How to ask questions

When people learn that I work in Mongolia, they generally are curious. Unfortunately, the questions that come out of their mouths are so broad that I stutter and stumble and end up at a loss for words. Questions such as, "What is it like there?", "So, is it really different?" and "So, tell me about Mongolia." terrify me. I do much better with more specific questions. What's the food like? What's the weather like? What does it look like? What are the people like? What is the exchange rate? By asking the more detailed questions, you ultimately will get your broad questions answered, and with a lot less confusion on my part. When I do try to tackle the broad questions, I never know if the person asking wants the one sentence answer, the five-minute answer, or the two-hour speech; more specific questions alleviate this issue.

I'll be answering a series of frequently asked questions in upcoming posts. If I don't happen to touch on a subject that you are curious about, please ask!