When handed a cup of milk tea, I usually need to take it with either my right hand or with both hands. It would be considered rude to accept the cup of milk tea with my left hand. It seems like a lot to remember, but I'm learning quickly.
There are some different perspectives in the classroom, too. There are certain classroom expectations that exist in America that do not exist in Mongolia. Many teachers I've observed in Mongolia like to stand at the front of the classroom and lecture for a very long time. I prefer to teach in a more hands-on way. I find that students learn more when they are engaged and when they are not bored. This is something that my students were not expecting from me, but I think they really appreciate it! Moreover, in Mongolia, cheating is not taken very seriously. Sometimes when I give my students vocabulary quizzes, I catch them cheating. In America, the students would get in serious trouble, but in Mongolia, I need to remember to stay calm, remind them not to cheat, and remind them that vocabulary quizzes exist so that they can test their knowledge and see what words they need to study harder.
Life in Mongolia can be quite different than I'm used to, but the more time I spend here, the more I began to recognize and appreciate their unique way of doing things.
