Summer's Arrival

Summer is officially here! The grass is green, the trees are full with leaves, it's light until 10pm, and the fields are full of plastic bags! During the winter, you forget how much dirt and trash are covered up. A lot like people huh? Isn't it sad how much we cover up and hide from each other? Wouldn't it be nice to just be real with each other. I don't know if I can handle it.

Mongolia always marks summer with Children's Day on June 1. It's a huge event. Schools are closed, businesses are closed, candy and ice cream are freely given, and the parks are one huge party. There's rides, games, food, horses and general chaos. It's really fun. They try to put up some new playground equipment every year, but it doesn't always happen. This year they had a really nice play area with swings, slides, monkey bars, see-saws,etc. My school went and spent most of the time on that. It's just incredible how many people turn out. Streets are blocked for it. Girls in puffy bows and fancy dresses. Boys with bb guns and water guns. It's a madness that means summer is here!

I also had the experience this past week of going to a Mongolian circus. It wasn't quite like the circus' we had in the States but it had some resemblences. There was a clown, magician, acrebatics, and a small bear that could do some tricks. It had a lot of traditional Mongolian dancing, and singing. It was something fun and different to do for the evening.

Finally, the real reason that I know summer is coming----the last week of school is here! One last week before the warm days of having to not be in the four walls of school. :)