Day of arrival

It was incredible to realize that this family lives so differently from anything I know. They make most of their own food products, other than tea and coffee. The women of the two gers work together on some projects, the men work together with the animals. The ger is about 30 feet across, with a metal pole in the middle next to the stove pipe to help support the upper circle. Smaller gers do not have this support pole. The stove is low and has a fairly large surface area to allow for multiple pans to be on the stove simultaneously. It is fueled mostly by dried dung.

Things I ate: mutton, mutton and more mutton; butter and cream on the fried bread that they use, some of what I thought was cheese, but turned out to be a milk solid of some kind-all of this was made by the women who live there.  When we gathered, chai would be made first, a bowl of bread and various other items set out on the low table, and we'd gather on the short wooden stools that are the only kind of chair they have.

I watched the dishes being washed- only with water, no soap was used. Various kettles and pots served back to back purpose without an interval, and the bowls we used for everything from soup to chai were washed in the same way.

The wife of Daulet's brother speaks a little English, which was quite a relief. As soon as we arrived, everyone gathered for chai, bread, etc, and I was given the seat of honor- the one at the back of the table and directly in front of the alter- also the coldest spot in the room. Meanwhile a couple of the women worked on sewing a felted design together (from their own sheeps' wool), the rest talked around the table, and everyone periodically redirected or cuddled the young ones. The hot stove stood in the center, and no one seemed to worry about the baby grabbing hold of it but me. I was lost in the sea of voices, knowing nothing that was said and feeling very awkward, when suddenly there was a pause and Bonboa (not sure of the spelling) said to me in English, "what's your name?" She became my link to whatever was going on, unfortunately for her. The ger in which I was staying is hers and her husband's, and her mother and youngest sister live with them as well.

There are beds around the perimeter- three total in this ger. At the very back of the ger, directly opposite the door, is the sort of family alter, where ancestors' photos are placed, and sometimes other mementos. This family is Muslim, but doesn't appear to be actively practicing, other than the women all wear headscarves.

The first time I needed to use the bathroom (I could wait no longer), I asked Banbua, who walked outside and pointed it out to me. That was quite an experience, as you will guess from this photo.

Later in the evening, Banbua asked me "toilet?" - I think she had seen me surreptitiously pulling some toilet paper from my bag. I said yes and we went out in the dark together with a head lamp. She directed me to a spot not as far from the gers, and explained that at night this was fine. I heartily concurred, I could not imagine navigating this one in the dark. It was a strange experience to be crouching in the dark with her though.