I will love it. Did you know that Mongolia is one of the seven countries where Tibetan Buddhism is practiced most? Here are some photos from Flickr that are fun to look at as well.
When are you leaving?
I will be leaving Hickory, North Carolina on May 31st, 2008 and returning August 16th, 2010.
Orientation (in location TBA) : May 31st to June 1st, 2008
Pre-Service Training (in Mongolia) : June 2nd to August 15th, 2008
Two Years of Service (in Mongolia) : August 16th, 2008 to August 15th, 2010
What will you be doing?
I will be a Health Extension Volunteerworking in Mongolia’s Community Based Health Program. Although I will know more specifics once I have completed my three months of training, generally Health Extenionists in Mongolia:
Work with health departments, hospitals, national and international organizations
Develop health awareness and educational activities for schools and communities
Organize seminars to improve the skills of local health educators and volunteers
Teach life skills to teachers and students and promote HIV/AIDS awareness
Promote volunteerism and community and youth development
What will it be like living in Mongolia?
It will depend partly on whether I live in a ger, a wooden house or an apartment in the city (which I won't know until I finish my three months of training) but regardless it will probably be pretty cold. Seven months out of the year the average temperature in Mongolia is freezing or below freezing and in the summer it can get into the mid seventies. The people, however, are said to be very warm and welcoming as the Japanese proverb says, "One kind word can warm three winter months." Two kind words and I should be just fine.
What time is it in Mongolia?
Mongolia is 13 hours ahead of us here on the East Coast of the United States. For instance, if it is 1pm here in Hickory, NC, it is 2am in Mongolia. The clock to the right is the time in Ulan Bataar which is the capital of Mongolia.
What is the weather like in Mongolia?
Generally the weather in Mongolia is cold. They have the same seasons as we do in North Carolina at the same time, because we are both in the northern hemisphere. However, the average altitude in Mongolia is about 10,000 which is equivalent of living in Denver, Colorado. Also due to the low precipitation and open landscape, temperatures are usually very cold in the winter (between -20 degrees and 20 degrees) and very hot in the summer (between 80 degrees and a 110 degrees). It will take some adjustment for me personally, but it is nice to know that the Mongolian people have lived comfortably for thousands of years in this climate and will be able to teach me just how to stay warm. That and the average heavy winter coat only costs $30 there, so I think I'll be fine.
When did you decide on going into Peace Corps?
I guess I have always known about the Peace Corps, I am pretty idealistic guy and I have always admired John F. Kennedy and the idea of making peace with others rather than fight them. But in college I started to wonder whether I wanted to go into medical school or not (one of those situations where you know you can get in but your not sure if you want to or not). I knew I wanted to help people, it's something I've enjoyed for a long long time. I also knew I wanted to learn more about international diplomacy and foreign relations. I have always admired the United Nations and the idea that we can resolve issues and solve world problems peacefully and with light blue hats on. As I talked with friends and teachers my sophomore year in college, at some point I can't remember specifically, the words Peace Corps came up and they stuck. I went to a National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) meeting in Raleigh where I met the Assistant Director and tons of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) (including the founder of the museum in which the meeting was held) and began talking with recruiters and volunteers. I went to Costa Rica my junior year and while studying abroad I met with the assistant country director and several volunteers at the headquarters and spoke with them for weeks later. I wrote to volunteers that were in medical school and asked their thoughts, I went to recruiting sessions and panel discussions and I started the Peace Corps process which introduced me to tons of other great people. I'm pretty intense I guess, but I stepped little by little until I was pretty immersed in the organization and I felt like I loved it and it was where I was supposed to be. In fact, to this day, the most significant and moving experience I have had in the last five years was my interview with my recruiter. I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. It was like all roads, everything I had studied, everything I had volunteered with and learned from, every group I had led and every project I had completed, had led me right to there. It felt perfect and I knew it was right. Peace Corps was always there in my mind, even when I was very young, but years in college and dozens of separate life experiences led me into believing that it was the right next thing for me to do.
What other questions to you have?
Send me an e-mail and I will put the answer up here for everybody.