Lotus lovelies...

Traffic in UB is usually fairly chaotic but this morning it was beyond ridiculous.  Sitting in my office at work I am still feeling sick from my bus journey.  The ride from the flower centre to peace bridge usually takes about five minutes and today it was more like thirty five.  The bus was also full so standing up made the ride even more interesting.  It took about an hour to get to work today which is about double the time it normally takes.  Mix in with that pollution, constant beeping of horns, a bus that is bunny hopping along an icy jam packed road and me with a shoulder injury from the previous nights snowboarding trip trying to hold onto whatever handle I can find…not so fun.  However walking into my new office at the school made that journey totally worth it as sitting at the desk was my old mate Ankhaa. 

He was there helping one of the teachers with the morning milk for the kids at school.  I really need to find something for this little man to do with his day.  I’m really looking forward to having the new Mongolian social worker on board as there is only so far I can communicate with the basic sentences I have learnt so far.  Lotus are in the process of employing a local social worker who also speaks English.  They did previously have one but she left just before I arrived.  Slowly slowly I keep telling myself…all in good time. 

It is now the end of the second week of my time here at Lotus and I feel that things are beginning to fall into place.  I am beginning to get to know the kids more and feel comfortable walking around the school and into classrooms.  I like having my office at the school as I get to see the kids more during the day and they get used to seeing my face more.  The school here is reception to year five and all the children that attend are from Lotus.  After year five they then move into various other schools around UB.  From reception to year five Mongolian children have the same teacher.  The children at Lotus have very strong bonds with their classroom teachers.  I think this system works well if the child has a good relationship with their teacher however I feel sorry for those children who don’t particularly like their teacher.  I think the stability for the Lotus kids is really great.  The teachers here at Lotus are all a lot older and I think most of them are actually retired.  Most of the house mothers are older too and provide such a motherly role to the Lotus children.  I can’t wait to start working with the house mothers and discuss the behaviours they see when the children are back at the orphanage.  There is such a huge opportunity for a stronger therapeutic approach to the children living here.  Slowly slowly right!      

Loving my office drop-ins...

Mr Ankhaa...

class room @ lotus

out in the yard