Housekeeping

By Rachel

My job at the Children’s Palace ended several weeks ago, and my volunteer work for the Mongolian Education Alliance has gradually faded away. I ended my Mongolian lessons in early May, before our Gobi trip. So all my organized activities are gone – baiquay, as the Mongolians would say. So what does this leave me to do? Housekeeping.

When Charlie arrived and was greeted by The Asia Foundation rep, she commented to him that we would want to live close to the city center so I could shop easily. “Ha,” thought Charlie, “Rachel will have something better to do than shop.”

But the truth has been that I have been more of a homemaker here than at home. This is true because things here take longer and are more of a hassle, so errands take more time. Partly this is true because I don’t have any little fiefdoms here – like my classroom at Stoddert, or Moses’ yoga class – so home takes on more of my identity. And this is partly because I’ve been bored, and like cooking, so why not?

Charlie has worked hard. He has dealt with the landlords and countless other hassles of life. He has managed the money and paid the bills. He has negotiated his placements here. But the bulk of the housework has been mine. Laundry. Sweeping. Taking out trash. Knowing the food that we have. Keeping the pulse.

I’ve tried to tell myself that this is a luxury. Come October I will be desperate for a day to just shop and cook. But for now, it has been too much. I feel like the help in a household with staff – my job is to keep the house working. And it is not very glamorous.

Of course, I could (or should) be out there doing something noble. But one appreciation I have gained this year is that while making this home – keeping this house – has been a lot of work, I am not the sort of person who can be out there in the trenches without a home to retreat to at the end of the day. Maybe that is the real luxury of my life at home.