TEAM

TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More

A common sense, yet a powerful one.

Цэцэрлэг, Архангай (Tsetserleg, Arhangai)

Finally, I made my first official visit to Tsetserleg, Arhangai. It is located about 465 kms west of Ulaanbaatar. That is roughly 290 miles, which I would have easily cut in less than 5 hours with my sold Honda Accord back in the States. But most of the roads stretched out from the “state city” Ulaanbaatar contain unpaved roads, not to mention that the express buses are somewhat creaky. So the trip came out to be a nine-hour drive.

Ulaanbaatar to Tsetserleg, Arhangai.

The rest area had none that I craved. Most of the lamb meat in Mongolia tastes awful (for my appetite) as the blood is rarely drawn out from the meat before marinading. So I just bought some snacks for lunch. By the way, there is no bathroom available, and water is scarce, especially in isolated areas. Passengers had to pee anywhere on grass. 

At last, we arrived in Tsetserleg, Arhangai! So much for the excitement, it was baffling to consider this a city. Tsetserleg was more like a village somewhat resembling the countryside of South Korea. Yet, Arhangai’s capital had its own character to it.

Map of Tsetserleg, Arhangai

Tsetserleg is referred to as the city of education by the locals. The population is roughly 18,000. From one end to another end (excluding the гэр zone on both sides of the map) takes about 15-20 minutes on foot.

1. Random Buildings
Petite restaurant |  World Vision Office
Pub | Ruined building. The graffiti reads “Our love is forever”

2. Places I may visit frequently
Internet cafe | The only restaurant in town that serves chicken dishes
Central post office | State government and central square

3.  Vestiges of Life
Main road with a teachers’ school and a theater (not for movies) | Clothing store
Oxen | Photo studio

4.  Around my school
Humuun 1st Complex School | Ethnographical Museum
In front of school | View of гэр zone from school

5. Bulgan Mountain
This is perhaps the most appealing scene in Tsetserleg.

Terrific landscape only to be witnessed in Tsetserleg?

So I have to live here for two years starting this August. It felt like a time machine ride to the 70s, the period I didn’t even exist. I have been a city dweller all my life and to endure in a seemingly tedious and remote village will be a challenge. Yet, I ought to be passionate for my job and just love Mongolian people, people around me, my students and fellow teachers. That’s perhaps all I need to do. Those are wise words from my sister in South Carolina.

Trip to the New Destination

I’ve written lyrics for my best friends on many occasions, but this is the first premier on my blog. A little bit of underground feel to this makes it somewhat light-weighted. 🙂

 

(Click to enlarge)

Organizing Friends Lists on Facebook

I have organized my entire friends list on Facebook. In the midst of categorizing each friend, I began to regret realizing how painstaking of a process it was to manage 441 friends into different groups. I wonder if FB users with over 500 friends will ever organize their lists as precisely as I did.

First, locate your Friends list under your Profile.

Click on Edit icon as shown above. You will be taken to the next screen similar to the following:

There is no ‘x’ next to Friends since that is your default Friends list. You can drag each list up and down to change the order of your lists.

Create new list
A modal window will pop up. On the first textbox, enter the name of the new list. Select friends to add to the new list. Click Create List after done selecting.

Add an existing list or group
You have two options:
1. Add Friends Lists
2. Add Groups
Friends lists are lists that you have created. Groups are Facebook groups, if you are a member of any. After done selecting lists and/or groups, click Add. I personally suggest adding only Friends Lists since Groups appear on the left panel of your Home screen.

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Save Changes after you have completed categorizing your friends list.

Go to Profile and click on any of your Friends Lists. Notice the Edit Profile button on the top-right corner of your page changes to Edit Friends.

Click on Edit Friends.

You can click Create a List to create a new list. This is just another way to create a new list. On the left panel, notice that your friends lists are organized in alphabetical order.

Notice that Facebook has created a handy system list called Friends Not on a List below your lists. Click on a Friends list.

In case you missed a friend who belongs to an existing list or you have a new friend to add to an existing list, use this interface to add a single friend or multiple friends. Hover over a friend (near the left side of ‘x’) to view which lists the friend belongs to or add that friend to an existing list.

* Note that a friend can belong to multiple lists.

The downside
Now every time you make a new friend on FB you are forced to add him/her to a list, unless that person does not belong to any.

Friends Lists are not available on the Facebook Mobile App.

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Organizing your friends is effective when you have countless friends and you want a quick overview of each Friends list. Sometimes, you may forget who are even on your Facebook Friends List or even their names.

Additionally, if you have sensitive friends, just create objective lists, no subjective lists. Frankly, I wanted to create a list called “Bros for Life”. Imagine the world of possibilities for psychological facebook effects this could have on you and your non-“Bros for Life” friends. 

Desire for an Extraordinary Life

After I quit my previous job and was preparing for my military duty options in Korea, each day seemed extremely unproductive, yet I was unwilling to find any work to do outside. Most of my friends would start their days early morning, go to work, make income, and they would focus on building their careers and building personal wealth.

I talk to one of my best buds from high school every day. We discuss how our lives need to be blueprinted going forward to live worthwhile lives, and we would always argue that monetary wealth must not be the central focus of life. Undeniably, it has been our excuse to make us feel better during our unmotivated periods, but whatever we agree on has been legitimately sound. The last thing I want to become in this world is someone whose happiness is fulfilled from increasing his monetary wealth.

To me, an ordinary life is like death. An ordinary life is a life without passion, adventure, and risks. But I am no professor or philosopher to define what an ordinary life is or to determine the ordinariness of other lives. Born in Korea, I lived in Japan for 2 years, Hong Kong for 2.5 years, and 11 years in the United States. I have been to a few famous places around the world, such as London, Paris, and Barcelona. Now I live in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, learning Mongolian as a Korea Overseas Volunteer. Two nights ago, the basement of the nunnery I am staying at was flooded, and we manually scooped out water with buckets. I will be relocated to a Complex School, 8 hours apart from the capital, to teach computer and assist in other technology matters. It will be like living back in the 20th century, some parts more like 19th century. I will be stuck in Mongolia for two years. This is something I had never imagined till February, 2011. Life does come at you unexpectedly. And for a Korean person, I would cautiously argue that my life so far has been quite distant from an average life in Korea.

Most of my friends do not perceive my life as an ordinary one. They realize that I’ve had somewhat of a roller-coaster ride during my tenure in the States. I have learned many great lessons through my diverse experiences and interacting with multiple cultures. Nevertheless, my life is nothing close to special or meritable. I have yet to become a great positive influence to people in Tsetserlag, Arhangai Aimac, Mongolia. Scooping out water is not extraordinary for people in Mongolia.

As a wise man once said, “the way we live, will in the end reflect how we are as persons”. I believe that your life becomes better by making other lives better. This is possibly something I can do for the next two years for my life to be much more meaningful than a wealth-centered life. Undeservedly, I am judging other lives, perhaps an excuse to make myself feel better.  And yet, I have not even explored half of the world and have not inspired many people even close-by. The adventure still awaits.

A Country Unprepared for Rain

Mongolia is extremely dry. It is famous for Gobi Desert and high level of “yellow dust”. The all-mighty ultraviolet rays dry the water rapidly. Rain is rare in Mongolia, but when it pours here, half of the roads become flooded. Poop-colored water soaked my shoes my feet were more like swimming than walking. Many old buildings get drenched with water and the residents start the bucket work.

The basement of the nunnery I’m staying at is completely flooded. The water color does not look pretty. Regardless, we all jumped in and manually scooped out the water with those little buckets.

Many developing countries need to have their priorities set properly. At least do some work on the hopeless sewer system.

Mongolia’s Capital at a Glance

Last Saturday, we, the current KOICA trainees, visited Zaisan Monument. It’s named “Зайсан” in Mongolian. Located at the southern part of Ulan Bator, Zaisan provides perhaps the best panorama of Mongolia’s capital.

(The stairway to Zaisan Monument)

(Looking down at the city from Zaisan)

Nearby the monument, the buildings are mostly new and luxurious. I hear that some apartment lends at $5,000 per month.

As you can tell from the second picture, the city looks very livable, even beautiful to say the least, and the scene does not reflect the harsh reality of a developing country. This is somewhat true of Ulan Bator, but the majority of the city contains high air pollution, minor crimes, and fraudulent activities.

Ulan Bator is almost considered a city state due to extreme contrasts to other cities in Mongolia. I will be relocated to a place 8 hours apart from the capital. The real Mongolia awaits, as some would claim.